Neil Meredith got his season started off on the right foot on Saturday evening as he took his car to victory lane in the season opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway.
While the 125-lap Limited Late Model race that was won by Devon Morgan was the feature of the day, the Late Model Stock Cars compete as the tracks Division I NASCAR Whelen All-American Series feature. And while the field was short in the Late Models with several Late Model regulars competing in Limiteds on this day, the racing was still good between a trio of veteran drivers up front.
Meredith, who qualified on the pole, would lead the opening laps as the three veterans pulled away from the field. With Meredith was Taylor Satterfield and Upstate South Carolina legend Randy Porter, who was making a one-off start while his nephew Trey Gibson was playing crew member for him.
Meredith would hold the lead for the first 15-laps of the 40-lap race but Satterfield, who was honoring his crew members late mom, was looking for the lead and hungry to get there. He would take the top spot on lap 16 and bringing Porter with him as Meredith slipped to third. Meredith didn’t stay back there long though and quickly made his way back to the second position.
As the laps wound down, Meredith was closing the gap on Satterfield for the lead and he was there by lap 29. As they got down to ten laps to go Meredith made his move and the two made contact while racing for the lead. Satterfield went spinning and Meredith took over the top spot.
By this time the other two cars in the five-car field had parked their cars but now Satterfield would line up third behind Porter and Meredith. Satterfield would get to second following the restart but Porter fought back while Meredith cruised to the first win of the new season. Porter would finish second ahead of Satterfield in third after a hotly contested battle between the two.
Unofficial Results:
1 – #36 Neil Meredith
2 – #32 Randy Porter
3 – #40 Taylor Satterfield
4 – #56 Anthony Miller
5 – #28 Ryan Walker
