Matt Craig (left) and Taylor Gray (right) both scored victories in Saturday’s CARS Racing Tour season opener at Southern National Motorsports Park. Craig took the win in the Super Late Model feature, while Gray was the winner in the Late Model Stock Car feature. Photos: CARS Racing Tour/Facebook
Matt Craig and Taylor Gray opened the 2020 Solid Rock Carriers CARS Racing Tour in a thriller at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, North Carolina on Saturday.
Craig came home with the win in the Super Late Model feature, while Gray topped the Late Model Stock Car feature in a back-and-forth race.
In the Super Late Model feature, Matt Craig led wire-to-wire for his sixth career series victory. With the win, Craig became the first driver of the season to win the Rowdy Manufacturing Super Challenge and its $5,000 bonus.
“I really love this track,” Craig said. “It’s worn out. It’s slick. It’s got no grip. I really like that. The car was really good. I can’t do it without my team. That’s what won me the race really. This is my seventh win here. I saw comments when we won here last week about no competition. I don’t think you can say there was no competition today. We had a really good car. I can’t thank Rowdy Manufacturing enough and the CARS Tour for putting on a good show.”
Trevor Noles was fastest in qualifying but instantly surrendered the lead on the initial start of the race. Noles ultimately raced his way through the field to finish second, but could not get within striking distance of Craig.
“These Super Late Models are tough,” Noles said. “We’ve got to figure out how to maintain our tires a little bit better at the end and see if we can not lose as much track position. We’ll go to Hickory and see if we can’t get one there.”
Stephen Nasse finished third, with Travis Braden in fourth and Carson Kvapil in fifth.
Kodie Conner, Mike Hopkins. Hudson Halder, Mike Speeny and Austin McDonald rounded out the top ten.
In the Late Model Stock Car feature, Gray led several different times, ultimately making the race-winning pass around Deac McCaskill on lap 129 in a race where tire management was the key factor.
The two drivers had swapped the lead back-and-forth several times through the middle stages of the event. After Gray made the pass, he was able to hold off McCaskill for the final 20 laps to claim the win.
“The first 120 laps, we were running 17-second laps and just trying to pace the field as much as possible,” Gray said. “Just saving tires and managing the gap (behind you) is key. You’re worried about a late race caution because anything can happen.
“I’ve been in the right situation and the wrong situation. It just depends. The people who were around me were really good, really experienced. They’ve been racing Late Models for years. It’s just a matter of what position you put yourself in and how you handle it.”
Gray said he sought advice from Super Late Model ace Bubba Pollard throughout the weekend. The Senoia, Georgia racer’s advice paid dividends in Gray’s second career series win.
“(Gray) was stout, man,” McCaskill said. “(He was) really strong off the corner. Our car wasn’t bad – I thought I could do something on the outside there for a little bit. He just prevailed on the long run. I just got really free like everybody else did and was hanging on to it.”
Connor Mosack finished third in his CARS Tour debut for JR Motorsports, with Josh Berry fourth and Layne Riggs fifth.
Mike Darne, Ronald Hill, Jonathan Findley, Jonathan Shafer and Bobby McCarty rounded out the top ten.
Both divisions will return to action on Saturday, March 21 at Hickory Motor Speedway. Visit CARSRacingTour.com for more information.
CARS Racing Tour
Southern National Motorsports Park – Lucama, NC
Solid Rock Carriers 300 – March 7, 2020
Super Late Models
1. Matt Craig
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3. Stephen Nasse
4. Travis Braden
5. Carson Kvapil
6. Kodie Conner
7. Mike Hopkins
8. Hudson Halder
9. Mike Speeny
10 Austin McDonald
11. Jeff Batten
12. Sammy Smith
13. Gabe Sommers
14. Bubba Pollard
15. Jeremy Barclay
Late Model Stock Cars
1. Taylor Gray
2. Deac McCaskill
3. Connor Mosack
4. Josh Berry
5. Layne Riggs
6. Mike Darne
7. Ronald Hill
8. Jonathan Findley
9. Jonathan Shafer
10. Bobby McCarty
11. Justin Johnson
12. Matt Cox
13. Jared Fryar
14. Craig Moore
15. Corey Heim
16. Brandon Pierce
17. Nolan Pope
18. Tyler Matthews
19. Chad McCumbee
20. Chris Chapman
21. Trevor Ward
22. Gage Painter
23. Tommy Lemons, Jr.
24. Mini Tyrrell
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