EASTABOGA, Ala. (Jan. 10) — After early battles with home-state drivers Tim Roszell of Coldwater and Jason Hiett of Oxford, David Brannon of Elora, Tenn., made his way to Talladega Short Track victory lane Sunday night, earning a $6,000 payday in his first career Ice Bowl victory.

Winning Saturday’s first heat race and starting on the pole of Sunday’s 50-lap main event, Brannon slipped to the second-place position on the start, as Roszell edged ahead from the outside pole to lead the first lap. Running side-by-side with the Ice Bowl XXIV winner, Brannon worked the bottom of the racetrack, assuming control just laps later.

But Brannon’s challenge wasn’t over. Advancing from the fifth starting spot, Hiett quickly worked his way into the top-three. The Alabama driver charged ahead to lead lap 23, with Brannon regaining the point just one lap later. Successfully maneuvering lapped traffic, Brannon held of Donald McIntosh of Dawsonville, Ga., to score his richest career victory in Ice Bowl XXV.

“It’s great to start out 2016 like this with some tough competition like we’ve got today,” Brannon said. “Lapped traffic, it had us worried there at the end. I thought we was going to get in a wreck there. But it’s exciting, an exciting win.”

The Ice Bowl triumph was a hard-earned win for Brannon, who had to outduel two of the Eastaboga oval’s toughest competitors en route to victory lane.

“Tim (Roszell), he had me scared,” Brannon said. “He ran out there on the outside. And that’s not the typical Ice Bowl. Usually you’re riding the bottom. But with the cool and all this rain, he had me worried. And then Jason Hiett, he jumped there on the outside. I thought, “If I can get under these lapped cars and keep them pushed up to the high side, maybe I’ll hold him back there.”

It was difficult for Brannon, a former Winchester (Tenn.) Speedway track champion to put the meaning of his Ice Bowl victory into words.

“It’s a heck of a feeling,” Brannon said. “We’ve been coming down here for probably 10 years running in a Super Late Model show. We’ve been close before, finished third. But man, this is just awesome.”

Advancing from the third starting spot, McIntosh finished second, with Hiett settling for third. Tim Busha of Boaz, Ala., rallied from the 14th starting position to finish fourth, with Ethan Hunter of Chattanooga, Tenn., improving one spot to round out the top five.

“I was actually really impressed with the track,” McIntosh said after Sunday’s feature. “I kind of figured it would be rubbered-up and follow-the-leader all night and kind of a boring race. But it turned out you could kind of pass on it if somebody made a mistake. It was pretty good racing. For the Ice Bowl, I was really happy with it.”

While it might not have been the outcome he was hoping for, Hiett said he was pleased overall with his Ice Bowl weekend.

“It was an exciting race,” Hiett said. “We went soft on tires and I caught them in lapped traffic one time. It just didn’t go my way. But we kind of used our stuff up then and kind of just had to hang on. But we’ll take a third and go on to the next one.”

Other feature results

Limited Late Model finish: Jason Manley, Chris Finnell, Todd Morrow, Clifton Moran, Andy Picklesimer, Mike Bruner, Cole Smartt, Duane Dodson, Bubba Lackey, Chris Beck, Michael Milsap, Oakley Johns, Terry Smith, Buddy George, Henry Hanger, Jonathan Chapman, Dustin Stewart, Nick Yancy, Jason Morria, Steve Vann, Adam Cummings, Jesse Lowe, Joey Tucker, Tod Hernadez

Crate Late Model finish: William Thomas, Ray Cook, Chase Edge, Jimmy Elliott, John Ownbey, Cruz Skinner, Ethan Hunter, Ryan King, Greg Martin, Brandon Williams, Adam Gauldin, Tyler Clem, Eddie King Jr., Dallas Cooper, Josh Adkins, Wil Herrington, Jason Welshan, Mickey Trosclair, Tom Maddox, Monte Skinner, Ahnna Parkhurst, Grant Pearl, Will Roland, Rodney Weaver

Consolation results

First consolation (top four transfer): Ted Lackey, Terrance Knowell, Ray Cook, Tom Maddox, Jimmy Elkins Jr., Jonathan Rowan, Chris McKeehan, Jadon Frame, Sammy Lowe. Scratched: Benjy Shaw, Chris Jones, Matt Larson, Christopher Reid, Shane Criswell, Keven Kuss, Bill Mahan

Second consolation (top four transfer): Brian Rickman, Eric Granger, Cody King, Jason Welshan, David Seibers, Jeff Johns, Joey Strandridge, Justin Shipley, Ryan King, Jay Elliott, Dennis Reno, Grant Pearl, Brandon Hightower, Levi Ashby

Consolation lineups

(12 laps; top four transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Jimmy Elkins Jr., Ted Lackey
Row 2: Jonathan Rowan, Terrance Knowell
Row 3: Ray Cook, Jadon Frame
Row 4: Benjy Shaw, Chris Jones
Row 5: Tom Maddox, Matt Larson
Row 6: Christopher Reid, Sammy Lowe
Row 7: Shane Criswell, Chris McKeehan
Row 8: Keven Kuss, Bill Mahan
Second consolation
Row 1: Brian Rickman, Cody King
Row 2: Eric Granger, Grant Pearl
Row 3: Jason Welshman, Justin Shipley
Row 4: Brandon Hightower, David Seibers
Row 5: Joey Strandridge, Jay Elliott
Row 6: Dennis Reno, Ryan King
Row 7: Jeff Johns, Adam Cummings
Row 8: Levi Ashby, Mark Haddon

