What won the race: After being moved back to third when a lap-25 caution was charged to him, second-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., took advantage of Ashton Winger's flat right-rear tire coming to take the white flag to win Saturday's 49th annual Rome Boss at Rome Speedway. McDowell earned his first career Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series victory and his 10th overall win of the season in the 50-lap feature.

Quotable: “When you’re home, and you got a lot of people here, to win here at home, it is special,” McDowell said. “Like I said in the interview after the Topless (100 victory), you get to counting down (the time left as a racer), and you don’t know how many more of these deals you got.”

Key notes: McDowell led twice for 27 laps (1-25, 49-50) to secure his second triumph of the season at Rome after topping May's $10,053 Spring Nationals stop. ... A controversial lap-25 scoring decision took several caution laps to sort out and prompted McDowell to stop and remove his helmet in order to better communicate with series officials. According to Hunt the Front officials, the race's third caution was displayed on lap 25 when McDowell slowed at the exit of turn two; however, McDowell immediately resumed a cautious pace and attempted to move back in front of Ashton Winger and Zack Mitchell while the track safety crew picked up debris in turn two. Officials charged the caution to McDowell and said he blended in behind Winger and Mitchell, forcing him to take the ensuing restart in third. ... Winger, Friday's series winner at Lavonia (Ga.) Speedway, led laps 26-48 before he was felled by a flat right-rear tire just as the white flag was displayed; McDowell nipped Winger at the line to lead lap 49 and Winger slipped to sixth in the final rundown after completing the entire final circuit with the flat. ... Sixth-starting Joseph Joiner moved into the runner-up spot, finishing 1.075 seconds behind McDowell and taking command of the series points lead. ... Tyler Millwood, Austin Horton and Dalton Cook completed the top five after passing Winger on the final lap. ... Entering as the series points leader, Josh Putnam improved eight positions and finished seventh. ... Bo Slay gained 12 spots and finished 11th. ... Fifth-running Mitchell, of Enoree, S.C., drew the race's sixth and final caution on lap 46 when he slowed with a flat and pulled off. ... Saturday's 39-minute feature saw 12 drivers complete the entire distance and 12 running at the finish.

On the move: Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., started 14th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: McDowell’s Shane McDowell Racing Team Zero Race Car has a Clements Chevrolet engine and sponsorship from E-Z-Go, Cometic Gaskets, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Connected Strategy Advisors, Northeastern Fabrication, Fox Racing Shox, Campbell Insulation Specialists, Shackleford Enterprises and Spring-Pro.

Points chase: After Rome: 1. Joseph Joiner (1,144); 2. Josh Putnam (1,140); 3. Wil Herrington (1,102); 4. Trey Mills (1,044); 5. Dalton Cook (1,028).

Current weather: Clear, 79°F

Car count: 26

Fast qualifier: Dale McDowell

Time: 14.349 seconds

Polesitter: Wil Herrington

Heat race winners: Dale McDowell, Wil Herrington, Ashton Winger

Next series race: September 29, Talladega Short Track (Eastaboga, AL) $5,038