GIBSONTON, Fla. — Night two of the Top Gun Sprints season saw plenty of excitement, but Justin Webster went to victory lane for the second night in a row during the 45th annual Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park.
Four-time and defending series champion A.J. Maddox grabbed the lead at the start from the outside front row spot. An early caution flag bunched the field with Thursday winner Webster sitting in second.
On the restart, Webster and Shane Butler were swapping position until heat winner Robby Hoffmann took command of the runner-up spot on lap six. While Butler began to fade, Webster renewed his challenge, catching and passing Hoffmann on lap 18 and wasting no time to get around Maddox for the first lead change of the race.
The caution flag came out for a Hoffmann spin and it looked like Webster’s pass would have been for naught, but the lap counted and the new leader would be in charge at the green flag. Garrett Green, who started 15th and Danny Martin Jr., who had visited the pits early and re-started from the tail, shot by Maddox to hound Webster.
Martin would gain second on lap 22, then grab the lead at the line on lap 23. With the white flag waving, Webster regained the lead and the two raced to the checkered flag.
At the finish line, Webster prevailed by 0.036 seconds for his second consecutive win.
Martin, Green, Tyler Clem and Maddox rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Justin Webster, Danny Martin Jr., Garrett Green, Tyler Clem, A.J. Maddox, Brandon Grubaugh, Robby Hoffmann, Ethan Barrow, Andy Cobb, Shane Butler, Will Hull, Tim George, Kyle Connery, Kristina Pratt, John Kahl, Joe Zuczek, Tyler Orzechowski, Steve Diamond Jr., Larry McVay, Jimmy Miltner, Chris Hahn, Scott Baldwin, Billy Bridges, Dylan Colding, Andrew Griffin, Matt Wedgewood.