Heat race results

First heat (top four transfer): David Brannon, Jason Hiett, Josh Adkins, Dallas Cooper, Jimmy Elkins Jr., Jonathan Rowan, Ray Cook, Benjy Shaw, Tom Maddox, Christopher Reid, Shane Criswell, Keven Kuss

Second heat (top four transfer): Tim Roszell, Ethan Hunter, Brian Smith, Tim Busha, Brian Rickman, Eric Granger, Jason Welshan, Brandon Hightower, Joey Standridge, Dennis Reno, Jeff Johns, Levi Ashby

Third heat (top four transfer): Donald McIntosh, Brian Connor, Cruz Skinner, Mark Bangs, Ted Lackey, Terrance Knowell, Jadon Frame, Chris Jones, Matt Larson, Sammy Lowe, Chris McKeehan, Bill Mahan

Fourth heat (top four transfer): William Thomas, Austin Kirkpatrick, Michael Page, Luke Hoffner, Cody King, Grant Pearl, Justin Shipley, David Seibers, Jay Elliott, Ryan King, Adam Cummings, Mark Haddon

Heat race lineups

First heat
Row 1: Jason Hiett, Ray Cook
Row 2: David Brannon, Josh Adkins
Row 3: Dallas Cooper, Jimmy Elkins Jr.
Row 4: Christopher Reid, Shane Criswell
Row 5: Benjy Shaw, Jonathan Rowan
Second heat
Row 1: Tim Roszell, Brian Smith
Row 2: Ethan Hunter, Eric Granger
Row 3: Jason Welshan, Tim Busha
Row 4: Brian Rickman, Levi Ashby
Row 5: Jeff Johns, Brandon Hightower
Row 6: Joey Strandridge, Dennis Reno
Third heat
Row 1: Donald McIntosh, Brian Connor
Row 2: Cruz Skinner, Mark Bangs
Row 3: Ted Lackey, Terrance Knowell
Row 4: Chris Jones, Jadon Frame
Row 5: Bill Mahan, Matt Larson
Row 6: Chris McKeehan, Sammy Lowe
Fourth heat
Row 1: William Thomas, Austin Kirkpatrick
Row 2: Luke Hoffner, Michael Page
Row 3: Grant Pearl, Cody King
Row 4: Justin Shipley, Ryan King
Row 5: David Seibers, Jay Elliott

Time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group 1
Tim Roszell (25T), Anniston, Ala., 14.253
Brian Smith (15B), Sand Rock, Ala., 14.522
Ethan Hunter (15H), Chattanooga, Tenn., 14.526
Eric Granger (G9), Dallas, Ga., 14.630
Jason Welshan (29), Maryville, Tenn., 14.666
Tim Busha (15X), Boaz, Ala., 14.687
Brian Rickman (86), Columbus, Miss., 14.698
Levi Ashby (1A), Cumberland Furnace, Tenn., 14.980
Jeff Johns (2), Oxford, Ala., 15.004
Brandon Hightower (52B), Deville, La., 15.019
Joey Standridge (56X), Tellico Plains, Tenn., 15.030
Dennis Reno (2X), Clay, Ala., 15.218
Group 2
Donald McIntosh (7), Dawsonville, Ga., 14.316
Brian Connor (77X), Augusta, Ga., 14.629
Cruz Skinner (11S), Oxford, Ala., 14.685
Mark Bangs (376), Rainbow City, Ala., 14.692
Ted Lackey (41), Munford, Ala., 14.705
Terrance Knowell (55), Phenix City, Ala., 14.792
Chris Jones (46), Alabaston, Ala., 14.944
Jadon Frame (8J), Winchester, Tenn., 15.079
Bill Mahan (1M), Lacey Springs, Ala., 15.142
Matt Larson (25), Marietta, Ga., 15.161
Chris McKeehan (21), Winder, Ga., 15.388
Sammy Lowe (4X), Cullman, Ala., 15.630
Group 3
William Thomas (19A), Phenix City, Ala., 14.345
Austin Kirkpatrick (58), Ocala, Fla., 14.356
Luke Hoffner (15), Tubotville, Pa., 14.499
Michael Page (18X), Douglasville, Ga., 14.506
Grant Pearl (22), Anniston, Ala., 14.570
Cody King (62), McDonough, Ga., 14.681
Justin Shipley (08), Douglasville, Ga., 14.796
Ryan King (55X), Anniston, Ala., 14.957
David Seibers (18B), Petersburg, Tenn., 15.076
Jay Elliot (00), Phenix City, Ala., 15.216
Adam Cummings (81), Odenville, Ala., no time
Mark Haddon (17), Estill Springs, Tenn., no time
Group 4
Jason Hiett (1H), Oxford, Ala., 14.150
Ray Cook (53), Brasstown, N.C., 14.442
David Brannon (33), Elora, Tenn., 14.508
Jonathan Rowan (56), Jackson, Tenn., 14.670
Josh Adkins (57), Talladega, Ala., 14.748
Dallas Cooper (35), Talladega, Ala., 14.857
Jimmy Elkins Jr. (07), Talladega, Ala., 15.009
Shane Criswell (18C), Bowden, Ga., 15.282
Christopher Reid (4C), Wiggins, Miss., 15.376
Benjy Shaw (18), Tellico Plains, Tenn., 15.417
Terry Smith (4), Oxford, Ala., no time
Tom Maddox (85), Center, Ala., no time
Keven Kuss (10J), Murfreesboro, Tenn., no time