What won the race: Powering around early leader Dylan Thornton on the fourth lap, second-starting Tyler Bruening of Decorah, Iowa, held off a late charge from Dallon Murty to win Thursday's 40-lap Blue Ribbon Classic at Cresco Speedway. Bruening paced the final 37 circuits and beat Murty to the line by 0.365 of a second for a $5,000 payday co-sanctioned by the Malvern Bank East and West Series sister tours.

Quotable: “From all the years I’ve been racing, all over the country, this is only the second time I’ve gotten to race this close to home. I think the first time here was 2022 and we run second, so it’s super awesome,” Bruening said. “I could pick out my fans and my people in the stands, that was really cool. We had a tough start there, I thought maybe my left-front wheel was a little bent, but just kinda found the top early before Dylan (Thornton) got up there.”

Key notes: Bruening notched his second overall feature victory this season, his first since Jan. 17 at Georgia's Golden Isles Speedway, worth 12,000 on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. ... The victory was Bruening's third career East Series triumph, his first since Sept. 23, 2021, at Dubuque (Iowa) Speedway, and his fifth on the West tour, his first since July 22, 2020, at the now-closed I-80 Speedway in Greenwood, Neb. ... It was Bruening's second Malvern East start this season after finishing third June 21 at his home track of Winneshiek Raceway. ... Dylan Thornton held second until hopping the turn-two cushion on a lap-18 restart and slipping back to fifth. He regained fourth from Bill Leighton Jr. a couple laps later. Leighton briefly held second until hopping the turn-four cushion, allowing Jesse Sobbing and Dallon Murty to sneak by. ... Murty passed Sobbing a lap later then trailed Bruening the final 12 circuits, but never truly challenged for the lead. ... The race's lone caution flew when J.C. Wyman and Andy Eckrich tangled while battling for 17th on the 18th lap. Eckrich retired, while Wyman soldiered to a 15th-place result. ... The 30-lapper lasted 12 minutes with 16 starters completing the distance. ... Jesse Glenz scratched.

On the move: Tad Pospisil of Norfolk, Neb., started 17th and finished 13th.

Winner's sponsors: Bruening's Skyline Motorsports Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Truck Country, American Racing Custom Wheels, Quick Supply, Olsen Explosives, Breuning Rock Products, Brown's Heavy Equipment and Can-Am Auto Salvage.

Points chase: East Series after Cresco: 1. Dylan Thornton (2,526); 2. Chad Simpson (2,484); 3. Dallon Murty (2,466); 4. Jesse Sobbing (2,462); 5. Jason Hahne (2,308). West Series after Cresco: 1. Jesse Sobbing (2,518); 2. Tad Pospisil (2,416); 3. Bill Leighton Jr. (2,348); 4. Corey Zeitner (2,336); 5. J.C. Wyman (2,288).

Current weather: Broken Clouds, 66°F

Car count: 29

Fast qualifier: Jesse Sobbing

Time: 17.219 seconds

Polesitter: Dylan Thornton

Heat race winners: Joe Chisholm, Dylan Thornton, Tyler Bruening, Andy Eckrich

Consolation race winners: Jesse Glenz

Provisional starters: Jacob Hobscheidt, Curt Schroeder, Dylan Sillman, Fred Remley, Brian Kosiski, Darrel DeFrance

Next series race: August 29, Deer Creek Speedway (Spring Valley, MN) $3,000