Roberson Flourishes at Home Track for First AAS Touring Victory
Forty-one of America's Best Pro Late Models signed in for The Bridge 56 as the All-Stars helped Natural Bridge Speedway celebrate it's 56th year in operation. It was a beautiful evening as cars from all over the southeast converged to do battle for the big money.
BHR Fabrication Qualifying saw Ricky Greene go out early and set the overall fast time of the night with a time of 16.716. Cody Overton would go second in Group A with a time of 16.728 and Logan Roberson would go third fastest in Group A with a time of 16.755. Group B saw Jeremy Steele set the quickest time at a 16.788 and Jordan Hedger take the second fastest time in Group B at a 16.803 while points leader Josh Dietz went third fastest in the group at a 16.823.
The Race Track Connection Dash was an exciting one with Jeremy Steele picking up the win and Logan Roberson going from fifth to second while Ricky Greene brought it home third. Dirt2Media Heat One went to Dillon Brown over two local hot shoes in Tyler Bare and Corey Almond. Outside Groove Heat 2 was won by Justin Williams over Philip Thompson and Jesse Quick. FMS Rapid Graphix Heat Three was taken by Jesse Lowe over Seth Wimpey and Justin Hudspeth. PPM Racing Products Heat 4 would be won by Kendal Tucker taking the win over Dalton Jacobs and Samuel Bryant. The ATC Bolts & Fasterners Bmains went to Henry Hornsby III over BJ Mongold and Cole Apple took the win over Matt Hildebrand after starting last in his heat race and taking the last transfer spot.
With the field set, the All-Stars were ready to battle it out for 56 laps. Jeremy Steele jumped out to the early lead after a couple spins on the opening laps to get things kicked off. Steele looked to have the car to beat and then the lapped traffic came. The lapped cars were doing a good job of holding their lines as Steele jumped to the outside to track to make the pass on one of the lapped cars Roberson saw the gap on the bottom and went for it taking the lead while they battled it out in the lapped traffic. One more spin occurred a few laps later, but All-Stars came to race! Racing resumed and Roberson now became the first car to get to lapped traffic in the meantime Overton had worked his way to second. Roberson was doing a great job navigating lapped traffic until he got to Duke Lowe. Lowe was holding a pretty wheel, but in doing so it was holding Roberson back. Overton got right to Roberson, but he was eventually able to work his way around Lowe and pull back out. Roberson would go on to pick up the win and it was the first time he went to AAS Touring victory lane! Cody Overton would take second with seventh place starter Dillon Brown bring it home in third. Fourth went to Justin Williams while Jeremy Steele held on for fifth. Jesse Lowe battled to sixth while fast time driver Ricky Greene drove it home seventh. Josh Dietz, Jordan Hedger, and Tyler Bare rounded out the top ten.
The AAS would like to thank Natural Bridge for being great hosts as always, as well as, all the drivers, teams, and fans who supported the event!
We'd also like to thank all the partners who make it possible: Dirt2Media, PPM Racing Products, Rick Hendrick City Chevrolet, Chevrolet Performance: Vehicles, Parts, Racing, Pro Fabrication "Official Header of the AAS," Mahle, Super Clean "Official Cleaner of the AAS," Outside Groove, FMS Rapid Graphix, Race Track Connection, Beckley Motor Speedway, O'Reilly Auto Parts "Official Auto Parts Store of the AAS," Smash-It by BWR, American Racer, Wieland "Official Aluminum of the AAS," BHR Fabrication and Double Nickle Race Cars, Fast Lane Fabrication, Warrior Race Cars, WV Fireworks Outlet, TNT Race Cars, KRC Power Steering, Peeping Dragon Photography, Terror Race Cars, ATC Bolts and Fasteners, PopBit, MD3, Hyperco, Burgess Consulting, ML Performance Midwest, Massey Powersports, and Fast Fab.