KENLY, N.C. — Mark McFarland held off Michael Ritch to win the Crane Cams 250 at Southern National Raceway Park Saturday night.
McFarland, driver of the No. 81s Sears Auto Center Chevrolet, took the lead from Ritch on lap 178 and survived several late-race restarts en route to his third-consecutive Hooters Pro Cup Series Greased Lightning Southern Division victory.
“I was worried about Michael on those restarts, because you never know what he saved or what he’s going to pull out,” said McFarland. “I thought our car was better, but I was worried until the checkered flag fell tonight.”
Ritch didn’t think McFarland should have worried too much.
“Mark had a great car,” said Ritch. “He was definitely faster from the center off. We got him by [pitting early], but that didn’t work this time. He had the dominant car.”
In the first half, Wade Day and Caleb Holman looked to have the best cars in the field. After slipping by polesitter Clay Rogers on the first lap, Day led the first 60 laps until Holman took over. The two pulled away from the field and elected not to pit when most of the leaders took tires before the halfway mark.
Holman finally came to pit road after halfway, but Day held the lead until lap 161 when he finally came to pit road.
Holman charged back to finish fourth, but Day was caught up in a minor mishap and finished 11th.
Rogers didn’t lead a lap after starting from the pole, but finished third.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” said Rogers. “With the amount of competition in this series, if you can run in the top three, especially with the late start we got this season, you’ve done something. It’s coming together, and I feel our first win is right around the corner.”
Jay Fogleman was fifth.
The finish:
Showing driver, car, laps completed and money won: 1. Mark McFarland, Chevrolet, 250, $10,600; 2. Michael Ritch, Ford, 250, $7,500; 3. Clay Rogers, Chevrolet, 250, $6,900; 4. Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, 250, $5,400; 5. Jay Fogleman, Ford, 250, $3,000; 6. Bobby Gill, Ford, 250, $4,300; 7. Billy Bigley, Jr., Ford, 250, $2,600; 8. Carl Long, Ford, 250, $2,400; 9. Drew Herring, Ford, 250, $4,500; 10. Gary Helton, Chevrolet, 250, $2,200; 11. Wade Day, Ford, 250, $2,500; 12. Kirk Leone, Ford, 250, $2,000; 13. Joey Coulter, Ford, 250, $1,900; 14. Tom Hessert, Chevrolet, 250, $1,800; 15. Matt Hawkins, Ford, 250, $2,100; 16. Hunter Robbins, Ford, 250, $1,600; 17. Dakoda Armstrong, Ford, 250, $1,600; 18. Woody Howard, Chevrolet, 250, $2,000; 19. John Gibson, Ford, 250, $1,600; 20. Matt Lofton, Chevrolet, 250, $1,600; 21. J.P. Morgan, Chevrolet, 249, $1,400; 22. Larry Barrett, Chevrolet, 243, $1,400; 23. Bryan Silas, Ford, 225, $2,200; 24. Lucas Ransone, Chevrolet, 158, $1,400; 25. Dana White, Chevrolet, 148, $1,400; 26. Mark Whitaker, Chevrolet, 140, $1,400; 27. Allen Purkhiser, Ford, 124, $1,200; 28. Dusty Williams, Ford, 65, $1,200; 29. Rusty Skewes, Ford, 14, $1,600; 30. Michael Phelps, Ford, 7, $1,200; 31. Dange Hanniford, Chevrolet, 1, $2,400.