After not scoring a major auto racing victory since the 2013 WinStar World Casino 400k at Texas Motor Speedway, Halifax, Virginia native Jeb Burton held off a talented field of Late Model competitors to pick up a victory in the season-opening Moore’s Transmissions Late Model feature at Ace Speedway.
Burton’s #4 State Water Heaters/Puryear Tank Lines Late Model immediately showed speed as soon as it was unloaded from the hauler, as he managed to post a time of 15.620, which put him on the outside of the front row alongside 2017 Rodney Cook Classic winner Blake Stallings. When the green flag dropped, Burton was forced to settle into a rhythm behind Stallings, who quickly picked up where he left off from the Rodney Cook Classic by leading most of the first half of the race.
By the halfway point, Stallings encountered his first real test of the evening, as Jason York, who had qualified 12th, had worked his way to Stallings’ back bumper by Lap 40. The two briefly renewed their intense battle from last year’s Rodney Cook Classic before York was able to pull alongside Stallings in Turn 2 and took the lead away from him in Turn 4 on Lap 49.
Stallings would not give up the lead easily, as he attempted to pass York several times over the next few laps, which managed to bring Burton and Kyle Dudley into the battle for the lead. After Danny Willis Jr. brought out the caution on Lap 59, Stallings elected to line up behind York on the bottom of the track, which allowed Burton to pull up alongside York on the final restart of the race.
Although York was able to pull away from the field by about a second once the green flag was displayed, his lead over Burton quickly evaporated, leading to an intense battle between the two Late Model veterans that ended with Burton taking the lead away from York with 24 laps remaining. Dudley was able to pass York for second only a few moments later, but was unable to put up a challenge for the win as Burton took the checkered flag in front of a packed grandstands.
Ryan Millington came home in the third position while Danny Willis Jr. and Blake Stallings came home in 4th and 5th respectively after encountering issues throughout the evening. York managed to hang inside the Top 5 after losing the lead to Burton, but was caught up in an accident with R.D. Smith coming to the checkered flag, relegating the two veterans to 11th and 12th respectively.
The Duragloss Limited Late Model Feature was dominated by BooBoo Dalton, who started on pole and led most of the 60-lap feature before securing the victory over Jamie York, the son of Jason York. David Latour Jr. crossed the finish line in the third position, while Zach Clifton and Dylan Ward rounded out the Top 5.
Moore’s Transmissions Late Model Results:
1. 4 Jeb Burton
2. 4d Kyle Dudley
3. 15 Ryan Millington
4. 23 Danny Willis Jr.
5. 77b Blake Stallings
6. 77 Trevor Ward
7. 8 Thomas Scott
8. 22 Eric Winslow
9. 45 Gary Young Jr.
10. 25 Jacob Borst
11. 18 Jason York -1
12. 16 R.D. Smith OUT
13. 71 Dean Fogleman -1
14. 4m John Moore -1
15. 2 Dennis Holdren OUT
16. 9 Brad Kurth OUT
Duragloss Limited Late Model Feature Results:
1. 50 BooBoo Dalton
2. 1 Jamie York
3. 89 David Latour Jr.
4. 81 Zach Clifton
5. 70 Dylan Ward
6. 9 Jessica Dana
7. 49 Holden Kurth
8. 98 Jimmy Rice
9. 71 Nathan Lineback
10. 85 Bobby Griffin -1
11. 8 Shannon Pond -1
12. 15b Blake Bledsole OUT
