What won the race: Clearing early leader Hudson O'Neal with a turn-three slider on the 17th lap, fourth-starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., led the rest of Thursday's 40-lap Schaeffer's Spring Nationals Easter weekend opener at I-75 Raceway. McDowell held a comfortable lead over O'Neal and won by 0.721 of a second for the $5,053 payday, his first Spring Nationals victory in more than two years and the 19th of his career, extending his lead as the tour's all-time winner.

Quotable: “That’s an unusual line for me around the top and usually a young man’s line up there, but that’s just where my car was best,” McDowell said. “I think we were a little different than Huddy on tires, so I could get it to go early, I just didn’t know if we’d fate late. He jumped out there and got the lead and I was able to maneuver just a little bit.”

Key notes: McDowell nabbed his first series win since 2024's Lil' Bill Corum Memorial at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway, worth $21,000. ... It's his first victory since two World 100 semifeature victories in September at Ohio's Eldora Speedway. ... Hudson O'Neal overcame an first-lap incident with polesitter Brandon Overton and led the opening 16 laps before giving way to McDowell. ... The pole-starting Overton spun broadside in turn two and collected O'Neal, as O'Neal's right-front wheel made hard contact with Overton's left front; the contact straightened Overton as both cars slowed high of the racing groove. O'Neal took the lead while Overton restarted 20th after pitting with a flat left-front tire; he retired on the ninth lap. ... Tenth-starting Sam Seawright took third on a lap-15 restart when Garrett Smith hopped the turn-two cushion and slipped as low as 16th; Seawright finished third while Smith rallied to seventh. ... Ninth-starting Luke Morey worked his way as high as fifth on a lap-21 restart before settling for sixth. ... Jordan Rodabaugh was fourth for laps 1-20 and faded to eighth. ... Besides the first caution for the Overton-O'Neal tangle, the race was slowed three other times: Lap 15 when Jason Welshan spun off the track in turn two; lap 21 when Will Hicks and Karl Tipton tangled; and lap 26 for 12th-running Jordon Horton's flat right-rear tire. ... The 40-lapper lasted 27 minutes with 12 starters completing the distance. ... Tod Hernandez caught air and nearly flipped upside down during a fronstretch crash in the night's first consolation race; he was OK but didn't continue.

Winner's sponsors: McDowell’s Shane McDowell Racing Team Zero Race Car is powered by a Clements Racing engine and sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Cometic Gaskets, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, Ace Doran Trucking & Rigging, Otterly Baths, Black Rock Enterprises, BSI Well Service, Mount Airy Polaris, Campbell Insulation, M&S Motors, Jason Wright Excavating, AAA General Contractors, RimTek, Go Lithium Batteries, Northeastern Fabrication and Fox Racing Shox.

Who to watch: Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., started 17th and finished fifth.

Points chase: Before I-75: 1. Tucker Anderson (622); 2. Garrett Smith (606); 3. Kendall Franklin (586); 4. Payton Freeman (461); 5. Brandon Overton (392).

Current weather: Overcast, 75°F

Car count: 28

Fast qualifier: Hudson O'Neal

Time: 13.528 seconds

Polesitter: Brandon Overton

Consolation race winners: Luke Morey, Jordon Horton

Next series race: April 3, Wythe Raceway (Rural Retreat, VA) $10,053