FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Larson would make a statement of speed to claim the checkers at Lil’ Texas Motor Speedway in C. Bell’s Micro Mania with the POWRi Non-Wing Outlaw Micro League feature on Saturday’s Championship Night.
Racing onto the recently reconfigured and fast-smooth track, Kale Drake would use a high-point qualifier award to gain an inside front-row start with Night Two Winner Steven Snyder Jr starting the outside pole position as Kale Drake would seize the lead on the opening lap with the field of 24 drivers in pursuit.
Clinging to an early lead, Drake would attempt to show the fastest low-line around the speedy and smooth track as Jett Hays rocketed to the lead on a restart with Chelby Hinton, Steven Snyder Jr, Caleb Pence, Sammy McNabb, Jeffrey Newell, Gavan Boschele, Isaiah Garcia and J.J. Loss all battled inside the running top-ten.
Retaking the lead on lap five, Kale Drake would hold the point of the pack until Chelby Hinton used a low-side maneuver of turn-four momentum on lap fourteen to take the lead with Jett Hays, Isaiah Garcia, and Cameron Paul driving into the top-five with action aplenty throughout the field.
Cruising to a massive three-second lead, Chelby Hinton would appear to be the driver to beat as Kyle Larson battled into the runner-up placement after racing from the back of the field due to an early race mishap as caution would wave with ten laps remaining to bunch the field back together.
Sliding into the lead after a late-race restart, Larson would overtake Hinton in turns one and two with Gage Robb following right behind Larson as Hinton and Hays battled behind the leading pair.
Holding the field at bay, Larson would emerge victorious to claim his inaugural league win after an action-packed forty-lap feature with one-time leader Chelby Hinton resulting in a terrific runner-up finish.
“The start didn’t really work out like I wanted to and I didn’t think I would get back to the front as I did, my car felt really good tonight and this feels great coming from the back like that on such a great track. I needed that caution with ten to go because he was checked out, everything just kind of worked out for a great win,” said Larson.
Passing 15 cars to battle among the front-runners, Gage Robb would notch a solid third with Gavin Miller hard-charging past 18 other drivers to place fourth as Sheldon Creed rounded out the top-five finishers.
Brexton Busch won the Jr. Sprint feature.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 95K-Kyle Larson[8]; 2. 28-Chelby Hinton[6]; 3. 12G-Gage Robb[18]; 4. 26M-Gavin Miller[22]; 5. 74-Sheldon Creed[11]; 6. 11JX-Jett Hays[3]; 7. 1V-Johnny Boland[15]; 8. 11L-Laydon Pearson[19]; 9. 22M-Sammy McNabb[5]; 10. 26K-Kale Drake[1]; 11. 51-Kyle Busch[17]; 12. 22X-Daniel Robinson[4]; 13. 26J-Nick Drake[16]; 14. 24S-Colby Sokol[24]; 15. 17G-Isaiah Garcia[14]; 16. 11J-Cameron Paul[20]; 17. 8P-Caleb Pence[7]; 18. 08-Peter Smith[13]; 19. 87-Gunnar Setser[21]; 20. 67J-JJ Loss[10]; 21. 21S-Steven Snyder Jr[2]; 22. 12X-Jeffrey Newell[9]; 23. 95-Gavan Boschele[12]; 24. 14R-Jake Nail[23].