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McDowell Masters Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals Finale at Bristol Motor Speedway

BRISTOL, TENNESSEE (April 2, 2022)– The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series would co-sanction with the XR Super Series for the final event of the 2022 Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA would take the lead on lap thirty and would drive on to claim the $50,000 payday.

The 55-year-old McDowell would claim his second career Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series victory behind the wheel of a Team Zero Race Car powered by a Clements Race Engines with sponsorship from E-Z-GO, Connected Strategy Advisors, North Eastern Fabrication, Campbell Insulation Specialists, Klotz Lubricants, Cometic Gasket, and FOX Shocks.

Ricky Weiss would take the lead of the start of the feature contest from his outside front row starting position, with Kyle Strickler, Mark Whitener, Chris Ferguson, and ninth-place starter Dale McDowell running second through fifth after the opening lap. The first caution of the event would appear on lap three when Brandon Overton slowed on the frontstretch and pulled pitside, done for the event. Weiss would maintain the advantage on the restart, with Whitener taking second, while McDowell would jump to third, with Scott Bloomquist taking fourth, and Strickler falling back to fifth. Weiss would pull away to a comfortable lead, while McDowell began to close in on Whitener for second and McDowell would take the runner-up spot on lap nine. Weiss would close in on the rear of the field by lap fourteen and McDowell would slowly reel in Weiss and the front pair of Weiss and McDowell would hold a full straightaway advantage over third-place Whitener by lap twenty. McDowell would ride patiently behind Weiss before finally making his move on lap thirty and would pass Weiss for the lead in turn three. McDowell would quickly pull away from Weiss, but the caution would wave on lap thirty-three when Devin Moran would make contact with the outside retaining wall in turn two.

McDowell would maintain the lead on the restart, with Whitener taking second and Weiss falling to third, with Strickler fourth and Bloomquist fifth. Strickler would take third from Weiss on lap thirty-four, while Bloomquist would take fourth from Weiss one circuit later. Weiss would draw the next caution on lap thirty-six when his mount would slow in turn one with a flat left-rear tire. McDowell would again maintain the advantage on the restart, with Whitener second, while now fifth place running and 12th place starter Chris Madden would get a twp-for-one pass and go to third, shuffling Strickler and Bloomquist to fourth and fifth. Chris Ferguson would make his way into the top five on lap thirty-seven, with Strickler slowing one lap later to draw the final caution of the event. McDowell would hold serve at the point, with Madden rolling to second, followed by Ferguson, Bloomquist, and Whitener. Seventeenth place starter Jimmy Owens would roll to fifth on lap thirty-nine as he passed Whitener for the spot. McDowell would go unchallenged in the final ten laps of the event and score the victory, with Madden settling for second, while Ferguson would finish third. Bloomquist and Owens would complete the top five. The remainder of the top ten would be Earl Pearson, Jr., Darrell Lanigan, Ross Bailes, Garrett Smith, and Weiss.

Chris Madden of Gray Court, SC would be crowned the champion of the 2022 Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals and claim the $100,000 first place championship money, winning two of the four events and finishing second in the four-race mini-series finale.

The next events for the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series will be on Friday April 15at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY, paying $5,000 to win (this event is also the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern Series opener) and Saturday April 16 at Tazewell Speedway in Tazewell, TN for the Lil’ Bill Corum Memorial, paying $21,000 to win (this event will be co-sanctioned with the Schaeffer’s Oil Spring Nationals).

For more information about the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series, please contact Chris Tilley at (828) 361-5981 or visit the tour’s webpage at www.IMDIRT.net or visit the tour page Iron-Man Racing Series on Facebook and Iron-Man Series (@CTPROMOTE) on Twitter.

