Adams Captures First Win of Season 2 during a Thriller at Echo-Park
If Race #4 at Echo-Park Speedway proved anything, it is that speed alone isn't enough—you need strategy, survival instincts, and a little help from your friends. In a 98-lap contest that extended into Overtime, the fans witnessed 16 lead changes, 5 cautions, and a finish that came down to a perfect partnership on the final restart.
Here is the recap of a wild night at the rapid 1.5-mile oval.
Strategy Splits and Early Chaos
The night began with the #66 of Donald Kight claiming the PRS Pole Award. Kight launched to a rocket start but immediately opted for a strategic play, dropping to the back of the pack to draft with his JuicySpydr (JS) teammates. This shook up the field early, leaving Terry Vincent to lead the charge at the front.
The calm didn't last long. On Lap 7, an incident involving the #41 of Spencer Moody brought out the first yellow flag. This sparked a massive strategy split:
The Fuel Savers: A large group pitted to top off, cycling to the rear.
The Aggressors: Terry Vincent, Andy Lewis, Bryce Keegan, Bubba Meyers, Austin Hobert, and Jarett Bolton stayed out.
The Breakaway and The Pit Road Blunder
On the restart, the cars that stayed out got straight to business. Vincent, Lewis, Keegan, and Hobert managed to snap the draft, building a gap of over 5 seconds on the main pack. While the leaders ran clean, chaos brewed behind them as Spencer Moody and Josh Adams made contact, breaking up the momentum of the trailing pack.
Up front, the youngster Bryce Keegan teamed up with Austin Hobert to wrestle the lead away from Vincent. The race then turned on the green-flag pit cycle.
The Horseshoe Motorsports crew (Lewis, Vincent, Meyers, and Bolton) were the first to dive onto pit road. Disaster struck as the team endured a terrible round of stops, bleeding ample time to the field. As the cycle concluded, Keegan found himself alone ahead of a thundering pack. However, a caution flew shortly after the cycle, erasing Keegan's gap and resetting the field for a 40-lap shootout.
The Shootout: Horseshoe vs. JuicySpydr
The final stint turned into a tale of two lines. Andy Lewis and Terry Vincent commanded the bottom lane, engaged in a furious battle against the charging JS crew of Nick Hapiak, Jared Skinner, and pole-sitter Kight on the high side.
The intensity ramped up, and the cautions bred attrition. The Horseshoe team suffered late heartbreak as contenders Terry Vincent and Bubba Meyers were caught in late-race wrecks, eliminating them from the hunt.
Overtime: Adams and Skinner Lock It Down
The race went into Overtime, setting up one final, breathless restart. The front row was locked out by Josh Adams (#26) and Jared Skinner (#7), with Lewis and Keegan lurking in the second row.
When the green dropped, Adams and Skinner executed a masterclass in teamwork. They cleared the field, and working flawlessly together, Skinner pushed Adams clear of the chaos behind. Josh Adams crossed the line to claim his first victory of the season, capping off a rebound performance after his mid-race contact.
Official Race Results
Josh Adams #26 – Race Winner
Bryce Keegan #21 – Most Laps Led
Jared Skinner #7
Andy Lewis #98
Nick Hapiak #06
Spencer Moody #41
Christopher Hodges #71
Brian Marshall #94
Terry Vincent #1
Donald Kight #66 – PRS Pole Award Winner
Hunter Senior #33
Austin Hobert #51
Craig Martin #22 – Fastest Lap Award
Jarett Bolton #24
Justin Fisher #2
Brett Meyers #8
Ryan Castleberry #23
Championship Update: The Field Tightens
With his victory at Echo-Park, Josh Adams has vaulted into a tie for 2nd place, significantly closing the gap to points leader Nick Hapiak. Hapiak remains consistent at the top, but his lead has shrunk to single digits (9 points).
Big Movers:
Bryce Keegan (+5): After his runner-up finish and leading the most laps, Keegan rockets up 5 spots to tie for 11th.
Andy Lewis (+3): A solid top-5 run moves him into the Championship 4 picture.
Colin Guyer (-7): A tough week sees Guyer plummet down the order to 16th.
Driver Standings (After Race 4)
The Championship Fight
Nicholas Hapiak — 187 pts
Joshua L Adams — 178 pts (-9) [+1]
Jared Skinner — 178 pts (-9)
Andrew Lewis — 166 pts (-21) [+3]
Christopher Hodges — 159 pts (-28) [-1]
The Chasing Pack 6. Austin Hobert — 155 pts (-32) [-1] 7. Donald Kight — 154 pts (-33) [+1] 8. Craig Martin — 153 pts (-34) [-2] 9. Kelly Moody — 138 pts (-49) [+2] 10. Jarett Bolton — 137 pts (-50)
In the Hunt 11. Justin Fisher — 118 pts (-69) [+1] 11. Bryce Keegan — 118 pts (-69) [+5] 13. Brett Meyers — 115 pts (-72) 14. Terry Vincent — 113 pts (-74) [+1] 15. Hunter Senior — 109 pts (-78) [-1] 16. Colin Guyer — 107 pts (-80) [-7]
Rounding Out the Field 17. Ryan Castleberry — 63 pts (-124) [+3] 18. Jaymin Bernhardt — 53 pts (-134) [-1] 19. Patrick O'Toole — 52 pts (-135) [-1] 20. Michael Prince — 48 pts (-139) [-1] 21. Brian N Marshall — 38 pts (-149) 22. Tyler Smith — 37 pts (-150) [-2]
