What won the race: Taking the lead from T.J. Brittain on lap 18, Jake Knowles of Rome, Ga., led the rest of the way to win Friday’s Durrence Layne Chevrolet Series season-opener at Talladega Short Track. Knowles, 2018 series points runner-up, outran Jadon Frame to collect $2,000 and grab his first win of the season. John Ownbey finished third, while Brittain slipped to fourth.

Quotable: “Even after we passed (T.J. Brittain) for the lead, I just decided to stay up there because the car was running so well on the top,” said Knowles of his high-side charge. “I had watched the Super Late Model race just before we went out there for our feature, and it looked like most of those guys were running on the bottom. I felt like we’d need to run the high groove, and especially since we started fourth and that put us on the outside anyway."

Key notes: After four April rainouts, the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Series opened its 2019 campaign at Talladega Short Track Friday. … It’s the first of five DLCS races at Talladega his season. … Action continues Saturday with a $2,500-to-win main event. … It’s NASCAR weekend as Xfinity Series and the Monster Energy Series are in action at Talladega Super-speedway just across the street from TST. … Austin Horton won the Super Late Model feature. ... Dalton Polston won the sportsman feature.

Winner's sponsors: Knowles drives a Longhorn Chassis sponsored by Knowles Race Parts & Bodies, Josh Roberts Trucking, Buster Goss Body Shop, Martins Wrecker Service, Curbow Logging, Coosa Heating & Cooling and JW Motorsports.

Points chase: It’s the tour’s season-opener.

Current weather: Clear, 50°F

Car count: 48

Fast qualifier: Jeff Helms

Time: 14.286 seconds

Consolation race winners: David Kay, Dylan Knowles, Ricky Culpepper, Jadon Frame

Next series race: April 27, Talladega Short Track (Eastaboga, AL) $2,500