What won the race: Leading all 40 laps in dominating fashion, second-starting Bubba Roling of Clay Hill, Fla., grabbed his first Alabama State Championship victory in topping Sunday's 602 Crate Late Model field for $7,500 at East Alabama Motor Speedway. Roling recorded his second victory of the season and the most lucrative payday of his young career.
Quotable: “We ain’t never been here but one time, I didn’t expect to roll in here and be this fast, really. We got one round of practice on Thursday and I didn’t think we was gonna be all that great,” Roling said. “These Capital Race Cars, Shane Clanton been helping us a bunch with them and he’s got them pretty good.”
Key notes: Roling's other victory was also in 602 Crate action on Aug. 24 at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga., worth $3,016. ... Fourth-starting Dustin Elliott, last year's race winner, took second on a lap-two restart and trailed Roling the rest of the way, taking the checkers 1.340 seconds back. ... Mark Whitener, Saturday's $7,500 Limited Late Model winner at EAMS, improved 17 positions and rounded out the top five. ... Booger Brooks gained 13 spots and finished eighth. ... The feature was slowed by seven incidents, the last one on lap 32 involving 10th-running Josh Taylor. ... Fourth-running Wil Herrington pulled in under the lap-32 caution with a flat and recovered to finish 10th after changing the tire. ... Ricky Culpepper inherited fourth on the ensuing restart. ... Pole-starting Jackson Thomasson caused the fifth stoppage on lap 15 when he slowed from fourth with a flat left-rear. He changed the tire and continued for a couple more laps before pulling off. ... Track points leader Nick Biddle nosed into the frontstretch wall on lap 11, ending his day. ... The first incident required an 11-minute red flag for cleanup for an opening incident involving Griffin Jones, Jay Coen and Kayla Burdett. All drivers were OK, but done for the day. ... The race lasted 47 minutes, with 12 starters running at the finish.
On the move: Chris Stowe of Stanley, N.C., started 23rd and finished sixth.
Winner's sponsors: Roling’s Capital Race Car is sponsored by Maloy Grading Corp., Kudzue Trucking & Paving, Corbitt Site Construction, Riverstone Construction, Liberty Trucking, John Roling Trucking, Pipeline, Penske Racing Shocks and TopNotch Kustom Konceptz.
Points chase: Track points before Sunday: 1. Nick Biddle (1,035); 2. Sterling Evilsizer (932); 3. Bobby Duell (828); 4. Anthony Lee (684); 5. Josh Gorman (645).
Current weather: Clear, 88°F
Car count: 53
Fast qualifier: Jackson Thomasson
Time: 15.774 seconds
Polesitter: Jackson Thomasson
Consolation race winners: Jake Traylor, Austin Bloodworth, ,