CONCORD, N.C. — Davis Rochester dropped the hammer on the field on Tuesday night to win the Boston Reid Real Estate Pro division feature that headlined round seven of the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Rochester’s No. 97 Legend Car asserted its dominance in the early going of the 25-lap feature and appeared to have the victory in hand before a caution with one lap to go bunched up the field and gave points leader Carson Ferguson one final shot at Rochester.
He took the shot. Ferguson slotted in behind Rochester entering turn one but couldn’t complete the pass through turn two. As the leaders entered turn three, Ferguson dove to the inside and dueled side-by-side with Rochester coming to the finish line, but Rochester held on for his first win of the season by a razor-thin 0.036 seconds.
“I knew (Ferguson) was going to push me hard into turn one,” Rochester said after the race. “I drove it in way too deep and he kind of got to my inside. I knew he was coming at me again in three so I sort of braced myself.
“I was trying to hold on and hopefully not go more than one groove up. It was great racing. I’m glad he didn’t just send me. He raced me clean.”
Mark Green wired the field in the Twenty-Six Acres Brewing Company Masters division feature, keeping a hard-charging title rival Robby Faggart behind him for the balance of the 25-lap race. Faggart tracked down Green in the final circuits, but Green’s dwindling advantage was more strategy than circumstance.
“You only have to beat them by half a foot, so I was just trying to keep the pace and take care of the car for the last few laps,” Green said.
Janson Marchbanks bagged his second consecutive PMG Young Lions triumph after Zack Miracle’s last-turn bid for victory fell 0.241 seconds short at the line.
“Farbo Motorsports does a great job setting this thing up and getting it to turn through the corner,” Marchbanks said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”
Braden Rogers collected a hotly contested VP Racing Fuels Semi-Pro feature after a wild battle for the win among Rogers, points leader Jason Alder and fellow championship contender Gracie Trotter. With one lap to go, Rogers nudged Alder and got beside him entering turn one – but Trotter dove to the inside of both cars and appeared to have the best shot at victory.
Instead, Trotter’s car made contact with Rogers’, sending Trotter’s red-and-white No. 11 flipping. Trotter was unhurt. U.S. Legend Cars officials named Rogers the winner ahead of Alder.
“This is my favorite win, beating the best out there,” Rogers said. “I can’t thank my family, Farbo Motorsports, everyone watching me, enough for their support. I just hope it opens the door for me for a late model, a truck, anything.”
Farm Bureau Bandolero Outlaws points leader Garin Mash stalked Cameron Murray over the final three laps of Tuesday’s feature, but Mash couldn’t find a way past Murray’s blue-and-DayGlo-red No. 04 Bandolero.
“I just had to hit my marks, make sure everything was right and come out on top,” Murray said. “It’s awesome to finally get a win. I’ve been racing here for three years.”
Luke Morey was sent to the rear of the field in the final two laps of the the K1 RaceGear Bandolero Bandits feature after contact with Layton Harrison while the two battled for the lead. Truett Miranda restarted up front and held on in the final circuits to snare his first victory of the season.
“I was shocked,” Miranda said after he inherited the lead under unexpected circumstances. “I just had to hold the inside line and floor it.”
Payton Johnson claimed Tuesday night’s Beginner Bandolero feature ahead of Jonathan Pedano.