Jesse Dutilly continues dominance at Desoto Speedway
Jesse Dutilly has made Desoto Speedway his personal playground for the 2015 season, winning nearly all of his starts in the Turner Tree and Landscape Late Model series. On Saturday, Dutilly tried his hand with the J.D. Byrider Open Wheel Modifieds and found himself in a familiar place -- Victory Lane at the end of the night after claiming the 25-lap feature event.
Nick Hernandez led the first eight laps of the race with Dutilly hot on his tail. Hernandez slipped in the first turn on the last lap, allowing Dutilly to get by for the lead. Dutilly, who was driving the same car that was nearly destroyed in an accident at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola earlier this summer, rocketed away from Hernandez and third-place runner Doug Moff to take the victory -- his seventh straight that also includes six consecutive late model feature
wins at Desoto Speedway.
In the 25-lap Modified Mini feature, Tom Zimmerman took advantage of some contact by cars in the front two rows to go from his fifth starting spot to first by the time the field got to the backstretch. Zimmerman was stretching his lead over Fred Paravicini and Darren Ellis when the caution flew for an accident involving Logan Allen and Frank Pelusio. Zimmerman got the jump on Paravicini on the restart and quickly checked out on the rest of the field. Paravicini, Ellis and Lee Davis were all battling for the second spot when Allen spun in turn four, bringing out the yellow with just three laps left.
The restart was no problem for Zimmerman as he went on to his first win since earlier this summer. Paravicini and Ellis rounded out the podium.
The Take Aim Gun Range Street Stocks were up next for their 30-lap feature. Jeff Firestine, fresh off his win in the class a week ago, grabbed the lead from Ronnie Brock Jr. on the fifth lap and was quickly joined at the front of the field by James Nanny, who was making a challenge for the top spot when the caution flew on lap 11. Firestine and Nanney ran side-by-side for several laps after the restart, with Firestine finally getting the advantage just past the halfway point of the race. Nanney stalked Firestine around the 3/8-mile oval for several laps and loosened up the leader just enough to take the top spot with eight laps to go. Nanney started pulling away from Firestine over the closing laps and won by nearly a half a straightaway. Travis Barfield finished third.
In other action Saturday night, Kenny Gibson won his third straight 25-lap Bomber feature; Richard Campbell won the 25-lap Enduro feature and 10-lap Enduro flag pole race; and Duane Campbell won the 15-lap Enduro road course race.
This story was originally published October 4, 2015 at 9:23 PM with the headline "Jesse Dutilly continues dominance at Desoto Speedway ."