Desoto Speedway | Chad Chastain outguns Danny Anderson on restart for Pro Truck feature win
EAST MANATEE -- For most of the 2015 season, Pro Trucks races at Desoto Speedway have been a battle between Chad Chastain and Danny Anderson.
Saturday night's 50-lap Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Pro Trucks feature was no different, with Chastain getting the best of Anderson on a late restart and taking the victory.
Outside pole-sitter Becca Monopoli grabbed the lead at the start with Chastain directly in tow. The pair battled side-by-side for the top spot for the first few laps before Chastain finally gained the advantage at the completion of the sixth lap.
As Chastain began pulling away from Monopoli, a three-way battle for third emerged between fast-qualifier Sean LeMaster, Danny Anderson and Cody McDuffie.
McDuffie and Anderson were running side by side for the fourth spot when Darin Coker's engine blew and left oil down the front straightaway, bringing out the yellow.
Anderson used a pair of restarts to get to second behind Chastain. Shortly thereafter, Anderson began losing the handle on his truck and nearly spun several times coming out of Turn 4. That allowed Chastain to pull away and Monopoli to get back to second near the halfway point of the race.
Anderson and Monopoli swapped positions again with about 10 laps to go, leaving Anderson nearly a straightaway behind Chastain when the yellow flew for Marina Petty's blown engine.
Chastain and Anderson lined up side by side on the restart, with Chastain getting the jump as the field came out of the second turn. Anderson's truck broke loose with about three laps to go, allowing Chastain to drive on to the win.
"Our truck was hooked up really well tonight and anytime you can beat Danny Anderson like that it makes you feel good," Chastain. "Last time I lost a race to Danny on a restart ... and I didn't want that to happen again."
Anderson said he bounced off the wall three different times on his way to a runner-up finish. "The tires were really doing some weird things tonight, and that's probably the most I've ever had to drive this truck here," Anderson said.
Monopoli, McDuffie and LeMaster rounded out the top five.
The largest field of Mini Stocks this season was also on hand for a 25-lap feature event. Ren Wright Jr. got the jump on the 18-car field at the start and had already built a big lead over Jordan Miller when the caution flew for a nasty accident involving Zac Graham, who was hit directly in the driver's door by Amy Gamache. Both drivers were uninjured, and Graham was able to continue in the event.
Roger Wright went from deep in the field to second on the restart and began closing in on Ren Wright Jr. Roger Wright had closed to within a couple of car lengths on his teammate when the caution flew again for Kristen Milthaler's spin on the fifth lap.
Randy Johnson, who started shotgun on the field, worked his way up to fourth behind the two Wrights and Michael Hart. Johnson got by Hart for third on lap 11 and followed Roger Wright to second when he passed Ren Wright Jr. for the lead two laps later.
Johnson pulled alongside Roger Wright for the lead and eventually grabbed the top spot with five laps to go. Wright stayed right on Johnson's tail as the leaders threaded through traffic in the closing laps, but Johnson went on to his second straight victory.
Roger Wright, Ren Wright Jr., Eric Daniels and Hart initially rounded out the top five. However, Johnson, Wright and Wright Jr. failed post-race technical inspection due to a ride height violation, giving the win to Daniels.
In the Take Aim Gun Range Street Stocks, Jeff Firestine paced the field for nearly half of the 30-lap feature event. Tyler Lau patiently picked his way through the traffic and into the second spot in the opening stages and then quickly ate away Firestine's lead.
Lau made quick work of Firestine and took the lead on Lap 13. He was pulling away from Firestine and Danny Caylor when a caution flag came out for Keith Kneff's spin on Lap 19.
Two laps after the restart, Lau suddenly slowed, handing the lead back to Firestine. As Firestine and Jim Brenner appeared ready to stage a battle for the victory, Firestine's car began to slow with five laps to go. As Firestine motored around with a sick race car, Brenner pulled away and went on to his first win of he 2015 season.
Later in the evening Brenner's car failed post-race technical inspection, handing the win to Firestine, who said he drove the last 10 laps with no brakes in the car. He was followed by Travis Barfield, Darrin Ellis and Chad Cummings.
In other action Saturday night, Firestine won the 15-lap Bomber feature, and Mike Gamache took the win in the School Bus Figure 8 feature.
Desoto Speedway will be closed for its summer break beginning next week. Racing will return July 25 with Winged Sprint Cars highlighting the action.
This story was originally published June 28, 2015 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Desoto Speedway | Chad Chastain outguns Danny Anderson on restart for Pro Truck feature win."