NEW SMYRNA, Fla. – Two late restarts made Harrison Burton work hard on Saturday night.
But, that hard work ended with a large reward for Huntersville, North Carolina driver.
Burton was able to capture his first victory of the 52nd annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway. The win came in the 35-lap Super Late Model feature – a division where Burton is already the defending champion.
“It was crazy, it sucks when you are riding around and you think you have a win in the bag, then a caution comes out,” Burton said in Victory Lane. “You get through the restart and then another caution comes out. I’m just glad it finally ended, and we were still out front when it did.”
Burton took the lead for the first time when he passed night one winner Stephen Nasse at lap 14, and he had a sizeable lead when the caution flew with just five laps to go. After getting a good restart, Burton looked to be clear sailing when another caution came out with just two laps to go, setting up a dash to the finish.
In the final two laps, Burton found himself holding off Sam Mayer, who made a charge from his eighth place starting position to finish second. Paul Shafer, Jr. came home in third, followed by Jeff Choquette in fourth and night one victor Nasse in fifth.
Burton also was the fastest qualifier in time trials on Saturday, but an invert forced him to line up sixth.
“I had a lot of fun, when you cross the line, the helmet really hides a lot of emotions,” Burton said. “Everyone is screaming, at least I assume they are – I am whenever I win – I’m pumped up. It’s really exciting – but I’m ready for more.”
Derek Griffith, Derek Kraus, Brad May, Ty Majeski, and Matt Wallace rounded out the top ten.
Sean Bass won the 50-lap Sportsman feature by nearly four seconds over Patrick Thomas, adding his second win of the World Series in as many nights. The Sportsman feature was the final race to hit the 0.500-mile high-banked oval.
Cole Anderson avoided a flurry of caution periods to find himself in Victory Lane in the 35-lap Pro Late Model feature. Jerry Symons picked up the victory in the Florida Modifieds and Shane Butler was victorious in the Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series.
Racing at New Smyrna continues on Sunday night, with the running of the New Smyrna 175 – the season-opening event for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing
New Smyrna Speedway – New Smyrna Beach, FL
Race Results – February 10, 2018
Super Late Models
1. 12B Harrison Burton
2. 22 Sam Mayer
3. 7 Paul Shafer, Jr.
4. 9C Jeff Choquette
5. 51 Stephen Nasse
6. 12G Derek Griffith
7. 9 Derek Kraus
8. 9M Brad May
9. 91 Ty Majeski
10. 6 Matt Wallace
11. 15 Gabe Sommers
12. 74 Ryan Moore
13. 11 David Rogers
14. 86 Chet Morrison
15. 93 David Russell
16. 112 Steve Weaver
17. 20 Anthony Sergi
18. 68 Russ Shaw
Pro Late Models
1. 97 Cole Anderson
2. 39 Alex Guenette
3. 29 Mason Keller
4. 5 Michael Clancy, Jr.
5. 78 Corey Heim
6. 1X Todd Stone
7. 32 Harold Crooms
8. 17 Blaise Hentznecker
9. 76 Jerick Johnson
10. 7 Jackson Boone
11. 8 Nicholas Naugle
12. 15 Roy Hayes II
13. 17F Kevin Folan
14. 40 Jordan Miller
15. 14 Tyler Porter
16. 38 Ricky Moxley
17. 5S Mike Skinner
18. 11 David Weaver
19. 73 Peter McVey
20. 81 Giovanni Bromante
21. 9C Jeff Choquette
22. 9J Kody Jett
Sportsman
1. 28 Sean Bass
2. 111 Patrick Thomas
3. 44 Matthew Green
4. 5 Jerry Artuso
5. 9 Kody Jett
6. 71 Earl Beckner
7. 47 Blaise Hetznecker
8. 73 Mark Peterson
9. 88 D.J. Farr
10. 55 Richard Elkins, Jr.
11. 407 Jason Vail
12. 10 Rick Ciriello
13. 11 Wayne Strausbaugh
14. 09E John Emerson
15. 33 Mike Dahm
16. 24 Bruce Bennett, Jr.
17. 45 Michael Soukup
18. 21X George Dahm
Florida Modifieds
1. 66 Jerry Symons
2. 15 Tank Tucker
3. 15D Robert Deal
4. 38 Ricky Moxley
5. 32 Travis Roland
6. 4B Alan Bruns
7. 88 Ryan Dick
8. 3E Tim Pasley
9. 13 Kevyn Terry
10. 88G Greg Chandler
11. 9 Art Kunzeman
12. 7 Jason Wells
13. 75 Ben Bosowski
14. 29 Aaron Overton
Sprint Cars
1. 18 Shane Butler
2. 5 Mickey Kempgens
3. 22 Johnny Gilbertson
4. 88 Sport Allen
5. 55 Tommy Nichols
6. 5S Brian Singros
7. 2 John Inman
8. 22X Johnnie Alexander
9. 85 Rex Hollinger
10. J1 Michael Tharp
11. 44 Gary Wiggins
12. 555 Dylan Reynolds
13. 91 Troy Decaire
14. 4 Travis Bliemeister
15. 7 Clayton Donaldson
16. 56 Blake Rose
