What won the race: Dominating the final 30 laps to grab only his second career Late Model victory, polesitter Jake O'Neil of Tucson, Ariz., raced to a $7,552 victory in the Schaeffer's Southern Nationals opener at Volunteer Speedway. O'Neil, who races out of the shop of Jimmy Owens in nearby Newport, Tenn., slipped back to third early but regained second from Zack Mitchell amid traffic and on the 22nd lap overtook outside front-row starter Benji Hicks, who slowed shortly thereafter with a flat tire. O'Neil took the checkers 0.851 of a second ahead of Dale McDowell in the 52-lapper.

Quotable: "We've had a rough few weeks here," O'Neil said. "We flipped a car and we crashed all weekend last weekend and we thought we hurt a motor, and just everything that could go wrong went wrong. And today we just kept having those yellows. I was like, 'Man, I just want to get one in here,' you know?"

Key notes: Jake O'Neil's only previous Late Model victory came March 20, 2015, at his hometown Tucson, Ariz., track on the West Coast Late Model Series. ... The bulk of O'Neil's racing career has come in the modified division. ... Benji Hicks led the first 21 laps but slowed with a flat tire shortly after O'Neil took command; he rallied back to finish fourth. ... The 52-lapper had six stoppages, the most serious for a red flag after a turn-one pileup on a lap-37 restart primarily involving Kenny Collins and Landen Zakalowski with others catching a piece of it. Medical personnel were called to assist Zakalowski, but moments later he climbed from the car without apparent injury. Collins told an infield reporter that contact from Travis Fultz sent him around at the end of the frontstretch. ... Cautions also appeared for flat tires for Hicks (lap 22) and Donald McIntosh (lap 37), who made a return to the Billy Hicks Racing No. 79 (McIntosh replaced Jeremy Steele, who ran for Hicks the first half of the season). ... Signage falling onto the surface drew lap-42 and and lap-46 cautions. ... The final caution appeared on the 49th lap when sixth-running Garrett Smith had a flat. ... The 47-minute feature concluded at 9:49 p.m.. ... Noah Phillips scratched from the feature. ... Time trials set the feature lineup with no consolation race. ... The Vic Hill-promoted track endured rain in the days before the event but avoided lingering showers Monday. ... The Scott Sexton Memorial honored the former Volunteer champion who amassed more than 200 feature victories; he died in 2013 at the age of 46. ... Sunday's scheduled Southern Nationals opener at Wythe Raceway in Rural Retreat, Va., rained out.

On the move: Josh Henry of Newport, Tenn., started 15th and finished fifth.

Winner's sponsors: O'Neil's Longhorn Chassis has a Clements Racing Engine and sponsorship from Red Eye Radiator, Old World Meats, Mesilla Valley Transportation, Texas General Mechanical, United Safe Services, Bulletproof Tees, Go Lithium, McCartney Welding, Furst Construction, Rancho Milagro Racing, Eagle Moon Hemp and Top of the World Ranch.

Points chase: The Ray Cook-founded tour opened its season.

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 72°F

Car count: 23

Fast qualifier: Jake O'Neil

Time: 12.983 seconds

Polesitter: Benji Hicks

Next series race: July 14, Harris Speedway (Rutherfordton, NC) $7,553