What won the race: Leading all 61 laps off the front row, Dustin Mitchell of Pine Level, N.C., won Saturday night's inaugural Mark Batten Memorial at Halifax County Motor Speedway. He earned $10,000 for his first career victory with the Steel Block Bandits Dirt Late Model Challenge Series.

Key notes: Mitchell registered his second win of 2022; his previous score came on Feb. 26 at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway. ... Dan Breuer claimed the runner-up position, 1.659 seconds behind Mitchell. ... Defending series champion Russell Erwin kept Mitchell in sight before being struck with mechanical problems on lap 45 and finishing 11th. … Michael Rouse, who won last year's initial visit to the Brinkleyville oval for the Steel Block Bandits, completed only six laps and finished 21st. … The race was slowed by 10 separate incidents and lasted over one hour; nine competitors completed all 61 laps. ... The event honored the late Mark Batten of Rocky Mount, N.C., the owner of Battenbilt Racing Engines who passed away at age 61 on June 3, 2021 following a short illness. … Cy Nelms Jr. won the non-qualifiers’ race, collecting $500.

Winner's sponsors: Mitchell’s C&R Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Victory Race Engine and sponsored by TWA Concrete, The Muffler Place, ColeBrooke Custom Homes, Honeycutt Custom Cabinets, HST Suspension and Penske Racing Shocks.

Points chase: It’s the tour’s first race of 2022.

Current weather: Clear, 68°F

Car count: 39

Fast qualifier: Russell Erwin

Time: 14.696 seconds

Heat race winners: Russell Erwin, Jay Sessoms, Dustin Mitchell, Willie Milliken,  ,  ,  ,  

Consolation race winners: Jesse Rockett, Timmy Mills,  ,  

Next series race: April 9, Sumter Speedway (Sumter, SC) $5,000