What won the race: Leading all 40 laps from the pole, Zack Mitchell of Enoree, S.C., survived a late-race restart to win Thursday's $7,553 Schaeffer's Southern Nationals debut at Sugar Creek Raceway. Mitchell beat Casey Roberts to the line by 0.808 of a second for his fourth career Southern Nationals victory and his second in the last three days.

Key notes: Besides Tuesday's victory at Toccoa, Mitchell's other two series victories came in 2023. ... It's his seventh overall feature win of the season and fifth over three weeks. ... Fifth-starting Casey Roberts, piloting a Gus Simpson-owned No. 11 after rolling his usual No. 101 car Tuesday at Toccoa, trailed Mitchell the final 18 laps, but never seriously challenged for the lead. ... Teenager Tucker Anderson, a Southern All Star winner at Sugar Creek last month, improved five positions to finish third. ... Kaede Loudy finished seventh after slowing with a flat left-rear tire while running second on lap 11. ... Garrett Smith was caught up in a lap-three melee after contact from Alex Vance sent him spinning, collecting Beckham Malone. Smith and Malone ended up eighth and 10th, both with heavy right-side damage. ... Vance continued to finish 13th after also getting swept up in a lap-23 incident when Malone spun following contact from Mitchell as he tried to lap him. Vance collected third-running Jimmy Owens, who faded to fifth before pitting with a flat left-rear tire on lap 27. ... Owens could only make his way back to 11th and sits tied with Smith atop the series points standings. ... Payton Freeman rebounded to finish ninth after contact from Jamie Oliver on a lap-27 restart attempt sent them sliding to a stop (it appeared Oliver's right-front tire became lodged in Freeman's left rear quarterpanel). Oliver settled for 12th, the final starter to complete 40 laps. ... The race was slowed by seven cautions and lasted just shy of 40 minutes. ... Jordy Nipper scratched after spinning in time trials. ... Jensen Ford scratched after hitting the wall in hot laps.

On the move: Devon Morgan of Greenville, S.C., started 14th and finished sixth.

Winner's sponsors: Mitchell's Coltman Farms Racing Longhorn Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Coltman Farms Racing, Autism Awareness, Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett, MPM Marketing, SoCar Chemical, DirtCarLift.com, Boswell Oil, VP Racing Fuels, SRI Performance, Bayea Headers, Swift Springs and Bilstein Shocks.

Points chase: After Sugar Creek: T1. Garrett Smith (1,674); T1. Jimmy Owens (1,674); 3. Kaede Loudy (1,662); 4. Mike Benedum (1,606); 5. Beckham Malone (1,590).

Current weather: Overcast Haze, 82°F

Car count: 21

Fast qualifier: Zack Mitchell

Time: 14.820 seconds

Polesitter: Zack Mitchell

Next series race: July 25, North Georgia Speedway (Chatsworth, GA) $10,053