KENLY, N.C. — If there was any doubt that Michael Ritch was for real, it disappeared after the Naturally Fresh 250 presented by Awesome Awnings at Southern National Raceway Park on Saturday night.
Ritch, driver of the No. 28 Naturally Fresh/Jackaroo Ford, nudged Mark McFarland out of the lead on lap 195, pulled away for his second victory of the season and extended his lead in the Aaron’s Southern Division point standings.
“I’ve been racing since I was 8 years old, and there ain’t nobody out here that will out-drive me,” said Ritch. “They might be able to out-dollar me, but not out-drive me. My crew doesn’t get paid. They just do it for fun, and we’re leading a big-time series right now. My guys are just awesome. I wish I could repay them. The way I repay them is cold beer and wins.”
It was a cold track that helped Ritch to his 13th Hooters Pro Cup win.
After trailing McFarland for much of the second half of the event, Ritch closed in after a red flag. McFarland, driver of the No. 81 Knight’s Companies Chevrolet, tried to keep Ritch at bay, but Ritch bumped McFarland out of the bottom groove in turn one of lap 195. McFarland charged back in turn four to pull alongside of Ritch. The lapped car of Billy Bigley blocked McFarland’s charge, and McFarland finished .747 second behind Ritch.
Jay Fogleman, driver of the No. 4 The Works Ford, posted his best finish of the season by coming home third. Mike Garvey, driver of the No. 17 JaniKing Ford, posted his third top-five finish of the season by finishing fourth.  Matt Hawkins, driver of the No. 2 H&H Electric Ford, completed the top five. Hawkins also picked up $1,000 for being the Miller Lite Rookie of the Race.
The finish:
Showing driver, car, laps completed and money won: 1. Michael Ritch, Ford, 250, $10,500; 2. Mark McFarland, Chevrolet, 250, $6,500; 3. Jay Fogleman, Ford 250, $5,700; 4. Mike Garvey, Ford, 250, $4,000; 5. Matt Hawkins, Ford, 250, $4,000; 6. Bobby Gill, Ford, 250, $4,300; 7. Carl Long, Ford, 250, $2,600; 8. Richard Boswell, Chevrolet, 250, $3,900; 9. Mike Herman, Jr., Chevrolet, 250; $2,500; 10. Derrick Kelley, Ford, 250, $2,200; 11. Wade Day, Ford, 250, $2,100; 12. Shelby Howard, Chevrolet, 250, $2,300; 13. Kirk Leone, Ford, 250, $2,100; 14. James Buescher, Chevrolet, 250, $1,800; 15. Bill Plemons, Jr., Ford, 250, $1,700; 16. Mike Mason, Ford, 248, $1,600; 17. Clay Jones, Chevrolet, 245, $1,600; 18. Dange Hanniford, Chevrolet, 244, $1,600; 19. Billy Bigley, Jr., Ford, 242, $1,600; 20. Dusty Williams, Ford, 233, $1,600; 21. Gary Helton, Chevrolet, 220, $1,400; 22. Allen Purkhiser, Ford, 193, $1,400; 23. Trevor Bayne, Chevrolet, 186, $3,000; 24. Chase Pistone, Chevrolet, 186, $1,400; 25. Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, 179, $1,400; 26. Justin Wakefield, Ford, 158, $1,200; 27. Woody Howard, Chevrolet, 147, $2,200; 28. Don Satterfield, Chevrolet, 139, $1,200; 29. Frank Deiny, Jr., Ford, 133, $1,200; 30. Brian Scott, Ford, 109, $1,200; 31. Mart Nesbitt, Ford, 101, $1,200; 32. Ryan Duff, Chevrolet, 93, $1,200; 33. Joey Coulter, Ford, 29, $1,200.