LUCAMA, N.C. - The CARS Racing Tour opened their season with a new look Saturday night, featuring both a Super Late Model feature and a Late Model Stock race at Southern National Motorsports Park in Lucama, N.C.
Cole Timm took the Super Late Model race win, while Todd Gilliland executed a late-race pass to pull an upset on the Late Model Stock Car contingent in the X-1R Performance Products 300.
Timm captured the first pole award for the CARS Racing Tour with a time a 14.788 seconds, over a quarter-second faster than second place Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Christopher Bell. Anderson Bowen, Bubba Pollard and Brandon Setzer were the rest of the top five who led the field to green.
Bell would get the early jump on Timm to lead the opening laps. Timm finally flexed his muscles after a mid-race restart and bypassed Bell for the lead on lap 75. Bell retook the top spot following another restart, but Timm went back on the attack and re-assumed command of the race as the field entered turn three on lap 107.
With ten laps to go, Timm appeared on cruise control for the win, except lapped traffic and Bell’s determination were working to factor otherwise. With three laps remaining, Bell caught Timm for the lead, but he was unable to mount a successful final challenge as Timm captured the inaugural CARS Racing Tour Super Late Model feature win.
“It definitely means a lot,” said Timm. “It gives yourself a big boost of confidence as well in case you want to go run some other races. We ran the Snowball Derby and we didn’t do too bad, and I kinda hung my hat off it, but this makes me think we can go win it this year.”
Bell held on for second, with Kyle Grissom in third, Senoia, Ga.’s Pollard in fourth and Suwanee, Ga.’s Bowen in fifth.
In the CARS Late Model Stock feature, Deac McCaskill started on pole and led a race-high 147 laps, yet didn’t come away with the win. McCaskill held off several challenges on restarts from Jamey Caudill, Austin McDaniel, Tommy Lemons and others, and appeared to be en route to the victory until a caution waved with six laps to go.
The real battle took shape in the closing laps as caution after caution opened the door for someone to steal away McCaskill’s grip on victory lane. Todd Gilliland, who rode in the top five all race, was not going to be denied victory. He used a bump-and-run on McCaskill with three laps to go to snatch the lead from the multi-time Southern National track champion. McCaskill clawed back to attempt a repayment of the favor on Gilliland, but was unable pull it off.
The triumph was Gilliland’s first career Late Model Stock win. Gilliland’s father, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series regular David Gilliland, was able to make the trip down from Martinsville Speedway in time to see his 14-year old son take the win.
“You just got to stay mentally tough, and my crew chief Chris was coaching me the whole way and told me I could do it, and just keep my tires warm and he was right,” Gilliland said.
“I had to stay on his (McCaskill’s) bumper and any little mistake he made I had to capitalize, and I used my bumper a little and I got by him,” Gilliland continued. “And got by him I guess.
“Yeah, I was (expecting a bump), and I had to drive it in a little bit harder. But I had to just hit my marks and stay calm.”
Gilliland was trailed to the checkered flag by McCaskill, Myatt Snider, Tommy Lemons and last-chance race winner Tyler Ankrum.
The CARS Racing Tour is in action again on April 18 at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont, NC for the Orange Blossom 300. For more information, visit CARSRacingTour.com.
CARS Racing Tour
Southern National Motorsports Park – Lucama, NC
X-1R Performance Products 300 – March 28, 2015
Super Late Models
1. Cole Timm
2. Christopher Bell
3. Kyle Grissom
4. Bubba Pollard
5. Anderson Bowen
6. Dave Garbo, Jr.
7. Stephen Nasse
8. Trevor Noles
9. Clay Jones
10. Quin Houff
11. Steve Wallace
12. Lucas Ransone
13. Chris Davidson
14. Grant Galloway
15. Kaz Grala
16. Stephen Leicht
17. Nick Robinson
18. Brandon Lynn
19. Chris Fontaine
20. Gus Dean
21. Matt Craig
22. Kiel Spaulding
23. Nick Leitz
24. Clay Rogers
25. Harrison Burton
26. Robby Lyons
27. Brandon Setzer
28. Zane Smith
29. Lucas Jones
Pro Late Models
1. Todd Gilliland
2. Deac McCaskill
3. Myatt Snider
4. Tommy Lemons, Jr.
5. Tyler Ankrum
6. Brayton Haws
7. R.D. Smith III
8. Stacy Compton
9. Blake Stallings
10. Michael Fose
11. Trent Barnes
12. Matt Waltz
13. Thomas Beane
14. Mike Darne
15. Bradley McCaskill
16. Chris Hudspeth
17. Clint King
18. Christian Eckes
19. Jamey Caudill
20. Justin Crider
21. Jeffrey Oakley
22. Austin McDaniel
23. Tyler Dippel
24. Garrett Campbell
25. Ryan Wilson
26. Robert Tyler
27. Justin Johnson
28. Payton Ryan
29. Stacy Puryear
30. Doug Barnes, Jr.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/3/300057/timm-outduels-bell-for-cars-southern-national-win