Ryan Gustin (center) scored his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory on Wednesday night at East Bay Raceway Park. Tyler Erb (left) finished in second, with Kyle Bronson (right) in third. Photo: LOLMDS Media/Twitter
For the second night in a row, a new winner emerged with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series as Ryan Gustin picked up his first career series victory Wednesday night in the Weiland Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Florida.
Gustin’s win followed that of Ashton Winger’s on Tuesday night as first-time victors with the series. Tyler Erb, who won Monday night’s rac,e finished in second followed by Kyle Bronson in third, Brandon Sheppard in fourth, and Blairsville, Georgia’s Jonathan Davenport in fifth.
Gustin grabbed the lead at the start of the 40-lap feature with Bronson and Erb in tow. After a lap six restart, Gustin still held the point with Erb and Bronson keeping him within their sights. Erb yielded the second spot to Bronson on the eighth lap as Gustin was starting to pull away. A timely caution flew on lap 15 as Gustin was about to pick up the tail end of the field.
On the restart Gustin still led Bronson and Erb at the halfway mark of the race as another caution came out with 21 laps scored. The restart would see Bronson slide underneath Gustin for the lead but exiting turn two on the 23rd lap Gustin powered back around Bronson on the outside to regain the top spot.
The trio of drivers then caught traffic as Erb gained the second spot on lap 36. The final caution with two laps to go allowed both Erb and Bronson to have one last shot at Gustin, but he held his line to pick-up his first ever series victory.
Gustin’s win makes him the 88th different winner in series history and the seventh different winner in nine races thus far in 2023.
“This is awesome,” Gustin said. “Once Kyle (Bronson) got underneath me there man I thought I just messed this up. Luckily, we had a good enough car under us to roll through the middle and got back by him. We got to the lapped cars and I felt like it started to cleanup and those cars were dirtying it up so I had to get back down to the bottom.”
“I just wanted to win this for my guys they have been working their tails off,” Gustin added. “The only reason we are standing here tonight is because of them. Our car is really, really good when you can roll the middle like that just like that B-Main the other night everybody was circling around the bottom and we were just able to move out and run through there better. I think we have a team that can contend every night. We’ve got a great race car, a great owner, and a great crew chief. I am just the lucky one who gets to drive it. I love East Bay.”
Evans, Georgia’s Brandon Overton, Tanner English, Spencer Hughes, Devin Moran, and Earl Pearson, Jr. rounded out the top 10.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action at East Bay Raceway Park continues on Thursday, February 9. For more information, visit LucasDirt.com.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL
Wieland Winternationals – February 8, 2023
1. 19R-Ryan Gustin
2. 1T-Tyler Erb
3. 40B-Kyle Bronson
4. B5-Brandon Sheppard
5. 49-Jonathan Davenport
6. 76-Brandon Overton
7. 96V-Tanner English
8. 11-Spencer Hughes
9. 99-Devin Moran
10. 46-Earl Pearson, Jr.
11. 39-Tim McCreadie
12. 3S-Brian Shirley
13. 10-Garrett Smith
14. 58-Garrett Alberson
15. 7-Ross Robinson
16. 20-Jimmy Owens
17. 86-Kyle Beard
18. 89M-Mike Spatola
19. 16-Tyler Bruening
20. 76B-Blair Nothdurft
21. 19M-Wil Herrington
22. 89-Logan Roberson
23. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
24. 12-Ashton Winger
25. 79-Ross Bailes
26. 55-Benji Hicks
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