Chase Belcher took another step in taking back his Sport Trucks title with a convincing win over Mike Duarte in Sport Trucks action. He eased his way through the field to appear in Duarte’s Mirror on lap 15 of the 25-lap feature, getting past Ed Perry, then edged Duarte out of the lead on the next circuit to take the lead on lap 17. From there it was nine laps in the lead to the finish for his second consecutive win. Duarte followed in second, while Barry Shaw, Perry and David Simpson rounded out the top five.
Perry led off from the pole and outran Darryl Church for the lead. Simpson took a look under Perry from the second row but was unable. Still, he held Church to the outside, then took over second as Lenny Guy held fourth. But Anastacia LeBrun spun down the front stretch, bringing a lap two caution.
Perry and Simpson took the front with Duarte and Guy at their backs. Perry nosed out and Simpson grabbed third as David Lougee ducked under Guy. Lougee pulled ahead and Shaw came in to take his place, sticking Lenny on the high side. Lougee got under Simpson and Shaw again followed him.
Belcher came under Guy for sixth on lap five as Simpson continued to fall back. Belcher went to fifth as the field strung out single file.
Duarte went to Perry’s bumper on lap six as Shaw now got below Lougee and Belcher followed. Again LeBrun spun down the front stretch and ended her evening.
Duarte stayed outside on the lap seven restart. Perry nosed ahead as Lougee worked below Shaw. The leaders remained wheel-to-wheel as Belcher looked under Lougee and Shaw, making it three-wide as he headed for the front and then began looking under Perry. Duarte seized the lead at this point and Perry broke free from Belcher but in the process there was contact and they both came loose and both were able to make great saves to continue. But Lougee took the moment to get past Belcher again into third. Shaw was fifth behind Belcher. Josh Hedges was coming forward and working below Simpson.
Duarte went to a five-car lead over Perry. Belcher was looking at getting past Lougee again and ducked under on turn two. They were side-by-side on lap 14 until Belcher grabbed third in turn two. Now the field was single file again as Mike Cavallaro and Guy came together and Lenny’s nose was nearly ripped off. He ran to the pits, dragging body parts. He returned with the entire body missing forward of his firewall and continued to race.
Duarte and Perry set up for the lap fifteen restart with Belcher and Lougee behind while Shaw and Hedges made up row three.