NEW SMYRNA BEACH, FL :: It wasn’t exactly pretty but Steven Wallace earned his first Super Late Model victory of the season on Wednesday night, out-dueling Harrison Burton and Ryan Moore in Race No. 4 of the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna Speedway.
The victory was not without an element of controversy however.
Wallace first took the lead off a restart with four laps to go, shooting from fourth to first, past the dominant Jeff Burton Autosport Chevrolet. The pair battled fiercely until Wallace drifted high, initiating hard contact with the 14-year-old prospect to take the lead for good.
Burton, who previously had a close battle with Wallace during the Florida Governor’s Cup at New Smyrna in November, battled back under Wallace and hooked him when the two began battling again Turns 3 and 4. NASCAR officials penalized Burton for the contact by sending him to the back of the field for the ensuing restart. Perhaps controversially, they also reinstated Wallace back to the top spot.
Despite having sparks fly out from beneath his damage Ford, Wallace held off Moore on pair of final restarts and scores his first Super Late Model victory since the Clyde Hart Memorial 100 at New Smyrna back in July.
Wallace is the fourth different Super Late Model winner in four races during the 2015 Speedweeks championship showdown, joining Burton, Ty Majeski and Zane Smith in Victory Lane. It is also his first win with new full-season sponsor JET Tools.
As for the incident with Burton, Wallace just called it the byproduct of hard racing.
“I went into Turn 1 with cold tires and the bottom groove always slides up on the restarts,” Wallace said. “I did everything I could do to stay off him. He held me a little tight, maybe, I’m not sure.
“All in all it was a great deal for us. It was our first win with our new sponsor JET Machinery. We’ve worked our butts all winter to get here and fought rear-end housing issues. So we worked hard to get this win and we’re going to enjoy it, that’s for sure.”
For his part in the ordeal, Burton says he felt “used up” and while he never intended to spin Wallace out, he definitely wanted to deliver a message.
“I intended to do anything I could to get past him,” Burton said. “I got into him a little too hard. I just wanted to move him up and I spun him out on accident — well not an accident — I definitely wanted to move him.
“Not to spin him out but to send the message.”
Moore was running third behind both of the involved leaders and doesn’t understand the decision to give Wallace his spot back. After all, he would have assumed the lead if both drivers restarted at the back of the field.
“Steven and I are friends so I’m real happy for him,” Moore said. “I was the first one to congratulate him but I don’t understand that rule. This is the only place that does that and I’m not sure how that works.”
Nevertheless, Moore is satisfied with a runner-up as a rough first week has forced him to play it conservative until the Speedweeks ending Bruce Gowland Memorial 100 on Saturday night.
With his victory, Wallace assumes the (unofficial) championship lead over Majeski. Wallace is looking to become the first repeat Super Late Model champion in the history of annual February event.
The complete results of World Series race 35-lap Race No. 4 can be viewed below.
- Steve Wallace
- Ryan Moore
- Garrett Jones
- Ty Majeski 35
- Dave Garbo, Jr
- Natalie Decker
- Zane Smith
- Martin Latulippe
- David Rogers
- Denver Foran
- Claire Decker
- Rico Abreu
- Paul Shafer, Jr.
- Brandon Oakley
- Harrison Burton
- Serek Kraus
- Brendon Bock
- David Green
- Joey Mucciacciaro
- Derek Griffith
- Gus Dean
- Steve Weaver
- Spencer Davis
- Stephen Nasse
- Josh Collins
- Brad May
- Drew Brannon
- Hunter Robbins
