What won the race: Executing a textbook turn-one slider by race-long leader Mike Mullen on lap 17, third-starting Mike Spatola of Manhattan, Ill., led the rest of Friday's 30-lap Summer Sizzler at Sycamore Speedway. Spatola beat Mullen to the $3,000 payday by 3.692 seconds, securing his first career Wabam Dirt Kings Tour victory and his most lucrative triumph of the season.

Quotable: “We thought (the preferred line) was gonna be around the bottom there and we totally missed the setup,” Spatola said. “It’s awesome when there’s just that little thin cushion around the top of this place. I had a run (out of turn four) where I had more speed on the fronstretch and I’m like ‘it’s gonna have to work here,’ I figured I thought I was clear enough to where (Mike Mullen would) cross under me and I thought I’d see him on the left side, but I never did, so hopefully it was clean.”

Key notes: Spatola notched his third overall win this year and his first away from Fairbury (Ill.) Speedway (Aug. 17 and Aug. 24, each worth $2,500 in DIRTcar Late Model action). ... Second-starting Mike Mullen led the opening 16 laps from the pole before giving way to Spatola. ... Six-time and reigning Dirt Kings champ Nick Anvelink borrowed a transmission from Chris Oertel and narrowly made the call for Friday's main event, as his team swapped gearboxes following heat race action. The pole-starting Anvelink trailed Mullen for the first few laps before being overtaken by Spatola and settling for third. ... Anvelink is poised to clinch his seventh Dirt Kings Tour title in Saturday's season finale at Plymouth (Wis.) Dirt Track. ... Oertel, of Marshfield, Wis., improved five positions and placed eighth, the final driver to complete 30 laps. ... Dan White spun on the opening lap to cause the race's lone stoppage. He rebounded to finish 12th. ... The feature lasted 11 minutes, with 14 drivers running at the checkers. ... John Provenzano, Dale Markham and Todd Frank each scratched following preliminary action.

On the move: Brett Swedberg of Shawano, Wis., started ninth and finished fourth.

Winner's sponsors: Spatola’s Rocket Chassis is powered by a Pro Power Racing Engine and sponsored by Lake Norman Mechanical, T&S Heating, Cooling & Refrigeration, Illinois State Rifle Association, B&D Chemical, Big Daddy Scrap, Steve’s Performance, V.R. Haag Consulting, County Chevrolet, Integra Racing Shocks, Allstar Performance, Night Owl Design and Fast Lane Wraps.

Points chase: After Sycamore: 1. Nick Anvelink (498); 2. Brett Swedberg (456); 3. Chris Oertel (360); 4. Lukas Postl (356); 5. Taylor Scheffler (352).

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 18

Fast qualifier: Mike Mataragas

Time: 14.760 seconds

Polesitter: Nick Anvelink

Heat race winners: Mike Spatola, Mike Mullen, Nick Anvelink

Next series race: September 21, Plymouth Dirt Track (Plymouth, WI) $2,000