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(August 19th, 2023) - It was a battle for the ages. Cory Hall (#83) and Ashton Tucker (#2) got up on the wheel and dueled for the win over the final half of the ReCar 150 presented by Wonder Auto & Tire. The back-and-forth battle came down to a late race restart - and then a last lap showdown that saw door slamming, cars driving through the infield, and the rear bumper cover dragging on the #83 car as Hall slid sideways across the line to emerge victorious over Tucker.
Ryan Messer (#1) overcame an illness to achieve a third-place finish - his third podium of the season. Dave O’Blenis (#48) ran in a podium position for much of the race but would drift to the fourth position over the final restart. Dustin Tucker (#52) had a stellar run, battling for a podium position too and settling for fifth place at the end of the night.
The stage was set for the dramatic finish when the caution flag waved for a Kyle Reid (#42) dust up on the frontstretch beach with 7 laps to go. Hall had led many laps, but Tucker stole the lead with nineteen (19) laps remaining and would restart on the point. Hall capitalized and regained the lead when action resumed, but Tucker was hot in his tracks, attempting to take back the lead. On the final lap, Tucker dove inside of Hall, and the pair would make plenty of contact as the crowd at Speedway 660 erupted. Tucker would end up in the infield going into turn 3, with Hall - bumper cover and all dragging - hanging on for the exhilarating victory as he slid across the finish line.
From start to finish, it was another dramatic SLMS race filled with twists and turns that thrilled the large Speedway 660 crowd in attendance. Andrew Rodgers (#14) earned the EIT Race Radio Pole Award, achieving a +4 in his heat race, and would lead the field to green alongside Hall. Rodgers and Hall would exchange the lead multiple times in the early going before Hall took control. Before long, Tucker made his presence felt and the battle for the lead was on before the unforgettable finish.
Another wild moment of the race came on the 37th lap. Chris Duncan (#97), while marching through the field inside the top 10, would end up sucked into the backstretch beach resulting in his car being launched over the embankment, catching air as he would perform a nose-dive into a pit entrance tire, with his car flipping in air before landing on all four wheels. The red flag would be displayed as emergency crews rushed to the scene, but thankfully Duncan was able to walk away from the horrific incident.
Nine cautions and one red flag slowed the race. Twenty-seven (27) cars - the second largest SLMS car count of 2023 - checked in for the ReCar 150 presented by Wonder Auto & Tire, but unfortunately John Rankin (#9) would not make the call to the green following a heat race trip to the beach.
It was a disappointing night for some perennial points contenders. Points leader Dylan Gosbee (#16) would post his worst finish to date after being collected in two incidents - albeit salvaging a ninth-place effort to maintain control with one race to go. Robbie MacEwen (#40) entered second in points and was in the top five much of the night before crossing the line sixth. Steve Halpin (#03) got collected in an early incident - he never gave up as his team repaired the car and returned to the track, but he would finish twenty-fifth. Troy Burke (#01) would end up down laps throughout the race, but nevertheless still salvaged a thirteenth-place finish.
With five races in the books, it now all comes down to the finale at Petty International Raceway. On Saturday September 30th, the Super Late Model Series stars return to the high banks for a 150-lap shootout that will wrap up the inaugural season, culminating with the crowing of the first ever Super Late Model Series champion! More information on that event to come!
Stay tuned to SLMS.ca, Super Late Model Series on Facebook, or @SLMSeries on other social media platforms including YouTube for highlights, recaps, and updates on the next event!
ReCar 150 presented by Wonder Auto & Tire Results
