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Wilson’s perseverance pays off, with first-ever LOLMDS victory in East Bay finale

From DirtOnDirt.com Staff Reports

GIBSONTON, FL (Feb. 10) - At last. After two formative seasons with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, defined by growing pains and nine runner-up finishes, Daulton Wilson emerged Saturday at East Bay Raceway Park as the breakthrough touring winner he’s always sought to be.

The last-ever Winternationals at the third-mile oval in its final season of operations had already been bound for a sentimental, tear-jerking outcome. Then the Fayetteville, NC driver amplified the emotional night by giving dirt Late Model onlookers one heck of a memory to forever hold onto as legendary East Bay ends its storied run as the synonymous kingpin of Georgia-Florida Speedweeks.

For a driver who’s had practically lifetime to prepare a Lucas Oil Series victory lane speech, Wilson was, when it came down to it, pretty speechless when his lifelong mission finally became a reality.

“Man, I don’t know what to say,” an emotional Wilson said, his voice cracking in victory lane. “It’s a dream come true. My whole family is right there. They sacrificed everything for me. They believe in me 100 percent. My guys, my car owner, (manager Jeff) Gullett … everybody believed in me for this opportunity, and everybody along the way that gave me a chance for helping me. I can’t thank any of them enough.”

Wilson’s tone of voice then softened as he tried concluding his initial thoughts to realizing a dream.

“We finally got it done,” he said.

Indeed, Wilson sealed the deal on Saturday, and he did so rather decisively. Wilson swiftly dispatched of Tyler Erb for the lead on lap 16, an exchange that Wilson completed in one sliding move through turns one and two.

Then with five laps to go, as Wilson and Erb worked lapped traffic, they were separated by two car lengths entering turn three at the time and Wilson heaved his Jason Ratliff-owned No. 18D underneath and around the lapped car of Boom Briggs. Erb attempted to pass Briggs in one, clean maneuver like Wilson, but upon the exit of turn four clipped Briggs with his right-rear quarter panel.

Two laps later the caution came out for Briggs as Erb continued to put Wilson under serious duress.

Fortunately for Wilson, the caution couldn’t have intervened at more of an opportune time. From there, he turned in three more clean laps on the ensuing restart while Erb slipped from second to third and into the clutches of Brandon Sheppard.

“As I’ve said, we’ve been digging on this thing all week,” Wilson said. “We got off there during the middle of week but we hunkered back down. And the racetrack kind of threw us for a curveball, and we didn’t know what we were going to get for the feature, but it can about drive itself right now. I’m just the lucky guy that gets to hold the steering wheel.”

As for Erb, the polesitter, he led the opening 15 laps and paced the main event for the fourth time in six races this year. The self-professed East Bay lover looked to be on his way to a seventh-career East Bay win in his career on Saturday until Wilson’s convincing ways turned the tide.

Erb couldn’t be upset by the result. He and Wilson have grown to be good buddies these last two years.

“He deserves it. He’s been really, really fast,” Erb said. “It’s taken him like three years. I can feel like that pain. I know what it’s like to win. Yeah, this is a helluva place to win your first race, too. Congrats to him and his whole family and team. I’ve gotten really close to Daulton in the last three years. If anybody could win, I’d definitely like to see him.”

Behind Sheppard and Erb on the podium, Garrett Smith was fourth and Devin Moran completed the top five.

Blair Nothdurft, the sole WISSOTA-region representative on hand at East Bay for the track’s Winternationals finale, finished 30th in the feature.

SUMMARY

Lucas Oil Late Model Series:

Feature (50 Laps): 1. 18D-Daulton Wilson[6]; 2. B5-Brandon Sheppard[9]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 4. 10-Garrett Smith[8]; 5. 99-Devin Moran[12]; 6. 49-Jonathan Davenport[11]; 7. 20-Jimmy Owens[5]; 8. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[20]; 9. 7T-Drake Troutman[30]; 10. 1-Hudson O'Neal[25]; 11. 12-Ashton Winger[16]; 12. 157-Mike Marlar[29]; 13. 40B-Kyle Bronson[17]; 14. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[10]; 15. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 16. 174-Ethan Dotson[13]; 17. 46-Earl Pearson Jr[22]; 18. 96V-Tanner English[18]; 19. 111-Max Blair[23]; 20. 25-Tony Jackson Jr[24]; 21. 17SS-Brenden Smith[15]; 22. 99B-Boom Briggs[2]; 23. 19M-Spencer Hughes[27]; 24. 7-Ross Robinson[28]; 25. 8-Dillon McCowan[14]; 26. 39-Tim McCreadie[26]; 27. 15K-Jensen Ford[4]; 28. 89-Mike Spatola[7]; 29. 5-Mark Whitener[21]; 30. 76N-Blair Nothdurft[19]