Charlie Rose showed guts and determination in winning his second feature race of the season, a trial in which he spent 21 laps battling it out with Late Model champ, Scott Estrella. The first seven were to climb out of second and replace Estrella in the lead, then another fourteen holding the champ at bay to the finish line. The final lap saw him concerned as Nick Johnson slashed his way past Estrella to take a good look at Charlie. But Rose was determined and held them both off for the trip to Victory Lane. The plucky Johnson finished second with Estrella on his low side, doing everything he could to prevent the pass. Gerry DeGasparre, Jr. roared in for fourth with Ryan Kuhn completing the top five.
Rose waited in fifth for polesitter Nick Uhrig and outside polesitter Estrella to start things off, and at the green, the champ leapt off the outside into the lead taking final command out of turn two. Estrella showed that he meant business, immediately generating a five-car lead on lap two as Kuhn came past Uhrig and Rose looking under Uhrig for the pass. He made it good and Uhrig’s teammate Ryan Lineham now looked to move him back one more. Lineham went to fourth behind Rose while Uhrig then fell prey to a fast-rising Nick Johnson.
By lap six, Estrella was motoring along in front with Kuhn trying to close the gap and DeGasparre in pursuit with Johnson at his back. But it all was pulled back together as Austin Blais took a spin to the high side of the track at the end of the backstretch.
Estrella and Kuhn lined for the restart and they went door-to-door over the stripe. They disputed the lead through lap 6 until Estrella took a nose in turn two of lap seven. It wasn’t until they crossed the stripe into lap 8 that Dylan was able to command the front. But now Rose had bridged up and was getting by under Kuhn for second while Johnson was working his way under Uhrig. Estrella was building a significant lead. At the lap 15 midpoint of the feature, Estrella’s lead over Rrose was eight carlengths. Charlie was dealing with Johnson on his bumper followed by Uhrig who had Kuhn filling his mirror. DeGasparre and Jeramme Lillie were wheel-to-wheel behind them in a brawl, back-and-forth for position.
But Chad Rose and Dan Johnson made contact, tearing the rear loose on Chad’s car and Johnson finding himself against the wall. Rose was able to make it to the pits under power while Dan had to be pushed off the wall by hand and then pushed pitside by the wrecker.
Now, Estrella and Rose made up the front row for the restart with Nick Johnson and Uhrig behind them. Kuhn and Lillie were row three. Estrella grabbed an edge over the stripe but Rose came back and they went door-to-door into turn two. Charlie got his nose ahead in turn three but was loose in turn four and they crossed the line in a dead heat. They brawled it out, side-by-side and Rose began to edge up. He had a half car after two laps into lap 22 but by lap 24, he was 90 percent past. It remained that way for another lap until Estrella was loose in turn two and Charlie had the front to himself on lap 27. Johnson was third with DeGasparre on his bumper and Kuhn in fifth. Vinny Arrenegado had gotten past Uhrig for sixth.
Estrella was loose again, allowing Johnson to come alongside in the second groove. As Rose led unmolested, Estrella and Johnson battled for second with DeGasparre in fourth seeking any sort of opportunity. The opportunity was for Johnson who managed to squeeze his nose ahead coming to the line. As Rose claimed the checkers, Johnson stole second from Estrella by .042 seconds with DeGasparre fourth just ahead of Kuhn.
Arrenegado registered sixth with Blais seventh followed by Lineham, Lillie, Branden Dion and Jake Johnson.
LATE MODELS
ROSE WINS 21 LAP BRAWL WITH DEFENDING CHAMP ESTRELLA