Brandon Green was the Modified winner on Saturday night at Florence Speedway
As part of the show that featured the North-South 100 race for Super Late Models on Saturday night, Florence Speedway also featured racing in the Modified division. At the end of the feature for that class it was Brandon Green who wheeled his car into victory lane to receives the accolades and a $2,000 payment.
The starting lineup was determined by passing points in heat races held on Friday night which put Lucas Lee on the pole with Green lining up second. Derek Groomer, Kevin Hall, Zach Powers, Ryan Thomas, Billy Vaughn, John Holt, Jr., Adam Strickler and Patrick Alcorn rounded out the top-10 on the starting grid.
Green took the lead at the start of the 20-lap feature with Lee, Groomer and Hall in his tire tracks. Almost immediately, Green and Lee began to separate themselves from the field as those two cars broke away by several car lengths from the battles being waged behind them.
On the move early was Strickler who rose from his ninth starting spot to grab fifth by lap 3. He then joined a fight for third that also involved Groomer and Hall.
The lead duo almost found trouble on lap 7 when a slower car spun while being lapped. That mishap brought out the first yellow flag of the night.
On the ensuing restart Hall maneuvered his car around that of Groomer to seize the third spot. But the action remained intense as Hall, Groomer and Strickler found themselves in a three-wide brawl one lap after returning to green flag racing .
At the race’s halfway mark, an intense fight for positions 4-7 was being waged as Stickler worked to hold back the advances of Powers, Groomer and Vaughn. However, a caution interrupted that skirmish when Groomer’s car came to a stop on the track.
Once the race returned to green flag conditions it was again Green and Lee separating themselves from their pursuers with the intent of settling the issue among themselves. In the closing laps, Lee closed right to the rear of Green’s No. 52 but jumped the track’s cushion on lap 18 and losing ground. That, in turn, cleared the way for Green to distance himself fro his rival and drive on to the checkered flag.
Brandon Green scored the win ahead of Lucas Lee, Kevin Hall, Adam Strickler, Zach Powers and Billy Vaughn.