The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2022 racing season: Valvoline, Zerex by Valvoline, Brucebilt Performance Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, E-Z-GO, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, DirtonDirt.com, MyRacePass, FloRacing, XS Power Batteries, Vic Hill Racing Engines, American Racer Tires, Keltner Contracting, TW Taylor Trucking, Earnhardt Technologies Group, Swafford Signs, KY Clutch, Brown Haven Homes, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Coosa Heating and Cooling, Cruise with the Champions, SFP Performance Systems, KND Safety, Impact RaceGear, Chattanooga Valley Auto Parts, Race Clean, Denby’s J&J Construction, Advanced Transportation, Lowe’s Tows, Reno’s Roadhouse, and Racetrack Safety Initiative.

About Valvoline™

Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. It operates and franchises approximately 1,400 quick-lube locations, and it is the No. 2 chain by number of stores in the United States under the Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM brand and the No. 3 chain by number of stores in Canada under the Valvoline Great Canadian Oil Change brand. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals, including the Valvoline High Mileage with MaxLife technology motor oil for engines over 75,000 miles; Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic motor oil; Valvoline Premium Blue™ heavy-duty motor oil; Valvoline Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid; and Zerex™ antifreeze. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.

Official Summary of Results

Feature Results for Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Southern Series Karl Kustoms Bristol Dirt Nationals at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, TN on Saturday April 2, 2022

1. Dale McDowell-Chickamauga, Ga.
2. Chris Madden-Gray Court, S.C.
3. Chris Ferguson-Mount Holly, N.C.
4. Scott Bloomquist-Mooresburg, Tenn.
5. Jimmy Owens-Newport, Tenn.
6. Earl Pearson, Jr.-Jacksonville, Fla.
7. Darrell Lanigan-Union, Ky.
8. Ross Bailes-Clover, S.C.
9. Garrett Smith-Eatonton, Ga.
10. Ricky Weiss-Headingly, Manitoba CAN
11. Brandon Sheppard-New Berlin, Ill.
12. Kyle Bronson-Brandon, Fla.
13. Mark Whitener-Middleburg, Fla.
14. Kyle Strickler-Mooresville, N.C.
15. Ricky Thornton, Jr.-Martinsville, Ind.
16. Dakotah Knuckles-Ewing, Va.
17. Jonathan Davenport-Blairsville, Ga.
18. Devin Moran-Dresden, Oh.
19. Joseph Joiner-Milton, Fla.
20. Jason Papich-Nipomo, Ca.
21. Kyle Larson-Elk Grove, Ca.
22. Brandon Overton-Evans, Ga.
23. Shane Clanton-Zebulon, Ga.
24. Mike Marlar-Winfield, Tenn.

Time of Race: 26 minutes, 33 seconds
Margin of Victory: 3.707 seconds
Yellow Flags: Four (lap 3, 33, 36, 38)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Ricky Weiss 1-29, Dale McDowell 30-50
Entries: 28
E-Z-GO Time Trials Top Qualifier: Ricky Weiss (Group B) 14.982 seconds
SFP Performance Systems Hard Charger Award ($100 product certificate): Jimmy Owens (started 17th-finished 5th-advanced 12 positions)
Provisional Starters: Mike Marlar (time), Jason Papich (time)

Sunoco Race Fuels Heat One Finish (8 laps/top 4 advance): Kyle Strickler, Brandon Overton, Dale McDowell, Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Jason Papich, Brenden Smith

Sunoco Race Fuels Heat Two Finish (8 laps/top 4 advance): Kyle Larson, Chris Ferguson, Earl Pearson, Jr., Kyle Bronson, Joseph Joiner, Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran

Sunoco Race Fuels Heat Three Finish (8 laps/top 4 advance): Ricky Weiss, Brandon Sheppard, Shane Clanton, Darrell Lanigan, Dakotah Knuckles, Ashton Winger, Tim Vance

Sunoco Race Fuels Heat Four Finish (8 laps/top 4 advance): Mark Whitener, Garrett Smith, Chris Madden, Ross Bailes, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Cody Lowe, Mike Marlar

B-Main One Finish (10 laps/top 6 advance): Jimmy Owens, Ricky Thornton, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Devin Moran, Dakotah Knuckles, Joseph Joiner, Jason Papich, Brenden Smith, Tim Vance, Cody Lowe, Ashton Winger, Mike Marlar

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