What won the race: Executing a turn-one slider on early leader Donald McIntosh on a lap-five restart, then repelling late challenges from Chris Ferguson, second-starting Trent Ivey of Union, S.C., led the final 26 laps to win Friday's $5,000 Mike Duvall Memorial weekend opener at Cherokee Speedway. Ivey earned his first career Southern All Star Series feature victory and his second triumph of the season at Cherokee after winning July's $10,000 Grassy Smith Memorial.

Quotable: “(It feels) awesome man, we’ve been great here the last couple times,” Ivey said. “We work hard to get here when we can and I appreciate (Chris) Fergy having a lot of patience with me, I was struggling out there man. I couldn’t give that one up, it seemed like someone wanted me to win tonight. I’m pretty fortunate to win one for ol' Mike Duvall, you know I grew up watching him and Daddy go at it.”

Key notes: Ivey became the eighth driver to secure his first career SAS main event win this season. ... The fifth-starting Ferguson, of Mount Holly, N.C., moved into second on the lap-11 restart and trailed Ivey the rest of the way, finishing a scant 0.166 of a second back; Ferguson nearly executed a last-corner pass coming to the checkers. ... Sixth-starting Ben Watkins was third. ... Tenth-starting Anthony Sanders and 12th-starting Jordan Koehler both improved on the lap-11 restart, finishing fourth and fifth. ... Corey Gordon advanced eight positions, finishing seventh. ... Friday's 38-minute feature was slowed by three separate incidents, including two lengthy red flags. ... The first multicar incident occurred on lap 10 when second-running Donald McIntosh tangled with Dan Cox while lapping him, sending Cox spinning down the frontstretch, taking out front-runners Ross Bailes and Michael Brown. That 10-minute stoppage was eclipsed by the 15-minute red flag when Jordan Koehler hooked Caleb Gay's right-rear coming to complete lap 11, sending him head-first into the wall at turn-one entrance. Adam Yarbrough, Jeff Smith, Kyle Strickler and G.R. Smith piled into Gay's stopped machine, with G.R. Smith completing one slow rollover and landing on his wheels; while all drivers were unhurt, Gay and the unrelated Smiths were done for the night. Yarbrough retired three laps later while Strickler finished ninth. ... Ten drivers were running at the finish. ... Slated to start on the pole, Zack Mitchell pulled off with mechanical issues before taking the green. ... Cherokee concludes its Mike Duvall Memorial doubleheader with Saturday's $12,000-to-win finale.

On the move: Benji Hicks of Mount Airy, N.C., started 18th and finished eighth.

Winner's sponsors: Ivey’s Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Highway 29 Grill, Palmetto Pole & Piling, Barfield’s Bulldozing & Timber, Ivey Construction, Ivey Septic Service, Spartanburg Fleet Services, Newman Fence Company, Inc., Hardison Suspension Technologies, Southern Legacy VBC, FK Rod Ends, Axles Plus, All-Good Pest Controls, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, GHS Enterprises, Rick Alman, Sweet Victory Apparel and Slicker Graphics.

Points chase: Before Cherokee Friday: 1. Caleb Gay (1,044); 2. Dan Cox (750); 3. Billy Franklin (712); 4. Matthew Brocato (506); 5. Dalton Cook (468).

Current weather: Clear, 63°F

Car count: 32

Fast qualifier: Zack Mitchell

Time: 14.956 seconds

Polesitter: Zack Mitchell

Consolation race winners: G.R. Smith, Benji Hicks

Provisional starters: Dan Cox, Bryson Harper, Jeremy Fowler

Next series race: September 30, Cherokee Speedway (Gaffney, SC) $12,000