Harrison Burton was on cruise control Tuesday night.
The 15-year-old Huntersville, North Carolina driver dominated the 50-lap Super Late Model feature to earn his first win in the 50th Annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing.
Ron Silk won 1st Joe Brady Memorial 50 for the tour-type Modifieds. The Modifieds, a long-time staple of the track’s season-opening February event, kicked off the first of its four nights of racing. Silk passed Ryan Preece with five to go and drove away with the win. Preece finished second.
Burton, who was 12th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series opener at the track Sunday, started in the third spot and quickly made his way to the front of the field on the first lap of the Super Late Model feature.
“That top is so strong here,” Burton said. “When you get the jump on some one like that, and you’re on the top, it’s a huge advantage.”
From there, Burton built a three-second lead over Ty Majeski on Lap 35. His cushion, however, was erased when David Garbo Jr. cut a tire while running third and wound up in the Turn 2 wall. Burton chose the outside lane on the restart and easily cleared Majeski. From there, he rolled to the win.
Burton lead all 50 laps of the third Super Late Model feature of the week. The son of former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Jeff Burton had finished third on opening night, but was caught up in an wreck on Night 2. Monday night’s racing was washed out.
“I’ve got to thank the guys. We pulled out the back up and we were just as fast or faster in the backup,” Burton said. “It’s a lot of fun to come down here and race. You get so much experience in one week. It’s just a lot of fun.”
Majeski settled for second. He has a win and two runner-up finishes at the World Series.
“It wasn’t turning the way I needed it to,” Majeski said. “Harrison’s was turning a little bit better than mine and that was the difference. We just have to keep up a little bit and I’m optimistic for tomorrow.”
Stephen Nasse, Christian Eckes and Derek Thorn rounded out the top five.
Zane Smith, the fastest qualifier and defending World Series champion, left the race after the seventh lap when he broke his shock after making contact with the outside wall in the exit of Turn 4.
In the first Modified feature of the week, Silk won the battle between the last two Modified champions at New Smyrna’s World Series.
“After that final restart, I got a good start and he slipped up a little. I was able to get a good run and was able to get by him,” said Silk, the 2014 World Series Modified champion. “It’s nice to get a win out of the way on night one. If we can get another before the end of the week, that would be great.”
JR Bertuccio finished third, followed by Chuck Hossfeld and Justin Bonsignore.
Cody Stickler took home the Florida Modified Feature win.
