BURNSIDE, Ky. – The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series and the Brucebilt Performance Parts Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Southern Series would be in action at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, Ky. for the Wayne’s Auto Repair 40 on Saturday evening.
Eli Beets would claim his first-ever Super Late Model win with the $7,500 victory in Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series action and Bryan Barber would score the victory in the Brucebilt Performance Parts Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Series event.
Beets’ first-career Super Late Model win would also be his first Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series victory. Barber’s victory would be his first career Brucebilt Performance Parts Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Series win.
Eli Beets would take the lead at the start of the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series feature event, trailed by Stacy Boles, Michael Chilton, Josh Rice, and Payton Freeman. The top five would remain the same as Beets began to work slower traffic on lap nine, with Chris Combs working past Freeman for fifth on lap 10. Chilton and Josh Rice would begin to battle for the third position, with Rice claiming the spot on lap 12. Combs would continue his charge at this point, taking fourth from Chilton on lap 14 and, four circuits later, Combs would snag third from Josh Rice. The first caution of the race appeared on lap 20 when Josh Rice would slow in turn four and be done for the night. The restart would see a five-car tangle in turn four before a full lap was completed and would see Combs’ run come to an end. Kirk Phillips would also be finished for the event. The restart would see Beets maintain the lead, with Chilton taking second from Boles, with Freeman and James Rice now fourth and fifth. Boles would see his night come to and end after his mount spun to the inside entering turn three and he would make heavy contact with an infield tire barrier. The top five on the restart would be Beets, Chilton, James Rice, Freeman, and Dustin Nobbe. The front five would remain this way as Beets continued to set a torrid pace out front and began working traffic once again on lap 30. The running order would remain the same as the final caution of the race appeared on lap 38 for a turn-two spin by Kenny Cobble. The restart would see the front four remain the same, with Rod Conley challenging Nobbe for the fifth spot and would take the position as the field saw the white flag. Beets would drive under the checkered flag first to score the victory, trailed by Chilton, James Rice, Freeman, and Conley. The remainder of the top 10 would be Nobbe, Austin Lay, Christian Hanger, Shane Irvin, and Cobble.
Blake Brown would grab the lead at the start of the Brucebilt Performance Parts Iron-Man Open Wheel Modified Southern Series feature contest, followed by Bryan Barber, Ben Harmon, Peyton Harlow, and Brian Nantz. Nantz would work past Harlow for the fourth spot on lap four as the first caution of the event waved on lap later when Virgil Parriman would spin exiting turn two. The front five would remain the same on the restart as the caution would appear two laps later on lap seven when Jason Strunk would lose a driveshaft on the frontchute. The restart would see the front four hold their positions, while Jacob Hall would make his way into the fifth position. Mechanical woes would strike race leader Brown on lap 10 when his mount abruptly spun in turn four with rear-end issues and third-place running Ben Harmon would be collected in the incident and also be done for the event. The attempted restart would not see a lap completed as Jacob Hall slowed in turn one. Barber would now have the lead once action resumed, with Nantz, Harlow, Wayne James, and Dakota Curry in pursuit. Barber would start working slower traffic on lap 19 but would go unchallenged the remainder of the way to score the victory, with Nantz, Harlow, James, and Curry completing the top five. The remainder of the top 10 finishers would be Adam Ogle, Hall, Ben Petrey, Joe Husband, and Jeremy Elliotte.