Atomic Speedway
Montgomery collects $5,000 in All Star finale
Jason Montgomery earned $5,000 at K-C Raceway. (Jim DenHamer)
ALMA, Ohio (Oct. 30) — Former track champion Jason Montgomery of Jackson, Ohio, came out on top of a tight battle Saturday at K-C Raceway to earn his first victory on the O'Reilly All Star Late Model Series. Montgomery earned $5,000 in the season-ending series event as the tour drew a record-setting car count of 59 entries. | Jason Montgomery feature | Slideshow
Montgomery, who started third, took the lead from seventh-starting Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., on the 32nd lap and led the rest of the Topless Trick or Treat 50. Casebolt settled for second at the 3/8-mile oval while ninth-starting Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., rallied to finish third. Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., subbing for Audie McWilliams in the John Weber-owned No. 10, was fourth while fifth-row starter Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., rounded out the top five.
Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa., was 10th, good enough to earn his second consecutive series championship. He topped Jared Miley of South Park, Pa., by 58 points.
Polesitter Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, and Rod Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, started on the front row with Conley out front when a lap-two caution for Greggie Oliver and Matt Lux slowed the pace.
Conley was out front for the restart, but Casebolt roaring into the lead on the seventh lap and set a torrid pace with Conley and Montgomery giving chase. Lanigan, who was scheduled to start fifth but had a flat tire during pace laps that dropped him to the tail, was working his way back toward the front.
With Casebolt still up front, Montgomery took second from Conley on the 17th lap and the race's second and final caution appeared for Drown's flat left-rear tire on the 21st lap.
Montgomery turned up the heat on Casebolt near the midpoint, then nosed ahead to take the lead on lap 32 as Casebolt slid out of the groove on the backstretch and lost ground.
Montgomery stayed in control, but Casebolt, Feger, Francis and Lanigan were all bunched in the final laps with Casebolt briefly slipping ahead to lead lap 46. After taking the white flag, Casebolt made contact with Montgomery between turns one and two, but Montgomery held on for the victory.
Notes: Montgomery's Rocket Chassis is powered by an Estes Racing Engine and sponsored by R-J Gas, Montgomery Machine, Southern Ohio Excavating, Heinz Bros. Performance and VP Race Fuels. ... Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., missed the series final� after suffering an injury in an ATV accident earlier in the week. ... Gregg Satterlee earned Frankland Racing Supply Hard Charger honors for his 24th-to-12th run. ... Among drivers failing to make the main event: Greg Oakes, Brian Ruhlman, Chris Combs, Keith Berner, Mark Frazier, Wayne Chinn, Scott James and Ben Adkins.
Topless Trick or Treat 50: (1) Jason Montgomery, (2) Steve Casebolt, (3) Jason Feger, (4) Darrell Lanigan, (5) Steve Francis, (6) Rod Conley, (7) Zack Dohm, (8) Robbie Blair, (9) R.J. Conley, (10) Jeep Van Wormer, (11) Delmas Conley, (12) Gregg Satterlee, (13) Jared Miley, (14) Donnie Moran, (15) Eddie Carrier Jr., (16) John Mason, (17) Audie Swartz, (18) Greg Johnson, (19) Rick Aukland, (20) Duane Chamberlain, (21) Greggie Oliver, (22) Doug Drown, (23) Russ Frohnapfel, (24) Matt Lux. Fast qualifier (among 59 cars): Mason, 14.032 seconds. Heat race winners: Dohm, Lanigan, Montgomery, D. Conley, Rod Conley, Drown. Consolation winners: Carrier, Moran.
