What won the race: Powering back around Travis Stemler as they raced towards the white flag, polesitter Rusty Schlenk of Jackson, Mich., led all but one lap in topping Friday's 30-lap Duel on Dirt feature at I-96 Speedway. Schlenk led 29 laps (1-27, 29-30) and beat Stemler by 0.262 of a second in a near photo finish for the $5,000 payday, his second Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series victory of the season and 42nd of his career.

Quotable: "I did not want to see that caution man, my car got bad. I don’t know, we missed the setup or put the wrong tires on, or something. About halfway through that run, I lost the car bad, I was just hanging on," Schlenk said. "I knew the guys behind me would be making a hard charge there at the end and I was doing everything I could to hang on. (I) put it up there on the cushion and let it eat, brought it home in victory lane, barely."

Key notes: Schlenk secured his third I-96 victory this season, adding to a May 8 triumph in local DIRTcar Super Late Models and a July 8 win on the DIRTcar Summer Nationals. ... It's his second Iron-Man Series victory of the season, including June 20's Barney Oldfield Memorial at Oakshade Raceway in Wauseon, Ohio, and his 42nd career win stretches his lead on the tour's all-time list. ... Travis Stemler, a four-time I-96 winner this season in local DIRTcar Supers, pressured Schlenk after a lap-24 restart then took the lead by 0.076 of a second on a lap-28 restart before Schlenk powered back around him for the win; Stemler never trailed Schlenk by more than 0.355 of a second over the race's final seven laps. ... Points leader Colten Burdette reclaimed third from Dona Marcoullier on lap 21 just before McKay Wenger slowed with a flat right-rear tire on lap 24, ending his night. ... Marcoullier, who ran as high as second in the early going, slowed and retired from fourth for the second and final stoppage on the 28th lap, setting up the three-lap shootout between Schlenk and Stemler; Marcoullier was credited with 17th as the first starter who failed to finish. ... Rod Conley slipped by Brandon Thirlby for fourth on the final lap, dropping Thirlby to fifth. ... The 30-lapper lasted 13 minutes with 11 starters completing the distance.

On the move: Logan Nickerson of Vestaburg, Mich., started 13th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Schlenk’s Domination Race Car is powered by a Mullins Engine and sponsored by Buckeye Concrete Coatings, Tom Finch Automotive, TriState Pole Barns, Dominator Race Products, Integra Racing Shocks, Terry Henricks Auto Group, Velocita USA, Landrum Performance Springs, VP Racing Fuel and Lubricants, Vahlco Racing Wheels, Willy’s Carbs, ML Performance Allstar Performance, Wilwood Disc Brakes and KBC Graphix.

Points chase: Before I-96: 1. Colten Burdette (795); 2. Rod Conley (701); 3. Miles Cook II (637); 4. Seth Daniels (618); 5. Travis Carr (544).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 79°F

Car count: 28

Fast qualifier: Rusty Schlenk

Time: 16.084 seconds

Polesitter: Rusty Schlenk

Heat race winners: Rusty Schlenk, Dona Marcoullier, Colten Burdette

Consolation race winners: Jacob Stuhr

Provisional starters: Travis Carr, Bill Bray

Next series race: August 8, Butler Motor Speedway (Quincy, MI) $5,000