MYRTLE BEACH, SC :: Postponed from Thursday due to threatening weather, the NASCAR Whelen Late Models and Mini Stocks took to the track Saturday under clear skies for their first events of 2014.
A good car count returned for the speedway’s feature division with 17 NASCAR Whelen Late Models. Former track champion Justin Milliken set fast time in qualifying with a 20.959 second lap around the 0.538 mile oval and started on the pole for the first twin 50 lap feature for late models. Milliken would go on to win the first feature with 2012 track champ Anthony Anders 2nd, Matt Cox 3rd, Ryan Glenski 4th, and 2013 track champ Sam Yarbrough 5th.
The last race of the evening would be the second twin 50 lap race for the NASCAR Late Models. A 10 car invert put Brian Vause and Blaze Howell on the front row. The field went green and was slowed early for the only caution of the night. A turn three wreck with a few cars ended the night for Clay Thomas in Tommy Byrd’s #28 and Lucas Williams in his Marshalls Marine #11.
On the restart, Robert Tyler flexed his muscle to battle for the lead with Vause. The two raced side by side for 20+ laps battling for the lead. Race one runner up Anthony Anders worked his way to the front from the 9th starting position and took the lead on lap 25 from Vause and Tyler. Anders would never look back and went on to win the second twin. Matt Cox made a late race charge closing in on Anders but falling up a little short and finishing 2nd, with Jamie Yelton’s driver Payton Ryan 3rd, Justin Milliken 4th, and Sam Yarbrough rounding out the top five.
