Aaron Ridley led all the way in the Limited LM feature at 411.
For the third consecutive year, 411 Motor Speedway owners Mitch and Tanya McCarter opened their facility located in Seymour, Tenn. to celebrate the Valentine’s Day holiday and to honor the memory of area racing hero Scott Sexton. The action would be staged in five separate classes to entertain those hearty fans who braved blustery winds on a cool Saturday afternoon.
At the end of the day, Chatsworth, Georgia invader Aaron Ridley would be the man to earn the $1,500 paycheck handed to the Limited Late Model feature winner.
Ridley paced the 15 car field in qualifying with a fast lap of 14.016 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay oval. Drew Kennedy, Jason Welshan, Heath Hindman and Ross White rounded out the top-5 on the starting grid for the feature.
There were no heat races contested in this class as the feature lineup was set entirely via time-trials.
Ridley went right to the lead at the beginning of the 35-lap main event with Welshan, Kennedy and White in tow. However, an early caution flag waved for a spin back in the pack to slow the pace.
The 4th running White pulled off track with mechanical troubles under that first caution period.
When green flag racing resumed, Ridley continued to lead as he lead a breakaway by the top-4 cars that included Welshan, Kennedy and Heath Hindman. But once more, a yellow flag waved to slow the action on lap 8 for debris on the racing surface.
On the ensuing restart, Welshan attempted to make a move on Ridley for the lead but the Georgia driver was able to hold on to the top spot. At the same time, Hindman began to rumble from the 4th position as he challenged and overtook Kennedy for 3rd in the running order.
A pivotal moment in the race occurred on lap 18 when the second running Welshan pulled to the infield and out of the race. That development elevated the battle between Hindman, Kennedy and Pierce McCarter to a fight for 2nd.
Following a lap 21 caution for a blown engine on the car driven by David Macklin, McCarter began moving toward the front as he passed by Kennedy for 3rd on lap 24 then Hindman for 2nd on lap 33. But no one would pass by Ridley for the lead as the No. 81 machine maintained a steady advantage until the checkered flat waved.
At the finish it was Aaron Ridley winning out over Pierce McCarter, Heath Hindman, Drew Kennedy, John Owenby and Ruben Mayfield.
