SYLVANIA, GA. (Feb 6.) — A long time coming.

That’s the phrase Steve Casebolt used to describe his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory. The Richmond, Ind., driver overtook polesitter Brandon Overton of Appling, Ga., in the final laps of Friday’s season opener at Screven Motor Speedway to notch a $10,000 WoO triumph.

Overton charged to the lead at the drop of the green flag, distancing himself from the the field in the early running. Second-starting Casebolt began reeling in the race leader as the pair worked through lapped traffic, but a lap-12 caution brought bunched the field, slowing Casebolt’s charge.

The 2007 Dirt Late Model Dream winner made two more attempts at the lead, but cautions on laps 24 and 31 spoiled his challenges. Using lapped traffic to his advantage, Casebolt charged to the outside of Overton on lap 44, pulling ahead of the race leader as they exited turn-two.

The pair battled back and forth for a couple of laps, with Casebolt surging ahead to lead the final circuits to pick up the win. Overton settled for a runner-up finish, with seventh-starting Billy Moyer of Batesvile, Ark., advancing four spots to finish third. Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., finished fourth, with Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., rounding out the top five.

“There been several of these Outlaw races I felt like I should have won and the stars never lined up,” Casebolt said after Friday’s race. “I made a few mistakes along the way or could have won some already, but everything clicked tonight. We had the right car, the right engine, the right tires, the right crew. Everything was just perfect.”

Along with the multiple cautions, lapped traffic proved to be challenge for Casebolt, who held on to his position after making contact with Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., as he went to put him a lap down

“Everyone that came out cost us,” Casebolt said. “We actually fell back to third behind (Josh) Richards on one of them. I felt like we’d have taken the lead a good bit earlier had that stayed green. But we made it interesting.

 “Lapped traffic was just unbelievably tough tonight. They were three-wide back there and this is a tight track. Normally when you’re racing the lapped cars, you can just kind of get up in there and force the issue. I don’t know whether I forced the issue to hard, or Mason (Zeigler) didn’t know I was the leader, or what was going on there. “

Overton, who debuted a new MasterSbilt by Huey car this weekend, was pleased with his runner-up finish, but hated to see the yellow flags.

“The biggest thing was lapped traffic,” Overton said. “It’s definitely better to be sitting in second when you get up behind them guys. You just got to go the opposite. I’ve won races like that too. Hats off to them. He did a good job.”

The race was halted by a red flag on the fourth lap when sixth-running Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, rolled his No. 20 machine in turn-four. A yellow flag flew on the ensuing restart when Pancho Lawler of Hanover, Pa., spun in turns three and four. Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., slowed with a flat on lap 12, drawing a second caution on lap 24. The final yellow flew on lap 31 when Rick Eckert of York, Pa., slowed in turn four.

Preliminary results:

Consolation race results

First consolation (top three transfer): Jordan Yaggy, Kyle Beard, Eric Wells, Pancho Lawler, Dan Stone, Chad Hollenbeck, Jim Manka, Brian Ligon

Second consolation (top three transfer): Boom Briggs, Chub Frank, Chase Junghans, Austin Smith, Dustin Mitchell, Josh Knoll, Riley Hickman, Casey Barrow

Redraw

The top-two finishers from each heat race went to a redraw to set the first four rows of Friday’s main event. Brandon Overton of Appling, Ga. drew the pole, with Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., starting outside of the front row.

Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., will make up the second row. Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., drew the fifth starting spot, with Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., starting sixth. Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., will start seventh, with Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, drawing the eighth starting spot.

Consolation race lineups

(12 laps; top three transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Jordan Yaggy, Pancho Lawler
Row 2: Eric Wells, Dan Stone
Row 3: Kyle Beard, Brian Ligon
Row 4: Chad Hollenbeck, Jim Manka
Second consolation
Row 1: Chub Frank, Boom Briggs
Row 2: Chase Junghans, Austin Smith
Row 3: Riley Hickman, Casey Barrow
Row 4: Dustin Mitchell, Josh Knoll

Fourth heat

Charging past race leader Steve Casebolt on the fourth lap, second-starting Shane Clanton led the remaining distance to win the fourth heat. Casebolt held on to finish second, with Mason Zeigler settling for the third-place spot. Rick Eckert grabbed the fourth-place spot to transfer to the feature.

Finish (top four transfer): Shane Clanton, Steve Casebolt, Mason Zeigler, Rick Eckert, Boom Briggs, Austin Smith, Casey Barrow, Josh Knoll

Third heat

Billy Moyer led all 10 laps to pick up a win in the third heat. Second-starting Brandon Overton and third-starting Darrell Lanigan held on to their starting positions to transfer to the main event. Casey Roberts grabbed the fourth and final transfer spot.

