Along with the Chevrolet Performance Super Late Model Series race held on Saturday night, the Boyd’s Speedway also hosted racing in the Crate Late Model and Sportsman Late Model classes. When all the action was completed at the Ringgold, GA track, Ethan Hunter came away with the Crate Late Model first prize of $800 while Justin Winters grabbed the $600 winner’s check for taking the Sportsman checkered flag.
Ethan Hunter was the Crate Late Model winner
Bryan Pritchard set the pace in Crate Late Model qualifying when he turned a lap of 15.417 seconds around the third-mile clay oval. Tanner Works also earned a pole starting position for one of the two heat races to be used for setting the starting lineup for the feature.
Ethan Hunter won the first heat race for the division as he beat out Pritchard and Jimmy Elliott while Jason Deal beat out Works and Cruz Skinner to win the second preliminary.
Deal blasted to the early lead when the Crate Late Models took the green flag for their 25-lap feature with Hunter, Pritchard, Works and Elliott trailing in his tire tracks. Works moved forward quickly as he passed by Pritchard to take the third position on the second lap.
Hunter took the lead away from Deal on the third lap, leaving Deal, Works, Pritchard, Elliott and Skinner to engage in a tight battle for the positions 2-6. On lap 13, Pritchard moved by Works to wrest the third position away.
The race’s only caution came on lap 15 for a single-car incident on the front stretch. From that point, Hunter pulled away and was able to maintain a relatively comfortable advantage for the remainder of the race distance.
Ethan Hunter won the Crate Late Model feature over Jason Deal, Bryan Pritchard, Tanner Works, Jimmy Elliott and Cruz Skinner.
The Sportsman class used two heat races to set the 20-car starting grid for the feature race.
Booger Brooks beat out Evan Wrinkle and Brent Clark to win the first heat race while Justin Winters bested Matt Steward and Scottie Hogan in the second heat.
Before the entire field had even taken the green flag on the initial start of the 15-lap feature there was a pileup that involved almost half the field.
Justin Winters won the Sportsman feature
Winters went to the lead from his outside front row starting position with Brooks, Steward, Wrinkle and Bobby Doss in tow. Immediately, Brooks set about the task of pressuring Winters for the top spot. However, that attempt was thwarted when a yellow flag waved on the third lap when top-5 running Steward spun in turn 4.
When green flag racing resumed, Brooks briefly continued his assault on Winters until his No. 148 car came to a stop on track. Brooks made a quick trip to the pit area and rejoined the field at the tail.
From that point, Winters controlled the race as Brooks attempted to work his way back to the front. However, that effort would also be thwarted as Brooks once again pulled off track on lap 11.
Multiple caution flags would slow the pace in this one and provide for several opportunities to take advantage of the restarts. But Winters would not be denied on his way to the checkered flag.
Justin Winters won the Sportsman feature ahead of Evan Wrinkle, Bobby Doss, Daniel Brewer and Corey Cresswell.
