Tyler Nicely faced a host of worthy opponents in his first trip to Michigan Thursday night at Butler Motor Speedway. Still, the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals points leader overcame the stiff competition to bag his fifth victory of the season.
Indiana UMP Modified ace Dillon Nusbaum took the early lead from the pole with Nicely following in tow. Nicely, of Owensboro, KY, opted to stay lower on the track than Nusbaum in the hopes of a better run off the corner and a potential pass for the lead on the bottom.
Nicely (25) and Nusbaum (17N) battling for the lead. (Terry Page Photo)
As the laps clicked off, Nicely was unable to get a good enough run to make the move. It wasn’t until seven laps-to-go when Nusbaum broke a left-rear shock and slowed suddenly in Turn 3, bringing out the yellow and surrendering the lead to Nicely.
“I was having to find a lane where I could make speed where [Nusbaum] wasn’t,” Nicely said. “Once we got out front, I feel like my car was just really balanced, so it was just me not making any mistakes.”
Armed with the lead and less than 10 laps left on the board, Nicely cruised it back around to the checkers unchallenged to win his 10th career Summit Modified Feature ahead of several Michigan, Indiana and Ohio-native competitors that filled the top-five.
UP NEXT
The DIRTcar Summit Modifieds continue Week 5 competition Friday, July 14, with a visit to Hartford Speedway in Hartford, MI. Tickets will be on sale at the gate; streaming available at DIRTVision.com.
FEATURE RESULTS
Feature (25 Laps): 1. 25-Tyler Nicely[4]; 2. 25L-Josh Lolmaugh[11]; 3. 5CS-Curt Spalding[3]; 4. 19-Chad Bauer[19]; 5. 82-Dalton Lane[8]; 6. 114-Clayton Bryant[7]; 7. 65-Todd Sherman[9]; 8. 7-Willie Gammill[22]; 9. 81-Rick Swartout[20]; 10. 313DWD-Casey Keyosky[21]; 11. 1E-Jeffery Erickson[2]; 12. 54-Zachary Hawk[6]; 13. 24Z-Zeke McKenzie[5]; 14. 26-Anthony Carter[12]; 15. 29-Steve Shellenberger[18]; 16. 87Z-George Zieman[10]; 17. 74M-Manix Furqueron[16]; 18. 17N-Dillon Nusbaum[1]; 19. 1TS-Tyler Spalding[17]; 20. 27-Beau DeYoung[15]; 21. 117-Kevin Reeve[13]; 22. 64M-Tim McCafferty[14]
