EASTABOGA, Ala. – Jake Knowles took another step toward the Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series National Championship with his sixth win of the season on Friday night at the Talladega Short Track.
In his last four Durrence Layne Chevrolet Dirt Late Model Series starts, Knowles has three wins and a second, and now holds a 92 point lead over Cruz Skinner in the National point standings.
Knowles led all 40 laps of Friday night’s race and held off a late race charge from 16-year-old Sam Seawright. Seawright dove to the inside of Knowles on the last turn of the last lap in lapped traffic, but Knowles was able to out drag the youngster to the checkered flag.
“After that last caution flag, I was trying to pace myself to keep from hitting lapped traffic before the end of the race, so I slowed down maybe a little too much on the last lap,” Knowles said. “We’re on a roll here lately, so we’ll dust this car off, and get a new set of Hoosier Tires to put on it, and we’ll be ready to go for tomorrow night.”
Seawright had to settle for second in the Agcor Steel Special, and Brandon Williams took the third spot in the Jeff Woods Construction Special. Skinner was fourth in the Skinner’s Body Shop Special. T.J. Brittain drove the Brittain Hauling Warrior to a fifth-place finish.
The finish:
Jake Knowles, Sam Seawright, Brandon Williams, Cruz Skinner, T.J. Brittain, Chase Walls, Jimmy Elliott, Tyler Wood, John Ownbey, Oakley Johns, Wil Herrington, Christian Hanger, Dennis Collins, Jake Teague, Jadon Frame, Donald Johns, Marcus Minga, Mike Combs, David Kay, Jake Rainey, Hayden Franklin, Randall Walker, Heath Carr, Lee Burdett.