GAFFNEY, S.C. — Local favorite Johnny Bridges took advantage of several mistakes by others that placed him in the lead with five laps to go in Saturday night’s USCS Thunder in Carolinas United Sprint Car Series main event at Cherokee Speedway.
Bridges, of Cherryville, N.C., held the point for the restart after Ohioan Zane Devault, who led the first 20 Laps of the race, went over the backstretch wall and out of the park exiting turn two.
Bridges led the final five laps, while fending off a late charge from 15-year-old Gavan Boschele, who started ninth and zipped around Mark Ruel Jr. and Lance Moss in the closing laps.
Bridges earned $2,500 for the victory, while Boschele earned his best USCS finish in second.
Ruel, Moss and Hall of Famer Danny Smith rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (25 laps): 1. 07-Johnny Bridges[6]; 2. 21-Gavan Boschele[9]; 3. 83-Mark Ruel Jr[4]; 4. 23-Lance Moss[8]; 5. 66-Danny Smith[11]; 6. 10-Terry Gray[7]; 7. 47-Eric Riggins Jr[1]; 8. 23R-Ryan Roberts[12]; 9. 9-CJ Miller[5]; 10. G6-Brandon Grubaugh[13]; 11. 49-Brian Paulus[14]; 12. 28-Jeff Willingham[10]; 13. 33-Joe Larkin[15]; 14. 7J-Gregg Jones[20]; 15. (DNF) B5-Brianna Lawson[18]; 16. (DNF) 23Z-Zane Devault[2]; 17. (DNF) 11-Ryan Stillwaggon[3]; 18. (DNF) 67-Jake McLain[17]; 19. (DNF) 21B-Brandon McLain[16]; 20. (DNF) 17-Camden Jackson[21]; 21. (DNF) 48G-George Loux[19]