Rain did not deter any racers at Southern Raceway on Saturday; it just delayed them in getting to victory lane.
Justin Galbreath survived a long race in the Gulf Coast Racing featuring of the open wheel modifieds to take the checkers on Saturday night.
After misfortune took out early race leaders Joey Bartlett and Christopher Rutherford, it was Galbreath taking the lead and not looking back.
Galbreath held off Jason Barnhill and Tyler Allen who finished second and third respectively.
Rounding out the top five were Brandon Kilpatrick and Scott Session.
In the earlier heat races it was Barnhill who edged Galbreath in race two while Rutherford held off Josh Goodwin in heat one of the open wheel modifieds.
In the pure stock division Joshua Howell and Jessica Donaldson led the race early, but soon the combination of Donald and Jason Hardy moved up from row three to take the early lead.
Donald Hardy suffered some misfortune just before the halfway point of the race and gave the lead to Denny Albee who took the checkered flag, but the night belonged to Bubba Fletcher.
Fletcher, who went down one lap early in the race, battled his way to hold a top three position on a restart near lap 10.
In less than two laps Fletcher took advantage of a Donald Hardy going high to get past the leader.
Fletcher not only got his lap back but charged through the field to finish third in the feature just behind Howell in second.
The pure stock heat races earlier in the night saw Donaldson take race one, Howell win race two, and Fletcher dominate race three.
Until Saturday night fans were used to seeing Josh Ward dominating the races, but he did not participate in Saturday’s action.
Back on April 3, Ward was disqualified in technical inspection for a part that was found to be illegal.
Ward challenged the disqualification and learned the part he had ordered for his car was legal, but the part did not match the measurements offered by the manufacturer.
After his successful challenge, Ward was moved to last place on the lead lap.
The final feature of Saturday night saw Bo Bailey lap almost the entire field in the NeSmith Street Stock division.
Bailey who won the night’s earlier heat race took advantage of Mike Lane’s absence as he took the checkered flag less than a second after the third place driver, Fletcher, took the white flag for his last lap.
Fletcher along with Donaldson and Howell got the opportunity to race with the Street Stocks after their finish in the Pure Stock division event.
Southern Raceway will have racing action this Saturday, May 2, with feature and head racing in all classes as well as a six pack shootout in the Pure Stock and NeSmith Street Stock divisions.
A Six-Pack Shootout is where the top six finishers get to run an additional winner take all dash for the cash after their feature race.
Also on May 9th, spectators can meet Southern Raceway drivers as well as enjoy a $5 Mothers Day special ticket price.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Galbreth wins Open Wheel Modified feature at Southern Raceway