Georgia’s Hartwell Speedway wrapped up the 2018 season with Saturday night’s “Night of Champions” – and in the process saw one of the closest finishes of the year.
Bubba Russell edged Jimmy Johnson by just inches at the finish line to score the victory in the combined Limited and Crate Late Model feature.
It closed out a successful 2018 season for the Comer, Georgia racer, as he recorded his tenth feature win of the year.
After turning the fastest lap in qualifying, Russell jumped out to the early lead, and would hold the point throughout the 25-lap feature. But over the closing laps, Johnson changed his line, quickly closing the distance to the leader.
On the final lap, Johnson got a huge run on the outside of turns three and four, pulling alongside the outside of Russell as the two raced off turn four and to the finish line.
Johnson came up just inches short at the checkered flag, as Russell held on for the victory.
Brandon Haley finished in third, with Clayton Turner in fourth and Dustin Cason in fifth.
In other action, Shane Yarbrough led wire-to-wire for the Hobby feature victory, with Cody Segars in second, Andy Barbel in third, Joseph Gallway in fourth and Joe Yarbrough in fifth.
Ty Nalley held off Thomas Segars for the win in the Modified Street feature. Sterling Helm came home in third, followed by Rusty Jordan in fourth and Bryce Alewine in fifth.
Jeremy Jones edged out Cal Moon for the Stock V8 feature victory, with Rocky Jones in third, Kevin Gooch in fourth and Evan Brown in fifth.
Shane Strickland was the winner in the Stock Four feature, with Jeffery Lord, Jamie Massey, Kevin Kelly and Scott Hollars rounding out the top five.
B.J. Davis scored the victory in the Front Wheel Drive feature, with Scott Parker second, Dennis Tullis third, Joey Kelly fourth and Jessie Smith fifth.
Hartwell Speedway also honored each division champion for the 2018 season on Saturday night, including Ashley Poole in Limited Late Models, Eric Veal in Crate Late Models, Shane Yarbrough in Hobby, Preston Strickland in Modified Street, Rocky Jones in Stock V8, Pete Whitley in Stock Four and Randy Shaw in Front Wheel Drive.
For more information on Hartwell Speedway, visit Hartwell-Speedway.com.
Hartwell Speedway – Hartwell, GA
Race Results – October 6, 2018
Limited / Crate Late Models
1. #32 Bubba Russell
2. #98 Jimmy Johnson
3. #51 Brandon Haley
4. #102 Clayton Turner
5. #47 Dustin Cason
6. #187 David McCoy
7. #3A Eric Veal
8. #3 Kevin Tullis
9. #18 Tim Jones
10. #87 Adam Partain
11. #05 Grant Jordan
Limited Late Model Champion: Ashley Poole
Crate Late Model Champion: Eric Veal
Hobby
1. #141 Shane Yarbrough
2. #1 Cody Segars
3. #44 Andy Barbel
4. #42 Joseph “Booman” Galloway
5. #41 Joe Yarbrough
6. #1A Brant Carey
7. #85 Logan Stinchcomb
8. #0 Matt Gering
9. #99 Shun Thomas
10. #02 Justin Taylor
11. #25 Chase Lamp
2018 Champion: Shane Yarbrough
Modified Street
1. #44 Ty Nalley
2. #5s Thomas Segars
3. #98 Sterling Helm
4. #5B Rusty Jordan
5. #10 Bryce Alewine
6. #196 Johnny Pilgrim
7. #56 Mason Russell
8. #4 Terry Calhoun
9. #1 Chris Sterdean
10. #11 David Wells
11. #12 James Campbell
12. #99 Greg Sanders
13. #94 Preston Strickland
2018 Champion: Preston Strickland
Stock V8
1. #18 Jeremy Jones
2. #69 Cal Moon
3. #101 Rocky Jones
4. #17 Kevin Gooch
5. #9 Evan Brown
6. #14 Chance Segars
7. #55 Seth Brown
8. #4 Jake Jordan
9. #32 Ray Looney, Jr.
10. #K5 Tyler Kennedy
11. #35 Paul Moore
2018 Champion: Rocky Jones
Stock Four
1. #119 Shane Strickland
2. #13 Jeffery Lord
3. #62 Jamie Massey
4. #88 Kevin Kelly
5. #22 Scott Hollars
6. #01 Justin Taylor
7. #2 Elliot Brayboy
8. #02 Glenn Jackson
9. #7x Pete Whitley
10. #916 Shun Thomas
11. #11 Nathaniel Little
12. #2n Caleb Nicholson
13. #5g Bobby Shelton
14. #2L Rhett Langston
15. #43 Robert Booth
2018 Champion: Pete Whitley
Front Wheel Drive
1. #28 B.J. Davis
2. #9 Scott Parker
3. #94 Dennis Tullis
4. #88 Joey Kelly
5. #11 Jessie Smith
6. #21 Ronnie Jennings
7. #96 John Shaw Jr
8. #5 Michael Elrod
9. #89 Joel Powell, Sr.
10. #18 Kalen Holmes
11. #44 Randy Shaw
12. #45 John Campbell
13. #29 Michael Davis
2018 Champion: Randy Shaw
http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/10/722237/russell-bests-johnson-for-hartwell-late-model-victory