The MRD Pro Late Model Series ran their first round of Twin 75 races tonight at the Lanier National Speedway. 27 drivers would bring their cars out, which would end up being a tough combination with the small track as the yellow would come out a number of times throughout the night in both 75 laps event.
Anthony Celentano, winner of the Lanier race last season, would lead the field to the green in the first race in the daylight after receiving a spot at the front from his handicap. As the early laps ticked off, Celentano controlled things up front as he looked to hold off drivers like Todd Garren and Kenny Lindsley. But behind them, some of the drivers that started further out back from their handicaps were beginning to work their way up through the field toward the front.
After a lap 33 restart, Lindsley was able to work his way to the lead with Brian Tedeschi in tow behind him, but shortly after that on a lap 46 restart, it would give Ty Majeski the opportunity to take over the top spot after starting at the back of the field. As the laps ticked off at the end of the race, Majeski was able to hold off the field and with the caution coming out with just 5 laps to go, the field would be forced to end the race under the checkered and yellow flags. Majeski would cross the line first to pick up his first PLM and second career SARA victory. Behind him, Lindsley was able to hang onto 2nd, followed by Tedeschi in 3rd. Jacob Linkiewicz ran in the top 10 all race and brought it home in 4th, followed by Jordan Hyland who worked his way up to 5th after starting in the back of his first career SARA race.
As race number two got started under the lights, Tim Bills and Lee Bedsaul would lead the field to the green, and Bills would jump out to the early lead. But with the night time air, the field had a hard time settling in during the second portion of the Twin 75s. The caution would fly early and often which didn’t set up for much green flag racing. This led to drivers trying to get as much as they could on the restarts. The caution would fly 10 times in the 75 lap event, but that would play into the favor of Bills at the front of the field.
Behind Bills in the lead, drivers such as Mike Belanger, Garren, Matt Eddy, and Ron Williams would all run within the top 5 in the first half of the race. But with the handicap lineup for the second start as well, some drivers were forced to start out back again, which meant those drivers would have to work twice as hard to get back to the front. Lindsley made his way up to 2nd after lap 50 with Majeski not too far behind him. But with some late cautions, they would never get the chance to battle for the lead.
Bills would go on to lead every lap of the second 75 lap event, en route to picking up his first career SARA victory. Majeski would end up in 2nd after starting 27th, with Lindsley in 3rd from his 18th place starting spot. Jeff Ramsdell worked his way up to 4th from 26th, and Garren rounded out the top 5 after running within the top 10 all race.
With the top two drivers in points missing this double header event, it would give the points lead over to Brian Tedeschi after his 3rd and 6th place finishes. He now leads Kenny Lindsley by just 10 points as the series heads to Oxford Plains next week.
Race 1 Top 10:
- Ty Majeski
- Kenny Lindsley
- Brian Tedeschi
- Jacob Linkiewicz
- Jordan Hyland
- Kevin J Myers
- Matt Rolfe
- Darrell Hamlin
- Jeff Ramsdell
- Stan Bragg Jr
Race 2 Top 10:
- Tim Bills
- Ty Majeski
- Kenny Lindsley
- Jeff Ramsdell
- Todd Garren
- Brian Tedschi
- Matt Eddy
- Mitchell Cowan
- James Linkiewicz
- Ken Belanger
For full results from both Twin 75 races, and the full points standings, click HERE.