HICKORY, N.C. :: RD Smith knew he had the fastest car on Saturday at Hickory Motor Speedway in the Bobby Isaac Memorial 100 — but it just took awhile for it to come in following a restart.
Thus it was particularly pesky that there were seven cautions, two after he had first taken the lead from a stout Dexter Canipe Jr. on Lap 54. He lost the first restart duel on Lap 64 but got the top spot back within seven laps. But he learned from whatever mistakes he made when he took the lead within a lap of the final restart on Lap 73.
He would cruise to a two-second lead and win the first major event of the season at the self-described Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars.
“I felt like we had the faster car but it just took seven laps or so for it to come in so it required a bit of patience,” Smith said in Victory Lane. “I wanted to get out in front but I didn’t want to do anything to cause a problem either. He was tough on the outside both times but we were able to clear him pretty quick on the last restart, got some good drive off and was just really good in clean air.”
It was a tale of two halves on Saturday night, one dominated by Canipe and the rest led by Smith. Christian Eckes qualified on the pole but was unable to fend off Canipe by the completion of the first lap. Austin McDaniel also quickly got around the JR Motorsports 15-year-old.
The top-5 of Canipe, McDaniel, Eckes, Justin Carroll and Tyler Church stayed nose-to-tail throughout the first run which ended with a caution on Lap 31. The ensuing restart is when Smith first crept into the top-5 and he picked his way through them over next 24 laps.
The win was his first since the Rodney Cook Memorial at Ace in July and the historical significance of these victories were not lost on him.
“These races mean a little bit more due to the men behind them and what they meant to the sport,” Smith said about the race named for the 2016 NASCAR Hall of Famer and and 1970 Grand National champion. “To do that at the same year is a big boost to our team.”
For his part, Canipe just wanted a mulligan on that last restart because he proved that he could beat Smith on the penultimate one. He just wasn’t able to finish the task when it mattered the most at the end of the race.
“The second to last restart, I had him,” Canipe said. “And then the track said I was behind him when that caution came out but I swear I was ahead of him, but oh well. Restarts are key here. I think we could have held him off over the final 20 laps if I just could have got him on that final restart.”
Instead, he was left to battle with McDaniel over the final 15 laps and they completed the podium. Eckes and Carroll rounded out the top-5.
“It takes a little bit for our car to get going but once it does, it’s a beast,” Smith said. “Dexter gave me a great fight but my car was just on rails once it gets going.”
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.