Finish (top four transfer): Billy Moyer, Brandon Overton, Darrell Lanigan, Casey Roberts, Chub Frank, Chase Junghans, Riley Hickman, Dustin Mitchell

Second heat

Polesitter Josh Richards charged to an early lead to win the second heat. Third-starting Dale McDowell advanced one spot to finish second. Jordy Nipper took the third place spot, with Tim McCreadie dropping back for the final transfer spot.

Finish (top four transfer): Josh Richards, Dale McDowell, Jordy Nipper, Tim McCreadie, Pancho Lawler, Dan Stone, Brian Ligon, Jim Manka

First heat

After an early battle for the lead with outside front row starter Rodney Sanders, polesitter Frank Heckenast Jr., dominated the final laps of the first heat. Sanders took the runner-up spot, with Tony Knowles finishing third. Morgan Bagley grabbed the fourth and final transfer spot.

Finish (top four transfer): Frank Heckenast Jr., Rodney Sanders, Tony Knowles, Morgan Bagley, Jordan Yaggy, Eric Wells, Kyle Beard, Chad Hollenbeck

Heat race lineups

(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Frank Heckenast Jr., Rodney Sanders
Row 2: Jordan Yaggy, Tony Knowles
Row 3: Morgan Bagley, Kyle Beard
Row 4: Eric Wells, Chad Hollenbeck
Second heat
Row 1: Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie
Row 2: Dale McDowell, Brian Ligon
Row 3: Jordy Nipper, Dan Stone
Row 4: Pancho Lawler, Jim Manka
Third heat
Row 1: Billy Moyer, Brandon Overton
Row 2: Darrell Lanigan, Casey Roberts
Row 3: Chase Junghans, Riley Hickman
Row 4: Chub Frank, Dustin Mitchell
Fourth heat
Row 1: Steve Casebolt, Shane Clanton
Row 2: Mason Zeigler, Boom Briggs
Row 3: Rick Eckert, Casey Barrow
Row 4: Austin Smith, Josh Knoll

Qualifying

Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., topped the charts in time trials for Friday’s $10,000-to-win World of Outlaws event at Screven Motor Speedway.

Clocking a time of 14.815, Moyer will start on the pole of the third heat race. Frank Heckenast, Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., was fast qualifier in his respective time trial group and will start on the pole of the first heat. Other heat race polesitters are Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind.

Pre-race notes

Friday’s event will kick off the World of Outlaws Late Model Series 2015 season, with another $10,000-to-win series event slated for Saturday. … Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., captured a $5,000 victory in Thursday’s unsanctioned event. Richards also lowered the track record in time trials. … Electing to forego Thursday’s non-points event, three-time World of Outlaws champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., has unloaded for Friday’s program. … WoO competitor Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., is among other new entrants at Screven. … An early retiree in Thursday's feature, Lanigan's teammate Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, Ind., will not enter Friday's event. ... There are 23 cars on hand for Friday's Limited Late Model event.

Qualifying results

Group A
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99JR), Frankfort, Ill., 14.840
Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 15.086
Rodney Sanders (20), Happy, Texas, 15.199
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 15.333
Jordan Yaggy (77), Rochester, Minn., 15.341
Dale McDowell (17M), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.348
Tony Knowles (26), Tyrone, Ga., 15.378
Brian Ligon (4), Augusta, Ga., 15.433
Morgan Bagley (14M), Longview, Texas, 15.569
Jordy Nipper (1N), Gray, Ga., 15.601
Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 15.757
Dan Stone (21D), Thompson, Pa., 15.825
Eric Wells (18), Hazard, Ky., 16.024
Pancho Lawler (93), Hanover, Pa., 16.172
Chad Hollenbeck (4DS), Kingsley, Pa., 16.261
Jim Manka (60), Rincon, Ga., 16.318
Group B
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 14.815
Steve Casebolt (C9), Richmond, Ind., 14.848
Brandon Overton (76), Appling, G, 14.937
Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga., 14.985
Darrell Lanigan (29), Union, Ky., 14.985
Mason Zeigler (25Z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 15.122
Casey Roberts (101), Toccoa, Ga., 15.124
Boom Briggs (99B),  Bear Lake, Pa., 15.241
Chase Junghans (18J), Manhattan, Kan., 15.335
Rick Eckert (7V), York, Pa., 15.451
Riley Hickman (R1), Ooltewah, Tenn., 15.500
Casey Barrow (98), Savannah, Ga., 15.511
Austin Smith (11), Cedartown, Ga., 15.681
Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa., 15.739
Dustin Mitchell (D8), Pine Level, N.C., 16.172
Josh Knoll (87), Lake, Mich., 16.870