Eighteen different PASS Modified teams showed up to race at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, showing strength in numbers (more than doubling some car counts from last season!) for the growing division.
The day started out with two 10-lap heat races for the division. Kate Re powered away with the early lead in the first heat. Kristina Nadeau went around on lap 3 in turn 1, but the field remained green as she was able to pull away. Tyler King, in his first race behind the wheel of a PASS Modified, showed strength in the early laps of the heat, powering into the runner-up spot on lap 4. Kate Re was able to hold onto her sizable lead, taking home the heat victory. Tyler King and Patrick Sullivan rounded out the top 3.
Matty Sanborn took off with the early lead in the second heat, but Spencer Morse was on the move behind him in the #34 machine. Morse cleared Gary Shackford for the runner-up spot on lap 2, then setting his sights on Sanborn at the front of the field. The #00 of Geoff Rollins advanced to third over Gary Shackford on lap 4, but Shackford made his way back around Rollins the following lap. Spencer Morse began to close in on Matty Sanborn in the closing laps of the heat, getting right up on Sanborn’s back bumper on lap 9, hungry for the top spot. Sanborn managed to hold him off, capturing the heat victory. Gary Shackford rounded out the top 3.
Kate Re took off with the lead once again on the initial start of the 50-lap feature. An unfortunate event happened on lap 3, with Re’s hood flying open, hindering her line of sight behind the wheel. The #18 of Justin Larsen began blowing up on the same lap and retired to the pits. Re stuck it out for a couple of laps, but ultimately headed down to the pits on lap 6, sacrificing the lead to Patrick Sullivan. The #13 of Ryan Nelson took a spin on lap 10 in turn 4, leading to the first caution of the feature.
Patrick Sullivan took off with the lead on the restart as Jairet Harrison and Spencer Morse filed in behind him. The #14 of Mark Napolitano went off-track into the dirt in turn 3 on lap 15 and was initially met with flames. He was able to pull away from the incident, but it led to the second caution of the feature.
Jairet Harrison powered into the lead on the restart and Matty Sanborn was also on the move, breaking the top four after starting the feature at the tail-end of the field. Spencer Morse was on a mission, clearing Matty Sanborn for third on lap 17 with Tyler King in tow. Harrison had pulled away with a sizable lead by lap 22, but Tyler King, Spencer Morse and Patrick Sullivan were closely battling for the runner-up spot behind him.
Spencer Morse finally cleared Patrick Sullivan for the runner-up spot on lap 32, then setting his sights on Jairet Harrison at the top of the leader board. By lap 35, he was all over Harrison for the top spot. The two nearly tangled on lap 39 in turn 4, but Morse got the edge, clearing Harrison for the top spot just one lap later. Ryan Nelson took another spin on lap 47 in turn 1, leading to a late-race caution and bringing the field together once again.
There was a pile-up between Kate Re, Ryan Nelson and Spencer Vaughn at the rear of the field on the restart, leading to yet another caution.
Morse took off with the lead on the restart, never looking back. He sailed into the feature victory, which is his first of the 2019 season. Morse didn’t take part in a victory lap, but he celebrated excitedly on the front stretch afterward, running up and down the front stretch, waving his checkered flag proudly. Jairet Harrison, Patrick Sullivan, Tyler King and Gary Shackford rounded out the top five.
This weekend’s PASS Modified event brought more excitement and we got to see yet another new face in Victory Lane, proving just how competitive the division is this season.
Congratulations to Spencer Morse and the entire Davis Chassis Works team on their big win. Thank you for being BIG supporters of Chasing the Checkered. You all deserve this one!
Catch the PASS Mods in action next at Speedway 95 on Sunday, June 16th. See you there!
Thank you to my website sponsors, Texas Roadhouse Scarborough, Four Season Synthetic and Drown Excavation, for all of their support. You are the best!
