MERIDIAN, Miss. — The defending Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series Champion Ashton Winger took the lead on a late-race restart to win the Salute To The Navy 50 on Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park.
Winger has taken a liking to the track known as “The House of Hook” because it was the second victory of the season at Whynot Motorsports Park. Saturday night’s race was the first of two Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series events that make up the Salute To The Armed Forces Nationals.
Winger took to the outside groove on a lap-47 restart to pass the inside riding Casey Haney for the lead. Winger had led for 16 laps until Haney, a Durrence Layne Weekly Racing Series Late Model regular at WMP, drove under Winger to take the lead on lap 46. The two drivers had a few minutes to think about it during a lap-47 red-flag period.
“This has got to be one of my favorite race tracks because I have two wins this season, and they both came here,” Winger said. “I’ve got to thank Jimmy Waldrop for towing all of the way up here from Tampa, Fla., and letting me drive this car tonight. I drove it earlier this year down in Florida, and it’s a fine handling race car.”
Winger led the race on three different occasions. He took over the lead on lap 30 when Cruz Skinner hit the wall on the backstretch, and then and make two strategic moves to pass for the lead later in the race that earned him the VP Racing Lubricants Slick Move of the Race Award.
Haney almost posted the upset, but had to settle for second and after starting 18th. Haney was also the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger of the Race. The defending Durrence Layne Weekly Racing Series Late Model National Champion Evan Ellis took the third spot in the Ellis Welding Special.
Randy Boyd finished fourth in the Meridian Coca-Cola Special and point leader Jake Knowles was fifth in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Special.
The finish:
Ashton Winger, Casey Haney, Evan Ellis, Randy Boyd, Jake Knowles, Oakley Johns, Wil Herrington, Tootie Arnold, Jim McDuffie, Cruz Skinner, Jake Rainey, T.J. Brittain, Marcus Minga, Robbie Starnes, Austin Franklin, Kody Barber, Tyler Wood, Zack Shelton, Randall Beckwith, Justin McRee, Spencer Hughes, Jadon Frame, Scott Dedwylder, David Kay.