Connor Souza made an opening-lap pass just before a first-lap spin sent the field back for a race restart. But that pass moved him from outside the second row to outside pole opposite Maddie Harkin. On the green, Harkin bogged and was experiencing power loss which sent her backwards through the field. Souza acquired Mason Tessier on his back bumper as Evan Marchand got under Tyler Tomassi to debate third place. Brittany Campbell, Zachary Martinez and Wesley Heard pursued.
Through the second circuit the field strung out but the order tightened up and lap three saw Souza, Tessier and Marchand running nose-to-tail, with a short space, then Tomassi, Capbell and Martinez running close order behind them. By lap 4, points leader Marchand was all over Souza’s bumper, looking for any opportunity.
Martinez suddenly found himself sideways in turn four. He was able to save it, but caution had already flown and the field regrouped. Souza bounced out of the box ahead of Tessier and Marchand went underneath into second. Campbell drove in underneath, as Tessier found himself on the outside freight train going backwards. His slide took him all the way back to fifth before he could recover.
This gave little relief to Souza, as now Marchand was insistently trying to take over the lead and Campbell and Martinez followed. Tomassi was fifth, followed by Tessier and Harkin. Campbell pulled in to harrass Marchand’s rear bumper.
Souza took the next two laps to manufacture a one-car lead, but Marchand and Campbell roared back up. It became a seesaw battle, pitching and yawing over each driver’s best spot on the track, but the order remained the same.
It seemed that the trio would assault each other all the way to the checkers, but Marchand suddenly shot uptrack from the low side of turn four into heavy contact with Campbell. Tomassi spun to avoid. He was dead in the water, but a push-start got him moving again. It was, however, an evening-ender for Marchand.
Tessier moved back to third for the restart as Souza and Tomassi paired off at the front. Harkin restarted fourth. Souza wasted no time and ran to the front out of the box. Tomassi and Tessier got in some paint-trading down the front before Tessier assumed second once again. Campbell came around Tomassi into third.
The final lap was a mad dash to the checkers with the field single file and positions remaining unchanged. At the stripe, it was Souza flashing under the checkers for his second win on the season. Tessier rushed home in the runnerup spot, followed by Campbell, Tomassi, Wesley Heard and Hankin, the last car running.