What won the race: Retaking the lead when Chris Ferguson slowed abruptly down the backstretch on the 20th lap, second-starting Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., captured Friday's 40-lap Schaeffer's Spring Nationals feature at Wythe Raceway. O'Neal led 22 laps (1, 20-40) and beat Chris Madden by 1.594 seconds for the $10,053 payday, his first career Spring Nationals win and 10th overall victory of the season.

Quotable: “It was probably gonna be Chris (Ferguson’s) race to lose. I messed up down there and let him get by me,” O’Neal said. “I don’t know that I would ever have got by him in lapped traffic or anything, he was pretty good and balanced, he could go wherever he wanted to. So it’s heartbreak for him, but we had to be there and we had to put ourselves in position.”

Key notes: O'Neal now has six victories this season aboard the Rumley Engineering No. 6 entry. ... Fourth-starting Chris Ferguson slipped under O'Neal and took the lead as they completed the second lap, then led handily until he slowed coasting to the infield near halfway; Ferguson later reported his oil pump drive spud stripped, causing his engine to lose power. ... O'Neal led the final 21 laps unchallenged. ... Polesitter Chris Madden ran third until inheriting the runner-up spot after Ferguson's woes just before halfway. ... Fifteenth-starting Matthew Nance took third from Brandon Overton just before Overton slowed with a flat right-rear tire on lap 28; Overton pitted and continued until retiring from 11th with a handful of laps to go. ... Kennie Compton Jr. improved seven positions and rounded out the top five. ... Ben Watkins rebounded to seventh after pitting with a flat right-rear tire on lap 15. ... Wil Herrington finished 11th aboard Cody Sommer's No. 13 DRT entry the final starter to complete 40 laps. ... Tenth-running Beckham Malone pulled off under green on lap 32. ... The race's three cautions were caused by flat right rears, the first coming when Mathew Porter shredded his on the eighth lap. ... The 40-lapper lasted 28 minutes. ... Larry Blankenship scratched after hot laps.

On the move: Matthew Nance of Ronda, N.C., started 15th and finished third.

Winner's sponsors: O’Neal’s K&L Rumley Enterprises Longhorn Chassis carries sponsorship from D&E Marine, Senior Life Insurance Company, Rumley Engineering, Mesilla Valley Transportation, American Racing Wheels, Professional Concrete, Mark Martin Automotive, O’Neal’s Salvage & Recycling, Indiana USSSA Fastpitch, Sunoco Race Fuels, Ohlins by Longhorn Dynamics and Wheeler Metals.

Points chase: Before Wythe: 1. Garrett Smith (792); 2. Tucker Anderson (790); 3. Kendall Franklin (586); 4. Brandon Overton (548); 5. Will Hicks (488).

Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 66°F

Car count: 17

Fast qualifier: Chris Madden

Time: 15.772 seconds

Polesitter: Chris Madden

Heat race winners: Chris Madden, Hudson O'Neal

Next series race: April 4, Tazewell Speedway (Tazewell, TN) $21,000