Vail outlasts competition to take Fall Brawl victory

8/23/2016

Freedom Factory

Vail outlasts competition to take Fall Brawl victory

Vail outlasts competition to take Fall Brawl victory
By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Desoto Speedway

When 26 of the best Sportsman drivers took the green flag for Saturday night's inaugural Florida Sportsman Invitational Fall Brawl 200 Powered by JEGS.com at Desoto Speedway, they knew the key to victory would be taking care of their equipment in Desoto's longest race of the 2016 season.

After dominating the first three-fourths of the event, defending track champion Steve Darvalics was worried that he didn't do enough to save his tires. When Darvalics faded late and another contender suffered some misfortune late, it was Jason Vail who was left holding the giant trophy in victory lane after a rough-and-tumble event in front of a big crowd at Desoto Speedway.

A 10-car inversion put Bruce Bennett and Michael Goddard on the front row. Bennett grabbed the lead at the start and held on to the top spot for the first 20 laps with defending track Sportsman champion Steve Darvalics directly in tow. Darvalics passsed Bennett for the top spot on a lap 21 restart and held a lead over Bennett, Jason Vail, Sean Bass and fast-qualifier Bill Vandevender when the caution flew for Rob Kuhn's spin on lap 38.

Vail and Bass moved into second and third behind Darvalics as the field began running in a bit of a conservation mode in the middle stages of the first segment. On lap 60, Vandevender had a tire failure and spun coming out of turn four. Roger Welch spun into Vandevender, whose night came to an end with extensive damage.

Darvalics held off challenges from Vail and Bass over the final 25 laps of the first segment and went on to claim a JEGS.com certificate pack for being the leader at the halfway point.

“The car was pretty good,” Darvalics said of the first half of the race. “I figured it was best to ride out front instead of riding in the middle of the pack. I probably could have done a little better job of saving my tires.”

If Darvalics didn't save his tires in the first half of the race it didn't show early in the second half as the Venice, Florida driver built nearly a straightaway-length lead over Vail and Bass before the caution flew for Kuhn's spin on lap 120.

Darvalics began losing the handle on his car after the restart and was stalked for several laps by Vail and Bass. Bass got by Vail for second on lap 167 and dove under Darvalics to take the lead four laps later. Vail passed Darvalics for second a couple of laps later.

Bass made quick work of lapped traffic and appeared well on his way to the victory when he tangled with Timmy Todd and spun coming out of turn four with 13 laps to go. Todd refused to tap out for the incident, resulting in both cars going to the rear of the field and handing the lead to Vail.

Vail, Bennett and Smith were in a three-way battle for lead when the caution flew for the final time for Jacob Berkevich's spin with four laps to go. Vail fought off a last-ditch effort by Bennett to take the lead on the outside and drove on to the victory.

“I just tried to conserve and conserve and I didn't think I had enough to get back by Bass when he got by me because the lapped cars wouldn't get out of the way,” Vail said. “It was hard over the last 100 laps. The first 100 laps I was trying to pass Darvalics, but I was trying to save the tires. It all worked out for us.”

Smith passed Bennett on the white flag lap and held on to finish second. Darvalics, who led 149 of the 200 laps, finished fourth and Bobby Mobley rounded out the top five. Nine cars finished on the lead lap.

Roger Dufresne led the field to the green for the 25-lap LKQ Pick-Your-Part Pure Stock feature. Sherry Best grabbed the lead from Dufresne early on with a charging Darrin Ellis and Scott McKay right on her tail. Just prior to the halfway point, Ellis dove under Best and McKay and came out of turn four with the lead on a three-wide pass.

McKay and Blane Baer took shots at Ellis for the top spot over the second half of the race, but Ellis held off all challengers on his way to his second straight Pure Stock feature win. Baer held off McKay for third.

Becca Monopoli paced the early stages of the Q Auto and Injury Attorneys 30-lap Pro Truck feature before giving way to Cody Martell at the one-third mark. As Martell grabbed the top spot, Florida short track legend Joe Winchell charged through the field and was on Martell's bumper by the 15-lap mark.

Winchell followed in Martell's tire tracks for the entire second half of the race, but couldn't make a move in the closing laps as Martell drove on to his first career Pro Truck victory.

In other action Saturday night, Jeff Firestine led every lap on his way to a win in the 25-lap Take Aim Gun Range Street Stock feature; Josh Todd won the 25-lap Bomber feature; and Todd Wozniak won the 25-lap Mini Stock feature.

Desoto Speedway returns to action on Sept. 3 with Jack Smith Memorial Open Wheel Modifieds, the Southern Sprint Car Shootout Series, Pure Stock, Street Stocks, TQ Midgets, Outlaw Modifieds and Bombers.
Fall Brawl Sportsman Invitational 200 8/20/2016
Fast Qualifier
84 Bill Vandevender 15.88

Hard Charger
25 Timmy Todd Jr

Halfway Leader
1 Steve Darvalics

Official Results