Red Dirt Raceway
Fortney wins at Brill's for first-ever victory
MEEKER, Okla. (June 26) — Brad Fortney of Wichita, Kan., grabbed his first career Late Model feature victory Saturday in Midwest DIRTcar Late Model Series action at Brill's Motor Speedway. Fortner, who survived a second-lap melee on the backstretch, overtook outside front-row starter Richard Leatherman on a restart and led the rest of the way in the first series event at the track.
Cale Gottschalk finished second with Leatherman third while polesitter Cliff Morrow and track owner Mark Brill rounded out the top five in the 12-car field.
Texan Bryan Sugg took the lead on the second lap and built a huge lead, but he lost power during a caution period because of a faulty coil wire and dropped out of the race, handing the lead briefly to Leatherman.
The two most serious cautions appeared for a backstretch scramble on the second lap that included Brian Bolster, Damien Patocka, Fortney and series points leader Gary Gorby. A few laps later, Bolster and Tyler Gottschalk were involved in a frontstretch accident, forcing Gottschalk's car out of the race.
The next MDLMS event is scheduled for July 3 at Thunderbird Speedway in Muskogee, Okla.
MDLMS @ Brill's: (1) Brad Fortney, (2) Cale Gottschalk, (3) Richard Leatherman, (4) Cliff Morrow, (5) Mark Brill, (6) Darin Busch, (7) Bryan Sugg, (8) Doug Sieh, (9) Brian Bolster, (10) Damien Patocka, (11) Tyler Gottschalk, (12) Gary Gorby. Scratched: Ron Grover, Kip Hughes. Heat race winners (among 14 cars): Gorby, Sugg.
