Kres VanDyke of Abingdon, Va., moved into the lead just past halfway of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car feature Friday night at Kingsport Speedway, and once out front he cruised to his fourth win of the season.

VanDyke set fast-time in qualifying at 15.166 seconds, with Zeke Shell second quickest at 15.229. The roll of the dice determined the top three from time trials would be inverted for the 60-lap main event, which placed Ronnie McCarty and Shell on the front row.

Shell grabbed the lead over McCarty, VanDyke, Wayne Hale and Austin Peters on the start. VanDyke quickly worked his way around McCarty into second place just a couple of laps in as they raced up off (turn) two.

With the race running clean-and-green, at the 20-lap mark Shell and VanDyke had pulled out to a half-straightaway advantage over the next six cars in the running order led by McCarty, Hale, Peters, Joey Trent, Justin Fontaine and Derek Lane.

Shell had his hands full in trying to hold back the hard charging VanDyke, as the 2014 track champion VanDyke kept sticking the nose of his car under Shell racing up off the corners. Shell was dealing with a brake issue and had to pump the brake (pedal) down the straightaway in order to get slowed entering the turn.

Racing down the front straightaway into the first turn on lap 33, VanDyke pulled to the inside of Shell. Shell had difficulty get slowed down and drifted up the banking between turns one and two, and that was all VanDyke needed as he seized the moment to make the pass for a lead he would never relinquish.

Back outside of the top five, Fontaine got around Trent racing off the second corner on lap 37 for the sixth spot, and just three laps later he passed Peters for fifth place as they raced off the fourth turn.

Meanwhile out front, leader VanDyke began to pull away from Shell. With 10 laps remaining, VanDyke held a full-straightaway advantage over Shell and would go on to record his division-leading fourth victory over Shell, McCarty, Hale and Fontaine.

Completing the top 10 finishers were Peters, Trent, Lane, Rick Pannell and Jamie Harrison. VanDyke now leads Shell by five points in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model Stock Car standings.

Late Models:
1. Kres VanDyke #15-Abingdon, VA
2. Zeke Shell #50-Johnson City, TN
3. Ronnie McCarty #5-Kingsport, TN
4. Wayne Hale #19-Bluff City, TN
5. Justin Fontaine #60-Fletcher, NC
6. Austin Peters #7-Kingsport, TN
7. Joey Trent #26-Gray, TN
8. Derek Lane #28-Kingsport, TN
9. Rick Pannell #33-Kingsport, TN
10. Jamie Harrison #76-Church Hill, TN
11. Steven Deskins #14-Sevierville, TN
12. Jeff Maupin #51-Greeneville, TN
13. Royce Peters #38-Kingsport, TN
14. Jerry Lane #8-Kingsport, TN
15. Danny Casteel #41-Johnson City, TN