Team spirit was in full force during Round 9’s Speedway Sports Night at Cook Out Summer Shootout. Brexton Busch snagged his sixth Bandits win of the season, while Keelan Harvick muscled through the field for his first win of the season in the Dilling Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical Pro division. With high energy and fierce battles across every division, fans got one more taste of racing before next Tuesday’s final round of action.
On a night where fans repped their favorite sports teams, it was Harvick who stole the show in the Dilling Heating, Cooling, Plumbing & Electrical Pros Division. The 13-year-old racing phenom didn’t just keep pace with seasoned motorsport stars; he left them in the dus
Starting mid-pack behind polesitter Sean McElearney, Harvick wasted no time battling for first. In a pivotal moment in Turn 3 on Lap 5, Harvick raced past both McElearney and Jensen Jorgensen, marching his way to the front, before a PRO-FABrication Headers & Exhaust caution bunched the field. On the restart, a door opened for Harvick as he lined up next to NASCAR Cup Series star Shane Van Gisbergen, ready to get down to business.
Harvick launched ahead and began building a lead that he never relinquished. Lap after lap, he held off Van Gisbergen and a field of pros behind him. By Lap 16, Harvick’s lead was undeniable, and by the end of the race, there was no question of who was going to take home the win.
While the writing had been on the wall for weeks with multiple top-five finishes, including second-place efforts in Rounds 1 and 5, Tuesday’s win marked Harvick’s first Summer Shootout win in the Pro division. Van Gisbergen followed behind in second with London McKenzie, Michael Crafton and Danny Chisolm completing the top five.
“He (Van Gisbergen) has a lot more on me than I have on him,” said Harvick with a sense of humility as he acknowledged the challenging win against his Joe Ryan Racing teammate, Van Gisbergen.
BUSCH BATTLES THROUGH BANDIT BRIGADE
It was a battle for the ages in the Bandits division as series points leader Brexton Busch went head-to-head with national points leader James Behnke in a dramatic showdown. Busch took control early, swiping the lead from Christopher Flynn on Lap 3, but the race was far from over.
Behnke and Gerald White III stayed hot on Busch’s heels, refusing to let him run away with it. By Lap 18, Busch had built up a lead of over two seconds, before a late-race PRO-FABrication Headers & Exhaust caution set up a high-stakes, one-lap sprint to the finish.
Lined up side-by-side on the restart, Behnke threw everything he had at Busch in a bid for the win. The two charged through Turn 4 nearly even, but Busch held firm and powered down the front straightaway to the checkered flag, taking the win by just 0.142 seconds in a heart-pounding finish.
“The start of the race was really cool, and that last lap didn’t go as planned, but I’m still glad I was able to drive out of Turn 4 to win,” said a relieved Busch. “I tried to focus as much as I could on not worrying about the cars behind me.”
Behnke settled for a hard-fought second, followed by Cale Weavil, Gerald White III and Tuggie Case, who rounded out the top five in the penultimate round of the season.
Also repping their divisions with strong performances, Camden Powers (Beginner Bandoleros), Landon Thrasher (Outlaws), Paityn Feyen (Chargers), Brody Rhodes (Young Lions), Hunter Jordan (VP Fuels Semi-Pro) and Kyle Busch (American Rebel Ale Masters) all scored wins under the lights during Speedway Sports Night.
NEXT UP:
Next Tuesday, July 29, don’t miss Round 10 – Champions Night. For just $15, fans can enjoy an epic school bus smackdown, post-race fireworks and NASCAR driver autograph session with Front Row Motorsports and Sam Hunt Racing. Wear Summer Shootout driver gear and get $5 off. Plus, every ticket bought enters fans to win four tickets to the Cook Out Monster Truck Bash on Saturday, Aug. 2.
ABOUT COOK OUT SUMMER SHOOTOUT:
Celebrating its 32nd season, the Cook Out Summer Shootout is a 10-race showcase of speed, featuring eight racing divisions of Legend Cars and Bandoleros. Races are held each Tuesday night under the lights with championship points on the line all summer long.
TICKETS:
Tickets are just $15; kids 12 and under get in FREE. All summer long, fans who bring a canned food donation will receive $2 off as part of Blue Cross NC’s “Drive Out Hunger” campaign. For tickets, schedules and more details about all the happenings at Charlotte Motor Speedway, visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling Cook Out Summer Shootout action at Charlotte Motor Speedway on X, Facebook and Instagram.
