The victory gave F1yer his first win of the season in action at VLR after picking three straight second place finishes to start the VLR Gen 3 and Crate seasons before breaking out for his first win of the season.
“Coming in this week I knew I had top three or four car, but I really didn’t think I could win it,” F1yer said. “I knew Shock and Wheel (VLR_18) were going to be super fast. Both of them were, but I just got lucky that Wheel’s car broke and Shock went off the back stretch.
“Before that caution we had (for VLR_18 stopping on the track), I would have been toast if it went all the way. After the restart, though, I was a lot more ready for it.”
F1yer, 33, of Hildebran, NC., worked harder than he had all year to secure the win after not leading until lap 81 of the 100 lap race. Though he started from the fourth spot, the well-known driver known had to outrun VLR_Shock of Crossville, Tn., for the lead and fight off VLR_18 Brookfield, Wi., following a restart with 35 laps to go due to 18’s car coming to a stop on the track with a flat tire.
VLR_18 rallied back from ninth to second in the last 35 laps, but ran out of time in his efforts to catch the F1 racecar in the closing laps.
“I had to drive my butt off all night to even get close (to winning),” VLR_18 said. “I got wrecked in the heat race and started last in the B Main, made it through there. Started last in the feature, got all the way up to wherever it was, second again, then back to last for the restart when I froze. Then back up to second at the end.
“It was pretty crazy, but I’m happy to get second out of it. F1yer did a good job of winning.”
Driving the National Guard AMP Chevrolet machine, F1yer grabbed the lead from VLR_Shock for good on lap 81, after Shock’s right side tires caught the slick stuff on the back stretch and costed him a chance to back up his Crate win at this track on Friday night.
F1yer’s Vic Hill-powered No. F1 car flashed across the finish line just three car lengths in front of VLR_18, who advanced from ninth to second in the first B Main just to make the show. He then proceeded to move up through the field and challenge then leader VLR_Shock for the point on lap 65 before getting a flat tire and having to do it all over again and finish up in second.
VLR_McGee, who started from the pole, had a quiet run and settled for third place in Hawkeye Truck Sales MasterSbilt after nosing ahead of outside pole sitter BOB to lead laps 1 through 46. He lost the lead to VLR_Shock on lap 46 when he got in the slick stuff outside of the backstretch and lost three spots all at once.
Completing the top five was third-starter VLR_Shock, in the NOS Energy drink Toyota Camry and Doit 2, who had a bad run going until the caution flag helped him regroup and get a good finish. VLR_Shock was a driver unhappy with his fourth place run, however.
“I don’t know what to say about it…we just had a chance to win and I got greedy there and blew it,” said VLR_Shock, who promised to put in more effort to run up front early in the season. “I had a car that could win and gain some points, and all that disappeared in one lap.
“We’ll have to try to regroup and pull something together for next week and see if we can get this turned around.”
BLS_F1yer, who scored three-straight second place finishes to start the VLR Crate and Gen 3 seasons before winning at Brownstown, was finally able to find victory lane at the ¼ mile short track. Next week VLR heads to another short track (Highland Speedway) that is brand new to any racing league, where F1yer will look to pull off another win.
“As far as going into next week at Highland, nobody really knows what’s going to happen,” said F1yer, who picked up his sixth win in VLR’s top series at Brownstown. “I might have a little advantage for running so many laps on it in practice, but it’s just a tight little bullring, anything can happen.”
The win moved F1yer into a tie for the points lead with VLR_18, but he still wasn’t optimistic about his chances of fighting off the young superstar driver from Wisconsin.
“(There’s) probably one percent chance that I beat him. If Wheel shows, he wins them (championships), that’s pretty much how it’s been.”
“We’ll do the best we can.”
VLR_18, 16, gave F1yer everything he could handle late in the distance, but he couldn’t quite catch the veteran F1yer to get the win.
“I definitely had the car to beat in that first segment,” said VLR_18. “But when I had the flat there it just set me back and I ran out of time catching him.
“Probably five or ten laps I could have got around him.”
The 44-year-old VLR_McGee, meanwhile, salvaged third place finish after leading the most laps in the 100 lap event. In the end he couldn’t quite keep up with the frenetic pace being set by BLS_F1yer and VLR_18, though.
“It’s a good run for us after finishing 10th last week,” McGee said. “I’m not sure if I’ll be running full-time this season, but if our runs keep going like that I might have to.”
Finishing in positions 6-10 was 10th-starter Doit 9 of Menomonie, Wi.; 6th-starter Doit 42, in his return to VLR Gen3 action for the first time in three season.; 7th-starter WFO_SideBite of California.; outside pole sitter BOB of Campbellsville, Ky; and OMG_4h of Hindman, Ky.
A field of 27 cars was assembled for the second ever USRA_Bill 100, named for Bill Weybright, a good friend to many of the racers in this event. The race originally called the Jackson 100, but was renamed to the USRA_Bill 100 out of respect of Bill and his sudden passing.
VLR_McGee recorded the night’s fastest lap in time trials, touring the oval in 12.362 seconds. VLR_KP nearly pulled off a huge upset by qualifying second with a 12.38.
Heat winners were VLR_McGee, VLR_KP, and VLR_Shock. The B-Mains were captured by WFO_Sidebite and OMG_4h
The VLR Gen 3 series will be back in action on Sunday night at Highland Speedway in the first ever “Kathy Blanchard 100” in memory of VLR_Amp’s mother, who passed away in early September. Action will start with qualifying and heat races around 8 pm eastern.
Qualifying Results-
1. VLR_Mcgee 12.36
2. VLR_KP 12.38
3. VLR_Shock 12.38
4. Doit 9 12.40
5. Doit 2 12.40
6. Doit42 12.40
7. BLS_F1yer 12.43
8. VLR_18 12.45
9. BLS_Zombie 12.45
10. WFO_SideBite 12.45
11. BOB 12.47
12. Goat 12.49
13. BLS_BLZ 12.49
14. WFO_ICE 12.49
15. BLS_Jsn 12.50
16. Deadbolt 12.52
17. 4H 12.52
18. jus8x 12.56
19. BLS_42 12.56
20. Doit_52 12.57
21. BLS_34 12.57
22. Doit43 12.63
23. TXR_Tj3 12.66
24. VLR_raZz 12.73
25. ERL_Turbo 12.80
26. ERL_bbs 12.91
27. ERL_84 12.96
Top 10 Results of VLR Late Model series USRA_Bill 100 (Finishing Position/Start/Driver):
1. (4) BLS_F1yer
2. (9) VLR_18
3. (1) VLR_McGee
4. (3) VLR_Shock
5. (5) Doit 2
6. (10) Doit 9
7. (6) Doit 42
8. (7) WFO_Sidebite
9. (2) BOB
10. (8) OMG_4h
Time of Race: Unknown due to caution
Margin of Victory: 0.36 Secs.
Rookie of the Race: Doit 2
SuperClean Fast Time Award: BLS_F1yer 11.78
SuperClean Hard Luck Award: BOB