LAS VEGAS – Not even starting from the back of the pack could stop Chris Clyne from a sweet sweep at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
The Las Vegas native and son of LVMS founder Richie Clyne went from last to first on the opening lap of the second NASCAR super late model race on Hometown Heroes Night and never looked back, winning the nightcap by .887 of a second to complete a two-race sweep on the special evening.
Clyne’s double-down effort came in front of his parents, Richie and Karen, and just two days after his 37th birthday.
The Speedway Children’s Charities Board member held off six-time track champion Scott Gafforini for the win and now has won five of the last six NASCAR super late model races at The Bullring.
His sweep came on a night when LVMS paid tribute to area first responders for their service and dedication to the community.
“I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight, because if it wasn’t for you guys, we wouldn’t be racing,” said Clyne, who now has 16 career Saturday night victories at the LVMS short track. “I’m a huge fan of firefighters and police, and thank you to all the local heroes. It means the world to us that all of you are here.”
Clyne kicked things off with a checkered flag in the night’s first NASCAR super late model race, 2.296 seconds ahead of Gafforini. Clyne, who turned 37 on Thursday, accomplished the feat despite a major challenge before the feature races even began.
“We came in after first practice, and we’d had a huge rock go through our radiator,” Clyne said. “I thought we were done, and I was freaking out. My guys worked their tails off, and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be standing right here.”
Defending NASCAR super stock champion Sam Jacks dominated the division’s 25-lap race early before Matt Larsen challenged him on lap 18.
Larsen got loose going for the lead and settled for a third-place finish, while Jacks won for the fourth straight time after leading all 25 laps.
Jacks has won six of the last seven super stock races and tied Dylan Kwasniewski for 23rd place on The Bullring’s all-time wins list with 19 thanks to Saturday’s victory.
“The car has been absolutely amazing, and I couldn’t ask for anything better,” Jacks said. “We’ve had quite a few problems, but we’ve managed to get most of them sorted out. I’d like to thank everyone for coming out and all of the hometown heroes.”
After multiple lead swaps among Kirk Hance, Michael Miller and Kyle Jacks, reigning NASCAR Bombers champion Vinny Raucci Jr. pulled away down the stretch to earn his 14th career Bullring victory.
It was his first win of 2019, and Raucci took the checkered flag 1.904 seconds ahead of Miller.
Kyle Jacks – who lowered his own track record from earlier in the year to 18.816 seconds during qualifying – was sent to the back of the field after spinning Raucci out on lap 16 of the 25-lap race.
Jacks battled back to a third-place finish, 2.819 seconds off the pace.
Doug Hamm out-dueled Brian and Ron Reed in the NASCAR 602 Modifieds feature, earning career Bullring win No. 53 by just .390 of a second ahead of Brian Reed.
“I get lucky every now and then,” said Hamm, who tied Justin Johnson for fourth place on The Bullring’s all-time wins list with the victory. “(The Reeds) are tough to beat, and we just got lucky tonight. I’ve got to thank my family for coming out and always supporting me and everyone for coming out tonight.”
Peyton Saxton returned to victory lane at The Bullring after a strong performance in the USLCI Legends feature. He took the checkered flag 2.163 seconds ahead of Dylan Fabozzi for his 21st career win at the three-eighths-mile oval, his first victory since May 2017.
The Jr. Late Models division featured a tense back-and-forth battle between young guns R.J. Smotherman and Jaden Walbridge in its 30-lap feature.
Smotherman was sent to the rear of the field for spinning Walbridge out on lap 16, but battled back to take the lead after one of several late restarts. He survived a bump-and-run attempt by Walbridge on the final lap and won by 0.062 of a second.
It was Smotherman’s first Jr. Late Models win at The Bullring and first trip back to Victory Lane since September 2016.
Tuscan Nuccitelli of Ivins, Utah, was dominant in earning his first career Saturday night victory in the USLCI Bandolero Bandits division, leading from start to finish and crossing the line ahead of James Starcher by 10.732 seconds.
He joined his father Nick, a police officer in Ivins, as a Saturday night race winner at The Bullring.
Landon Gresser, who had an undefeated season in the Bandits division last year, picked up his first USLCI Bandolero Outlaws win after holding off Chloe Lynch by .552 of a second in the 12-lap race.
Scott Stockwell emerged victorious in the 15-lap Skid Plate Cars feature, which was run backwards on the track after a fan vote.