SALISBURY, N.C. – Landon Rapp vowed to come back for redemption after a lackluster performance on championship night at Millbridge Speedway one week ago, and he kept that promise with a dominant performance on Tuesday.
Rapp led the list of feature winners during the opening night of racing for the inaugural Keith Kunz Motorsports Giveback Classic presented by Toyota Racing Development, starting from the pole in the Bundy Built Intermediate division and leading all 20 laps en route to his second win of the season.
The reigning Bandolero Bandits national champion is in the midst of a transition to more dirt-track racing, and his quick progress shone through by virtue of the speed in his No. 28 entry over the course of the program.
Rapp timed in seventh during qualifying, but won his heat before dominating the main event.
“We had this thing figured out a couple of weeks ago, but lost it and lost all our speed last Wednesday,” said Rapp in victory lane. “It took us a little bit, but we figured it out again and tonight felt just like that first win. It just took a couple of adjustments to get right back to where we were.
“I knew in my heat race they got to my bumper, so I wasn’t sure, but I just stayed on my toes the whole time and it turned out there was no one behind me.”
Rapp endured three restarts before parking in victory lane, the first of which came after just one lap when Gray Leadbetter spun in turn four. The second was with eight circuits scored after Gavan Boschele spun in turn two while racing for second with Laci Ferno and the final yellow waved at halfway for an incident involving Boschele and Trevor Cline in the fourth corner.
Ferno hung on to the runner-up spot, notching her career-best finish at Millbridge, followed by class champion Caden Kvapil, Mariah Ede and Matt Francis.
A twist in the 20-lap QRC Box Stock division main event saw class newcomer Chubbs Shockley cross under the checkered flag first, more than four seconds ahead of second-place finisher Biscuit Williams, only to lose the race during post-race technical inspection.
Shockley took the race lead from Will Boprey on a lap nine restart and never looked back, but when his No. 048 was disqualified for a carburetor issue, Williams inherited his fifth win of the year.
Class champion Sam Corry originally completed the podium in third, but was elevated to second ahead of Boprey, Colt Currie and Nathan Meendering.
Two cautions slowed the action – one at lap two for a spinning Kynzer Flynn in the fourth corner and a second on lap eight that set up the race’s final restart.
In Simpson Beginner Box Stock action, Brody Snyder capped off an incredible late-season run with his fourth consecutive victory in the class, completing a perfect run through the month of October.
Snyder started from the pole but had to rally back past a hard-charging Max Reaves, who led the opening lap before Snyder took command out front.
After that, Snyder weathered a lap three caution and paced the final 14 laps for his fifth win of the season over Reaves, track champion Coen McDaniel, Cooper Reynolds and Jaxon Merrifield.
Snyder’s wing, which is decaled with a No. 41 in memory of the late Jason Johnson, will be presented to Bobbi and Jaxx Johnson at The Dirt Track at Charlotte during the World Finals this weekend.
“This means so much to us,” said an emotional Tim Snyder, Brody’s father. “A lot of work has gone into this and this kid has done a hell of a job. The past two months have just clicked with him and I can’t believe it. This is so cool.”
The KKM Giveback Classic concludes Wednesday with heat racing and mains for the Open division.
For complete race results, advance to the next page.
