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ARCA: Townley Triumphs At Daytona
John Wes Townley holds off challengers to win ARCA opener at Daytona International Speedway…
John Wes Townley took control of the Lucas Oil 200 at Daytona, winning from pole. (Photo: SPEED)
John Wes Townley, who has struggled to maintain a foothold at the top levels of stock car racing, held off Kyle Larson over the closing laps Saturday to win the Lucas Oil 200 Automobile Racing Club of America opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Townley, perhaps best known for racing under his family’s Zaxby’s chicken restaurant sponsorship, led a four-car draft over the final miles, with Larson, Ricky Ehrgott and Bobby Gerhart trailing.
Adding some tension to the finish was the fact that a pack of lapped traffic separated the leaders from the checkered flag. But Townley expertly moved through the first waves of the lapped traffic to score his first win in a major race.
“That’s one thing that’s always kind of nerve-wracking,” said Townley, 23. “There’s always a chance of getting boxed in or one of the guys end up moving up in front of you, but everything sorted out really well. It was quite a rush.”
Following at the finish were Ehrgott, Frank Kimmel and Sean Corr.
Larson said he didn’t have a shot at passing Townley.
“I couldn’t really make any moves unless somebody was pushing me,” Larson said. “I knew I wasn’t going to have a shot unless the 16 (Ehrgott) got to my rear bumper. I was hoping those cars we were catching would break his momentum and I could get by him. It didn’t happen.”
Based on his Saturday performance, Larson is expected to be approved to participate in next weekend’s Nationwide Series race at DIS.
Darrell Wallace Jr., who shared much of the race’s pre-event publicity with Larson as young drivers with futures filled with potential, wasn’t around at the finish.
The field was scattered early in the race in a multi-car crash sparked by Wallace.
The incident began when Wallace, a developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, bumped Justin Boston as the field moved through the tri-oval in a tight draft. The contact sent Boston into a slide and scattered much of the rest of the field. Cars slid across the tri-oval grass and into the outside wall.
ARCA: Townley Triumphs At Daytona
ARCA: Big Early Crash At Lucas Oil 200
Townley, perhaps best known for racing under his family’s Zaxby’s chicken restaurant sponsorship, led a four-car draft over the final miles, with Larson, Ricky Ehrgott and Bobby Gerhart trailing.
Adding some tension to the finish was the fact that a pack of lapped traffic separated the leaders from the checkered flag. But Townley expertly moved through the first waves of the lapped traffic to score his first win in a major race.
“That’s one thing that’s always kind of nerve-wracking,” said Townley, 23. “There’s always a chance of getting boxed in or one of the guys end up moving up in front of you, but everything sorted out really well. It was quite a rush.”
Following at the finish were Ehrgott, Frank Kimmel and Sean Corr.
Larson said he didn’t have a shot at passing Townley.
“I couldn’t really make any moves unless somebody was pushing me,” Larson said. “I knew I wasn’t going to have a shot unless the 16 (Ehrgott) got to my rear bumper. I was hoping those cars we were catching would break his momentum and I could get by him. It didn’t happen.”
Based on his Saturday performance, Larson is expected to be approved to participate in next weekend’s Nationwide Series race at DIS.
Darrell Wallace Jr., who shared much of the race’s pre-event publicity with Larson as young drivers with futures filled with potential, wasn’t around at the finish.
The field was scattered early in the race in a multi-car crash sparked by Wallace.
The incident began when Wallace, a developmental driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, bumped Justin Boston as the field moved through the tri-oval in a tight draft. The contact sent Boston into a slide and scattered much of the rest of the field. Cars slid across the tri-oval grass and into the outside wall.
ARCA: Townley Triumphs At Daytona
ARCA: Big Early Crash At Lucas Oil 200
DTM Zandvoort
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