Ryan Gustin heads to victory in MLRA's Spring Nationals opener.
What won the race: Taking the lead from polesitter Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., with 11 laps remaining in the 30-lap distance, Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, captured a $2,000 MLRA victory in the opening night of Lucas Oil Speedway's second annual Spring Nationals.
Quotable: "You just had to slow down so much to hit that bottom there," Gustin said. "I think Jesse missed it just a little bit and got tight. I just hit it right and got a good run down the backstretch and held him off. The restarts worked out in our favor."
Key notes: Gustin has two MLRA triumphs on the 2015 season. He earned a $2,000 payday in night one of I-80 Speedway's Spring Meltdown on April 3. ... Gustin has seven career MLRA victories. ... Fourth-place finisher Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, is the defending MLRA champion. ... Saturday's Spring Nationals program will pay $3,000 to the winner.
Winner's sponsors: Gustin’s Ed and Cinde Gressel-owned Rocket Chassis has a Mullins Race Engine and is sponsored by Brown & Miller Racing Solutions, CPD Racing Tools, Eibach Springs, FastShafts, Henryetta Ford, Integra Racing Shocks, Larry's Performance Carburetors, Midwest Sheet Metal, R2C Performance Products, Sybesma Graphics and VP Race Fuels
Points chase: Stormy Scott of Las Cruces, N.M., entered the weekend with 194 points. Jeremy Payne and Terry Phillips have 192 points apiece.
Car count: 51
Heat race winners: Jesse Stovall, Tony Jackson Jr., Billy Moyer, Jack Sullivan, Jeremy Payne, , , ,
Consolation race winners: Jason Utter, Jason O'Brien, ,
Next series race: April 11, Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) $3,000