Boyd takes first leg of Desoto Triple Crown
Joe Boyd took home his first win in over a year and a half at Desoto Speedway on Saturday night in a dominating victory in the first race of the Turner Tree and Landscape Super Late Model Triple Crown Series 100-lap feature event.
Front-row starters Richie Anderson and Tyler Scofield got together on the opening lap, allowing Joe Boyd to go from third to first by the time the field came out of turn four. Boyd set sail while Mike Franklin, Michael Atwell and points leader Dylan Bigley battled for the second spot. Atwell tapped Franklin in turn one on lap 17, spinning Franklin and bringing out the caution. Atwell was sent to the rear of the field.
Boyd fought off a challenge from Bigley on the restart and led a four-car train with Bigley, D.J. Hoelzle and Scofield in tow. Boyd was starting to stretch his lead when the caution flew for Ashley Rogero's spin after contact from Anderson with 21 laps to go.
"Dylan and I bumped a little but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary," Boyd said. "I think we can win another one of these triple crown races, but we've got to work on our late-race setup a little bit."
With his second place finish, Bigley - driving his father Bill Bigley Jr.'s car after his own car suffered a mechanical failure during practice - claimed the 2015 track late model championship. Bigley didn't win a feature but used a pile of consistent top-five finishes to win a title he dedicated to his late grandfather.
The Mini Stocks were on hand for a 40-lap feature - the longest race of the season in the class. Outside pole sitter Ren Wright Jr. got the jump on Jimmie Best on the start and would set the pace for the first several laps. Michael Hart went from sixth to third on the opening lap and was in a battle with Ronnie Robinson for the spot when Robinson got loose and spun to bring out the caution on lap 15.
Best had a slow restart, allowing Wright to pull away and triggering a seven-car battle for second spot. Best eventually got the spot back, while Robinson quickly worked his way back up to fourth after a three-wide pass of Ryan Walters and Zac Graham.
Wright got the advantage over Robinson on a restart, but Robinson wouldn't let Wright out of his sights over the closing laps. As the leaders took the white flag, Robinson dove underneath Wright and completed the pass going into turn three on the final lap.
Robinson led just the final 300 yards of the race and took the checkered flag just ahead of Wright.
"Ren's car was really fast and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get around him," Robinson said. "I may have used him up a little bit on that last lap. It took us a few weeks to get back up to the top spot and this feels really good."
In other action Saturday night, Danny Caylor found himself in the winner's circle after Tyler Lau's suddenly slowed on the final lap of the 25-lap Take Aim Gun Range Street Stocks feature; and Kenny Gibson won his fourth consecutive bomber feature.
This story was originally published October 11, 2015 at 11:19 PM with the headline "Boyd takes first leg of Desoto Triple Crown ."