What won the race: Polesitter Chad Simpson of Mount Vernon, Iowa, outran fifth-starting Payton Looney of Republic, Mo., to emerge victorious in Friday night's opening round of the fifth annual ARMI Freedom Classic at Salina Highbanks Speedway. He pocketed $3,000 for his victory in the 30-lap event co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Association and Comp Cams Super Dirt Series.

Quotable: “That lapped traffic was a little tricky there a few times,” said Simpson. “I knew it held me up a little bit to much. I needed to get my butt going ‘cause I figured those guys were coming. We had a little motor problem there. I think it’s better. I don’t know if it’s 100 percent yet, but it ran good out there right then.”

Key notes: Simpson recorded his second win of the 2018 season, the last of his long partnership with team owners Bud and Denis Brinkman, who are retiring at the end of the campaign. His previous victory came in a May 4 MLRA show at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway. ... Payton Looney finished 1.072 seconds behind in the runner-up spot for his best MLRA run of the season. ... USMTS modified star Jason Hughes finished fourth in his first Dirt Late Model start since the rain-shortened Freedom Classic in 2016. The '14 Lucas Oil Series Rookie of the Year drove Shannon Scott's No. 4. ... Tony Jackson Jr., who is second in MLRA points, salvaged an 11th-place finish in a borrowed car after using a provisional to start the feature. His own machine was sidelined when he made hard contact with the turn-four wall while bidding for the B-main's lead. ... The MLRA-Comp Cams weekend concludes Saturday with another complete program paying $5,000 to win. Due to the warm temps, the start time has been backed up one hour to 8 p.m.

On the move: Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., started 14th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Simpson's Black Diamond Chassis has a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and is sponsored by Liebe Trucking, GATR Truck Center, Diercks Ltd., Simpson Farms, Graves Oil, Allstar Performance, Wehrs Machine, Dyer's Top Rods, Performance Bodies, Master Built Concrete, Cen-Pe-Co and Phase2Sign Supply.

Points chase: MLRA: Chad Simpson (861) of Mount Vernon, Iowa, led Tony Jackson Jr. (787), Will Vaught (737), Payton Looney (692) and Mitch McGrath (667). CCSDS: Jack Sullivan (1,376) of Greenbrier, Ark., led B.J. Robinson (1,278), Hunter Rasdon (1,269), Gavin Landers (1,190) and Tanner Kellick (1,186).

Car count: 31

Polesitter: Chad Simpson

Heat race winners: Cade Dillard, Logan Martin, J.C. Wyman, Chad Simpson

Next series race: June 30, Salina Highbanks Speedway (Salina, OK) $5,000