Ickler Takes the Lead After Break, Keeps It

Brandon Loverock and Brian Ickler each led 100 laps of the yellow flag-filled NASCAR Lucas Oil Super Late Models 200 Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway, but Ickler led the 100 that mattered more.

Loverock was the leader when the 200-lap race on the half-mile track was stopped after 100 laps as planned. Under the inversion system, Loverock started third and Dave Beat, who had been third, started on the pole when the race resumed about 20 minutes later.

Ickler, who was second after 100 laps and started second when the race resumed, passed Beat on the 101st lap and kept the lead for the remainder of the race, finishing 3.075 seconds ahead of Beat, the runner-up. Loverock was ninth.

There were eight yellow flags along with a red flag, called when Greg Pursley’s car hit the wall on the 43rd lap and caught fire. Pursley tumbled out of his car but refused to be taken to a hospital, according to Robert DeFazio, the speedway’s vice president and general manager.

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-- Steven Herbert