MONROE, Wash. — Brian Ickler captured his third victory in four races in NASCAR Grand National Division West Series action, earning the flag at Evergreen Speedway in the NAPA 300 on Saturday.
After encountering a variety of problems that denied him a top-10 finish in the first six races this season, Ickler has dominated the second half of the year — with three wins and two sixth-place finishes in his last five starts.
“The best part of this NAPA team is the consistency,” the second-year driver from San Diego said of his Bill McAnally Racing team. “We had some bad luck early, but we fought back.”
Ickler led 163 of 300 laps en route to his latest triumph on the historic fairgrounds track. His chief competition came from two-time series champion Mike Duncan, who set a track record in winning his fourth Bud Pole of the year with a lap of 99.691 miles per hour around the .646-mile oval. In addition to Duncan, Ickler also shuffled the lead back-and-forth through much of the race with Jeff Barkshire.
Ickler moved into the lead for the final time on a lap-226 restart, after the sixth and final caution period. He cruised to victory by a margin of 3.979 seconds, netting $7,666 in prize money and posted awards.
Duncan was second in the Lucas Oil/Ron’s Rear Ends Chevrolet, recording his sixth-consecutive podium finish at Evergreen Speedway. He was followed by Mike David in the Bennett Lane Winery Ford. The three top finishers were the only drivers on the lead lap at race’s end.
Travis Bennett was fourth in his West Series debut. Justin Lofton completed the top five.
The finish:
Showing driver, car, laps completed, money won: 1. Brian Ickler, Chevrolet, 300, $7,666; 2. Mike Duncan, Chevrolet, 300, $7,666; 3. Mike David, Ford, 300, $4,666; 4. Travis Bennett, Chevrolet, 298, $3,000; 5. Justin Lofton, Ford, 297, $3,616; 6. Moses Smith, Chevrolet, 297, $4,216; 7. Jeff Barkshire, Dodge, 294, $2,466; 8. Jim Inglebright, Chevrolet, 294; $3,066; 9. Alex Haase, Chevrolet, 293, $2,916; 10. Johnny Borneman, Ford, 290, $2,866; 11. Jamie Dick, Chevrolet, 289, $2,066; 12. Rick Wall, Ford, 280, $2,016; 13. Erick Hardin, Chevrolet, 262, $2,716; 14. Jason Fraser, Dodge, 236, $1,600; 15. David Mayhew, Chevrolet, 231, $1,896; 16. Jason Bowles, Ford, 217, $2,616; 17. Erick Richardson, Chevrolet, 215, $2,566; 18. Brett Thompson, Chevrolet, 139, $2,516; 19. Daryl Harr, Chevrolet, 31, $1,738; 20. Lloyd Mack, Ford, 19, $1,716.