Bedford experience pays

Starting on the front row, Mason Zeigler would’ve preferred to jump out front and lead the whole way in Sunday’s 40-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series Billy Winn Classic. But when polesitter Daulton Wilson of Fayetteville, N.C., took command, Chalk Hill, Pa.’s Zeigler knew he had the edge of experience at the half-mile oval.

"I wanted to lead that baby from the beginning. He got me on the start there. … we got in line there, I just thought, you know, I need to keep my tires under me,” the 33-year-old Zeigler said. “Keep it straight. Don't slide the right-rear. That was the biggest thing, just not trying to slide that right-rear, and I knew that once we got the lapped traffic, if I could keep my tires under me, I could, get to him. And then once we got to that lapped car, I was able to use them as a pick.

“I was just holding back as long as I could and gave her the beans at the end.”

Powering past Wilson on the 30th lap, Zeigler pulled away to win by more than two seconds and notched his second career WoO victory and first since 2019. Outrunning the national touring stars — who made up seven of the top 10 finishers — was special.

“It's amazing. It's my home track basically, and, we've been really fortunate to run good here. Man, they give us such a good racetrack. I hated it that they dirtied it up and watered it before the feature there, because when it gets black, it’s so fun to race on,” Zeigler said. “You can race all over this thing. It’s really like a chess game. This place, you just gotta maintain, maintain, maintain, and know when to go. And there's so many guys that have lost races here from just overdriving and working their tires too hard — I shouldn't even say overdriving, just not knowing how to treat their tires early. I guess experience here was a big play for us tonight.”

Wilson was disappointed he failed to get his first WoO win for his Big Frog-Viper Motorsports team, but he met his match in Zeigler.

"I didn't really know where to go. I tried to get into (turn) three down there and tried to get a run and kind of go between the lapped cars, and when I did, I didn't realize (the track surface) was rubbered as much as it was. So, yeah, that kind of sucks, but we've got a really good race car, My guys worked their butts off,” Wilson said. “We've got awesome car owners. Augie (Burttram) and Shawn (Martin) give us everything we need, and hey, maybe before long I'll get ‘em a checkered.” — DIRTVision and staff reports

First tour win

In his second year in the Late Model division, Ryan Mikkelson of Alexandria, Minn., led virtually all of 2018’s Structural Buildings WISSOTA Challenge Series visit to his hometown Viking Speedway. But winner Ricky Weiss and runner-up Marshall Fegers overtook him in the final laps.

Mikkelson figured a series victory was just around the corner. It didn’t come until 2026 with Saturday’s $4,013 WCS triumph at Viking in the Jeff Hinkemeyer Memorial.

“What's funny, in 2018, I thought, ‘I'll just get one the next time I run with them,’ and that was seven, eight years ago,” Mikkelson said in victory lane. “Honestly, with the trials and tribulations of the racing, you just never give up. So that's why we're here is: we just didn't give up.”

Rallying from his eighth starting spot, Mickelson overtook legendary WISSOTA standout Shane Sabraski on the 18th lap and led the rest of the 30-lapper.

"I feel more at home actually on top here in Alec, and this is my top-three favorite racetrack, and I'm very lucky to call this my hometown, and I just love racing in front of Alec and I love the speed,” Mikkelson said. “The seas parted for me. Actually, I didn't have (a good) first couple of laps and I got a little nervous because of how dirty the top was, but it cleaned up off of (turn) two and I actually kind of drove a weird line and then it just stuck. I just was nervous of how to pass, you know? Once I get to there, and I got lucky with the restart, how do you pass Shane? You know what I mean? Thankfully he left me the door open.”

Mikkelson, who has run the WISSOTA Challenge Series for five seasons with three top-five points finishes, was proud to outrun the runner-up Sabraski, winning of more than 1,000 multidivision races.

“Every racer idolizes to be him because he's so humble and he does so good work and he races in many different divisions,” Mikkelson said. “He’s good at anywhere he wants, and that's what we all strive to be, and I'm very fortunate to pass him for my first Challenge Series win.” — Series and staff reports

West Plains drama

Among other things of interest in the last-lap battle that saw 18-year-old Tyler Kuykendall rub past 59-year-old Hall of Famer Terry Phillips at Legit Speedway Park on Saturday was that neither driver apparently knew the other’s first name.

In victory lane interviews, Phillips called Kuykendall by a name that rhymes with “Tucker,” while Kuykendall called Phillips “Tony” (perhaps confusing him with another Missouri standout, Tony Jackson Jr.).

Kuykendall scored a dramatic $3,000 Heartland Late Model Tour victory at West Plains with the last-lap pass, denying Phillips a golden opportunity to sweep the tour’s first-ever weekend at the Missouri track.

"I do apologize to Tony. I know that was dirty, and I really honestly did not mean to get into him that bad,” Kuykendall said after celebrating on the roof of his car following his West Plains debut. “I completely understand he's mad at me, and I’ll take the ass-chewing out of that.”

Phillips was ready to provide that ass-chewing — it appeared the drivers might’ve exchanged words briefly between interviews — and maybe more.

