‘Air Doug’ takes I-95 Showdown win at Southern National

LUCAMA, NC – Everybody beat Mother Nature at Southern National Motorsports Park on Saturday, but Doug Barnes, Jr. beat the whole field to take the first race in the I-95 Showdown’s Battle Back round.

Barnes qualified on the pole and led wire-to-wire to pick up his fourth Late Model Stock Car win of the season at the 4/10-mile track in Lucama.  The only time Barnes faced any challenges were during restarts throughout the race, but he was quickly able to fend them off and drive away from the field each time.

It’s an extension of dominance for Barnes, who won three of the four Speed Week races back in March.  The only race he had not win so far this season was the first I-95 Showdown race of the season, when he finished second to Jared Fryar.

“This is just one of them cars where it’s like, it’s so good, it falls on me not to screw up,” Barnes told Short Track Scene.  “You don’t get a car like this every single night.  I would even say we didn’t have a car this good in the Speedweeks deal.  We were really good then, but this thing had so much speed.  Late in the race, I was letting off at the damn start-finish line.  I didn’t do anything tonight, it was Dustin [Storm] and the guys.”

Barnes’ recent dominance at Southern National was a long time in the making in his eyes.

“I actually put a thing up on my Facebook, 11 years ago today, I ran the Pro Cup race here,” Barnes said.  “I’ve been coming here for a while.  It just clicks man.  I like this abrasive racetrack.  I find a way to make speed and I feel like I’ve consistently done that with whatever car I’ve been in.  They definitely gave me a great one tonight.”

The win provides a boost of confidence and momentum for Barnes, who has finished no better than fifth in the zMAX CARS Tour since scoring a third place finish at Wake County in March.

Behind Barnes, four-time track champion Deac McCaskill spent much of the night mired in battle with Michael Fose.  McCaskill ultimately took the runner-up spot in his Southern National return.

“Congratulations to Doug,” McCaskill stated.  “He was lightning fast out here tonight.  I didn’t have nothing for him.  The car stayed turning in the center really good all night long so I’m happy with that.  Something we’d been fighting all night long.  Just need a little bit more drive.  We came here to tune up for the Thanksgiving Classic in a couple months.  I’d sure like to get me another one of those.”

Fose went on to finish third, while Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton recovered from two spins to finish fourth and Daniel Vuncannon rounded out the top-five.

Much of Saturday’s race was challenged by weather.  The entire evening’s program was halted five different times for rain.  In the final laps of the I-95 Showdown race, rain once again fell, though the heaviest of the rain held off until the checkered flag flew.

The next race in the I-95 Showdown’s “Battleback Round” takes place on Saturday, October 11 at Florence Motor Speedway.

Unofficial Results
Southern National Motorsports Park – Lucama, North Carolina

1. #88 – Doug Barnes, Jr.
2. #08 – Deac McCaskill
3. #54 – Michael Fose
4. #50 – Ross “Boo Boo” Dalton
5. #25 – Daniel Vuncannon
6. #29 – Paul Williamson
7. #44 – Dylan Newsome
8. #8 – Jake Freeman
9. #51 – Garrett Freeman
10. #1 – Clay Jones
11. #21 – Gerald Benton
12. #15 – Joe Heigl