A Late Surge for Schaffer Leads To Victory At Richmond
GM Parts XPerts Super Late Model Series
The GM Parts XPerts Super Late Model Series ran just three laps in their season opener at Richmond in Week 1 before server issues popped up forcing the event to get postponed. Fast forward to the Make-Up Week and with a fresh start, David Krikorian picked up the pole with a lap of 20.601 seconds, but a 6-car invert dropped him back.
After the invert, Derek Holzhausen led the field to the green flag for the 116-lap feature event. Holzhausen jumped out to the early lead on the first couple of restarts but then broke away out front once more up until lap 29 when Bill Martin took his shot at the lead. Shortly after, Cody Kelley took over out front until David Krikorian found speed during the long run as he worked his way up to the lead until the next caution on lap 82.
During the caution, the entire field came down pit road to take tires, and Krikorian came back out in the lead and led the field back to the green. With less than 40 laps to go, the action picked up out front. Krikorian led until lap 93 when a challenge from Windell Stratton ended up with Krikorian getting spun in turn four onto pit road and ending his race. Stratton led the field back to the green on the lap 99 restart but had immediate pressure from Joe Schaffer Jr and a lap later Schaffer made his move to the lead.
The race would see one more caution, setting up a lap 108 restart and Schaffer got the big jump out into the lead. That jump would be pivotal as the rest of the field didn’t have enough time to make up that ground, and Schaffer would go on to pick up the victory, his 3rd of the season and his 14th career SARA victory.
Cody Kelley, Derek Holzhausen, Darrell Hamlin and Matt Eddy rounded out the top five.
With the victory, Schaffer would pad his points lead heading into the next event at Lanier.
Kelley Capitalizes Late For New Smyrna Make-Up Victory
GM Parts XPerts Pro Late Model Series
The GM Parts XPerts Pro Late Model Series joined the Make-Up Week when they took on the New Smyrna Speedway after their Week 6 event at the track got postponed. Ty Majeski picked up the pole for the race with a lap of 17.879 seconds, but a 9-car invert dropped him back into the field.
In the 100-lap feature, Bill Martin led the field to the green flag after being inverted to the front. Martin jumped out to a big early lead but a couple of cautions allowed Cody Kelley and Austin Yarbrough to challenge for the lead on restarts. Martin, Yarbrough, Cody Kelley and Casey Kelley ran nose-to-tail in a four car breakaway out front up until a lap 46 caution.
After the restart, things got shuffled up front when Martin got a slow start and a pileup in turn one took out a few of the front runners, while Yarbrough and Cody Kelley continued on and took over out front. Shortly after on a lap 65 restart, Yarbrough continued to lead while Kelley was right on his bumper looking for a way by.
On lap 73, Kelley made his move to the outside off of turn four when Yarbrough got loose, and Kelley was able to get clear a lap-and-a-half later to take over the top spot. Kelley would pull away over the final lap 27 laps to a 3-second gap and would go on to pick up his 2nd win of the season, and his 39th career SARA victory.
Hunter Combs, Darrell Hamlin, Matt Eddy, and Mickey Kudlicki rounded out the top five.
Points leader Ty Majeski had a rough night getting caught up in an early wreck, but would hang onto his points lead heading into Phoenix.
Yarbrough Outlasts the Field for the Win at Richmond
Callaway Investments Sportsman Street Stock Series
The Callaway Investments Sportsman Street Stock Series returned to Richmond to complete their season-opening 75-lap event. After server issues prematurely ended the race a few weeks ago, the race was restarted as it was on the last restarted green flag lap, and the race would continue as just a 50-lap feature.