"I guess I'm racing these things wrong. Me and (25-lap leader Sawyer Crigler) run hard side-by-side. Me and Billy Moyer (too),” Phillips said. “Then I just get knocked out of the way on the last lap. I don't even know who this (driver) is, so we'll get to know each other a little later on.”

Despite the drama, Kuykendall enjoyed his biggest victory after triumphs last season in Super Late Model action at Salina (Okla.) Highbanks Speedway and Highland (Ill.) Speedway.

"Yeah, man, this is the first time being here. I mean, I just can't thank everyone enough who worked hard on this car. We put the motor in last night. That's the reason we weren't here last night. Man, it sucks, but we (made it to) victory lane,” Kuykendall said, adding that his crew “gave me a great car and they showed off tonight.”

Before the feature, “we did all sorts of stuff to this car. The shocks, the J-bar, to everything. We just completely redid it after that heat race, and it worked awesome and I’m just glad to be here.” — Series and staff reports

Pennsy surprises

A pair of home-state drivers and former Marion Center (Pa.) Raceway winners made surprising trips to victory lane in World of Outlaws Late Model Series action, scoring their first victories of the season during Friday's twin 25-lap semifeatures.

WoO rookie contender Logan Zarin of Hookstown, Pa., and regional standout Jared Miley of Pittsburgh, Pa., earned $6,000 apiece on the opening night of the Connor Bobik Memorial. The national tour completes the Marion Center event Saturday with a $30,000-to-win finale during a five-race stretch of Mid-Atlantic action.

The 23-year-old Zarin, 14th in WoO points and second in the tour’s rookie chase, one night earlier posted a 12th-place finish at Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway for his best-ever WoO performance. And while Marion Center’s split-field preliminary night doesn’t count as an official series victory, he was no less excited about getting the jump on polesitter and fellow front-row starter Brent Larson and leading 25 non-stop laps in the opening semifeature.

“This is crazy, man,” Zarin said after climbing off the roof of his car, where he wildly waved a pair of checkered flags. “We've been getting our asses kicked on the road, but it's nice to come home and finally get one. I haven't won a Super race in a long time, so this one's cool.”

Zarin notched his first Super Late Model victory since Oct. 7, 2023, at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio. It came at a track where he’s run several times and logged a 2023 victory.

"I was just hoping to stay green because I knew I was pretty good, so, this is cool,” Zarin said.

In the second semifeature, the 40-year-old Miley endured a number of early cautions and grabbed the lead from Tristan Chamberlain on the seventh lap in racing to his first victory since winning last Aug. 23 at Marion Center.

A WoO winner on May 21, 2022, at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway, Miley piloted his Durham-powered Rocket Chassis owned by Joe Corrado to the preliminary victory.

“Hat’s off to my brother. He put a great setup under this thing,” Miley said in victory lane. “It was good from hot laps on. It was like spot on all night, almost. I kind of messed up a little bit in qualifying. But the track was kind of how I like it — right in the middle — and we could pretty much maneuver wherever, but just thanks to everybody that makes this possible.

“We've kind of had a mixed bag (of 2026 results), but from the very first time I got in this car, I knew it was fast, and we just had to try to figure out what it likes and stuff. It seems like we're definitely catching on with it.” — From DIRTVision and staff reports

T-Mac tops Troutman

Drake Troutman did everything he could think of to repel Tim McCreadie’s late charge Thursday night at Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway. It wasn’t enough.

McCreadie, of Watertown, N.Y., swept to the high side in turns three and four on the 38th lap, whipping around Troutman exiting turn four and pulling away for his second World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season.

The 52-year-old McCreadie, who notched his 41st WoO victory while leading laps 1-10 and 38-45, knew he had the 20-year-old Troutman on the ropes in the late stages of the Sand Hill Showdown.

“I noticed Drake kinda did some things that I hadn’t seen him do and it opened my lane up there and that’s kinda where we both were,” McCreadie said. “When he got off the top I started getting better runs and it just worked out.”

Troutman, whose slide job put him into the lead from laps 11-37, matched his best WoO finish of the season in gunning for a home-state victory.

"We just weren't quite good enough,” said the Hyndman, Pa., driver, who celebrates his 21st birthday on Saturday. “We didn't have enough drive to get up off the corner like Timmy did, but, there towards the end, after that last caution, I was just kind of a sitting duck, really. I was just trying to run a line that I could try to break his air and kill his momentum, but obviously that didn't happen.”

McCreadie, who also won a 2014 WoO feature at Selinsgrove, was glad to notch a victory in his home region, if not his home state.

"I've won here before. They treat you really well,” he said. “This is probably one of the best (surfaces) that I've been on that they've had here. Maybe the rain helped a little, but I think what helped is they didn't have it all tilled open and it dried nice, built a little bit of a cushion, and it was fun to race on.

"It's always fun to race back home, close to home. All the people come, a lot of modified people. I know a lot of sprint car people too, so it's pretty cool,” he added. “We don't get to go to New York where maybe I'd have an advantage on these guys. I know I've been running these (Late Models) for 20-plus years, but those tracks up there, I'm really good at. If I ever went up there, I think we can make some hay, but that's OK. We'll take Pennsylvania as a close second.” — DIRTVision and staff reports