It doesn’t matter what kind of car David Breazeale brings to the track. He’s a favorite to win wherever he goes.
Breazeale debuted a new Rocket XR-1 car Saturday for the Mississippi State Championship Challenge Series Super Late Model race at Magnolia Motor Speedway. He had one testing session Friday and didn’t make any significant adjustments before Saturday’s feature.
Breazeale then led all but four laps en route to his second State Series win this month and fourth this season, which is the most of any driver on the series.
“They’re (Rockets) fast across the country,” Breazeale said. “My sponsor even wanted to try one. He got it and wanted us to try it and see what all the fuss is about.
“We didn’t do any adjustments to this one. It’s still got a lot of speed left in it. We just got to figure out what it wants.”
Breazeale won his other three State Series races this year in a Barry Wright car, including a feature at Columbus Speedway three weeks ago.
“This Rocket is a niece piece,” Breazeale said, “but we also have a good piece back at the house.”
Like the State Series race at Columbus Speedway, Breazeale drove the highest possible line and led most of the laps, while Dane Dacus and Brian Rickman experimented with the middle and bottom to try and pass him. However, unlike the Aug. 4 race at The Bullring, when Rickman’s last-lap charge to overtake Breazeale fell short at the flag, the New Hope native — who also drives a Rocket XR-1 — passed Breazeale and pulled away for a brief spell.
“I was right there with him trying different lanes but couldn’t get clear enough in front of him,” Rickman said. “I know David’s clean and we’ve raced a lot, and I knew if I could get in front of him, he’d give me enough room and not stick me in the wall. I fired up real good with him and had a good re-start.”
But the pass on lap 21 was short lived, as Rickman ended up in the wall off turn four after a fan blade broke and gutted his radiator. Rickman finished 15th. Dacus finished second and Spencer Hughes took third.
“It got water on the wheels and I couldn’t turn it,” Rickman said. “It’s just one of those mechanical failures that happens.
“I thought David and me were going to put on a good race.”
Breazeale said he spun his tires on the re-start after getting in the black and was ready to “run for second” because Rickman had a dominant car.
“It’s pretty treacherous up on the high side, especially when it gets close to the concrete for 50 laps like that,” Breazeale said. “We had a good car tonight, and it was real easy to drive. You just had to be really precise hitting your marks in the corners. If you didn’t, you’d end up in the wall.”
Rickman drove his brother Rick’s No. 86 car in the race after his No. 90 car experienced motor issues during hot laps. Brian entered the night second in points behind Chad Thrash and drove Rick’s car to maintain his position in the table. There are four State Series races left this season.
Hughes, who was racing in his second Super Late Model race, started on the pole and floated between third and sixth. He said Saturday presented the first opportunity to race on a surface packed with moisture. He said he needed “about 150” more laps to fully settle in against the veteran-packed field and the conditions of the track.
“We got a couple of adjustments for the car to get better the next time the track is like that,” Hughes said. “This is the first time I’ve had an experience where we could use half the motor, so it was enjoyable. I had a few errors — mainly on re-starts — but we’ll work on that. More seat time will help.”
Chris Wall and Eric Cooley rounded out the top five.
n In other action, Jamey Boland won the NeSmith Late Model race, his second win in his last three races at Magnolia. Boland won a Super Late Model race on July 29. Evan Ellis, Tyler Burgess, Hunter Carroll, and Marcus Minga rounded out the top five.
Eddie Rickman won his second-straight Street Stocks race at Magnolia Motor Speedway. Matt Byram, Doug Dodd, Terry Taylor, and Lee Ray rounded out the top five.
Tony Shelton won the 602 Sportsman feature. Zack Shelton, Allen Simmons, Jamie Pickard, and Mike Pickard rounded out the top five.
Scooter Ware came from the rear of the field to win the Factory Stocks feature. Ellie Hughes, Tyler Castle, Bill Sudduth, and John Beard rounded out the top five.
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