HARTFORD, OH – Kyle Larson continued his winning ways on Saturday night with a win in World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model competition at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio.
The Elk Grove, California driver – who now has five series starts and only a handful of Late Model races under his belt in general – looked like a Late Model veteran, leading every lap of the “Battle at the Border.”
It’s his second Series victory in three starts this season, and of his career, adding to the plethora of trophies he’s already collected amongst a multitude of different racing disciplines in 2021.
While the record book will show Larson never relinquished the lead, Ryan Gustin used the cushion to make a late-race charge, pulling even with Larson in the closing laps.
The battle forced Larson to change his line, keeping Gustin at bay until the checkered flag.
“I heard (Gustin) going into (turn 1), and I saw him coming out of (turn 2),” Larson said. “We kind of drag raced down the backstretch, and he tried to run in and pinch me and kind of block my slider, but I was able to have enough room to get in front of him and kind of get up on the wheel from there.
“The top of (turns 1 and 2) was definitely better when I got up there, and I just had to not make too many mistakes once I got up there.”
The $10,000 victory came on the type of surface Larson said best suited his driving style – one he’s still fine tuning for the Late Models.
“I feel like when a track is like that is when I’m best,” he said. “When I don’t have to run the top, I don’t have to try and run the bottom, I can kind of use momentum and use the middle to be good.
“That’s kind of how (All-Tech Speedway) was, and (Fairbury Speedway) a little bit, so yeah, I think my car is good in those conditions, and I don’t have to be so precise.”
Gustin came home in second, with Brandon Sheppard in third, Tyler Bruening in fourth, and Colton Flinner in fifth.
For more information on the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series, visit WorldofOutlaws.com.
WoO Morton Buildings Late Model Series
Sharon Speedway – Hartford, OH
Battle At The Border – August 21, 2021
1. 6-Kyle Larson
2. 19R-Ryan Gustin
3. 1-Brandon Sheppard
4. 16-Tyler Bruening
5. 48-Colton Flinner
6. 99X-Boom Briggs
7. 7-Ricky Weiss
8. 1X-Chub Frank
9. 28-Dennis Erb
10. 22-Gregg Satterlee
11. B1-Brent Larson
12. 10-Jared Miley
13. 77-Tyler Dietz
14. 1Z-Logan Zarin
15. 9-Levi Yetter
16. 44-Chris Madden
17. 76-Steve Kania
18. 50-Ryan Missler
19. 111V-Max Blair
20. 19-Bob Dorman
21. 777-Doug Drown
22. 119-Chad McClellan
23. 99B-Logan Jaquay
24. 12B-Andy Boozel
