L.J. Grimm Pulls Away to Win 5th Annual Eddie Brann Memorial

SCOTT LOCKWOOD, BRADENTON — On a night that saw numerous lead changes, passing throughout the 32-car field and several spins involving race leaders, L.J. Grimm took the lead on a final restart with eight laps left to take the fifth annual Eddie Brann Memorial 75-lap Open Wheel Modified feature event Saturday night at Desoto Speedway.

A 12-car inversion allowed Wayne Morris to start from the pole and lead the first 19 laps of the event. Several cautions, including one for a crash on the opening lap that knocked out John Sappraicone Jr. and Doug Miller, allowed Wayne Jefferson and Travis Roland — the night’s fastest and second-fastest qualifiers who started 12th and 11th respectively — to use restarts to move up through the field and on to Morris’ tail. Jefferson eventually got by Morris for the lead on a restart on lap 20.

Roland and Grimm also got by Morris on the restart. Also among the leaders was two-time defending race winner Josh Todd, who started deep in the field and was up to fifth as the race got to the one-third mark. Several cautions for spins and debris bunched up the field for another restart on lap 31 that saw Roland take the lead from Jefferson.

Roland’s time up front was short-lived as Grimm took his first lead of the night on a lap 34-restart. After another caution one lap later, Grimm and Roland, who were running side-by-side on another restart, both spun simultaneously coming out of turn two and were forced to the rear of the field as a result.

“I didn’t think it was over for us at that point, but I thought I could still come back and get a top-10 finish,” Grimm said.

Todd found himself in the lead after the spin and would pace the field for the next 14 laps. As the field completed lap 49, Jefferson slowed with an apparent tire issue and came to a stop on the backstretch, bringing his night to a premature end.

That set the stage for a fierce battle for the lead between Todd and Morris, who swapped the lead several times in a side-by-side and nose-to-tail battle that lasted several laps. Close in tow were Cody Stickler and Grimm, who had taken advantage of the cautions and moved back to fourth with 20 laps to go.

With nine laps left, Todd got into Morris, causing Morris to spin and essentially ending any chance of a three-peat for Todd since he was sent to the rear for causing the caution. Grimm got by Morris on the restart for the lead on the restart that saw Morris fade quickly and spin again two laps later.

“I knew that restart was going to be tough because I’ve been watching Wayne Morris race since I was a kid and I knew he’d have some tricks,” Grimm said of his late battle with Morris. “I’m just glad he was clean with us.”

Grimm pulled away from Stickler and Bobby Blake over the final six laps for the victory. Grimm, a Seffner resident who has won several races all over the state, called the win of the biggest of his career.

“This is definitely the highest right now,” Grimm said. “This is the fifth Eddie Brann race and it’s cool to put myself in the company of Wayne Jefferson (winner of the inaugural Brann race), Curtis Neumann and Josh Todd as winners. I’m glad I’m here.”

Stickler was happy with his second place effort.

“We really didn’t have the best car,” Stickler said. “We just kind of hung in there, stayed patient and lasted to the end. The car was pretty good, but we were a little off and definitely not as good as L.J.”

Todd would come back and finish fourth, while D.J. Hoelzle rounded out the top five. Eleven cars finished on the lead lap.

In other action, Logan Leonard held off Cody Allen to take the win in the 25-lap Road Warrior feature. Leonard and Chris Scott battled for the lead early until Scott suffered a mechanical failure while leading six laps into the race. Leonard inherited the lead and set sail until a caution for debris bunched the field up just past the halfway point.

Allen got to Leonard’s rear bumper with 10 laps left and the dup would run nose-to-tail over the closing laps. Leonard held off Allen’s last-ditch effort for a final pass coming to the checkered flag to take the victory. Teammates James Dellea and Richard Nelson finished third and fourth, respectively.

Saturday night’s other winners included Billy Campbell in the 20-lap Outlaw Modified feature; Stan Butler in the 20-lap Dwarf Car feature; Chris Gimmler in the 15-lap T.Q. Midget feature; and Myakka City’s Dalton Ellis in the 15-lap Junk Yard Dogs feature