Bobby continued his winning ways Friday night, taking the Racefest opener at West Virginia Motor Speedway and collecting the $12,000 top prize in World of Outlaws Late Model Series competition.
Starting from the outside of the front row, Bobby slipped back to fourth during the opening laps before beginning his charge back toward the front. He moved into third on lap six with an outside pass down the backstretch before pulling off a bottom-to-top move in turn four on lap 11 to take over second.
By lap 13, the race leader had entered lapped traffic with Bobby glued to his rear bumper.
The battle intensified as the race approached halfway.
With 20 laps remaining, the top three cars were separated by only a few car lengths as Bobby patiently searched for an opening. One lap later, he blasted off turn four and pulled alongside the leader at the flagstand before sliding in front entering turn one.
The lead exchange was only the beginning.
A slider battle erupted between the frontrunners, with Bobby briefly losing the lead before returning the favor on lap 22. Sliding back in front entering turn one, he regained control and this time held the position.
As Bobby worked through lapped traffic, he gradually stretched his advantage before cautions on laps 25 and 28 repeatedly erased the gap.
The race’s most dramatic sequence came in the closing laps.
On lap 30, the second-place driver slid in front of Bobby entering turn four. Bobby immediately answered by sliding back ahead entering turn one on the next circuit, but another caution reset the field and shuffled him back to second for the restart.
It didn’t take long for Bobby to return to the front.
He wasted no time diving underneath the leader and sliding into the top spot entering turn four. The lead changed hands again one lap later before Bobby reclaimed it for good on lap 33, sliding back ahead entering turn one and finally gaining enough separation to break free.
A caution on lap 35 brought the field back together one more time, but Bobby steadily built his lead to 1.6 seconds before another yellow flag flew with one lap remaining. On the ensuing single-file restart, Bobby pulled away cleanly to secure the victory.
“You had to get up on the wheel and get it done,” Bobby said. “It was a lot of fun.”
The victory came after one of the most entertaining races of the season, with multiple lead changes and intense battles throughout the field.
“I had some hellacious racing there between Hudson and Brandon and Dennis on the bottom there,” Bobby said.
As the racing surface evolved, Bobby found success around the top side of the speedway while adapting to changing conditions.
“That top really came in tonight,” he said. “Towards the end, I think probably could have been about anywhere. I was just starting to get really loose over in three and four, so I was glad to see the checkered. Felt like a long 40 laps.”
Bobby also noted the unique challenge presented by the wide racing surface.
“The corners are so wide it’s kind of hard to know where to go,” he said. “You see a guy on the bottom and it kind of wants to make you get down there. I did, and that’s when Brandon passed me.”
The victory marked Bobby’s fourth consecutive win overall and his 10th World of Outlaws Late Model Series triumph of the season.