What won the race: Prevailing after a feisty lead-swapping duel, David Payne of Murphy, N.C., took command from Garrett Smith on the 20th lap Saturday at Sugar Creek Raceway, then fought off Payton Freeman late for a $5,000 Coltman Farms Racing Southern All Star Series victory. Freeman, last year's Russell Thomas Memorial winner who briefly edged ahead of Payne late in the race, settled for the runner-up spot, 0.974 of a second behind at the checkers.

Quotable: "I tell you what, you just don't know how many more of these you're gonna get and to be able to race that hard. It was a heck of a race there with Garrett (Smith) and then I know Payton (Freeman) was out there and then there come Casey (Roberts). So it definitely wasn't easy," Payne said, adding that his new Capital Race car "was on rail. I mean, it bounced, landed and when it landed it got ready to go."

Key notes: Payne's third career Southern All Star victory is his first since Oct. 21, 2023, at Sugar Creek. ... Payne topped an unsanctioned event on June 21 worth $3,000 at Sugar Creek and came to the Southern All Star event with a new car. ... Polesitter Garrett Smith, who debuted a new Longhorn, and Payne swapped slide jobs and sheet metal on laps 10-14 with Smith officially maintaining the lead. ... Cautions included a lap-five yellow when Pierce McCarter spun in turn two. ... Noah Phillips slowed for a lap-seven caution. ... On lap 15, Corey Roulette spun in turn four (McCarter retired under the caution after also spinning into the infield). ... A lap-22 yellow appeared for a slowing Ryan Wilson. ... Another caution fell on the 34th lap for Dillon Tidmore and on the ensuing restart with Billy Franklin, Jadon Frame, Joe Denby and Dalton Cook part of the slowdown (Cook retired). ... The final caution appeared on lap 38 for a flat tire for fifth-running Casey Roberts. ... The event honored Russell Thomas, a former Georgia racer and 1995 track champion at Whittier, N.C.'s Smoky Mountain Raceway, who died in December 2021. ... It was the first successfully completed Southern All Star Series event since July 13 after four rainouts or cancellations.

On the move: Kenny Collins of Colbert, Ga., who drove a car with a No. 57 Russell Thomas throwback graphics scheme, started 12th and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Payne’s Gibson Motorsports Capital Race Car is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and sponsored by Payne Excavating, HST (Wyatt Hardeson), Johnboy Exterminating, Devine Towing, SFP, PPM, Modern Images, Base Race Fuels, Interstate Welding and American Race Tires.

Points chase: After Sugar Creek: 1. Dalton Cook (1,032); 2. David McCoy (1,002); 3. Billy Franklin (960); 4. Ryan Wilson (942); 5. Kendall Franklin (908).

Current weather: Clear, 68°F

Car count: 36

Fast qualifier: David Payne

Time: 14.369 seconds

Polesitter: Garrett Smith

Consolation race winners: Devon Morgan, Kenny Collins

Provisional starters: Billy Franklin, Joe Denby

Next series race: September 1, Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, TN) $5,000