Evan Ellis had a tough decision Saturday with seven laps to go in the NeSmith Late Model race at Magnolia Motor Speedway.
As he approached lap traffic, he could lay back and hope his multi-second lead over Bryant Marsh would hold, or he could work to get around lap cars.
Ellis chose to push around the traffic, a decision that would led to an exit from the race and a win for Marsh.
Ellis was boxed in coming off turn four on lap 14 before cutting a tire and leaving the race a lap later. He finished 18th.
“I had to check up a bit for the lap cars, and someone behind me didn’t check up as much, got into the back of me and cut my tire with a few laps to go,” Ellis said. “Just a downfall from there. The car was great, and I felt like we had a good lead. That’s racing.”
Marsh had closed the gap as Ellis worked to get around Shelby Sheedy and Jason Downs. He said the window to get around three was narrow.
“I hate it for (Ellis), but it was just about perfect for me the way we caught the lap cars,” Marsh said. “I saw a hole and I just stuck it there.”
The conditions of the track were spotty after rainfall earlier in the day. Drivers described the track as heavy and tacky, as multiple cautions slowed heat races and features. The NeSmith feature race had three cautions in the first four laps.
“At first it was really slimy, but it finally flew off and had a bit of a cushion for the feature,” said Ellis, who clocked the fastest qualifying lap and was the only driver to break 15 seconds. “There were a couple of lanes and it was racy at times. If I could do it again, I might slow down a little bit, but they were crazy in front me, sideways at times. You get to that lap traffic and you sit behind them, someone’s coming for you. You have to make a decision. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t.”
While Ellis was seeking his second-straight win at Magnolia, Marsh secured his second-straight win and third in his last four. In that span, he has wins at Corinth, Camden, and Magnolia. The 16-year-old Corinth native was running third behind Ellis and Kyle Shaw after the third caution before a solid re-start pushed him and Ellis nearly three seconds ahead of Shaw, Jeremy Shaw, and Chad McCool.
“The whole time I was just sitting there thinking I was gonna have to get a near-perfect re-start right here and try to clear Kyle as soon as I can,” Marsh said. “It was near-perfect for me. I cleared Kyle, set my sights on Evan and went after it.”
Marsh said he struggling all night to try and free up the car, which had been tight through qualifying and hot laps. A slight adjustment to shocks and tire pressure proved to be the difference.
McCool took second, while Jeremy Shaw, Randall Beckwith, and Keith Flurry rounded out the top five.
Hughes picks up win No. 14
Spencer Hughes led 18 laps and won his 14th Street Stocks race of the season.
Hughes started third and passed Johnny Stokes on lap two to open a two-second lead in just a few laps.
Hughes got hung up in lap traffic, trying to pass TJ Garrett on lap 11. Stokes closed the gap, and by the last lap he’d reached Hughes’ driver’s side door. But Hughes held off Stokes at the line for the win.
Terry Taylor took third, while Lee Ray and TK King took fourth and fifth.
In other action, Tony Shelton won the 602 Late Models feature. Brooke Carter, Chad McCool, Joey McKinney, and Tony Shelton Jr. rounded out the top five. Logan Lux won the Factory Stocks feature. John Johnson, Brad Gable, Jennifer Byrd, and John Beard rounded out the top five. Lindsey Stokes won the Ladies Powder Puff feature. Jennifer Johnson and Maddie Beard finished second and third.
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