by Scott Lockwood
Despite his young age, Chad Chastain has already piled up several wins at Desoto Speedway, including the inaugural Joey Coulter Florida Pro Truck Series opener.
On Saturday night, the 16 year-old driver scored perhaps the biggest victory of his career, picking up the win in his first start in a Pro Late Model in front of a crowd that included his brother, NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Ross Chastain.
Anthony Cataldi started on the pole of the 35-lap Sunoco Racing Fuel Pro Late Model Feature and led a four-car train with Michael Atwell, Chad Chastain and Scot Walters. On lap 10 Chastain brought out the caution with a spin coming out of turn two.
After the restart Cataldi and Atwell spent a couple of laps running side-by-side before Cataldi pulled ahead for the top spot. Cataldi, Atwell, Walters and Chastain ran nose-to-tail for the next several laps before Atwell got into Cataldi and forcing him into a spin at the end of the 22nd lap.
Chastain moved up to second for the restart and was riding in second when Cataldi’s car got loose coming out of turn four. Chastain capitalized on the the slip and grabbed the lead. He would withstand a last-lap battle with Scot Walters to take the victory. Cataldi was third, followed by Atwell and Paul White.
In the LKQ Pick Your Part Pure Stock feature, Donny Funk grabbed the lead from Shane Leonard grabbed the lead from Shane Leonard on the fourth lap of the 25-lap main event. Leonard stayed on Funk’s rear bumper for most of the race, but was unable to mount a late challenge in the closing laps as Funk went on to the win. Brian Hillyer finished third, with Kyle Best and Rick Hess rounded out the top five.
The 25-lap Mini Stock feature was a three-way battle between Ren Wright Jr., Jessica Ostrovskis and Ronnie Robinson, winner of the last two feature events for the class. Wright led early, but was passed for the lead by Ostrovskis near the halfway point of the 25-lap feature race.
Robinson got by Wright for second with 10 laps to go and quickly closed on Ostrovskis. All three drivers were nose-to-tail over the closing stages of the race, with Ostrovskis fighting off a last-lap challenge from Robinson to take her first feature win of 2015. Wright was third just behind Robinson at the finish.
in other action Saturday night, Mike Karrivan held off a race-long challenge from Jonathan Heidenthal to take his first win in the Take Aim Gun Range Street Stock division.