After a controversial season opener to the Late Model race season at Dominion Raceway, race day for this great looking race facility couldn’t have come soon enough. A track wide blackout by a disgruntled subcontractor and its Late Model race that ran one lap to many. Nothing fixes issues and solves problems quite like racing itself, no doubt that eyes and ears were all on this race day. Coming into the afternoons festivities was the season opening win by Tyler Hughes who sole intention was to win once again.

Likely still feeling the sting of the controversial finish two weeks ago, Nick Smith returned motivated and determined as ever in his racing career. Looking to bounce back an bury down what he and his team felt was rightfully there’s. Nothing but a win would settle what took place on opening night for Nick Smith Racing. Doug Barnes Jr and Michael Hardin who had solid runs on opening night had other ideas on how this night of racing was going to go.

In the afternoon time trials and thinking Tyler Hughes incredible qualifying lap of 14.966 just two weeks ago was ever safe. Jeff Oakley, who spent the majority of his 2015 race season racing in the CARS Late Model Touring Series qualified his rocket on the pole for the race at a blistering time of 14.862 or 96.891 mph. Tyler Hughes clocked the second best lap and worthy to start shotgun in row one next to the pole sitter Oakley.

No surprise here as Nick Smith, Doug Barnes Jr and Trent Barnes rounded out the five best in qualifying. Other notables were Doug Liberman starting seventh followed by Eddie Johnson who was eighth on the grid. With the threat of area rains moving in and periodically a drop or two coming down, the evenings racing was underway as twenty five Late Models took the green flag at Dominion Raceway for the scheduled seventy five lap feature.

Because of a six car invert selected before the race, Michael Hardin assumed the race pole leading the field into turns one and two. Soon after, the races first lead change occurred as Doug Barnes Jr nabbed the spot followed by the races first caution as Tyler Daniels brings out the yellow flag. While clean up was underway, the rain intensified a bit bringing dampness onto the track making for a very lengthy caution period. Back to green flag racing and it was on between the leaders of Doug Barnes along with Michael Hardin for the top spot.

Hardin would retake the lead briefly before Barnes muscled his way back to the front before our next caution flag waved for Keith Carpenters spin. Approaching the halfway on the next restart saw Hardin recapture the lead but from the outside line came Nick Smith who dove down hard into turn three and coming out of four with the race lead.

Tyler Hughes, Jeff Oakley followed suit negating Hardin, Barnes to fourth and fifth on the grid. Finally, after logging in some green flag laps, the leaders encountered slower traffic that allowed Hughes to catch the leader Smith. Oakley continued to pace in third seeking his opportunity as he followed Hughes ever move.

Lap fifty of the event now, this time Hughes is able to close the gap and gives the leader a shove to know he’s there. But just as the battle for the lead heats up with ten laps to go, the races final caution period occurs as Ray Terczak brings out the yellow flag. After extensive cleanup that brought out the red flag for several minutes, caution was displayed back on the track.

Then, the skies opened up and in came the rains as Nick Smith lead the field under caution to the checkered flag to win the evening’s feature. Tyler Hughes, Jeff Oakley, Doug Barnes Jr and Michael Hardin rounded out the top five in the field. Race action for the NWAAS Late Model division at Dominion Raceway picks back up next week May 7th for a scheduled one hundred lap event.

Race Results:
1 #12 Nick Smith
2 #8 Tyler Hughes
3 #16 Jeff Oakley
4 #88 Doug Barnes Jr
5 #7 Michael Hardin
6 #57 Eddie Johnson
7 #1 Trent Barnes
8 #56 Doug Liberman
9 #41 Mark Plows
10 #82 Mike Ganoe
11 #07 Richard Storm
12 #82B Cameron Burke
13 #18 Chandler Sherman
14 #50 Garrett Bunch
15 #9 Mark Miller
16 #29 Robert Bruce
17 #44 Keith Carpenter
18 #64 Bill Leutz
19 #51 Raymond Terczak
20 #77 Logan Jones
21 #79 Barry Beebe
22 #89 Irving Cook
23 #36 Owen Smith
24 #30 Tyler Gallup
25 #45 Tyler Daniels