What won the race: Florence's favorite son Josh Rice captured the track's season opener, pocketing $10,000 for his first Northern Allstars Late Model Series victory in the 49th annual Spring 50. Rice, of Verona, Ky., overtook Camaron Marlar on the 10th lap and led the rest of the way in a race where front-row starters Marlar and Daulton Wilson collided in turn three on the fourth lap. Rice took the checkers 0.649 of a second ahead of 12th-starting Mike Marlar, Camaron's older brother.

Quotable: "I knew to not try to mess up in that (turn-two) hole," Rice said. "I couldn't get it turned hard enough to get below it, and I felt like I was wasting so much time trying to get below it. So I just floored it right before I got to it to make sure I was turned and I just totally 100 percent let off of it, just let it do its thing through the hole, and it worked out."

Key notes: Rice won his third Spring 50 and scored his 12th Florence victory since 2021. ... He plans to run his Longhorn Chassis next week at Paducah, Ky., and Brownstown, Ind. ... Runner-up Mike Marlar had his best finish in his third start in an Infinity Chassis. ... Unheralded Derek Groomer led laps 4-8 before Camaron Marlar reclaimed the lead on the ninth lap, but Rice led the rest of the way. ... Camaron Marlar led the first three laps, but polesitter Daulton Wilson made contact diving under him in turn three on the fourth lap. Both cars suffered damage including the left-side doorpanel ripped off Marlar's machine (Wilson restarted on the tail after spinning while Marlar restarted up front but lost the lead to Groomer; he rallied back to the top five but faded). ... Besides the Marlar-Wilson caution, seven other yellows slowed the action, the last on lap 48 when 16th-starting Michael Chilton spun out of third in the Hatcher Racing No. 6. ... Ninth-running Blake Creech spun on a lap-15 restart. ... Groomer slowed with a flat tire on lap 22 and third-running Camaron Marlar had a flat left-rear two laps later. ... On lap 35, Dustin Nobbe spun on the backstretch. ... Jason Jameson started on the tail of the feature in Elliott Despain's car because of engine problems in his Rattliff Motorsports ride. ... James Rice was driving his brother Josh's backup car. Brad Rickels made his debut in the Gary Engle No. 15, division rookie Tucker Chastain drove Duke Mounce's No. 80. ... The thrice-postponed event ran two hours early to beat expected rain.

On the move: Runner-up Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., started 10th.

Winner's sponsors: Rice’s Rick Jones-owned Rocket Chassis is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Rice Excavating & Plumbing, Sunesis Holdings & Construction, MC Tank, Chain Locker USA, Grease Monkey Princess, Map It Right Engineering & Land Surveying, Extreme Sportswear, STAKT Products, Sunoco Race Fuels, Schaeffer’s Racing Oil, Integra Racing Shocks and Slicker Graphics.

Points chase: After Florence: 1. Josh Rice (200); 2. Mike Marlar (198); 3. Devin Gilpin (196); 4. James Rice (194); 5. Billy Green (192).

Current weather: Overcast, 73°F

Car count: 35

Fast qualifier: Daulton Wilson

Time: 17.222 seconds

Polesitter: Daulton Wilson

Heat race winners: Daulton Wilson, Josh Rice, Camaron Marlar

Consolation race winners: Brad Rickels, Michael Chilton

Next series race: April 5, Brownstown Speedway (Brownstown, IN) $5,000