Landen Lewis Clinches $25k Prize in Legends Car Event at Southern National

Landen Lewis will leave Southern National Motorsports Park with a check for $25,000, after winning the Legends Car event at the four-tenths-mile racetrack in Lucama, North Carolina on Saturday.

The 18-year-old was the driver-to-beat throughout the 70-lap contest, and during the race's final green-flag run, which lasted more than 20 laps, was able to hold off Jacob Staten and Keelan Harvick, his teammates at Joe Ryan Racecars.

In the race's final laps, Lewis and Staten were able to break away from the pack behind them, settling the event mano a mano, with the CARS Late Model Stock Car winner maintaining the advantage.

While Lewis was regarded as the favorite for Saturday's event, the Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina-native had a more difficult time maintaining the lead and stretching his margin than expected.

"I'll tell you one thing, that was not easy," Lewis said after climbing from his car. "I felt like we had a really, really good car before the race, and felt like we were going to be able to get myself some room -- I wasn't driving as hard as I could every single lap, and it was the complete opposite of that."

The event itself ended up being pretty choppy, with lots of stop-and-go with the high volume of cautions and subsequent restarts that followed. However, even when the green flag was displayed for a stint of multiple laps, Lewis was unable to stretch his advantage.

"We fell back to third at one point, and at one point I didn't think I had the car to win, honestly. We were just really, really, really tight, I don't know what really happened and I'm sure the tires, they're really good, and Joe Ryan brought me a really fast racecar, just had to do a little work inside," Lewis added.

"But, it never hurts to do a little work. Just an awesome day, I don't know what to really say after that."

Driving the No. 39 for Joe Ryan Racecars, Jacob Staten was one of the few drivers able to keep pace with Lewis at the front of the pack, remaining within striking distance throughout the entire final run.

"Honestly, we didn't do anything [at the halfway break]," Staten said. "I told Joe [Ryan] at the break, I think we are really good and I was like, if I can get out front, I think I can pull away. Topped it off with fuel and we fired off that second run, I was really on the tight side and thought it would come to me, but it really never did."

Staten had some pretty high praise for the race-winner, Landen Lewis, calling him the best driver that he's ever competed against, adding "It took everything I had in me to try and run him down. That was everything I had to try and run him down, I mean the best man won today."

Keelan Harvick completed the top three finishers in Saturday's event. The son of NASCAR Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick was in contention all afternoon, and even drove up and took the lead from Lewis during the event, but fell back towards the end of the race, due to a sequence of restarts.

"I just got shuffled back on the restart, but I can't thank Joe Ryan Racecars enough for bringing me a fast racecar every week, it wouldn't be possible without them." Harvick said post-race. "I just made a mistake on the restart and it cost me a lot."

"I definitely knew that I needed to be more aggressive, but I just knew that it was going to be hard to beat these two guys, because they're really good and I just needed a little bit more from myself."

Another driver considered to be among the favorites for Saturday's event, Jake Bollman, finished fourth, recovering from the tail-end of the pack after a mid-race spin after contact from Carter McMurray.

Jackson Lewis completed the top five. Isaac Kitzmiller struggled throughout the afternoon, riding outside the top-15, but after selecting the non-preferred lane on several restarts, managed to get himself some track position.

Jake Waltman was seventh, with Daniel Silvestri, Jansen Jorgenson, and Levi Canup rounding out the top-10.

Race Results

Legends Cars
Southern National Motorsports Park

Photo: Ryan Batts