Dutilly and Wright win big at Desoto Speedway

The Sunoco Super Late Models and Bombers took center stage over Memorial Day weekend at Desoto Speedway.

Two 50-lap features highlighted Saturday night’s racing action on the 3/8th-mile track. The Sunoco Super Late Models returned to Desoto for the first time in two months.

Bradenton’s Jesse Dutilly started the race fourth after the inversion to start the race. The No. 00 of Anthony Cataldi led the way early on in the 50-lap event with Dutilly in tow. A caution on lap 10 for an Alexa Anderson spin allowed Dutilly the chance to restart on Cataldi’s outside, and on lap 12 Dutilly would take the lead.

Another caution would come out on lap 27 for a spin from Kendall Anderson would once again stack the field up for the restart. Dutilly and Catladi leaned on each other on the restart making contact swapping paint several times before Dutilly could clear the No. 00. Behind them Colin Allman powered his No. 67 around the No. 54 of Matt McCrarry to take the third spot.

This was Allman’s first race of the season, returning from playing college baseball for Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. Just over a year ago, he scored his first Super Late Model victory at Desoto Speedway and returned to a great ovation from his fans in the crowd. A restart on lap 43 gave Cataldi one last chance to beat Dutilly but he was unable to get around him on the final restart, and Dutilly would score the victory. The Super Late Models return to Desoto Speedway on June 24.

In other racing action, The Bombers took to the high banks of Desoto Speedway for a 50-lap feature, their biggest race of the year so far at the speedway. Former track champion Randy Spicer started on the pole but would lose the lead on lap 6 when James Wright and his No. 56 car powered to the lead bringing Kenny Gibson along with him to second, shuffling Spicer back to third.

On lap 8, the caution came out when Brey Holmes made contact with fast qualifier Carl Thompson Jr. Thompson tried to continue on following the restart but would retire from the event shortly after the restart. An incredible moment occurred when fourth place running Mike Hubbard slid through the front stretch and first-turn grass, miraculously saving the car, keeping it off the wall and continuing on. Up front it was all James Wright, who led the final 44 laps to take home the checkered flag. Kenny Gibson fresh off his run at the Short Track Nationals in Bristol, Tenn., came home in second place with Randy Spicer rounding out the top three after holding off a hard-charging Brey Holmes, who took fourth.

The Legends cars were in action for a 25-lap feature that saw Seth Adams work his way through the field to pick up another win in the Legends at Desoto. It was a 1-2-3 finish for Seth Adams Racing as his teammates Michael Cherry and Kyle Pitts rounded out the top three. Mini Stocks were in action for a 25-lap feature to start the evening’s features. Bradenton’s Jacob Wozniak scored his first feature victory in the Mini Stocks in just his first year racing in the division. Ann Osbourne would take second and Michael Meeks would round out the top three. The final feature was for the Trophy Dash Series and saw Steve James score his first victory of the season holing off Bill Osbourne and James Volk.

Desoto Speedway will be closed June 3 but will resume racing on June 10 with four features, including the Street Stocks, Modified Minis, Pure Stocks, Strictly Stock Enduro as well as Flag Pole and road course races.

This story was originally published May 28, 2017 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Dutilly and Wright win big at Desoto Speedway."