After the red flag was lifted, the next restart saw Lee briefly get the better of Fogleman, leading lap 37 by a nose on the outside lane before Fogleman powered back ahead and brought Matt Craig with him into second. Before any rhythm could be established, though, another multi-car accident drew the third yellow flag of the night on the 41st round.
Craig used a power move on the next restart to assume control of the race’s middle section, holding his No. 54 almost wide open through turns one and two to sail around Fogleman and to the lead when the green flag waved again. The two-time defending PASS South champion then led the next 20 laps in succession before a spinning Derek Griffith in turn two forced the fourth caution of the night.
Peltier’s charge forward began at that point. Having worked his way from 10th to third, Peltier snuck to the outside of Craig for the runner-up spot on the restart at lap 62 and finally edged ahead five laps later, just moments before the caution flew for debris in turn two from Harold Fair Jr.’s wounded car.
From there, all it took was one more restart on lap 68 before Peltier was in front to stay.
Though he had to weather three more cautions from the time he took the lead, including two inside the final 20 laps, Peltier had the field’s number and rocketed away each time en route to the victory.
Lee had one final shot at Peltier after the last restart – nudging him up off the bottom in turn three coming to nine to go – but Peltier was able to recover and from there, Lee’s fate was sealed.
“He had just a little bit on me when it came to drive off (the corners),” lamented Lee. “We were better than he was from the entry to the center, but up off, he could just make more speed than I could and I couldn’t make that gap up once he built it on those late restarts.”
“It was a great car; we just didn’t have quite enough. For my first time in a super (late model) in two years, though, I’m really happy with a second. We’ll take it.”
Brandon Setzer completed the podium after starting 20th, making a late pass of DJ Shaw, who had to come out of the first last chance qualifier but rallied through the field from 21st to finish fourth.
Jeff Fultz completed the top five. Only 18 of the 32 starters made it to the checkered flag in a race of attrition that was slowed eight different times by caution flags.
The finish:
Preston Peltier, Shane Lee, Brandon Setzer, DJ Shaw, Jeff Fultz, Garrett Hall, Matt Craig, Derek Griffith, Trevor Noles, Ben Rowe, Tate Fogleman, JP Josiasse, Gabe Brown, Bryan Kruczek, Travis Stearns, Lonnie Sommerville, Jody Measamer, Sammy Gooden, Nicholas Naugle, Jerick Johnson, Derek Ramstrom, Corey Heim, Roy Hayes III, Joe Squeglia Jr., Kodie Conner, Harold Fair Jr., Tyler Church, Jeff Batten, Wyatt Alexander, Gracie Trotter, Jimmy Renfrew, Bubba Pollard.
