By John Rittenoure
MEEKER, Okla. (August 31, 2024) - Eli Ross outran all competitors and mother nature on Saturday on the way to victory in the APEX Healthcare Partners Sooner Late Model Series feature at Red Dirt Raceway.
With weather moving in on Red Dirt Raceway track officials ran the Sooner Series feature just after intermission and Ross did his part to hurry up the race by setting a torrid pace in the main event. Ross gassed it off the pole on the start and led all the way to earn his third victory of the season.
The race was essentially for second with Jordan Barbee and Christopher Wilhite, Jr. battling for the runner-up position. Barbee started outside front row and jumped into second giving way to Wilhite on lap 4. Barbee regained second on lap 6 and held until lap 16 when Wilhite once again powered past. Barbee exited the race on lap 20 and Zach Nickell took over third,Adam Popp and Eric Brill rounded out the top five.
Ross tightened up the points race with his win. Ross closed within 45 points of Nickell who is leading the points race despite still looking for his first win of the season.
Sooner Late Model Series Results
Red Dirt Raceway - Meeker, Oklahoma
August 31, 2024
APEX Healthcare Partners A Feature 1 (26 Laps): 1. 66-Eli Ross[1]; 2. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[5]; 3. 55-Zach Nickell[7]; 4. 10 4-Adam Popp[6]; 5. 65-Eric Brill[4]; 6. 33-Steven Hawkins[3]; 7. 8-Troy Bynum[8]; 8. 27X-Ron Brown[11]; 9. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[12]; 10. 31-Gary Lowe[9]; 11. 14-Gary Stephens[14]; 12. 2B-Jordan Barbee[2]; 13. 26-Adrien Hickman[10]; 14. 69K-Kent Taylor[13]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 2B-Jordan Barbee[3]; 2. 66-Eli Ross[4]; 3. 21-Christopher Wilhite JR[6]; 4. 55-Zach Nickell[5]; 5. 31-Gary Lowe[1]; 6. 27X-Ron Brown[2]; 7. 69K-Kent Taylor[7]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 65-Eric Brill[4]; 2. 33-Steven Hawkins[1]; 3. 10 4-Adam Popp[3]; 4. 8-Troy Bynum[6]; 5. 26-Adrien Hickman[5]; 6. H1-Steve Hewitt Sr[2]; 7. 14-Gary Stephens[7]
Lap Leaders:1-25 Eli Ross.
Margin of victory: 2.658.
2024 Winners: 4/6 - Kip Hughes, Enid Speedway; 4/13 - Jon Herring, Jr., Beaver County Raceway; 5/11 - Joe Godsey, Caney Valley Speedway; 5/17 - Kip Hughes, Longdale Speedway; 5/18 - Eli Ross, Oklahoma Sports Park; 5/26 - Geoff Aitken, Crawford County Speedway; 6/8 - Brandon Conkwright, 81 Speedway; 6/28 - Hudson O’Neal, Thunderbird Speedway; 6/29 - Brett Hansen, Salina Highbanks Speedway; 7/5 - Kip Hughes, Beaver County Raceway; 7/6 - Eli Ross, Enid Speedway; 7/26 - Clayton Stuckey, Thunderbird Speedway; 7/27 - Jon Kirby, Tri-State Speedway; 8/3 - Jon Herring, Jr., Enid Speedway; 8/31 - Eli Ross, Red Dirt Raceway.
2024 Top 10: 1. Zach Nickell, 5440; 2. Eli Ross, 5395; 3. Troy Bynum, 4335; 4. Dakota Dellinger, 4225; 5. Dalon Helm, 3825; 6. Ron Brown, 3750; 7. Kip Hughes, 3680; 8. Damian Patocka, 3175; 9. Jon Herring, Jr., 2680; 10. Richard Shepler, 2600.
Sooner Late Model Series
The Sooner Late Model Series was formed in 2016 by Enid Speedway co-promoter Mark Brill. Brill felt there was not many opportunities for late model competitors to race in Oklahoma and the Sooner Late Model Series was formed. Now the series has grown beyond the borders of Oklahoma with events held in the neighboring states of Kansas, Texas and Arkansas.
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