Rothbury, MI (Friday, June 18, 2021) - Winston Speedway is preparing for their second major Late Model race of the season Friday night. For the only time this season, the Sunoco American Late Model Series will travel to the northwest part of the state to take on Winston Speedway. The race kicks off a double-header weekend for ALMS that concludes at Oakshade Raceway.
A $5,000 payday is on the line tonight for the driver who can find their way to Winston Speedway Victory Lane. A diverse 2021 winners list is compiled after the first half of the regular season. Dona Marcoullier picked up the season-opening win during the Player Hater Wild West Shootout the first weekend in April. Since then, Travis Stemler, Eric Spangler, Rich Bell, Bill Bray, Greg Gokey, Rusty Schlenk, and Brandon Thirlby have collected wins. Only Spangler and Thirlby have been repeat winners at Winston so far this season.
A strong field of cars is expected to unload tonight in Rothbury, with major competing Friday night tracks taking Late Models off the schedule. Both I-96 Speedway and Tri City Motor Speedway have taken Late Models off the calendar, helping the odds of a great show at Winston.
Just three races have been contested so far this season for ALMS, with the first race of the season on Saturday, May 15th. Hudson O’Neal picked up the win over Darrell Lanigan and Devin Moran. The second race was held at Oakshade Raceway on Saturday, May 29th, where Casey Noonan defeated Jeep VanWormer and Devin Shiels. The series’ latest contest was on May 30th, when Lanigan outdueled Ricky Weiss and Scott James for the win.
Headed into tonight’s events, Lanigan is listed as the ALMS Points Leader with nine races remaining. Illinois veteran, Rich Bell is close behind in second, with Devin Moran third, Curtis Roberts fourth, and Scott James fifth. It’s likely that the points standings will look drastically different after tonight’s race.
Gates open tonight at Winston Speedway at 5:00 PM with on track action beginning at 8:00PM with ALMS Qualifying. A full show also features IMCA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Cyber Stocks, and Mini Wedges. Tickets are just $20 at the gate. For more information, find Winston Speedway on Facebook, or on the web at www.RaceWinstonSpeedway.com.
Horsepower Happenings will be on location all evening with behind-the-scenes content on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Find more stories like this on our website www.HorsepowerHappenings.com, and find new episodes of the Horsepower Happenings Podcast every Monday night at 9pm.
Story - Zach Hiser, Horsepower Happenings
Photo - Just Shoot Me: Photos by Katie