AUDIO/RECAP: Monday Breakthrough; Jeff Ward Scores Maiden Full Throttle Cup Win at Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas — Recap and photo by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — LSRTV audio —

After several dominating Wednesday night performances and hard luck when it mattered on Monday nights, Steel Horse Racing’s Jeff Ward finally broke through to Gatorade Victory Lane in the =RSR= Full Throttle Cup Series.

Ward took the lead for the final time on a restart with 21 laps to go in Monday night’s Lone Star 300k and survived a furious charge from Stroker Aces driver Nathan Little to grab his first career series victory and etch his name solidly onto the Chase Grid after seven races.

“I’m pretty pumped up about this,” said Ward, who scored his first career FTCS pole prior to the start of the race and led a total of 102 of the 125 laps on the night. “That was a wild race. It’s kind of bittersweet — I never like to drive a guy [like I did tonight] but I wasn’t gonna give it up. I was on two tires, battling as hard as I could, and I know Nathan was up to my quarter-panel a couple of times — I never was going to come down all the way on him but I did pinch him down there at the end.”

“I’m sure he owes me one now [and I’ll be ready for it], but it’s sweet to be in victory lane.”

The race’s final stint was set up by a lap 107 caution where Nick Silver spun at the exit of turn two, pounded the inside wall and bounced back into traffic — where he was T-boned by the No. 96 of Mitch Rollo, ending both drivers’ nights. The caution allowed a fading Little a chance to rebound and grab hold of one final shot at the victory.

That shot was not to be, however, despite a thrilling duel between the two drivers over the final 14 laps.

Little ultimately finished second after slapping the wall coming to the checkered flag and holding off a duck to the inside from his teammate Eric Brundies — but the =RSR= veteran was far more incensed by the four blocks that Ward threw on his No. 41 Chevrolet in the closing stages of Monday’s event.

“I feel like I’ve been due for a while and I feel like I race these guys pretty clean. I’m not a hard-nosed driver by any means,” a dejected Nathan Little said following the event. “[Unfortunately], it looks like I’m going to have to be in order to win one of these things. These guys sure don’t care — they’ll take your freaking nose off. I’m a little hot [over this one].”

“All in all, Jeff had the fastest car all night, but it would have been nice if he had shown us a little bit of respect there when we’re both racing for the win. I understand — it’s racing for the win and racing hard — but it’s just tough. It was fun though. I know we put on a good show at least.”

Brundies was scored third at the final flag, 0.017 seconds behind Little, with series points leader Dwayne Vincent and his One Up Motorsports teammate Adam Benefiel rounding out the top five at the finish.

C.J. LaVair came home sixth for The Wolfpack, while Chad Coleman impressed in a substitute role for David Lanza by finishing seventh. David Comstock, Kyle Taraska and Thomas George completed the top ten.

All-time series wins leader Chad Cole, who took the lead at lap 82 during a caution-interrupted cycle of green flag pit stops and led eight laps in the second half of Monday’s race, faded to 11th at the checkered flag — while RCO-Boomtown Sim pilot Corbin Himstreet took the lead on a no-tire gamble with 24 laps to go and ultimately finished 17th.

In total, the race was slowed by caution seven times for 29 laps and saw six lead changes between five different drivers.

The =RSR= Full Throttle Cup Series returns to action next for round eight of the 2015 season, the Thunder Valley 200 from Bristol Motor Speedway — and with new rivalries and old fires ready to rekindle, could a rematch of Ward v. Little be born?

Tune in to LSRTV at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on Monday, April 20 and find out.

Audio with race winner Jeff Ward: