LAS VEGAS — Brian Ruhlman ran off with the 18-lap, $5,000-to-win Open Modified main event victory during the final night of the Las Vegas Dirt Nationals at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas.
Ruhlman led from the onset and was never challenged. Friday night’s winner Kollin Hibdon drove from mid-pack to second but that’s all the farther he got. Ruhlman led by nearly a straightaway at one point and nailed two late-race restarts to complete the dominant victory.
Hibdon finished second, Jason Ingalls finished third, Lance Mari fourth, and Thursday night’s winner, Rodney Sanders was fifth.
Luke Ramsey capped off his perfect week in the Hobby Stock class by staving off a charge from Solomon Bennett.
All week, Ramsey was the class of the Hobby Stock field, dominating his heat races and features, but on Saturday, Solomon Bennett gave him a true run for his money in the 15-lap, $750-to-win main event.
Bennett ran even with Ramsey’s No. 17 throughout the middle portion of the event – hugging the bottom as Ramsey used the cushion. The two raced door-to-door and battled three-wide on the bottom of the lapped car of Reven Bitting with five laps to go. Bennett nearly cleared Ramsey several times, but Ramsey hung tough, eventually pulling ahead for the lead and driving away for the victory.
Bennett finished second, Brent Ricker third, John Watson fourth and Adam Tiscareno finished fifth.
Dalton Hatten bounced back and put it on the field in the 15-lap, $750-to-win Dwarf Car feature.
Ryan Doglione looked to have the 15-lap, $750-to-win West Coast Sport Compact feature in the bag, but with two laps to go, he got his car out of shape and relinquished a more-than-2.5-second lead. Scott Beaudoin’s No. 98 and Greg Baronian slipped by on the bottom, and Beaudoin held the two off for his second victory in three nights.