This turned out to be just a great race. And one of those that just totally took you by surprise. Brady Short looked so fast and so in command of his race car, that after the heat races were done, I think most of those in attendance were collectively thinking "Who's gonna finish second?" Because Short was on a rail. I hope somebody got some good shots of those wheel stands he was doing coming out of turn four, because they were just a sight to behold.

At the drop of the green, it looked just like one might have predicted, because Brady took off like he was shot out of a cannon and was in the process of checking out. But then a funny thing happened. All of a sudden, he wasn't pulling away from Chase Briscoe anymore. In fact, Chase was starting to take small bites out of his lead. And while this was going on, something was happening deep in the field. Kyle Cummins, who had struggled to transfer out of his heat, was just screaming around the top and was tearing a path through the field, from way back there. Within ten or fifteen laps he had already made it all the way into the top 5. Jon Sciscoe had found a quick way around the place and was on the move and so was Josh Cunningham, just as he always does at this track. But he was doing it uncharacteristically on the top side, on this day. So, just as Cummins had caught Short, he had been caught by Sciscoe. Then, as Briscoe started to fade, Sciscoe was caught by Cunningham, who in turn was being reeled in by Jonathan Hendrick, who was making it stick right on the bottom. Brady bobbled and Kyle seized control. It looked to be his race, as he started to pull away. Then, after a red for a Jeff Miller flip (he got out OK) when he and Sciscoe touched wheels, you had a restart with Short in second, amongst Paragon stalwarts, Cummins, Sciscoe and Cunningham. All who had cut their teeth here. He would have his work cut out for him, if he was going to make a comeback. After this restart, Cunningham switched to the bottom and overtook Sciscoe and Short. He was pressuring the leader when the yellow came out for Short, who had jumped the cushion in two, happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, came into contact with Sciscoe and had to be taken off on the hook. He would be rolled back out and placed at the back of the lead lap cars, after a brief time in the work area. So you had a restart with Cummins still holding onto the lead, but you knew as soon as the green fell, he was going to be under serious duress again, from Cunningham, who was on a mission. Josh out cornered him went underneath and took the lead and began to slowly pull away. What made it interesting though, was that as soon as Josh established his lead, he went back to the top shelf, to finish things off. Because while the top was still fast, it had been a hazardous place to make a living for some. No problem for Cunningham though, as he then went on to close the show. And then, right in character with this great race, Cummins outraced Hendrick back to the line, to claim second.

Chuck Amati loved the Paragon Speedway fans and treated them to many nights of sitting on the edge of those old wooden benches at that place (And yes, they were old even back then, too). You have to think that the One-Armed Bandit has been watching over his namesake race, ever since Keith has been having it there, because every one of them has been just a whale of a race. Tonight was no exception.

Jerry