He might be a seasoned veteran, but Nathan Ingersoll races like a brash rookie.

The 2009 Modifieds series track champion at Five Flags Speedway got his 2011 off to a roaring start Friday at the half-mile asphalt oval.

Ingersoll used some nifty driving late to capture the 50-lap Modifieds season opener.

“I let ’em get there and then I had something for ’em,” he said. “I can’t tell all my secrets.”

Nathan Davis took the lead away from Ingersoll, who led most of the night, on Lap 46.

But the old man fought back two laps later, trading paint with Davis on the back stretch to reclaim his lead.

Ingersoll never looked back and Davis, who finished third behind Korey Ruble, held no ill will toward Friday’s winner.

“That’s why I love Modifieds,” Davis said. “That was great fun. Everybody’s super-great people.”

Ruble had a roller-coaster evening.

He nearly set a new track record in qualifying with a time of 17.762 — the only car to post a sub-18 mark — but started sixth on the invert.

Ruble, who drives the No. 66 car that was steered by Ryan Redmon to the track championship last year, quickly made his way to the front.

He fought Ingersoll for the lead for several laps, but was doing it the hard way on the high side of the track. That’s not the groove you want at Five Flags, which is harsh on tires.

“Coming into the race, it was my intentions to save the tires, but I got o the outside of the No. 33 and burnt them up,” Ruble said.

He gave way and decided to watch Ingersoll and Davis battle for the lead.

The pair’s war culminated with their hard racing on Lap 48 when they touched doors and nearly sent each other into the walls.

“I thought they were gonna wreck on the back stretch because they touched,” Ruble said. “That was my shot to take the lead.

“If I would’ve had more experience in the car, I might’ve gone for it. I just wanted to finish in one piece.”

Veterans like Ingersoll know better.

The race featured just one caution, but it was somewhat scary. Jacob Moore’s hood flew off down the front straightaway early in the race and nearly cleared the security fence that protects the track from the grandstands.

Mobile’s Gerald Wilkerson, who won the season opener at Mobile International Speedway, not forcing issue for the first 25 laps. Just hanging back, letting the chaos in front of him unfold.

Great four-car battle up front for top spot began to heat up with less than 15 laps remaining. Ruble second to Ingersoll, Nathan Davis, Pace’s Todd Jones.

Modified Results — 1. Nathan Ingersoll, 2. Korey Ruble, 3. Nathan Davis, 4. Todd Jones, 5. Brandon Howell, 6. Gerald Wilkerson, 7. Okie Mason, 8. Kevin Peel, 9. Brian McArdle, 10. Jacob Moore, 11. Jacob Permenter, 12. Bruce Permenter, 13. Darin Matthews, 14. Steve Buttrick, 15. Randy Herrick, 16. Scooter Grice

Sportsmen

Stevie Mercer didn’t need practice.

His car was already warmed up.

Mercer raced by Randy Thompson midway through the 20-lap feature in an emotional victory, Mercer’s first of the season.

“I dedicate this win to my Daddy,” said Mercer, whose father “Sport” died last fall. “He loved watching his boys race. I hadn’t won since he passed.”

It turns out Mercer’s car was a little too warmed up after being disqualified in technical inspection. Second-place Bubba Winslow, who finished second was also DQ’d, pushing Thompson to the win.

Marty White took second and Brannon Fowler’s terrific start to the season only got better with a third-place finish.

Sportsmen Results — 1. Randy Thompson, 2. Marty White, 3. Brannon Fowler, 4. Michael Couture, 5. Jim Pokrant, 6. Tina Davidson, 7. Eddie Craig Jr., 8. Wayne Burkett, 9. Mike Goraum, 10. Chris Nielsen, DQ. Stevie Mercer, DQ. Bubba Winslow

Bombers

Curtis Faircloth won two times all of last season at Five Flags.

The Pace driver already has equaled that in two races in 2011. Faircloth pulled off a savvy slingshot move past Tally Warrick late in the 15-lap feature to claim the checkered flag.

“It’s been a rough night, so this feels good,” Faicloth said. “It was rough in the heats and rough out here.”

Warrick paid the price for the hard racing, having a tire go flat on him and finishing a tough 14th after a runner-up in the season opener.

Brandon Burks, who started on the pole, finished second and Gary Goodwin took home third

Bombers Results—1. Curtis Faircloth, 2 Brandon Burks, 3. Gary Goodwin, 4. Leonard Craig Jr., 5. Rick Thompson, 6. Brian Lane, 7. Robert Balkam, 8. James L. Beal III, 9. Tony Boyd, 10. Tracy Soles, 11. Johnny Greene Jr., 12. William Davis, 13. Courtney Rodrigues, 14. Tally Warrick, 15. Kenny Williams, 16. Thom Crosslin, 17. Hunter Ward, 19. Kenny Bullard

Pro Challenge Series

Billy Elmore is getting used to this,

The Mobile driver made it a perfect three-for-three when he passed Darin Matthews late on the final lap in Friday’s exhibition race.

Elmore won the first two races at Sunny South Raceway in Grand Bay, Ala., the regular home of the Pro Challenge series.

“I’m gonna enjoy it while I can,” Elmore said. “I love racing these guys.”

The little cars, which boast between 1,100 and 1,200 cc’s under the hood and sound like the Indianapolis 500, put on quite a show. There was plenty of door-to-door racing throughout the 15 laps.

Elmore was racing near the top three for most of the race, just biding his time before making his move on Matthews coming out of Turn 4. Okie Mason finished third.