Ryan Lineham took another big step towards the head table at the annual banquet with another feature win, edging his competitors back a few points more as the season goes into September headed for the season’s ender. His nearest competitors fell back a bit, as current champion Dylan Estrella ran ninth and Gerrry DeGasparre, Jr. came in third on the event and will hold on in his pursuit of Lineham.
Nick Johnson, however, looked good as he escaped Rey Lovelace at the green and ran away with the lead over the first fifteen laps. Three laps in, Jeramme Lillie moved in from his fourth place start to duel Nick for the next 17 laps. During that duel, cousin Jake Johnson and Lineham battled over third, setting up for a major confrontation at the front.
Early in the race, Nick Johnson and Rey Lovelace were battling after starting on the front line. While they fought it out, Lillie came in to stick his nose underneath for a three-wide. As the hole closed, Lillie backed out and then caution flew for debris on the backstretch.
Johnson and Lovelace were side-by-side again at the green until Nick nosed ahead in turn two and took the full lead in turn three. Lillie got under Lovelace, who also was vicitmized by Jake and Lineham in another 3-wide and fell back to fifth.
The field strung out single file by lap 7 with Nick leading Lillie, Jake, Lineham, Vinny Arrenegado and Lovelace. By lap eight, Nick appeared to be running wide through the corners but then extend his lead over Lillie to two cars, giving some breathing room. A five-car breakaway followed with Nick leading his four pursuers as Lovelace fell back. The bumper-to-bumper quintet wound around the oval twice more before Estrella spun out. He pitted for adjustments.
On the lap 14 restart, Nick edged out but Lillie held on and Jake looked in under Lillie as Mike Toner and Richard Morocco spin in turn three. Estrella made a lucky dodge around the spinning cars and pitted again.
Nick and Lillie whipsawed the lead off the start with Lillie nosing ahead and Nick taking it back. They dueled for two more laps as Jake was side-by-side with Lineham behind them and Arrenegado pursued waiting for an opportunity.
Lineham dropped back and under Jake and pushed ahead. Johnson tried the same move, but Lineham held him off. Nick, at the same time, had taken the lead again, but now Lineham was at his back with Jake in hot pursuit. But Lovelace, running sixth, suffered mechanical problems and dropped into the infield.
On the restart, Lineham was outside Nick while Jake and Arrenegado sat behind them. It was wheel-to-wheel for a lap-and-a-half before Lineham could take the front. Jake ducked under nick into second as DeGasparre moved up onto Nick’s bumper with Nick on his outside.
Lap 17 saw Arrenegado spin and collect Dan Johnson. Vinny immediately visited the pits.
Now Lineham had Jake on his shoulder for the restart. DeGasparre and Nick followed, with Lillie and Tom Scully, Jr. in row three. Lineham had the front in turn two and Jake dropped in behind him and just ahead of a door-to-door between DeGasparre and Nick. But then Nick Uhrig spun, sending Tom-the-Bomb Adams through the infield and putting Scully around.
The lap 28 green saw Lineham and Jake whipsawing the lead for a lap-and-a-half until Lineham could pull ahead in turn two.
With five laps remaining, Lineham led with Jake on his tailgate. He put thee carlengths between them over the next lap and DeGasparre took over third, ahead of Nick. Bobby Pelland III now was getting below Lillie, looking for fifth place. Pelland then began pressing under Nick, who refused to give way. Bobby kept pushing ahead, and Lillie took the opportunity to follow him under.
They rocketed under the checkers with Lineham taking the win with Jake second.
Sixth went to Nick Johnson. He was followed by Ryan Kuhn, Arrenegado, Estrella, Uhrig, Scully and Adams.