The Sportsman Street Stock Series returned to Langley last night for the 4th event of their season. Coming into the event, Justin Brooks had won the previous two races, but he would be forced to start at the back of the field. When qualifying got underway, 22 cars would take times and it was Ty Majeski that launched himself into the top spot to grab the pole spot, just ahead of Cody Kelley in 2nd.
As they took the green flag for the 75-lap event, Majeski got the jump and settled into the lead, while Parker Traves and TJ Graves were able to move up into 2nd and 3rd on the start. However two quick cautions would slow the race early, bunching the field back together. On the lap 14 restart, the field began an 18-lap green flag run, where Majeski was able to flex his muscles as he pulled out to a 2.6 second lead over the course of the run and began lapping cars at the tail end of the field. During the run, Bill Martin was able to work his way up into the 2nd spot by lap 21. Behind the top 2, the next four cars ran nose-to-tail, before contact amongst them would end up sending Traves and Graves around to bring out the caution on lap 32.
On the following restarts, once again Majeski began to pull away out front. Behind him, Martin was looking to hold off Stan Bragg who had inherited 3rd from the previous cautions. Behind them, it was Kelley and Brooks who were making a charge through the field after pitting on that lap 32 caution, and they worked their way into the top 5 by lap 45 as they looked to work this way back towards the front.
As the race continued through a couple more restarts, Jacob Linkiewicz cracked the top 5 on lap 62, shuffling Bragg back to the 6th spot. The final couple of restarts saw Majeski take the high side to take the green, as he would look to get in front of Martin to allow Martin to hang onto the 2nd spot, while Brooks was there waiting to pounce. The field took the final green flag on lap 62, and Majeski rocketed out to the lead, leaving Martin in his trail on the bottom, pulling out to a 1-second lead in just a couple of laps. With just two laps to go, contact further back in the field would bring the caution out for the final time.
Majeski would bring the field around under yellow to take the checkered flag, returning to his winning ways with his first win of the season, and his 17th career SARA win moving him into a tie for 4th place all time. Martin was able to hang onto the 2nd spot, while Brooks would finish 3rd after starting at the back of the field. Linkiewicz moved up into the 4th spot on the final restart, and Cody Kelley would finish out the top 5 in the 5th spot.
1. Ty Majeski
2. Bill Martin
3. Justin Brooks
4. Jacob Linkiewicz
5. Cody Kelley
6. Casey Kelley
7. Parker Traves
8. TJ Graves
9. Stan Bragg
10. Ken Belanger
11. Brandon Simmons
12. Scott Dunlap
13. Mike Whited
14. Dave Coursol
15. Colin Allman
16. Dale Owen
17. Todd Sipe
18. Jeff Hoggard
19. Russell Berry
20. James Linkiewicz
21. Matt Rolfe
22. Sam Clark
Penalties:
Dale Owen – Cause of Final Caution – EOL penalty in final results (Section 5.1.1 in rulebook)
Parker Traves – Aggressive Driving – 30 point penalty + Probation (Section 5.2 in rulebook)
TJ Graves – Aggressive Driving – Probation (Section 5.2 in rulebook)
Next week the division heads to the always tricky, Concord Speedway for a 75-lap event.
With his 9th place finish, it was enough for Stan Bragg to take over the points lead and now leads by just 9 points over Russell Berry. For the full results and standings, click HERE.