Lance Schill Scores First NLRA Victory; Dustin Strand Wins Fourth Title
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After a lap three caution for Cole Schill and his No. 44 Mid Ag Dispatch MC Custom, the field re-stacked for a Delaware double-file restart.
Schill continued to lead, with Wisconsin's Chad Mahder moving his No. 55 to the runner-up spot. Another caution on lap six slowed the pace of the race once again, but it was Schill who continued to lead on the ensuing restart, with Mahder and Pederson door-to-door for second. Near the midway point, Schill started to work lapped traffic, using all lanes to perfection to maintain his lead. This allowed Pederson to close in on Schill's spoiler, however, with Pederson briefly taking the lead on lap seventeen. The pass was erased by a caution shortly thereafter, but the lead duo resumed their battle as the green flew again. Pederson tried a slidejob, and a crossover, but it was Schill who remained the leader. It was then when defending Seitz Memorial champion Aaron Turnbull moved up to the second spot, and began to briefly reel in Schill for the lead. Schill was too strong in clear air in the waning laps, going on to collect his first NLRA feature win over Turnbull, Dustin Strand, Jeffrey Massingill, and AJ Diemel. |
Dustin Strand won his fourth NLRA series championship.
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With his third place run, Dustin Strand was able to secure his fourth NLRA series championship.
Defending Champion Turnbull Wins The Pole
Glenz, Mass, Casey Meyer, Joey Pederson, and Shaw were the heat winners.
Turnbull Goes Back-To-Back As Seitz Memorial Champion
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After the fuel stop on lap thirty-two, Diemel continued to lead, with Aaron Turnbull taking second from Shaw shortly after the restart.
With sixty-six laps in the books, Turnbull took the point for the first time, as Diemel began to slip back through the field to as far back as fifth on a pair of occasions.
With twenty laps left, Jesse Glenz and Jeffrey Massingill, who started twenty-third after earning the final transfer spot in his B Main earlier in the night, went head to head for second.
Massingill mastered the bottom, moving his no. 6M to second on a pair of occasions. As Glenz won the battle for second, Casey Meyer moved onto the podium, as the Smith Motors No. 03 was the next to fight Glenz for second.
Glenz closed to Turnbull's spoiler with ten laps remaining, with Meyer close in third. Just then, Diemel started to make a last push for another Seitz Memorial championship.
Diemel moved back up to third with four laps left, the in to second past Glenz with two laps left. Diemel, running the low side, then through the middle, went three-wide with Glenz and Turnbull on a couple occasions, before Diemel peeked to Turnbull's inside during the final trip through turns one and two.
Turnbull abandoned the cushion, protecting against a last lap pass for the win by Diemel. The move was enough for Turnbull to beat Diemel back to the double checkers by .138 of a second. Glenz, Meyer, and Massingill rounder out the top five.
“I thought we were a third place car there at the beginning. I guess we had enough there at the end,” said a shocked Turnbull in victory lane. “Last year was bigger because my family was here. That was just so awesome to have those guys here with me. But this is unbelievable.”
“I was so flustered those last 20 laps,” said Turnbull after the race. “The last two or three laps I saw a nose poking under me. I probably didn’t do the right thing going to the bottom on the last lap in (turns) three and four but I saw a slide job coming. I thought I should at least try and protect that. It was a good thing it was 92 (laps) and not 93.”