BRONSON MAKES IT 2 IN A ROW WITH FRIDAY SUNSHINE NATIONALS WIN

              DeLEON SPRINGS, FL – Kyle Bronson of Brandon, FL drove the Brandon Ford Rocket to his second straight win on Friday night in the 25-lap Sunshine Nationals main event for the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series and the DIRTcar Pro Late Models at Volusia Speedway Park.

              Bronson took the lead on lap five and never looked back to collect the $2,000 top prize and another Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Golden Helmet Trophy to add to his collection. Bronson picked up the $1,500-to-win Sunshine Nationals race on Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

              The lead change came on lap five as Bronson dove to the inside of early race leader Jadon Frame of Decherd, TN in turn one. The two front runners made contact in turn two and Frame’s Denby’s J&J Construction Capital Race Car made a hard right turn and made heavy contact with the wall. Frame was uninjured, but he was done for the night.

              “I hate what happened with Frame up in turn two, as we were just two good cars racing hard for the lead and we got together,” Bronson said. “Once we got in the lead, we just tried to maintain what we had, and save a little for the end if we needed it.”

              On Saturday night, Bronson and the rest of the field will race for $10,000-to-win in a 30-lap main event for the finale of the Sunshine Nationals. Bronson has had past success in $10,000-to-win races with the Crate Racin’ USA, as he has six wins that include three Chevrolet Performance World Championship Races, two Southern 100 wins, and a Possum Town Grand Prix win.

              Randy Weaver of Crossville, TN finished second for the second straight night in the B&M Concrete CVR and Max Blair of Centerville, PA was third for the second straight night in the Murphy’s Logging Rocket. The defending Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series National Champion Jake Knowles of Rome, GA took the fourth spot in the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Longhorn.

              Nevin Gainey of Fort White, FL finished fifth in the Kryptonite Race Cars Special and Trever Taylor of Zellwood, FL drove the Envy Suspension Snow Brothers to a sixth-place finish. Corey Almond of Appomattox, VA was seventh in the AA Contractors Longhorn and Brandon Williams of Crossville, TN took the eighth spot in the Jeff Woods Construction Capital.

              The ninth spot went to Trynt Lloyd of Jacksonville, FL in the Tom Kelly Construction Longhorn and Devin Dixon of Apollo Beach, FL rounded out the top ten in the CURS Capital. Todd Cooney of Pleasant Hill, IA started 24th in the Spangler Automotive Mastersbilt and finished 11th to earn the Knowles Race Parts and Bodies Hard Charger Award.

              In preliminary action, Bronson was the Pace Performance Quick Time winner with a lap around the half-mile clay oval in 17.058 seconds. The four eight-lap heat races were won by Bronson, Mark Whitener of Middleburg, FL in the ULC Motorsports Barry Wright, Knowles, and Walker Arthur of Forest, VA in the Cecil B. Arthur Beef Farms Kryptonite. The two ten-lap B-Main races were won by Jeff Mathews of Brandon, FL in the CURS Rocket and Dixon.

              Knowles took the lead at the start of the race from the pole position followed by Whitener, Bronson, Frame, and Blair. Frame made a big move from fourth to the lead on lap two, bringing Bronson with him up into second.

              The first of five caution flags came out on lap five when Dillon Brown of Gaffney, SC hit the fourth turn wall in the Cherokee Landscaping Longhorn. Frame led Bronson, Knowles, Whitener, Arthur, Blair, Michael Page of Douglasville, GA in the Troy Beard Racing Mastersbilt, Almond, Williams, and Weaver in the top ten double up behind him for the restart.

              Bronson dove for the inside of turn one on the restart to challenge Frame for the lead. The two leaders raced into turn two side-by-side when Frame on the outside veered to the wall, made hard contact, and brought the caution flag back out.

              Blair made a big move on the next restart coming from fifth to third. Bronson had his car on kill, as he opened up a full straightaway lead by lap ten. The yellow caution bulb was lit up for the third time on lap 11 when Clay Harris of Jupiter, FL stalled the Dunnrite Construction Rocket on the backstretch.

