ABILENE, Texas (Oct. 20) – Josh McGaha came up big at another big IMCA Modified event.

McGaha topped Saturday’s $4,000 to win feature at Abilene Speedway’s Ryan Bard Memorial Southern Challenge, outrunning William Gould in the race to the checkers.

The victory was McGaha’s second straight at Abilene’s traditional season-ending special.

Kevin Sustaire led early before finding himself in a three-wide tussle with Gould and McGaha. Gould drove by Sustaire following a restart; McGaha made use of the multi-lane oval, passing Sustaire and Gould for a lead he’d never relinquish.

Colorado visitor Ricky Alvarado would end in third with Sustaire and Keith White completing the top five.

Five of the six cars involved in a first-lap crash were unable to return to action. McGaha had also won the Oct. 6 Showdown at Kennedale Speedway Park.

Inches made the difference between first and second during much of the race and at the finish of the Southern SportMod feature, as Doug Easterling prevailed over Matt Mueller in the event doubling as the Southern SportMod Nationals.

J.C. Howell led early from the pole before giving way to Easterling. Mueller opted for a higher line and went back and forth for the lead with Easterling all the way around the track.

Also the SportMod Race of Champions winner, Easterling finally eked ahead for the $2,000 feature victory, with Mueller, Justin Shaw, Howell and Dean Abbey in tow.

Cory Davis pocketed a $2,000 check of his own by winning the IMCA Sunoco Stock Car feature while Charles Cosper earned $1,000 for his IMCA Sunoco Hobby Stock victory.

Easterling led much of the way in the Stock Car event before Davis, another out-of-stater with a knack for winning big events, most recently Boyd’s Grand Nationals, found his way to the front.

Rounding out the top five were Easterling, Sustaire, David Phillips and White.

Cosper led the Hobbies green to checkered, challenged throughout by Andy Roller in what was quickly a two-car race.

Next across the stripe were Chris Mims, Bud Ohliger and Justin Cass.

Feature Results

Modifieds ­– 1. Josh McGaha; 2. William Gould; 3. Ricky Alvarado; 4. Kevin Sustaire; 5. Keith White; 6. Charles Brewer; 7. Jerry Harpole; 8. Ben Ketteman; 9. Mark Patterson; 10. Nick Nelson; 11. G.W. Egbert IV; 12. Danny Patterson; 13. Chase Allen; 14. Danny Hogue; 15. Monte Bolton; 16. Gabe Tucker; 17. Chris Elliott; 18. David Davis; 19. Vince Ogle; 20. John Gober.

Southern SportMods – 1. Doug Easterling; 2. Matt Mueller; 3. Justin Shaw; 4. J.C. Howell; 5. Dean Abbey; 6. Brad Shirley; 7. Chad Hertel; 8. Steve Hayes; 9. Gary Underwood; 10. Tyler Fain; 11. Stephen Robison; 12. Chase Parson; 13. Allen Montgomery; 14. Justin Broome; 15. George Egbert III; 16. Shane Priddy; 17. Bradley Poor; 18. Chance McDaniel; 19. Johnny Torres; 20. Mike Easterwood.

Race of Champions – 1. Easterling; 2. Abbey; 3. David Goode Jr.; 4. Montgomery; 5. Cory Williams; 6. Robert Gallegos; 7. Torres; 8. Quentin Noel.

Stock Cars – 1. Cory Davis; 2. Doug Easterling; 3. Kevin Sustaire; 4. David Phillips; 5. Keith White; 6. Dennis Bissonnette; 7. Matt Guillaume; 8. Jason Batt; 9. Angel Munoz; 10. Bo Briley; 11. Lance Shaw; 12. Michael Therwanger; 13. Lewis Hammond; 14. Jason Adcock; 15. Nyle Godwin; 16. Rex Higgins; 17. Robert Barnett Sr.; 18. Cary White; 19. Robert Cook; 20. Shane Priddy.

Hobby Stocks – 1. Charles Cosper; 2. Andy Roller; 3. Chris Mims; 4. Bud Ohliger; 5. Justin Cass; 6. Sean Ward; 7. Robert Garrett; 8. Tommy Phillips; 9. Tony Anderson; 10. Gerald Spalding Jr.; 11. Danny Criswell; 12. Dillon Jones; 13. Shelby Jones.