What won the race: Inheriting control when race-long leader Matt Dooley slowed abruptly on lap 16, second-starting Joseph Joiner of Milton, Fla., led the second half of Friday's 30-lap Bash at the Beach prelim for a $3,000 victory at Southern Raceway. Joiner beat Billy Franklin to the checkers by 1.074 seconds for his first win of the season and his 10th career Southern All Star series victory.

Quotable: “I was really surprised at how good (Matt Dooley) was able to take off. I think we kinda know what’s going on a little bit, you know this restrictor plate deal is a little bit new to us,” Joiner said. “I think there’s stuff we can do to help out that deal a little bit, we’re gonna have to work on that tomorrow, cause we’re definitely getting beat off the line … we finally got shook free (of traffic) and was able to throw (a slider) there on Matt, slowed him up a little bit.”

Key notes: Joiner notched his seventh career SAS victory at his home track and his fourth overall win in Southern's early-season Bash at the Beach event (2022-'23 finale; '24 prelim). ... It was Joiner's first win of any kind since last April's $15,000 Hunt the Front-sanctioned Southbound Throwdown at All-Tech Raceway in Ellisville, Fla. ... Matt Dooley led 15 laps from the pole before breaking a driveshaft just as Joiner began to apply pressure. ... Fifth-starting Billy Franklin registered his second straight runner-up result and took the SAS points lead. ... Seventh-starting David Breazeale rounded out the podium. ... Kendall Franklin took advantage of Ronnie Johnson's last-lap spin and finished 10th, relegating Johnson to 11th. ... Besides Dooley's downfall, the race was slowed by three other cautions: Bo Odom slowed on lap 15 before retiring, Jordon Horton's lap-seven spin and Michael Luna for slowing to a stop on the sixth circuit. ... Dillon Tidmore suffered a flat right-rear on the race's opening lap after contact with Joiner. ... The main event lasted 21 minutes, with 11 drivers running at the finish. ... Shay Miller (broken lifter) scratched.

On the move: Steven Jernigan of Milton, Fla., started 13th and finished fourth.

Winner's sponsors: Joiner’s Capital Race Car is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Kubota Tractors, Kubota Genuine Parts, Trading Paints, Hunt the Front TV, Northshore Boat Storage, Dirt Track Bank, Swift Springs, Base Racing Fuel, NRC Oil Pumps, AFCO Racing Products, QA1, FK Rod Ends, Schoenfeld Headers, Wehrs Machine, KRC Power Steering, Earnhardt Technologies, MD3, Five Star Bodies, Gorsuch Performance, ATC Bolts and Sublmtd Apparel.

Points chase: After Southern Friday: 1. Billy Franklin (392); 2. Joe Denby (376); 3. Kendall Franklin (374); 4. Ronnie Johnson (362); 5. Michael Luna (346).

Current weather: Clear, 52°F

Car count: 19

Fast qualifier: Matt Dooley

Time: 14.488 seconds

Polesitter: Matt Dooley

Next series race: March 22, Southern Raceway (Milton, FL) $7,000