LAS VEGAS (February 10, 2022)—An unlucky redraw couldn’t keep Chase Alves from the front, and he didn’t waste any time getting there.
Alves drove from his 11th-place starting spot to the lead in just four laps en route to an impressive Sport Mod victory on Night 1 of the inaugural Workin’ Man Nationals at The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Cody Thompson (Modified) and Shelby Williams (Stock Car) also grabbed victories on Thursday night.
For Thursday night’s full results rundown, click HERE.
After dominating his heat race, Alves (Casa Grande, AZ) drew the 11th starting position for the 20-lap, $1,000-to-win Sport Mod feature. By Lap 2, Alves in his No. 14A had driven to fifth place, and by Lap 4 he had the lead. Alves dove low under John Piker coming off Turn 4 to take the top spot and never looked back. In a race marred by six cautions, Alves nailed every restart and held off charges from Cody Lee and Jake Smith.
“It was a lot of fun and it’s great to be here,” Alves said in Victory Lane. “I thought the classes would be pretty even and it turns out we were all pretty equal. It was awesome. It’s just great when you have a racetrack you can race on and pass. They did a great job preparing it.”
Lee, Smith and Piker put on a show for second spot behind Alves, with Lee finishing second, Smith third, Cam Reimers fourth and Piker fifth.
Alves ran under the IMCA Northern Sport Mod sanction in a unique multi-sanction format for Sport Mods that also featured IMCA, USRA, WISSOTA sanctioned cars.
In Modified action, Thompson navigated traffic perfectly and staved off a valiant effort from Cody Laney to claim the 25-lap, $2,500-to-win feature. Thompson (Sioux City, IA) started on the outside of the front row and quickly drove to the front on Lap 1. Grey Ferrando gave Thompson his first challenge, powering to the outside of him on Lap 5. The two would trade crossover blows, with Thompson holding the lead and Laney driving to second. Ferrando faded to third and would soon have to deal with Kollin Hibdon, who had charged from 20th to fourth. Hibdon had left-rear tire issues in his heat race and won his B Main to get into the big show. Up front, Laney tried one last dive in the final corner, but couldn’t make the pass.
“I didn’t know when that top was gonna come in. I had to be careful, but I put it up there and it worked out,” Thompson said in Victory Lane. “I had to get around those lapped cars, and that’s sometimes a mental thing. You gotta tell yourself to slow down a little and get through it.”
Behind second-place Laney, Ferrando held off Hibdon for third, and Troy Morris III finished fifth.
In the 20-lap, $1,000-to-win Stock Car feature, Shelby Williams raced among the leaders all night, but never could quite get to the front. He took the checkered flag in fourth, but after the Top 3 finishers were all docked spots due to rules infractions, Williams inherited the victory. Williams (Bonham, TX) drove his way from ninth to the Top 5, slicing and dicing with Kyle Genett and Chanse Hollatz for the lead. Genett finished ahead of teammate Jeff Nowak and Hollatz, but all three were docked two spots in the final order for failing post-race technical inspection. Hollatz was further disqualified from the event for an XR Rules & Procedures violation.
Behind Williams, Hunter Carter officially finished second, Genett third, Nowak fourth and Jason Josselyn fifth.
Williams ran under the IMCA sanction, in the multi-sanction Stock Car class that also featured WISSOTA and USRA sanctions.
Robert Vetter, Alves and Lee won their Sport Mod heat races. Russell Allen, Troy Morris III, Bryson Yeager, Thompson, Eddie Belec and Laney won their Modified heat races. Williams and Jake Nelson won their Stock Car heat races.
Jason Ingalls and Hibdon won the Modified B Mains.
The inaugural Workin’ Man Nationals will continue with Race Night No. 2 of 3 on Friday night with the same exact show featuring Modifieds, Sport Mods and Stock Cars. Event and ticket info can be found at www.lasvegasdirttrack.com.
ABOUT THE DIRT TRACK AT LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY
The Dirt Track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway is one of the hidden gems on the speedway’s 1,000-acre property. The half-mile oval hosts a variety of races, including the Karl Chevrolet Duel in the Desert and has become a fan-favorite among dirt track racing enthusiasts. The world-class half-mile groomed clay oval is banked at approximately 10 degrees. The infield measures 780feet by 375 feet and is available for excavation up to six feet deep. The facility includes two enclosed suites accessible by elevator and permanent restroom facilities. The adjacent paddock area is lighted and measures 500,000 square feet.
ABOUT XR
Founded in 2003, XR is a marketing and multimedia firm based in Silver Bay, Minnesota. XR focuses on the racing industry, producing high-impact events and streaming broadcasts.
To learn more about XR, visit: www.racexr.com.
Connect with XR on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
