What won the race: Regaining the lead from Walker Arthur on the 40th lap, polesitter Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., outran the competition and a leaking right-rear tire for a 50-lap victory in the second round of Crate Late Model action at Bubba Raceway Park. The third-starting Arthur took the lead in the low groove on the 10th lap, but Blair worked high around traffic with 11 laps remaining to get back out front.

Quotable: “During a caution period on lap 20, my dad gave me a signal that my right-rear tire was going down,” Blair said. “I worked the car back and forth, and it felt fine, so I just kept going. I was really sweating it out in the last laps of the race because I could really feel it going away, but it stayed up until right after I took the checkered flag.”

Key notes: The track's new clay, which provided adverse conditions Wednesday after being soaked by rain recently, was more raceable Thursday. ... David Gentry of Murfreesboro, Tenn., finished second ahead of Forest, Va.'s Arthur. ... An eight-car tangle on the first attempted start in turn four required a complete restart. ... Eight cautions slowed the action, including on lap 13 for Justin McRee's spin and on lap 26 when McRee was blamed for spinning Brian Connor.

On the move: Young Tyler Clem, track co-owner Bubba Clem's son, rallied from 16th to finish fifth.

Winner's sponsors: Blair's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by R&J Poultry, Moody & Sons Welding, D.I. Anderson and Genesis Shocks.

Points chase: After two NeSmith events, Blair has 194 points to lead Walker Arthur (186) and Tyler Clem (178).

Car count: 36

Fast qualifier: Max Blair

Time: 15.947 seconds

Polesitter: Max Blair

Consolation race winners: Cody Martin, Michael Lake

Provisional starters: Marcus Minga, Adam Beeler

Next series race: January 30, Bubba Raceway Park (Ocala, FL) $3,000