Ryan Lineham has hit his stride and again had no problem surging to the front for another season’s feature win. He passed leader Tom Scully, Jr. on lap ten, just two laps after Scully had taken the front from Rey Lovelace on lap eight after Lovelace had led since the green fell.
There were only two cautions through the feature, after a full-race restart at the beginning: laps seven and nine. Lineham was not troubled after getting ahead of Scully and continued to increase his lead as the laps unwound.
At the beginning, front row competitors Mikey Toner, Jr. and Lovelace were running even when John Paiva spun out of turn one. They tried again and Toner and Lovelace were again door-to-door when Nick Uhrig spun. This time, they were able to get the race moving and Scully ran in under Toner to Lovelace’s bumper. Lineham went past Jeramme Lillie for fourth, then by Toner onto Scully’s bumper.
Scully and Lovelace fought over first while Dylan Estrella was working his way from eighth to fifth. Three laps in, Lovelace was leading by three cars. Two laps later he’d pushed it out to seven lengths as scully took second from Toner. While Lillie grabbed fifth. But Estrella challenged and by lap six was cruising in fifth. He wormed in under Toner as Lovelace now led by a straightaway. But Jake Johnson spun at the stripe bringing caution and Ron Barboza, Jr. retired to the pits.
Lovelace and Scully line for the restart and they debated wheel-to-wheel for the next two laps. Scully got wide out of turn four on lap nine allowing Lovelace to seize the front again. But Paiva spun again, then headed for the pits to end his evening.
Lineham and Toner now were row two behind the leaders. As Scully grabbed the lead, Lineham dropped under Lovelace as Estrella got under Toner behind them. Lineham went under Scully on lap ten and took the lead coming out of turn four. Estrella got under Lovelace while Lillie charged up behind them, followed by Ryan Kuhn, Dan Johnson and Gerry DeGasparre, Jr.
Lineham forged a one-car lead over Scully on lap 12, then stretched it to four lengths on the following circuit. Estrella was still side-by-side with Lovelace but nosed ahead on lap 14, taking third and Lillie ducked under Lovelace. Rey heated up, pushed ahead and dropped in behind Estrella.
Lineham had a half-straight lead on Scully on lap 19, followed by Estrella, who had Lovelace on his bumper. Two laps later, Lineham had doubled his lead. Jake Johnson was now moving up well after taking the rear early in the feature. Once more around and was up to Kuhn’s bumper and the field was running single file. Jake looked underneath, got there and was able to steal the position in turn four.
They ran the final two laps single file and Lineham criused home with a comfortable victory. Jake Johnson squirted past Lillie at the finish to steal fifth. Scully was second, followed by Estrella. Lovelace and Jake Johnson rounded out the top five. Jeramme Lillie was sixth followed by Kuhn, Dan Johnson, DeGasparre and Toner rounding out the top ten.