What won the race: Powering back around the outside of Chris Simpson for good on lap 21, fourth-starting Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, led the rest of Thursday's 30-lap MLRA Fall Nationals opener at Lucas Oil Speedway. Gustin led twice for 19 laps (11-19, 21-30) to secure the $5,000 payday for his 11th career Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association victory and his first since Oct. 9, 2020, at Wheatland.

Quotable: “This is a different tire combination than what we normally run here, with a (hardest NLMT 4) on the right-rear and 2s everywhere else,” Gustin said. “Definitely a different ballgame compared to what we’re used to running on, but we’ll go to work on it and get it better for tomorrow. I seen (Chris Simpson’s stick) signal guy move him down (to the bottom), so I figured we were just gonna crack the whip and run the cushion ... it all worked out.”

Key notes: Gustin grabbed his fifth career MLRA victory at Lucas Oil Speedway, his first since 2020's $3,000 Fall Nationals prelim. ... Chris Simpson stuck to the low line and led twice for 11 laps (1-10, 20) before giving way to Gustin and taking the checkers 0.520 of a second back. ... Track champ Justin Wells improved 10 positions to finish third. ... Stormy Scott ran as high as third early before settling for fourth. ... Tony Jackson Jr., winner of August's $12,000 Ron Jenkins Memorial, gained six spots to round out the top five. ... Tristan Chamberlain, fresh off his best career World of Outlaws Series result, started 16th and finished seventh. ... Clay Stuckey was unable to utilize the final provisional starting position after losing a water pump; Earl Pearson Jr., back in a Black Diamond house car, inherited the provisional and rallied from 24th to eighth. ... Logan Martin ran as high as fifth before retiring on lap 22. ... Tyler Stevens retired during the race's third and final caution on lap 17. ... The first stoppage came for a lap-two spin by polesitter Jon Binning. He collected Brandon Overton, who was piloting a No. 93 Infinity Chassis owned by Mason Oberkramer. Binning completed a few more laps before pulling off, while Overton called it a night on lap 12. ... Jeff Herzog spun to draw the second caution on lap nine before retiring. ... The third yellow flag came after points leader Chad Simpson spun from eighth in the second corner. He finished 14th. ... The race lasted 21 minutes, with 16 starters completing 30 laps.

On the move: Justin Wells of Aurora, Mo., started 13th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: Gustin’s Todd Cooney-owned Infinity Chassis is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Alan’s Seamless Gutters, Karl Auto Group, May Properties, Murty Farms, Mark Hambelton Ford, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, FK Rod Ends, Swift Springs, VP Race Fuels, Bilstein Shocks, Dynamic Drivelines and Performance Bodies.

Points chase: After Wheatland Thursday: 1. Chad Simpson (2,570); 2. Tony Jackson Jr. (2,515); 3. Chris Simpson (2,440); 4. Dillon McCowan (2,335); 5. Trevor Gundaker (2,185); 6. Jeff Herzog (2,085).

Current weather: Clear, 73°F

Car count: 34

Fast qualifier: Stormy Scott

Time: 14.793 seconds

Polesitter: Jon Binning

Heat race winners: Jon Binning, Tyler Kuykendall, Chris Simpson, Ryan Gustin

Consolation race winners: Aaron Marrant, Joe Gorby

Provisional starters: Dillon McCowan, Earl Pearson Jr.

Next series race: October 4, Lucas Oil Speedway (Wheatland, MO) $5,000