Late-Race Contact Propels Brandon Setzer to $15,000 PASS Win at Hickory
HICKORY, NC (November 18) – Hometown favorite Brandon Setzer took the lead after contact with Garrett Hall coming to the white flag to go on and win the Mason-Dixon MegMeltdown 300 for the Pro All Star Series (PASS) Super Late Models Saturday afternoon at Hickory Motor Speedway. Setzer’s third PASS Super Late Model win was the biggest of his career as he took home the $15,000 winner’s prize.
“He [Hall] had the best car, I hate it ended like that, but the lapped car just screwed him up,” said Setzer, driver of the Romeo Guest Construction/The Jewelry Exchange Ford #6. “As soon as he [Hall] went to the outside I saw the lapped car waving to the inside and I said, ‘Oh, I’ve got a hole,’ I filled the hole, he tried to come back down, but at that point, I couldn’t back out. Man, this means the world to me. I could’ve won the Daytona 500 and not be this happy.”
In qualifying, Kodie Conner beat two-time PASS North champion Travis Benjamin by 0.001 seconds to claim his second career pole. After the top 10 qualifiers redraw, former PASS champions DJ Shaw and Tate Fogleman would move to the front row, while Conner moved back to the fifth starting position.
The 300 lapper got off to a slow start with five cautions in the first 21 laps, including one on a lap 17 restart that knocked 2017 PASS South Super Late Model champion, Matt Craig, and Garrett Evans from contention. Shaw and Fogleman would trade the lead back and forth before Shaw would eventually settle for the lead on lap 38. By this time, Cassius Clark, whose team had struggled to cross the American/Canadian border for four days before arriving just in time for the race, had charged from the rear of the field into the top 10.
Shaw would pit on lap 99 after a caution for the stalled car of Jeff Batten, handing the lead over to Benjamin. After making it as high as fourth, Clark would have to pit under green on lap 125 with a flat left rear tire, losing three laps in the process. Another group of leaders pitted on lap 130 after Roy Hayes made contact with the turn four wall, but Benjamin again stayed out and continued to lead.
While Cole Butcher and Spencer Davis would take turns up front, Benjamin would make his way back to the front each time. But, Benjamin would pull to a stop while leading on lap 183 after his car ran out of fuel. On the restart, Garrett Hall would take the lead from Davis for the first time in the race. On lap 225, Derek Ramstrom spun from third allowing Setzer, Shaw, and others to pit for four tires, while Hall stayed out to maintain the lead. The final caution of the night would wave when Dennis Spencer, Jr. spun entering turn three, collecting Clark and Gracie Trotter. With the free pass, Benjamin would be able to take the pass around to get back on the lead lap.
Hall continued to lead with Setzer in his tire tracks over the final laps. Shaw moved into third, until Benjamin came charging through the field to take the spot with 19 laps to go. Hall and Setzer continued to weave their way through lapped traffic until they encountered the car of David Calabrese. With two laps to go, as they entered turn three, Hall looked to pass Calabrese on the outside. Calabrese instead moved up, causing Hall to check up. Setzer took advantage of the opening, turning inside Hall and making contact. Hall spun up the track causing Benjamin to check up while Setzer would go on to take the win over Shaw, Conner, Davis and Ben Rowe, who claimed his fifth PASS National Championship. Rounding out the top 10 were Hall, Travis Stearns, Nicholas Naugle, Benjamin, and Spencer.
The Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300 from Hickory will air on MAV TV in mid-January, 2018 so please check local listings. Look for more on the newly crowned champions, Ben Rowe and Matt Craig, later this week.
The 2017 PASS Super Late Model is complete, but continue to monitor ProAllStarsSeries.com over the coming weeks for more on the upcoming season. Be sure to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @PASSSLM14.
Race Results
Race Results
Mason-Dixon MegaMeltdown 300
PASS South
November 18, 2017
Hickory Motor Speedway – Hickory, NC
Finish Position, Driver
1. 6 – Brandon Setzer 300
2. 60 – DJ Shaw 300
3. 45 – Kodie Conner 300
4. 55 – Spencer Davis 300
5. 4n – Ben Rowe 300
6. 94 – Garrett Hall 300
7. 16me – Travis Stearns 300
8. 08 – Nicholas Naugle 300
9. 7b – Travis Benjamin 300
10. 46 – Dennis Spencer, Jr. 300
11. 24 – Mike Rowe 299
12. 53 – Cole Butcher 299
13. 7L – Glen Luce 296
14. 49 – Jeff Batten 294
15. 43 – Davis Calabrese 294
16. 98 – Jody Measamer 291
17. 24j – JP Josiasse 291
18. 7f – Dave Farrington, Jr. 281
19. 55t – Gracie Trotter 245
20. 35 – Derek Ramstrom 243
21. 13 – Cassius Clark 243
22. 54 – Matt Craig 238
23. 12j – Trey Jarrell 191
24. 8f – Tate Fogleman 152
25. 15 – Roy Hayes 125
26. 61 – TJ Brackett 71
27. 12g – Derek Griffith 63
28. 9 – Chris Dilbeck 42
29. 47 – Gabe Brown 38
30. 4m – Kyle McCallum 22
31. 09 – Kayla Eshleman 22
32. 64 – Garrett Evans 21
33. 99 – John Gustafson 16
DNS 41 – Trevor Sanborn