GREENWOOD, Louisiana (April 28, 2023) — Regional Late Model stalwart Mark Underwood Jr., open-wheel veteran Adam Roy, and stock car master Kyle Cummings all won features in their respective divisions, as officials hosted Autism Awareness Night on Friday at Boothill Speedway.
Underwood powered to victory in the 20-lap A Main for Crate Late Models; Roy was triumphant in a talent-filled affair for Limited Modifieds; while Cummings recorded his third straight Factory Stock win at Boothill in 2023. The son of famed Late Model pilot Rusty Cummings is unstoppable thus far.
Hunter Hollis (USRA Tuners) and Alex Williams (Sportsters) were also feature winners on a night when dodging raindrops was an important skill to have.
Underwood, of Ruston, started on the pole of his feature and led every lap. Regional strongman Brandon Ball started sixth on the 16-car grid and drove up to second, while David Winslett wheeled his potent No. 21 entry up from ninth to fill out the podium. Underwood earned $1,500 for his efforts.
Brent Stewart (Doyline) and Garrett Gibson (Haughton) finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Crate Late Model A Main were Kevin Sitton, Anthony Boatman, Jerry Basco, Tim Eaves Jr. and Ryan French. Four cautions slowed the pace (laps 3, 7, 7, 13), one of which flew at lap seven when Tracy Denby Sr. flipped his machine going into Turn 1.
Roy, of Hooks, Texas, started eighth on the 19-car grid, took the lead at lap 10 when Derick Grigsby lost an engine and hung on to earn top honors. Colby Williams started fourth and crossed the stripe in second, while T.J. Bond put in a solid effort to claim third. Roy earned $1,000 for his efforts.
J.D. Ammons (Longwood) and Dustin Taylor (Texarkana) completed the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th in the USRA Limited Modified feature were Coty Tupper, Jason Langford Jr. (who drove up from 17th at the start), Matt Burney (who started 19th), David Dowler and Ben Leedy. Four cautions slowed the pace (laps 0, 3, 9, 14), none for serious incident.
Cummings, of Shreveport, started ninth on the 19-car grid, drove underneath Vic Case coming off Turn 4 with just two laps remaining and pulled steadily away to claim his third consecutive win at Boothill. Case started on the pole and settled for second, while John Parker III filled out the podium.
Defending Sabine Speedway and Dirt Life state champion Joshua Martin, of Colfax, finished fourth, while Hayden Brown rounded out the top five.
Finishing sixth through 10th in the Factory Stock A Main were Cameron Furrh, Dalton Dubois, Mark Underwood Jr., Jeff Hammitt (of Edgewood, who wheeled his No. 13 entry from 17th to ninth) and CJ Howell. One caution slowed the pace at lap 11 for a solo spin by Gary Harvin.
From the start, new track promoters Bubba Jones and Ralo Pilkington faced tall odds on Friday. Forced to move their Autism Awareness program from Sabine to Boothill due to saturated grounds, they did so without missing a beat — until rain showers moved in during qualifying.
After a lengthy delay, cars packed the surface once more and racing resumed. Many promoters would have pulled the plug, yet Jones and Pilkington were determined to see it through. While it may have been a five-hour program overall, to have even tried, much less succeeded, was highly commendable.
The program drew a whopping 119 entries across five divisions, led by Factory Stock with 44 and Limited Modifieds with 31. With talent in every corner of the pits, those dedicated Boothill fans saw plenty of great racing as a reward for sticking around.
You can replay all of the action from Friday's Autism Awareness Night at Boothill Speedway with a subscription at RaceOnTexas.com. With over 450 events on the Live steaming schedule this year, it's home to some of the best short track content available anywhere on the planet.
When you sign up today, select one of two options (OnDemand or All Access), choose your favorite or hometown track, and start enjoying great content while supporting your local track even when you can't attend in person.
By Phil Whipple, RaceOnTexas.com Staff Writer
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