Bub McCool finished where he began the Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series Super Late Model race Saturday at Columbus Speedway: first place.
McCool held off David Breazeale and Rick and Brian Rickman brothers, all of whom started in the top four, to claim the win and $2,500 in the 50-lap feature.
McCool, in his third race of the season driving for Randy Thompson, navigated four re-starts in the first four laps and one final caution on lap 44 to hold off Rick Rickman.
Saturday marked the third time he has driven the team’s new Club 29 car, which he piloted to fourth- and third-place finishes at Boyd’s Speedway in Ringgold, Georgia, and Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, respectively.
“We’re still kind of learning, and tonight was a step in the right direction,” said McCool, of Vicksburg.
McCool’s car was strong exiting turns two and four. He held off a furious charge from Rick Rickman and Breazeale in the first string of laps without a caution. In a span of seven laps before the next yellow on lap 11, Breazeale, Rick Rickman and Brian Rickman traded positions between places two through four.
By lap 25, McCool had opened a 10-car length lead on Breazeale.
“Seemed like Breazeale stayed beside me on the starts every time,” McCool said. “But when we’d come out of two, it seemed like I wouldn’t see him again.
“I just tried to sit there, make consistent laps, lap after lap,” McCool said. “You can be fast one lap and miss it the next, and you’ll kill your lead.”
McCool’s next challenge came from Brian Rickman, who climbed to second by lap 27, riding a higher line through turns one and two. Sparks flew from the rear right corner of his car after he scraped the wall exiting turn two. Still, McCool opened a lead of nearly three seconds on Brian Rickman by lap 40. By lap 44, Brian Rickman had to pull off the track after his car began to overheat.
“I slowed down a little bit to let the motor cool down, but it kept getting hotter and hotter,” Brian Rickman said. “Wasn’t much sense in tearing a motor up.
“I think we might have had something for (McCool).”
Rick Rickman, who finished second, made a run at McCool in the last 10 laps, but said he struggled on the race’s numerous re-starts.
“I’d get behind (on re-starts), but then once we get going I could race with them,” Rick Rickman said. “I passed Brian and passed David, ran Bub down and raced him hard the last six laps. We were right there with him.”
Saturday marked the second race in which Rick Rickman raced his new Bob Pierce-built car. He finished sixth at Whynot earlier this year, the only other MSCCS race so far this season.
“We just have to learn some more about it and what adjustments it likes,” he said. “When we do, we’ll be real good then.”
Chad Thrash, Breazeale, and Jason Cliburn rounded out the top five. Brian Rickman finished 12th, and Caledonia’s Mark Dodson, despite a steering pump problem that dogged him throughout the race, finished 10th.
Shaw cruises to Limited Late Model/Crate win
Jeremy Shaw, much like McCool, turned a pole position into a victory Saturday night.
Shaw, in the 1s car, led for nearly all of the race and handled a re-start and two-lap dash to the checkered flag to claim the win.
Blake Koenigsberger, Greg Dedwylder, Kyle Shaw, and Joey Mullenix rounded out the top five.
n In other action, Allen Gilreath held off Tyler Castle to win the Mini Stock feature. Lee Ray won the Street Stock feature; Jamie Sudduth and Mark Burnett finished second and third, respectively. Larry Stacy, Jr. won the 602 Late Model feature, while Jamie Pickard and Jonathan Pridmore finished second and third, respectively.
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