The first really full weekend hit for race fans of all calipers Saturday as everything from Super Late Models, to Crate's to Midget Sprints raced across America. At Volusia Speedway Park outside Daytona, Fla., Saturday, the World of Outlaw Late Model series wrapped up its 2021 season opener weekend with a $10,000 Sunshine Nationals race. Virginia's Kyle Strickler held off Tennessean Scott Bloomquist for the "W". Fellow Tennessean Jimmy Owens of Newport was fifth overall, while Dale McDowell of Chickamauga was ninth.
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the twin Crate Late Model $10,000 race, Michael Page of Douglasville, Ga., repeated his Thursday night run against 63 other 604/GM Performance-powered raceteams. Kyle Bronson (Thursday's WoOLM winner) was runner up with Tennessean's Mack McCarter, Cory Hedgecock and Jason Welshan rounding out the Top 5 respectively.
In the desert of Arizona Saturday's Wild West Shootout was exactly that as Texan Tyler Erb (# 1) and Georgian Jonathan Davenport battled a non-stop 40-lap, $5,000 to win Super Late Model feature race. Erb took "No Bull" and roared back past JD with two laps remaining and at the finish narrowly getting the win by 0.122 seconds. Both racers have a $10,000 bonus opportunity Sunday in the $25,000 to win Arizona Speedway finale.
Saturday night's 35th annual Chili Bowl didn't disappoint as 320 Midget Sprint Car teams battled for the coveted "Golden Driller" and its $10,000 payday. NASCAR invaders Kyle Larson (# 01) and Christopher Bell dominated the week-long event. The duo battled one another for the second consecutive year at the indoor 1/4 mile dirt track built inside the River City Expo in Tulsa, Oklahoma Saturday live on MavTV. Larson was victorious again, after Bell crashed hard, flipping violently (his "iRacing" Sprinter) with three laps remaining. It's Larson's second consecutive Golden Driller award in 13 years of attempts. Next Friday and Saturday the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model series opens its 2021 season at Ellisville, Fla.'s All-Tech Raceway with a pair of $12,000 Super Late Model events.