Southern hosts action-packed Mid-Season Championships

EAST MILTON — Lane Heaton and Adam Ellison battled for every inch they could get in the 20-lap pure stock feature July 13 at Southern Raceway. Heaton managed to get just enough room to power his way past the leader off turn two to take control.

The pair were nose-to-tail the remainder of the feature with Heaton holding on for the win. John Bryant, Josh Howell and Tally Warrick rounded out the top five.

Aleck Alford and Ricky Haugen took the opportunity to play Let’s Make a Deal with track owner/promoter Tom Lowery. Alford rolled the dice to see how many cars in the feature would have to be inverted. His roll of 12 resulted in the entire field being flipped and he had to start at the tail end of the field, taking a little time to find the front.

Gueston Rogers led until Kraig Crossley took control in lap five. Ricky Haugen worked his way from the back.

Haugen and Crossley ran nose to tail until lap 19 when Haugen was spun by Crossley. Their cars made contact, leading to both drivers being sent off the track. Alford took the checkered flag, joined by Rogers, JD Fuqua, Tommy Gilmore and Don Hall in the top five.

In the Durrence Layne Street Stock, Dylan Hamilton held off several challenges by Mike Lane, who ended up second. Calvin Cook came home third, followed by Howie Reeves and Landen Jackson.

In the open wheeled modifieds, Osman Jones was on the pole by virtue of being the points leader, but as the cars approached the green flag they were three wide, with Jones between Joey Moxley and Ryan Fowler.

Fowler took the lead and held on until he started having car issues and surrendered the lead to Joey Moxley on lap 10. Moxley cruised to victory, followed by Joseph Phillips, Jones, Fowler, and Eli Williams.

The Stinger division saw Brandin Sidner visit victory lane for the first time. His dad, Steve Sidner, took off from the pole and looked like he was going to run away from the field until lap 13 when Eddie Queysen motored past for the lead.

While Queysen took the lead Brandin Sidner started to pick off the cars in from of him one by one until a caution came out on lap 18 to set up a two-lap shootout.

Brandin Sidner used the final to laps to work his way around Queysen for the win and his first ever at Southern Raceway.

Justin Baker finished third, followed by Brandon Kilpatrick and Jonathan Thompson.

In the 602 Sportsman, Colton Leyendecker worked his way through the field for the trip to victory lane, with Todd Jones, Kevin Mitchell, JC Wilson, and Matt Chavers in the top five.

This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Southern hosts action-packed Mid-Season Championships