MILTON, Fla. — The 2020 USCS Rookie of the Year and defending USCS Southern Thunder regional series champion, 16-year-old Conner Leoffler, passed polesitter Mark Ruel Jr. on the final lap of the 30-lap USCS Battle at the Beach at Southern Raceway on Saturday night.
Loeffler beat Ruel to the checkered flag to secure his fourth career USCS Outlaw Thunder Tour triumph.
Ruel, who was looking for his first USCS victory, worked lapped traffic with perfection until the final circuit when a group just ahead of the lead duo allowed Leoffler to slide under Ruel and drive away down the backstretch.
Ruel crossed the finish line just three car lengths back of the winner in the runner-up spot. Brandon Blendon, Jordan Mallett and Hayden Campbell rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 22-Connor Leoffler[3]; 2. 83R-Mark Ruel Jr[1]; 3. 88-Brandon Blenden[7]; 4. 14-Jordon Mallett[5]; 5. 5-Hayden Campbell[9]; 6. 4-Danny Smith[8]; 7. 116-Nick Snyder[2]; 8. 92-Matt Kurtz[6]; 9. 29-Kyle Amerson[12]; 10. 10-Terry Gray[16]; 11. 43-Terry Witherspoon[15]; 12. 7E-Eric Gunderson[14]; 13. 28-Jeff Willingham[10]; 14. 4B-Billy Boyd Jr[11]; 15. 83-Bob Auld[17]; 16. 77-Jeff Smith[18]; 17. (DNF) 4M-Michael Miller[19]; 18. (DNF) 67-Brian Thomas[13]; 19. (DNS) 10L-Landon Britt; 20. (DNS) 17-Stefen Oakes.