What won the race: Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, overtook Max Blair for the lead on lap 15 and marched on to capture Saturday's 25-lap Racefest World Championship opener at West Virginia Motor Speedway. The 27-year-old driver beat Blair to the finish line by 1.272 seconds for the race's $5,000 top prize.

Quotable: “The track finally cleaned off a little bit and we could move off the bottom,” Moran said. “I kept testing the waters getting higher and higher in (turns) three and four and if they can slow this track down just a little bit more, I think it's gonna race really good. All in all it was a good show there. Our car was really fast and we'll take it."

Key notes: Blair came off the outside of the front row to outgun the polesitting Moran for the lead at the initial green flag, but Moran kept the Pennsylvanian in his crosshairs before seizing command for good just after the halfway mark. ... Moran's 13th overall victory of 2021 — and first since Aug. 28 in Davenport, Iowa — was his second straight at WVMS. He earned an unsanctioned $10,000 triumph on Aug. 6. ... Blair's runner-up finish came in his first-ever start at the 5/8-mile oval and he clinches the 2021 ULMS championship. ... Ryan Montgomery reached third on lap 11 and finished in that position. ... Ted Nobbe finished fourth, one spot better than his son Dustin. ... Saturday's feature was slowed by multiple incidents and lasted 41 minutes, including two red flags that combined for over half of that time, with five competitors completing all 25 laps. ... After officials pushed back the start of the Racefest weekend from Friday to Saturday due to wet weather, the $15,000-to-win finale is set for Sunday. ... Watch all the action live on FloRacing as the Valvoline Iron-Man Racing Northern Series and the Zimmer’s United Late Model Series co-sanction the event.

On the move: Kelby Abels of Ravenswood, W.Va., started 23rd and finished 11th.

Winner's sponsors: Moran’s Tye Twarog Racing Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Tye Twarog Performance Parts, KB Trucking, New Point Lighting & Design, Tommy Pope Construction, Accu-Force, M&M Painting and Construction, VP Racing Fuels, Lucas Oil’s, Eddie’s Sunoco, Muskingum County Speedway, Polymer Services, C&W Trucking and Sons and Big D’s Pizza.

Points chase: Iron-Man Northern before Friday: 1. Dustin Nobbe (754); 2. Tristan Chamberlain (705); 3. Ted Nobbe (644); 4. Michael Chilton (642); 5. Devin Gilpin (587). ULMS North before Friday: 1. Max Blair (490); 2. Wyatt Scott (336); 3. Deshawn Gingerich (314); 4. Greg Oakes (239); Jared Miley (231). ULMS South before Friday: 1. Max Blair (365); 2. Gregg Satterlee (264); 3. Dylan Yoder (260); 4. Jeff Rine (184); 5. Deshawn Gingerich (177).

Current weather: Clear, 68°F

Car count: 24

Fast qualifier: Devin Moran

Time: 18.757 seconds

Polesitter: Devin Moran

Heat race winners: Devin Moran, Max Blair

Next series race: October 10, West Virginia Motor Speedway (Mineral Wells, WV) $15,000