Josh Richards held off a determined charge from Chris Madden to earn an impressive victory Friday night in the Morton Buildings Late Model Series feature in the World of Outlaws Bristol Bash at iconic dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway.
NASCAR veteran David Stremme led wire to wire in the 20-lap DIRTcar UMP Modified feature race for a $5,000 payday.
West Virginia native Richards, a four-time World of Outlaws Series Late Model champion who drives for Clint Bowyer Racing, claimed his series-best 78th career victory in his blue No. 14 machine and earned $10,000 for the win in the 40-lap invitation race that featured some of the best dirt Late Model racers in the country.
“I never thought I would win a race at Bristol since my asphalt career didn’t take off,” said Richards, who also won his heat race. “Just a great time to be here. Can’t thank the guys enough, everyone at Clint Bowyer Racing. It was getting hairy out there in lapped traffic. I knew Madden had a really good car and just tried to hold him off.”
The race had several cautions, including one with two laps to go. Madden was gaining ground on Richards before that caution. On the final restart however, Richards pulled away to take the checkered flag.
He says getting a win at Bristol is cool.
“The first one is always going to be the best, but this one is up there for sure, it’s a lot of fun,” Richards said. “Anytime you can win against these guys it really means a lot no matter where it is.”
Madden, who won his heat race earlier in the evening, said he just ran out of laps in the feature.
“We had a good car and just picked the wrong line there on the restart,” Madden said. “I didn’t need that caution at the end. We definitely were good on long runs. If it would’ve been 50 laps tonight I think we could’ve got us one.”
Three-time and defending series champ Brandon Sheppard finished third after starting fifth.
“We didn’t qualify as good as we needed to,” Sheppard said. “We managed to hang on there at the end. Good job to Josh and Chris, they did a heck of a job. It was a fun and clean race. We’re close, we have to figure out qualifying and I think we will be there at the end.”
Rick Eckert and Brandon Overton rounded out the top five in the Late Model race.
Pole-sitter and hometown favorite Jimmy Owens, of nearby Newport, was collected in a crash with 24 laps to go and finished 23rd. Hard-charging Kyle Strickler lost a tire early in the race and hit the wall for a 24th place finish. Fan-favorite Scott Bloomquist had to change a tire early in the race and rallied from the back of the field to finish 14th.
North Carolina’s Stremme, a former NASCAR driver who posted a fifth-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in the Xfinity Series and a ninth-place finish in the Trucks at Thunder Valley, held off Kyle Hammer for his first-ever Bristol victory.
“When you walk in here you have to look around, just to win at Bristol is amazing,” Stremme said. “It’s very special and very demanding, physically on the car and on the driver mentally. Bristol is not a place you mess around with. You’ve got to respect it. It’s just an intimidating place. You look around at these big grandstands. For me, I am used to all that so I think that was an advantage. I’m just very proud to win here.”
Ryan Ayers, Nick Hoffman and Dylan Woodling completed the top five.
Saturday’s Morton Buildings Late Model Series race will feature a 50-lap race with $25,000 going to the winner. The UMP Modifieds will battle for a $10,000 winner’s prize in a 20-lap race.
World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Models
World of Outlaws Bristol Bash finish order
Friday, April 9, 2021, Bristol Motor Speedway
- Josh Richards
- Chris Madden
- Brandon Sheppard
- Rick Eckert
- Brandon Overton
- Ryan Gustin
- Darrell Lanigan
- Kyle Bronson
- Ricky Thornton Jr.
- Devin Moran
- Jonathan Davenport
- Tyler Bruening
- Dennis Erb Jr.
- Scott Bloomquist
- Ross Bailes
- Ricky Weiss
- Shane Clanton
- Boom Briggs
- Parker Martin
- Jared Landers
- Brent Larson
- Cade Dillard
- Jimmy Owens
- Kyle Strickler
- Ross Robinson
DIRTcar UMP Modifieds
World of Outlaws Bristol Bash
Friday, April 9, 2021, Bristol Motor Speedway
- David Stremme
- Kyle Hammer
- Ryan Ayers
- Nick Hoffman
- Dylan Woodling
- Trent Young
- David Reutimann
- Austin Holcombe
- Dave Wietholder
- Garret Stewart
- Evan Tayler
- Mitch Thomas
- KC Burdette
- Taylor Cook
- Brian Shaw
- Troy Loomis
- Todd Neiheiser
- Dillon Nusbaum
- Nick Stroupe
- Jake Leitzman
- Chris Arnold
- Nick Allen
- Kyle Stickler
- Michael Altobelli
