SOUTH BOSTON, VA – Craig Moore played the role of David in a David vs. Goliath showdown at South Boston Speedway in the CARS Response Energy Late Model Stock Tour finale at South Boston on Saturday – and David beat Goliath in this battle.
When Nelson Motorsports teammates Timothy Peters and Brandon Pierce got together under caution, knocking Peters out of contention, that opened the door for Moore to rocket to the lead on a lap 73 restart. Moore then held off frantic challenges from Lee Pulliam and later Deac McCaskill and survived a nine lap shootout to score his first career CARS Tour victory.
“We’ve had a really tough year and to win with the CARS Tour, some of the best guys out here, I hate some of the guys had bad luck but I feel like we had a good car,” Moore said in victory lane. “You’re racing with the best of the best. There’s no doubt, awesome win. One of the best I’ve ever had, one of the most prestigious.”
It was more than just winning in the CARS Tour for Moore, it was winning against Lee Pulliam and Deac McCaskill with a lower budget operation.
“The best of the best,” Moore remarked. “To be able to come out and compete with those guys is an honor. I’m so proud of this whole team. We work with the minimum resources. It’s awesome. I’ve got to thank Brian Tanner and Tanner Race Engines. We ran one of his Harrington motors and it really helped tonight.”
Moore also took satisfaction in the South Boston victory given his history here. Throughout his career, South Boston Speedway has not been kind to Moore, but that changed with the victory on Saturday.
“To win at a track that has been my nemesis, before they repaved the track, we never really even finished a race here,” Moore explained. “We came five or six times in my life and I’ve been racing a long time. We came last year, had a bad qualifying run and finished fifth. Tonight, I told the guys I think we had a good car and it paid off. To win at a track I really didn’t like, I guess I have to like it now.”
Deac McCaskill wound up finishing second while Lee Pulliam, Josh Berry and Brandon Pierce rounded out the top-five.
Bobby McCarty clinched the CARS Late Model Stock Tour championship with his ninth-place finish. However, he took time to praise the victorious of Craig Moore.
“It wasn’t pretty but we got the job done,” McCarty said. “While we’re at it, Dusty Wall, Craig Moore and those guys deserved that win. Dusty’s come and helped us plenty of times on our cars and done a lot for us. Everybody’s been shocked over Alf Wall passing the way he did and that’s a tough hit to the racing community and those guys are really good guys. I think the world of them. I’m so glad the 1 car is in victory lane. I’m about as happy as if I would have won the race. That’s the coolest thing I’ve seen this year.”
McCarty beat out Pulliam to win the series championship – his first. McCarty joins Brayton Haws, Deac McCaskill, and Josh Berry as CARS Late Model Stock Tour champions.
Results
- Craig Moore
- Deac McCaskill
- Lee Pulliam
- Josh Berry
- Brandon Pierce
- Ty Gibbs
- Trevor Ward
- Sam Mayer
- Bobby McCarty
- Tyler Hughes
- Stacy Puryear
- Grayson Cullather
- Charlie Watson
- Austin Thaxton
- Mason Diaz
- Eric Winslow
- Timothy Peters
- Ronald Hill
- Mini Tyrrell
- Jessica Dana
- Colin Garrett
- Cole Glasson
- Jacob Heafner
- Logan Jones
- Chris Denny
- Mason Hudson
- Rodney Boyd
- Layne Riggs
- Camden Gullie — DNS
