What won the race: Sneaking by race-long leader Tad Pospisil on a late-race restart, third-starting Justin Zeitner of Malvern, Iowa, led the final two laps to win Tuesday's $3,000 Battle of the Blue Ribbon at Clay County Fair Speedway. Zeitner notched his series-leading 19th career Repairable Vehicles.com Tri-State Late Model Series victory in the season finale.

Quotable: “I felt pretty good the entire race, really, I just made a really bad choice on that restart, to go on the high side. Tad (Pospisil) got out there and I knew if I had a late caution, I needed to save my stuff and try to be better,” Zeitner said. “You can learn a lot watching signal guys, his signal guy told him to go high going into one, I’m like all right, I mean I just had to park it in front of him. I knew I had good enough traction to beat him off (turn two) and down the backstretch and then you give me clean air and that cushion and I’m just gonna let ‘er rip … I’m gonna live or die by it.”

Key notes: Justin Zeitner secured his second Tri-State win of the season and his first since June 14 at Murray County Speedway in Slayton, Minn. ... It's his second career series victory at Clay County (2021). ... Eighth-starting Corey Zeitner grabbed second on the lap-24 restart and finished 0.620 of a second behind. ... Tad Pospisil led the opening 23 laps from the pole before a late caution spoiled his nearly 3.5-second advantage. Pospisil slipped high off turn two on the lap-24 restart and settled for third. ... The race's lone caution came as Justin Zeitner was attempting to lap Eric Faber, with both drivers banging doors down the frontstretch, only for Zeitner to exit turn two low, cutting across and hopping Faber's right front tire. The contact sent third-running Shane DeMey into the infield tire barrier and around, drawing the yellow flag. ... DeMey tried to keep his position for the late-race restart before Tri-State officials forced him to tag the field. He finished last on the lead lap in 11th. ... Fifth-finishing Chase Alves gained six spots. ... Tri-State champ Blair Nothdurft slowed from third with a flat left-rear on lap three following contact from Curt Schroeder's right-front; he retired. ... The opening caution was for a lap-three spin involving Faber and Corey Zeitner. ... The race, ran in conjunction with the Clay County Fair, lasted 19 minutes, with 16 starters running at the finish. ... Corey Bosma scratched following his heat race.

On the move: Dyllan Ricks of Boyden, Iowa, started 13th and finished fourth.

Winner's sponsors: Zeitner’s Longhorn Chassis is sponsored by Zeitner & Sons Refrigerated Transport, ZSI Logistics, Liek’hus Lawn LLC, D.J.’s Dugout, Big Ty’s Smoked Meats, Tree Services of Omaha, JP Nelson Painting, LLC, Hi-Temp Products Company, Midwest Carrier Transportation Companies and Malvern Bank.

Points chase: Blair Nothdurft clinched his second career Tri-State Late Model Series championship.

Current weather: Clear, 70°F

Car count: 18

Fast qualifier: Tad Pospisil

Time: 16.472 seconds

Polesitter: Tad Pospisil

Heat race winners: Justin Zeitner, Tad Pospisil, Shane DeMey