What won the race: Second-starting Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, led all but the opening lap en route to a commanding victory in Saturday's 50-lap 18th annual Gumbo Nationals at Greenville Speedway. Erb raced to the $10,000 Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series payday by 5.598 seconds over Payton Freeman, winning his second career Gumbo Nationals finale (2016).

Quotable: “The track was a lot different (than Friday) for sure, I just had to get the start when Mike (Palasini Jr.) restarted next to me on that initial start,” Erb said. “It was like ‘Man, I really don’t wanna follow him’ … you know, he got me on the first (restart). I didn’t have nothing to lose and got the top of (turns) one and two and was able to swing by there. Didn’t get tied up with the lapped cars and just tried to keep it out of the fence there ... it was awesome, I love coming to Greenville.”

Key notes: Erb notched his seventh career MSCCS victory and his first since a $4,000 Gumbo Nationals prelim on Oct. 5, 2018, at Greenville. ... It was his 17th overall victory of the 2024 season. ... Third-starting Mike Palasini Jr. led the opening lap after polesitter Cruz Skinner spun on the race's initial start, collecting Neil Baggett, Cameron Weaver and Bo Slay, among others. Baggett and Weaver were unable to continue, while Skinner pulled off on lap 27. Slay completed 11 laps before calling it a night. ... Palasini, who entered seeking his second straight Gumbo Nationals sweep after winning both races in 2023 and topping Friday's $5,000 opener, settled for third. ... Fourth-starting Payton Freeman regained second from Palasini on lap 33 before finishing a distant runner-up. ... Chad Thrash and Hunter Lewis traded fourth in the late going before Thrash prevailed, relegating Lewis to fifth. ... Thrash's fourth-place finish was enough to clinch his sixth career MSCCS championship (2017-'21, '24), as he finished with a 10-point egdge over Brian Rickman. Rickman pulled off on lap 36 and was credited with 15th. ... Shane Stephens gained nine spots and placed seventh. ... The race was slowed by three incidents, the largest being the opening-lap multicar melee that necessitated a 10-minute red flag for cleanup. ... The second stoppage came on lap two, ending the nights for Brandon Carpenter and Courtney Bass. ... The third and final yellow flag came on lap 28 when Ryan Wilson slowed from ninth and retired. ... The main event lasted 33 minutes, with eight starters completing 50 laps and 14 running at the finish. ... Tommy Surrett scratched from the feature lineup.

On the move: Chad Thrash of Meridian, Miss., started 18th and finished fourth; Timothy Culp of West Monroe, La., started 23rd and finished ninth.

Winner's sponsors: Erb’s winning Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Langenfelder Mechanical Contractors, Bulk Material Lift, First Class Septic, Roberts Bee Company, Anthony’s Pizza, JRR Trucking, Base Racing Fuel, Base Oil, Sani-Weld, Inc., Keyser Manufacturing, Integra Racing Shocks, Go Lithium Batteries, Midwest Sheet Metal, Terbo Threads and KBC Graphix.

Points chase: Final: 1. Chad Thrash (1,465); 2. Brian Rickman (1,455); 3. Hunter Lewis (1,265); 4. Ross Camponovo (1,220); 5. Derrick Nichols (1,215).

Current weather: Clear, 77°F

Car count: 27

Fast qualifier: Tyler Erb

Time: 15.622 seconds

Polesitter: Cruz Skinner

Heat race winners: Cruz Skinner, Tyler Erb, Mike Palasini Jr.