As a new season dawned at Caraway Speedway drivers and teams were filled with grand expectations and confidence from previous testing but only one driver in each division was able to leave today with a trophy and photos in victory lane.
Ryan Millington.
The 2018 season kicked off with the Money Madness 99 highlighted by a 99-lap Late Model Stock Car race featuring some of the regions best drivers. Travis Swaim was the pre-race favorite and he backed up the optimism with a pole run in qualifying.
Swaim driving a car prepared by Jamey Caudill would put himself out front with the first place qualifying effort and when the green flag dropped he asserted himself as the car to beat. Swaim was the car to beat from the drop of the green flag but he had several suitors looking to take the top spot from him. He would hold on to the lead through several yellow flags and multiple challenges mostly from Justin Carroll.
Carroll would slip back and was showing some smoke from his car for much of the race but managed to climb back to second and eventually made his charge for the top spot. On lap 80 he made his move after Swaim had dominated the race and Carroll took the top spot. He brought along with him outside pole winner Ryan Millington, who like Carroll had been biding his time and saving his tires.
Millington stayed glued to Carroll and with five laps to go he made his move and assumed the top spot. From there it was over as Millington pulled away and picked up the victory. Carroll finished second with Swaim third. Ryan Wilson and Nick Leitz completed the top five of the 11-car starting field.
“So from when we unloaded, we knew we had a solid car,” Millington said. “After qualifying we knew we were in the perfect spot for the 99 lap race so I rode for about 75 laps and then after a late race restart I started pushing and passed Justin with only five laps to go.
“Me and my dad have worked so hard over the winter to get this car fast and all of our hard work paid off.”
The complete results can be found below.
- Ryan Millington
- Justin Carroll
- Travis Swaim
- Ryan Wilson
- Nick Leitz
- Trevor Ward
- Jimmy Wallace
- Coy Beard
- Jason York
- Dan Moore
- Thomas Beane
Read more Short Track Scene:
