Kyle Larson Gets First Career Late Model Win at Port Royal

PORT ROYAL, PA – In only his second career start in a dirt late model, Kyle Larson led all 50 laps to win Saturday Night’s Rumble by the River Round 3 at Port Royal Speedway. Larson crossed the finish line .499 seconds ahead of Silver Dollar Nationals winner, Brandon Sheppard to become the 17th different winner this year in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Gregg Satterlee crossed the finish line in third followed by Chris Ferguson and Thursday Night’s winner, Tim McCreadie.

Larson had already claimed three wins in a winged sprint car at Port Royal in his career, entering the event. He had to contend with tough challenges from Sheppard and Hudson O’Neal for the first 27 laps of the race, until O’Neal slowed with a flat right rear tire. That left Larson and Sheppard to battle it out for the win, but Satterlee and Ferguson joined in on the fray to try to make it a four-man battle. With less than five laps to go there were three other drivers chasing down Larson in traffic in the closing laps.

The 28-year-old California native has recorded 34 wins in open wheel racing this year and has now added a dirt late model win to his impressive resume this year. “No doubt this is probably one of, if not the biggest wins ever of my career. I thought we would be okay, but I didn’t think I was going to win a race. To climb into something that’s way different than I have ever been in and to have success with a great team just means a lot,” said the winner, whose first career start in a late model came on Thursday at Port Royal where he finished fifth.

Sheppard entered the event with 25 overall wins on the season, and closed on Larson in the late going. He came up just short of his fifth LOLMDS win of the year. “I felt like I was closing in on him [Larson].  I was good on the longer runs. I really couldn’t take off very well on the restarts and we had a bunch of restarts tonight. That wasn’t helping me. Kyle did a really good job; he does a good job in anything he drives.”

Satterlee had his personal win streak snapped at four on Thursday Night, but fought hard and was in contention for the win. “It was tough to gain on those guys up front. Congrats to Kyle for beating everyone here on the first weekend he has ever driven one of these cars. I had a really good car. I survived those restarts, they were a little sketchy. I wish I could have more chances at the leaders while in lapped traffic. I think it would have really been interesting.”

Ferguson, who ran fourth in Thursday’s feature earned the Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race as he came from the outside of row eight to take fourth at the finish. “I can’t say enough about my guys, they work their tails off every time I am out on the track. Man, I love this place. This is the first time we have been here and I wish it were a 100-lap race. The car was flawless.”

McCreadie dominated the LOLMDS event on Thursday Night, but still came home in fifth tonight. “We just missed it tonight. I just couldn’t get the car to do what I wanted to. They are all first class drivers that finished in front of me.”

The winner’s Lee Roy and Kevin Rumley Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine and sponsored by D&E Marine, Rumley Engineering, Lucas Oil Products, Bilstein Shocks, and Mega Plumbing of the Carolinas.

Completing the top ten were Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, Kyle Strickler, Mason Zeigler, and Rick Eckert.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Rumble by the River – Round 3
Saturday, August 29th, 2020
Port Royal Speedway – Port Royal, PA

Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Sheppard / 19.135 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Kyle Larson / 19.430 seconds (overall)

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[2]; 3. 81E-Tanner English[3]; 4. 0E-Rick Eckert[5]; 5. 25A-Andy Anderson[6]; 6. 12D-Doug Drown[8]; 7. 7-Ross Robinson[4]; 8. 05-Roy Deese Jr[9]; 9. (DNS) 76-Andy Haus

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):  1. 71-Hudson O’Neal[1]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[4]; 3. 2S-Stormy Scott[2]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 5. 119-Bryan Bernheisel[5]; 6. 33-Trent Brenneman[6]; 7. 94M-Jason Miller[8]; 8. 9T-Will Thomas[7]; 9. (DNS) 86B-Austin Berry

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 8-Kyle Strickler[2]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 3. 14-Josh Richards[3]; 4. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 5. 4-Gary Stuhler[7]; 6. 9H-Hayes Mattern[6]; 7. 76-Andy Haus[9]; 8. 7D-Drake Troutman[5]; 9. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[8]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 6-Kyle Larson[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[2]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[3]; 4. 88-Trent Ivey[5]; 5. 2D-Dan Stone[6]; 6. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 7. 17-Nick Dickson[8]; 8. 2T-Kyle Lee[4]; 9. (DNS) 24-Dylan Yoder

MyRacePass Heat Race #5 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[6]; 3. 22F-Chris Ferguson[4]; 4. 43-Jason Covert[5]; 5. 3W-Tim Wilson[7]; 6. 20F-Trever Feathers[2]; 7. 72-Michael Norris[3]; 8. 06-Mike Lupfer[8]; 9. (DNS) 39T-Tim Smith Jr

LORTV Heat Race #6 Finish (8 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 22-Gregg Satterlee[1]; 2. 20-Jimmy Owens[2]; 3. 93-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 5. 43A-Tyler Bare[6]; 6. 66C-Matt Cosner[5]; 7. 15F-Scott Flickinger[7]; 8. 32-Travis Stickley[8]

Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 0E-Rick Eckert[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 4. 25A-Andy Anderson[4]; 5. 119-Bryan Bernheisel[5]; 6. 33-Trent Brenneman[8]; 7. 4-Gary Stuhler[6]; 8. 76-Andy Haus[12]; 9. 9H-Hayes Mattern[9]; 10. 69-Jon Hodgkiss[17]; 11. 94M-Jason Miller[11]; 12. 05-Roy Deese Jr[13]; 13. (DNS) 12D-Doug Drown; 14. (DNS) 7-Ross Robinson; 15. (DNS) 9T-Will Thomas; 16. (DNS) 7D-Drake Troutman; 17. (DNS) 86B-Austin Berry

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 88-Trent Ivey[1]; 2. 43-Jason Covert[2]; 3. 43A-Tyler Bare[6]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 5. 48-Colton Flinner[7]; 6. 2T-Kyle Lee[13]; 7. 66C-Matt Cosner[9]; 8. 3W-Tim Wilson[5]; 9. 15F-Scott Flickinger[12]; 10. 2D-Dan Stone[4]; 11. 06-Mike Lupfer[14]; 12. (DNS) 20F-Trever Feathers; 13. (DNS) 17-Nick Dickson; 14. (DNS) 39T-Tim Smith Jr; 15. (DNS) 72-Michael Norris; 16. (DNS) 32-Travis Stickley; 17. (DNS) 24-Dylan Yoder

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race Statistics
Entrants: 52
Lap Leaders: Kyle Larson (Laps 1 – 50)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Kyle Larson
Margin of Victory: 0.499 seconds
Cautions: Colton Flinner (Lap 10); Debris (Lap 23); Bobby Pierce (Lap 24); Jason Covert (Lap 27); Hudson O’Neal (Lap 29)
Series Provisionals: Tyler Erb, Billy Moyer Jr.
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: Colton Flinner
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Kyle Larson, Brandon Sheppard, Gregg Satterlee
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Chris Ferguson (Advanced 12 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jimmy Owens
Allstar Performance Most Laps Led: Kyle Larson (50 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Sheppard
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Tanner English
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Kevin Rumley (Kyle Larson)
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Kyle Larson (Lap #1 – 21.2487 seconds)
STEEL-IT Tough Break of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Brandon Sheppard
Time of Race: 36 minutes 41 seconds