RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — What a difference a week makes, just ask Justin Brown.
A week after being the first car out of The Bubba 150, Brown rebounded Saturday night by scoring his first career NASCAR Modified victory in a 50-lap, non-stop event.
Brown earned the win the old fashioned way by going to the outside to execute the winning pass.
Eric Zeh and Jack Handley Jr. sat at the front of the field for the start. When the green waved, the shuffling of positions began. During that first circuit, Zeh was in the middle groove, forcing Handley high.
Cooler heads prevailed and when the first lap was completed, Handley, with a big head of steam on the outside, led Brown. One driver on the march would be Timmy Solomito who quickly came to third after starting from the seventh slot.
The laps were clicking off quickly with both Handley and Brown fighting for their first career win, with 20-time winner Solomito hot on their heels.
After the halfway mark, Brown knew that if he had something for Handley, now was the time to show it. Justin looked several times to the inside of the race leader, but quickly realized he’d need to go the long way around if he were to have a shot at a pass.
During the lap 33, Brown got a nice run to the outside of Handley. By the time the duo started the 34th circuit, Brown was the new race leader and Handley was giving the new leader plenty of room on the high side. Handley was able to tuck in behind Brown for second with Solomito still lurking in third.
Over the final 15-lap run, Brown hit his marks and was in route to realizing the dream of a lifetime. He was first under the checkered flags, securing his first career NASCAR Modified victory in the Motorcycle Mike Attorney At Law Chevy.
“Man this is so great,” Brown said in the winners circle. “We had a great, clean battle with Jack, thanks to him for racing clean. I was trying him down low but my car was just a tick off down there, so we switched lanes and took her to the outside.
“Man my parents stood behind me all the way, Motorcycle Mike, Goetz Electric and now we have Kennedy L.I. Realty on board too, thanks to all of them helping me realize my dream.”