Overshadowing the entire racing world, suspended NASCAR racer Kyle Larson debuted in a Super Late Model Thursday at Port Royal Speedway as the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series opened up a three night weekend in Pennsylvania, at a track the Sprint Car ace knows all too well.
Fifty-five entrants entered the $10,000 to-Win/30 lap feature and it was Tim McCreadie dominating the show. All eyes though, were on third place Larson as he steadied the Rumley Motorsports #6 lap after lap.
As the white flag waned over the field Larson jumped the turn two cushion and careened off the concrete wall knocking him from the podium finish, back to fifth overall, behind Kyle Strickler, outside pole sitter and current LODLM series points leader Jimmy Owens and Chris Ferguson.
World of Outlaws Late Model series points leader Brandon Sheppard was 8th overall, just in front of Georgian Shane Clanton.
Larson and the Lucas Oil racers return Friday night for a $12,000 / 40 lap affair before wrapping up the weekend with a $15,000 to-Win show Saturday. The Lucas Oil Racing TV cameras will broadcast all the action live for subscribers of the internet website. Larson is expected to return in October with the LODLM's for the $100,000 to-Win Dirt Track World Championship, an annual event that was won twice by Chattanoogan Ronnie Johnson, whom now races frequently around the Tennessee Valley/North Georgia area.