Ryan Moore Takes St. Patrick's 150 Win at Hickory After Butcher & Hopkins Collide

After controversial contact between front-runners Cole Butcher and Mike Hopkins in the closing laps, Ryan Moore picked up the win in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) St. Patrick’s 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Ryan Moore inherited the win after Butcher and Hopkins made contact battling for the win with two laps to go. Hopkins took the lead with three laps to go, but Butcher and Hopkins made contact with two laps to go exiting turn two.

Hopkins spun into the inside wall on the backstretch, collecting Garrett Hall in the process. Under the caution, Hopkins drove his car towards Butcher’s on the backstretch to express his displeasure with the incident.

Butcher was sent to the rear of the field for his role in the incident, turning the lead over to Ryan Moore.

On the ensuing green-white-checkered restart, Moore held off Gabe Brown to take the win in the first of two 150-lap PASS Super Late Model races on Saturday at Hickory.

Butcher took the from Cory Hall on lap 16 of the race, and led the way for most of the race. However, it was not without pressure from the likes of Cory Hall and Mike Hopkins.

Hall and Hopkins were able to stay within shouting distance of Butcher throughout the race. However, those two drivers made contact while battling side-by-side for second in turn three. Hall received the worst end of the contact, having to pit for repairs under caution with 23 laps to go.

That contact did not deter Hopkins, and he challenged Butcher for the lead in the closing laps before the climactic exchange with two laps to go.

The St. Patrick’s Day 150 is the first of two PASS races at Hickory on Saturday. Click here to purchase your all-access pass and watch the Easter Bunny 150 Saturday afternoon on RacingAmerica.TV.

-Photo credit: Will Bellamy, Racing America

PASS ST. PATRICK'S 150 UNOFFICIAL RESULTS