Jason Covert started fifth and finished first at Port Royal.
What won the race: Fifth-starting Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa., jumped to the lead on lap 11 and paced the remaining circuit to capture Saturday night's 30-lap Chiller Thiller at Port Royal Speedway ahead of second-place finisher Jeff Rine. Covert won on the Zimmer's United Late Model Series for the first time in his career as the tour opened its season after several weather-related cancellations.
Key notes: Covert lined up third for a lap-nine restart and quickly surged forward, passing Boom Briggs for second and then sweeping underneath Matt Cosner through turns one and two to assume command for good on lap 11. ... Covert registered his third career win at a track where he grew up attending sprint car races as a fan. ... Jeff Rine, a two-time winner this season at Port Royal, wrestled second from Mike Maresca with three laps to go; he cut 2 seconds off Covert's lead by still finished 1.625 seconds behind the victor. ... Maresca, a young upstate New York big-block modified racer transitioning to Dirt Late Models, scored a full-fender division career-best finish of third. ... Cosner, who led laps 9-10, finished fifth while Briggs, who paced laps 1-8, faded to ninth in the final rundown.
Winner's sponsors: Covert's Cameron-Mann Motorsports Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Troy Swindell Trucking, Phi Tech Solutions, Keyser Mfg., Mann Automotive and Cameron Construction.
Points chase: Covert takes the early ULMS points lead, but he's not expected to follow the tour.
Car count: 42
Fast qualifier: Jeff Rine
Time: 18.213 seconds
Heat race winners: Mike Maresca, Kenny Moreland, Jeff Rine, Jason Covert, , , ,
Consolation race winners: Dave Hess Jr., Trent Brenneman, ,
Next series race: April 29, Tri-City Raceway Park (Franklin, PA) $2,000