PELETIER, NC – Brandon Clements picked up his first Limited Late Model win of the season at Bobby Watson’s Carteret County Speedway on Saturday night.
Clements started the race in the fourth position and took the lead from Chris Burns on the third lap of the race. A competition caution with 25 laps to go tightened the field up, allowing TJ Barron an opportunity. However, on the ensuing restart, Clements rocketed away from the field and never looked back as he scored the victory, ending a winless streak that dated back to October 27, 2018.
“We wanted to be aggressive and get the lead there to start with,” Clements said in victory lane after the race. “It means so much here to be able to have the restart and control the field. We just wanted to kick everybody’s ass.”
For Clements, the victory was a relief. He last won in the final race of the 2018 season and, aside from a couple runner-up finishes and a Mini-Stock win in May, the 2019 season has been frustrating.
“This sport is very humbling,” Clements explained. “To be as good as we were last year and come out this year and pure suck, it’s just been parts after parts and we found problem after problem. Me and Wendell [Davis] spent many nights working on this thing. He was getting frustrated with it and I was getting frustrated with it. I just want to thank all the fans and sponsors for sticking with us.
“I really want to dedicate this to my mom. She’s been having a rough time. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to do this racing stuff.”
Boo Boo Dalton eventually made it around Tyler Horne, then around T.J. Barron to finish second.
“When you get one in front of you that far, it’s just hold on and pray for a caution,” Dalton stated. “We weren’t even sure we were going to be in the top-three there for a little bit. I’m tickled to death. We’ve been out here twice and have a second, fourth, and a second. We’ll keep it up and hopefully will be up on that checkered flag pad before too long.”
Barron went on to finish third while Chris Burns and Tyler Horne rounded out the top-five.
The next race will be the Firecracker Clash on July 6th. Speedweeks at Carteret County concludes on July 13th with the CARS Late Model Stock Tour.
