NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – Less than 24 hours after a heartbreaking near-miss in ARCA Menards Series East competition, Derek Griffith stormed back to victory at New Smyrna Speedway.
Griffith avenged his runner-up finish in the ARCA East opener with a late charge in the 50-lap super late model headliner, held as part of the fourth night of action during the World Series of Asphalt Racing at the .48-mile Florida short track.
The Hudson, N.H., young gun bested Midwest super late model kingpin Ty Majeski on the night’s final restart with five to go and pulled away, taking the checkered flag in front by .641 seconds and moving back into the World Series point lead in the process.
Majeski, who took the top spot on lap 29 but later scraped the wall on a restart with 10 laps left, saw his familiar No. 91 fall off down the stretch and had to settle for second.
Stephen Nasse, Jesse Love and Gus Dean filled out the remainder of the top five.
The victory-lane celebration saw Griffith let out a cry of success before quickly being met by Majeski, who was determined to be the first man there to congratulate his rival.
“Finally is the perfect way to say it,” Griffith said in victory lane. “(I’ve been a) bridesmaid three times this week. I can’t believe I beat (Ty Majeski) here on a restart with five to go. I’ve had such a good day 10 day period, coming down here to test, redemption.
“We got away and I heard ‘one car,’ ‘two cars,’ and then ‘five cars’ and I’m line ‘holy crap’ we’re going to do this. Restarts were tough from both of us. Ty got into the wall there. I think that affected him on the last restart. He was still good, but really loose, and I’ll take it however I can get it. it was a hard-fought battle and I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve always looked up to Ty Majeski. He’s killed it. To beat him on a five-lap restart, means the world to me.”
In other action Tuesday night at New Smyrna Speedway, Craig Lutz earned his first World Series victory in tour-type modified action. He took the lead from Monday winner Anthony Nocella with 11 laps left and held off Matt Hirschman for the victory.
Timmy Moore put an end to Travis Eddy’s domination in the Florida Modified class by winning Tuesday’s 75-lap feature. Eddy had won the first three Florida Modified features prior to Tuesday’s race.
Lastly, Jamie Skinner, son of retired NASCAR competitor Mike Skinner, won a clean and green 35-lap feature for the pro late model division.