The CARS Tour brought the fireworks to Orange County Speedway
The CARS Tour was scheduled to race at the Orange County Speedway on September 8. With weather in the area, they got the show in at record time.
They were able to get in 150 laps of the CARS Tour late model event. The fireworks have gone off following the 3/8-mile event in Rougemont, NC.
Steve Wallace was dominating the super late model feature. He led through three competition cautions at laps 40, 83 and 123. The CARS Tour officials throw a mandatory yellow after 40 straight green flag laps. Through all that, Wallace was holding off the field regardless.
The green flag dropped on the lap 123 restart as the race was coming to a close. Rusty Wallace Racing driver Steve Wallace and Kyle Busch Motorsports driver Raphael Lessard lined up on the front row for the restart.
Wallace got the jump at the line. He led by a full car length heading into turn one. Meanwhile, Lessard drove it deep on the bottom. At the same time, the #18 driver’s entry was pinched by Matt Craig as they banged doors just beyond the flag stand.
Due to the bad angle at corner entry, Lessard clipped the apron as Wallace ran the top. The #18 made up the full car length deficit plus he climbed to the number on the door of the #66. He made up nearly two car lengths, on corner entry.
Needless to say, Lessard didn’t come close to making the corner. He climbed the banking at the apex of the corner and made contact with the left rear of Steven Wallace who left room on the bottom.
The leader went around in front of the field. Wallace looped a full 360, though somehow he was not touched by another competitor. No damage was done to the #66. Except, just moments before, he was the leader.
Per CARS Tour rules, any driver involved in a caution are sent to the tail. As a result, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place competitors were all sent to the tail of the field with just 27 laps remaining.
Steve Wallace and Raphael Lessard drove through the field. Wallace finished in the 3rd position. Lessard finished 5th in the 125 lap main event. Lessard now trails Jared Fryar by just eight points for the championship lead.
Kyle Plott went on to take his first career victory with the CARS Super Late Model Tour.
After the race…
Steve Wallace walked over to the KBM hauler to have a chat with Raphael Lessard. They met in the dimly lit pit area, just behind the KBM hauler.
Watch the video of the post-race communication between Wallace and Lessard below.
Steve Wallace to Lessard: “I wouldn’t go in there when you’re the *ucking leader. It’s just common sense. I wouldn’t go in there and just be like, ‘woahhhh’ and just spin you the *uck out in front of the field.”
“You did this *hit to Brandon Setzer. You did it to me. Everybody.”
“We’re going to race a lot with each other. A lot.”
Lessard: “I drove down to the inside. There was a lane on the inside.”
Wallace: “I ran you onto the apron? Ok. Hey, you win. Next time you race against me… just be *ucking worried about your head mother *ucker because I’ll be up your *ucking ass.”
“You’re fine. You’re perfect. Wreck Brandon Setzer and you’re *ucking perfect. Wreck everybody, you’re perfect. Yeah, yeah buddy, you’re *ucking perfect. You got one *ucking coming.”
Steve Wallace vs Raphael Lessard
Video
Cars Tour Series
Orange County Speedway results
September 10, 2018
1. 4P Kyle Plott 150
2. 78 Corey Heim 150
3. 66 Steve Wallace 150
4. 14 Jared Fryar 150
5. 18 Raphael Lessard 150
6. 17 Mike Speeney 150
7. 00 Anthony Cataldi 150
8. 16 Molly Helmuth 150
9. 2 Darrell Gilchrist 150
10. 2T Gracie Trotter 150
11. 8 Tate Fogleman 150
12. 49 Jeff Batten 150
13. 54 Matt Craig 150
14. 37 Dan Speeney 149
15. 12 Dean Ward 72 Mechanical
16. 32 Harold Crooms 21 Mechanical
17. 7 Tyler Church 0 DNS (Rear End)
The next event on the CARS Response Energy Tour comes at South Boston Speedway on Saturday, November 3. Th show will feature dual divisions and crown champions. For the second consecutive year there’s a two-horse race in the points for both the late model stock and super late model division championship.
More
Related: Mason Mingus details what led up to the fight with Steve Wallace
Related: Mason Mingus vs Steve Wallace: Fight at the Fairgrounds (Video)
Related: Raphael Lessard vs Brandon Setzer at Hickory Motor Speedway (Video)
Related: Dirt racing drivers understanding each others frustrations after getting turned
Links
Steve Wallace | Raphael Lessard | Orange County Speedway | CARS Tour
