Brent Crews won the CARS Late Model Stock Tour race at Ace Speedway on Friday night but he’s not entirely sure how.
A lot happened.
In the end, Crews emerged victorious on a green-white-checkered over Mini Tyrrell and Caden Kvapil to score his third win of the season for Kevin Harvick Inc. on a night that was emblematic of everything CARS Tour is about right now.
There was some really hard racing between Brenden Queen and Ryan Millington, and it quickly turned south, followed by retaliation and a series of events where most everyone starting running over each other.
It’s the current state of Late Model Stock racing.
Queen v Millington
This would not be the first time Brenden Queen and Ryan Millington would trade bump and runs on Friday night at Ace, nor would it even the most compelling exchange, but it did set the tone for what would come between them later.
Superman Stallings takes flight
The first back-and-forth battle between Queen and Ryan Millington ended when Blake Stallings ramped the frontstretch crossover stairs racing side-by-side with Ronnie Bassett Jr., who was also eliminated from contention in the incident.
On the ensuing restart, with 36 laps to go, Queen and Millington continued their previous battle trading bump-and-runs, side-by-side runs for the next xx laps. Connor Hall and Conner Jones was right there waiting to pounce.
Meanwhile, this might be the greatest 20 lap sequence of racing in the history of the CARS Tour, and amongst the best in Late Model Stock racing:
Queen and Millington continued to trade bump-and-runs until Millington loosened up Queen big time twice, and cost both of them first and second, falling to third and fourth. Jones capitalized to take the lead from Hall and this green flag run ended with Queen pretty clearly dumping Millington in response to what happened to take them both from the lead.
Queen was sent to the rear of the field due to contact.
Lapcevich tags Hall
On the next restart, Jones got away from Hall, who then got spun by Lapcevich, who was also sent to the rear of the field.
Chad McCumbee, meanwhile, has made his way up to second place by the end of this sequence.
Jones spun after caution
On the very next caution, there was a spin in the back of the field for Dillon Harville. Jones, leading the race slowed and was hit from behind by McCumbee.
As per the same consistency used all night, Jones was sent to the rear and was joined by McCumbee for spinning him.
This is how Crews then inherited the lead with five to go.
The finish
Crews first retained the lead on a restart with five laps to go lined up next to Kade Brown with Caden Kvapil and Mini Tyrrell behind them.
Brown fell off the pace and stalled on the track with two to go. Crews would retain again in overtime and win over Tyrrell and Kvapil.
“It means everything to win,” Crews said. “Everybody races to win and if you’re not, then what are you doing? I have to thank the Lord above for getting us here, but I wouldn’t want to do this with any other group. We’ve spent so many hours working on my craft and getting into different cars so I could better myself, not just in this series but for my career.”
In second, Tyrrell offered commentary over what transpired.
“A lot of people just threw respect out the window in this one,” Tyrrell said. “They were just running over each other and I hope I didn’t do that to anybody tonight. Everyone was kind of hitting everyone and I was just dodging the bullets that were flying constantly. I can’t tell you how many times I thought we were in it.”
For their part, Queen and Millington did talk and reached an understanding.
“I wasn’t pushing real hard and Brandon got to me after that rain started to come and at that point he kind of put the hammer down and I did as well,” Millington said. “And I don’t know, man, we just got to racing real, real hard with each other.
“I’ve already talked with him. There’s no hard feelings or nothing but I just think the racing in this series right now has gotten to a point where it’s just too aggressive in general.
“I mean, I know it’s short track racing but I think there needs to be some more respect between everybody because I don’t know, there’s just too much stuff getting to up right now.”
Matt Weaver is the owner and founder of Short Track Scene. Weaver grew up in the sport, having raced himself before becoming a reporter in college at the University of South Alabama. He also has extensive experience covering NASCAR, IndyCar and Dirt Sprint Cars.
