BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 20) — Matt Henderson was almost apologetic while talking to Caleb Gay during post-race inspection following Saturday night’s fifth annual Sunshine Nationals finale at Volusia Speedway Park. It had been less than 20 minutes since Henderson, of Loudon, Tenn., swept under Dublin, Ga., driver Gay on a late-race restart to win the Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Winter Shootout Series feature and its $10,000 top prize.
Henderson, who was making his first-ever appearance at the half-mile oval in a race that is a collaboration with the DIRTcar Racing Pro Late Model division, wasn’t down in the dumps, and he certainly wasn’t “sign-over-my-$10,000-check” apologetic, but he felt a little bad about sweeping in and stealing away with the victory after Gay, who led laps nine through 24, appeared to have the race well in hand before a couple of late yellow flags sealed his fate.
“Caleb drove a great race,” said Henderson, who started sixth in the 30-car field. “I think he had the wrong tire on, and he just wasn't able to hold the bottom. And you know Will (Roland) put a lot of pressure on him and I know he felt that. I think he just didn't want to give anybody the opportunity to get a run on him in the end, and he just overcharged the center there a little bit. It just let him slide out.
“And I had the right tire on for tonight,” Henderson continued. “I truly believe we did. We had a short caution there after some green-flag runs, so my tire didn't get to cool down and that really helped me. Once we really took the caution, came back around and they said, ‘One (lap) to go,’ and we're coming back to green. That helped me because my tire was hot. So when he slid out, I was able to roll on past him.”
Henderson felt like Gay did little wrong on the fateful restart, but Gay couldn’t help but wonder if he could have held Henderson off for the final charge to the checkerered flag.
“I was too worried about not getting in there hard enough,” said Gay. “I probably should have just about parked it down there on the restart. Once I got to run a lap or two, I could manage it better, but on the restarts it was just killing me. And the further we went, it got worse and worse. But I should have just went into the corner and parked and just, you know, held the show up and then got going and I probably would have been all right. But I just made a mistake, really. Which, I think he was on the better tire, like he said, but I still think I could have maybe done a little different, but that's racing. I reckon we’ll just have to try again next time.”
After starting from the pole in the event for Chevrolet Performance Circle Track Engines-powered Late Models, the likable Georgian held on to finish second, 2.752 seconds behind the winner. Jacksonville, Fla., competitor Trynt Lloyd finished third after starting eighth. Clay Harris of Jupiter, Fla., improved six positions to finish fourth and fourth-starting Will Roland of Jasper, Ga., ran second from laps 12-23 before settling for fifth place.
Tyler Millwood of Kingston, Ga., was the big mover in the 30-lap main event, starting 27th and rallying all the way to sixth place. Second-starting Dustin Carter of Decatur, Ga., led the first eight laps before Gay fired a successful slider in turn two to grab the lead.
The victory vaulted Henderson into the points lead of the nine-date miniseries heading to East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla., on Jan. 24-27. He holds a slim two-point advantage over Roland, who won the tour’s season-opening Ice Bowl at Talladega Short Track in Eastaboga, Ala.
“We’re in a points battle there with my buddy Will [Roland],” said Henderson. “So we're going to go to East Bay next week and then we're going to take some time off and get our stuff back fresh from this Florida swing, and then go back to Milton, Fla. [Southern Raceway] for the finale of this deal.”
Sunshine Nationals: 1. Matt Henderson, 30 laps; 2. Caleb Gay, 30; 3. Trynt Lloyd, 30; 4. Clay Harris, 30; 5. Will Roland, 30; 6. Tyler Millwood, 30; 7. Brock Pinkerous, 30; 8. Baily Cardwell, 30; 9. Cole Exum, 30; 10. Mark Fleischer, 30; 11. Owen Osteen, 30; 12. Tuck Trentham, 30; 13. Dillon Brown, 30; 14. Brandon Wells, 30; 15. Ivedent Lloyd, 30; 16. Mario Gresham, 30; 17. Corey Neil Jr., 30; 18. Lincoln Smith, 30; 19. Austin Yarbrough, 30; 20. Matt Herlong, 30; 21. Jody Knowles, 29; 22. Rye Faulk, 23; 23. Jason Garver, 21; 24. Richie Stephens, 13; 25. Nevin Gainey, 12; 26. Dustin Carter, 10; 27. Demetrios Drellos, 10; 28. Joey Love, 10; 29. Cory Hedgecock, 5; 30. Steve Stratton Sr. 0.
Entries: 69
Fast qualifier: Nevin Gainey, 16.808 seconds.
Lead changes: Two among three drivers.
Lap leaders: Dustin Carter 1-8; Caleb Gay 9-24; Matt Henderson 25-30.
Cautions: 7
Heat winners: Caleb Gay, Dustin Carter, Demetrios Drellos, Will Roland
Consolation race winners: Richie Stephens, Lincoln Smith.
Semi-feature winners: Dillon Brown, Richie Stephens, Austin Yarbrough, Brock Pinkerous (all held Fri., Jan. 19)