              The field raced for one more lap when Page gave up the seventh spot when he stalled on the backstretch to bring out the fourth caution flag. Bronson had Knowles, Blair, Arthur, Weaver, Gainey, Taylor, David Whitener of Middleburg, FL in the ULC Motorsports Barry Wright, and Dixon doubled up behind him for the restart. Blair and Weaver got by Knowles on the restart to take over second and third respectively.

              Blair and Weaver battled for the second spot while Bronson pulled away. On lap 15, Bronson had a two second lead on Weaver, but that went away on lap 18 when Mark Whitener spun in turn two. Bronson led Weaver, Blair, Knowles, Gainey, Taylor, Almond, Dixon, David Whitener, and Jamie Carter of Clayhill, FL in the DMT Trucking Barry Wright down for the restart.

              Weaver was reeling in Bronson during the closing laps but Bronson sealed the deal when Weaver jumped the cushion in turn four on lap 24. Bronson had a 1.260 second margin of victory at the checkered flag. Night three of the Sunshine Nationals will be on Saturday night with the Newsome Raceway Park Crate Racin’ USA/DIRTcar Pro Late Models running for $10,000-to-win.

            For more information and rules about the Newsome Raceway Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, visit the series web site atwww.crateracinusa.com, or visit the series on Facebook at Durrence Layne Racing. You can follow us on Twitter @DurrenceLayneRacing. 

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ROUND 3 OF THE WINTER SHOOTOUT SERIES AT VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK IN DeLEON SPRINGS, FL ON 1/17/20:

POS      STRT   CAR #  DRIVER                            HOMETOWN                  LAPS    
1.           3            40b       Kyle Bronson                   Brandon, FL                     25
2.           9            116       Randy Weaver                Crossville, TN                  25
3.           6            111       Max Blair                         Centerville, PA                25
4.           1            66          Jake Knowles                  Rome, GA                         25
5.           12          17          Nevin Gainey                   Fort White, FL                25
6.           14          7t          Trever Taylor                 Zellwood, FL                    25
7.           10          7a          Corey Almond                 Appomattox, VA             25
8.           5            95          Brandon Williams          Crossville, TN                  25
9.           11          2            Trynt Lloyd                      Jacksonville, FL                             25
10.         22          313       Devin Dixon                     Apollo Beach, FL            25
11.         24          30          Todd Cooney                    Pleasant Hill, IA                             25
12.         16          5w         David Whitener               Middleburg, FL               25
13.         13          38          Jamie Carter                   Clayhill, FL                      25
14.         19          14b       John Baker                       Norman Park, GA          25
15.         25          11          Cruz Skinner                   Oxford, AL                       25
16.         21          33          Jeff Mathews                   Brandon, FL                     25
17.         26          7            Jason Fitzgerald                            Middleburg, FL               25
18.         8            87          Walker Arthur                Forest, VA                        25
19.         23          38p       Trey Pearson                   Callahan, FL                    25
20.         17          71          Pierce McCarter                            Gatlinburg, TN                25
21.         15          84          Sam Halstead                   Newlondon, IA                 18
22.         2            5            Mark Whitener               Middleburg, FL               17
23.         20          6            Dillon Brown                    Gaffney, SC                      16
24.         7            18x       Michael Page                   Douglasville, GA             11
25.         18          6h          Clay Harris                      Jupiter, FL                       9
26.         4            J8          Jason Frame                    Decherd, TN                     4

ENTRIES: 43
PACE PERFORMANCE QUICK TIME:   Bronson, 17.058 Seconds
PROVISIONALS: Skinner and Fitzgerald
LEAD CHANGES: 2
LAP LEADERS: Knowles, 1; Frame, 2-4; Bronson, 5-25
LAPS LED: Bronson, 21; Frame, 3; Knowles, 1
KNOWLES RACE PARTS HARD CHARGER: Cooney (started 24th and finished 11th)
KRC POWER STEERING HEAT RACE WINNERS: Bronson, Mark Whitener, Jake Knowles, and Arthur
CAUTIONS: 5
MARGIN OF VICTORY: 1.260 Seconds
TIME OF THE RACE: 30 Minutes and 26.900 Seconds
NEXT RACE: 1/18/20, Volusia Speedway Park, DeLeon, Springs, FL, $10,000-to-win