What won the race: Winning a survival-of-the-fittest battle in Eldora Speedway's Johnny Appleseed Classic on Sunday night, ninth-starting Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, led the final 13 circuits of the 30-lap feature for a $5,000 payday in a race where multiple leaders fell by the wayside. Bobby Pierce blew a right-rear tire on lap 18, Kyle Bronson hit the wall on the 12th lap and Darrell Lanigan retired on lap seven after leading the first two laps in rugged conditions.

Quotable: “Kyle was letting it eat at the beginning and he broke, then Bobby had a flat there and kind of the same thing," Erb said. "So I was just trying to run the best line I could run to try to keep the nose on this thing. I about gave it away with two (laps) to go they're getting into (turn) three, but it was awesome man. We came here a month ago or whatever. Just terrible. Bad decisions on our part. We brought ol’ Silver Bullet back out and it’s been good.”

Key notes: Leader Kyle Bronson got into the wall on the 10th lap and sustained extreme right-front damage. ... Jonathan Davenport, who ran as high as third, retired with damage from a slap of the backstretch wall during a lap-10 caution. ... Ten total cautions slowed the action, including when Josh Richards sought medical attention after a first-lap incident when he was struck by a dirt clod kicked up off the racing surface. Team owner Boom Briggs said Richards was taken to a nearby hospital and treated for a broken nose and teeth, among other possible facial injuries (see DirtWire). ... Polesitter Casey Noonan spun on the frontstretch on lap 27. ... Kody Evans slowed for a lap-23 caution. ... Brenden Smith slowed on the 11th lap. ... On the eighth lap, Ashton Winger retired with left-front damage and early leader Darrell Lanigan retired with nosepiece issues. ... Debris caused lap-five and lap-16 cautions. ... A lap-four yellow appeared for a slowing Freddie Carpenter. ... In the opening heat, fast qualifier Kyle Strickler shredded a left-rear tire and suffered body damage after first-lap contact with Ryan Gustin. He started 25th in the main event and rallied to second. ... All 27 entrants started the feature. ... Devin Moran picked up his hardware for his 2021 track championship before the night's action. ... The Johnny Appleseed Classic marked the final tuneup at Eldora before next month's Million and Dream.

On the move: Runner-up Kyle Strickler of Mooresville, N.C., started 25th.

Winner's sponsors: Erb’s winning Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by an Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by First Class Septic, Roberts Bee Company, Terbo Threads, M&W Transport, Central Coast Tires, Bazell Race Fuels, Bulk Material Lift, Sunoco, Keyser Mfg., Lucas Oil, Integra, R&R Design, Day Motorsports and Hoosier Racing Tires.

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 73°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Kyle Strickler

Time: 14.948 seconds

Polesitter: Casey Noonan

Heat race winners: Kyle Bronson, Casey Noonan, Darrell Lanigan