Waynesville, GA (January 29, 2022) – Brandon Overton picked up his second straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Saturday Night at Golden Isles Speedway as the Georgia-native closed out the 2022 Super Clean Super Bowl of Racing presented by eBay Motors.
Overton took the lead on lap 28 from defending NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kyle Larson to record his 13th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. Tim McCreadie, reigning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion, came home in fourth with Tyler Bruening recording his second top-five finish in a row.
Overall fast qualifier, Kyle Larson, took the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event with Moran and Overton behind him. Moran yielded the second spot to Overton on lap 19. At the halfway mark it was still Larson showing the way with Overton hot on his heels and Moran close behind.
Overton moved by Larson for the lead on the 28th lap. Moran moved past Larson on lap 33 to retake the second slot that he held earlier in the race. Moran picked up the pace even more as Overton was having to deal with heavy traffic in front of him. McCreadie made his presence known in the battle for the lead as he also got by Larson for third.
Moran quickly gained ground on Overton using the top line of the track. Moran had a run on Overton on lap 43. Just as the opening night winner pulled alongside Overton the caution came out. The caution cleared lapped traffic for Overton, but it hurt Moran and McCreadie’s chances for victory.
As the final five laps of the race were winding down Overton pulled away from everybody to pick up the victory over Moran by over 3 seconds. Moran held off Larson, who charged back to third at the finish.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane Overton talked about his pass on Larson that eventually lead to his win. “I caught him (Larson) there and was just being patient. It’s been a fun weekend. I just hated that I didn’t get to run the first night we were here; it is what it is. When you are in lapped traffic, and you do the wrong move they will get you. The caution came out at the right time. I saw him (Moran) up top. I blasted through the middle on the restart, and it didn’t feel good. So, I got right back down on the bottom. I don’t know how much I beat them by, there were two good race car drivers behind me, just proud to be standing up here with them.”
Moran, who had a win and two-second place finishes during the Super Bowl of Racing thought he had a shot before the last caution of the race came out. “I didn’t need that caution, but that is just how it rolls. He ultimately had the better race car and could maneuver way better than we could. To get two seconds and a win we will take it. The adjustments we made tonight just weren’t quite the right way so we will go back and think about it and do something different next time.”
Leading two of the three races this weekend at Golden Isles, Larson completed the podium with a third-place run. “I don’t think I had enough to hold him (Overton) off, he was really fast. I got into the lead, and I knew my pace was way slow. I felt like if I moved up in traffic, he was going to go right by me so I tried to hold him off the longest I could. They went by me, but after that caution I felt a lot better and to get another spot and get on the podium we will take it.”
The winner’s Wells Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Allstar Concrete, Crossfit Overton, Penske Racing Shocks, R.W. Powell Construction, Convenient Lube, EZ-GO, Big Dog Stump and Tree, Clean Way Clearing, and Grading and VP Fuels.
Completing the top ten were Tyler Erb, Earl Pearson Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard, and Dennis Erb Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Super Clean Super Bowl of Racing Presented by eBay Motors
Saturday, January 29th, 2022
Golden Isles Speedway – Waynesville, GA
Allstar Performance Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Kyle Larson / 14.856 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Devin Moran / 15.090 seconds
Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 6-Kyle Larson[1]; 2. 19R-Ryan Gustin[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[3]; 4. 58-Garrett Alberson[5]; 5. 1R-Josh Richards[7]; 6. 79-Ross Bailes[4]; 7. 97-Cody Overton[6]; 8. (DNS) 33-Jeff Mathews
Summit Racing Equipment Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 10-Garrett Smith[4]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[5]; 4. 11-Spencer Hughes[3]; 5. 4A-Michael Arnold[6]; 6. 14JR-Trey Mills[7]; 7. 2D-Dan Stone[2]; 8. (DNS) 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[2]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 3. 58W-Mark Whitener[3]; 4. 66C-Matt Cosner[4]; 5. 111-Steven Roberts[5]; 6. 2S-Stormy Scott[6]; 7. 2X-John Henderson[7]
Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[3]; 4. 7-Ross Robinson[5]; 5. 8-Kyle Strickler[4]; 6. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 7. 99B-Boom Briggs[6]; 8. (DNS) 6S-Blake Spencer
eBay Motors Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 89-Ashton Winger[2]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 3. 3S-Brian Shirley[4]; 4. 44M-Chris Madden[3]; 5. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 6. 19M-Jason Hiett[5]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 8. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[8]
Super Clean Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[2]; 2. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 4. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 5. 18J-Chase Junghans[7]; 6. 18D-Daulton Wilson[5]; 7. 503-Jason Miles[8]; 8. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]
Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 11-Spencer Hughes[2]; 2. 58-Garrett Alberson[1]; 3. 1R-Josh Richards[4]; 4. 66C-Matt Cosner[3]; 5. 2S-Stormy Scott[9]; 6. 4A-Michael Arnold[5]; 7. 111-Steven Roberts[6]; 8. 2X-John Henderson[12]; 9. 14JR-Trey Mills[8]; 10. 26JR-Jimmy Sharpe Jr[14]; 11. (DNS) 79-Ross Bailes; 12. (DNS) 97-Cody Overton; 13. (DNS) 2D-Dan Stone; 14. (DNS) 33-Jeff Mathews
UNOH B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 44M-Chris Madden[2]; 2. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[5]; 3. 7-Ross Robinson[1]; 4. 18J-Chase Junghans[6]; 5. 8-Kyle Strickler[4]; 6. 1ST-Johnny Scott[11]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson[9]; 8. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 9. 6S-Blake Spencer[13]; 10. 19M-Jason Hiett[8]; 11. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[14]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[3]; 13. 99B-Boom Briggs[10]; 14. 503-Jason Miles[12]; 15. (DNS) 71-Hudson O’Neal
Lucas Oil Feature Finish (50 Laps):
Race Statistics
Entrants: 47
Lap Leaders: Kyle Larson (Laps 1 – 27); Brandon Overton (Laps 28 – 50)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Brandon Overton
Arizona Sport Shirts Crown Jewel Cup Feature Winner: n/a
Brandon Ford TV Challenge Feature Winner: n/a
Margin of Victory: 3.081 seconds
Stop-Tech Cautions: Shane Clanton (Lap 43); (Lap ); (Lap )
Series Provisionals: Hudson O’Neal, Josh Richards
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: Mike Marlar, Stormy Scott, Daulton Wilson, Ross Robinson
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Brandon Overton, Devin Moran, Kyle Larson
Penske Shocks Top 5: Brandon Overton, Devin Moran, Kyle Larson, Tim McCreadie, Tyler Bruening
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Ross Robinson (Advanced 14 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Devin Moran
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Kyle Larson (27 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler Erb
O’Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Race: n/a
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Kyle Larson (Lap 3 – 15.659 seconds)
DirtonDirt.com Tough Break of the Race: Garrett Alberson
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Kent Fegter (Brandon Overton)
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Clements Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Dirt Draft Fastest in Hot Laps: Kyle Strickler (15.112 seconds)
Time of Race: 17 minutes 02 seconds