(July 5, 2024) Spring Valley, MN – In a dramatic fashion, Ryan Gustin mimiced Nick Hoffman’s last-lap heroics, seizing victory in the first race of the NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models at Deer Creek Speedway. This event, postponed from Thursday to Friday evening, saw Gustin pull off a breathtaking final corner slide job to edge out Hoffman by a mere 0.009 seconds, securing his second win of the season.
The win, marking Gustin’s seventh career victory with the World of Outlaws, broke a streak of mixed results since his first triumph in May. “Anytime you’re standing up here in Victory Lane, it makes you feel good,” Gustin shared. “I love this place. It’s probably one of the tracks where I have more laps than anyone. It feels good.”
A Battle to the Finish
Starting from the fourth position, Gustin faced fierce competition, with Shannon Babb beside him and 2022 Series champion Dennis Erb Jr. directly in front. Tyler Stevens, making his Series debut, started on the pole and initially pulled away, leaving Gustin to fall to fifth. A caution on Lap 3 brought the field back together, shifting the focus to Nick Hoffman, who rapidly climbed from his sixth starting position to challenge Stevens for the lead.
Hoffman took command on Lap 10 with a bold move, setting the stage for a tense race as he widened his lead. Meanwhile, Gustin engaged in a fierce battle for second, eventually passing both Stevens and Bobby Pierce. Late-race cautions on Laps 26 and 28 brought the field back together, setting up a thrilling final showdown.
Pierce attempted to seize the lead on the restart, but Hoffman and Gustin held their ground. With two laps remaining, Gustin closed the gap on Hoffman, executing a perfect slide job in the final corner to claim victory by the slimmest of margins.
“It was a heck of a race,” Gustin said. “Racing with guys like Nick is always fun… All in all, it was really fun. Obviously, a good race with Nick. He’s a clean racer. When you’re out there throwing sliders and bouncing off the fence, it’s always entertaining. I’m sure the fans loved it.”
Looking Ahead
The victory places Gustin among the top points earners for the event, positioning him well for Saturday’s $50,000-to-win finale. Despite finishing second, Hoffman’s strong performance ties him with Brandon Sheppard for the Series championship points lead.
The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Models return to action on Friday, July 5, at Deer Creek Speedway for the originally scheduled portion of the NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50. Tickets are available at the track, and fans can watch every lap live on DIRTVision.
Feature Results
- Ryan Gustin [4]
- Nick Hoffman [6]
- Bobby Pierce [5]
- Dennis Erb Jr. [2]
- Chad Simpson [12]
- Shannon Babb [3]
- Tyler Bruening [8]
- Tyler Erb [20]
- Tyler Stevens [1]
- Brent Larson [16]
- Jake Timm [9]
- Cade Dillard [11]
- Brian Shirley [18]
- Chad Mahder [13]
- Chase Junghans [10]
- Kyle Bronson [14]
- Brandon Sheppard [7]
- Billy Moyer Sr. [17]
- Max McLaughlin [23]
- Blair Nothdurft [19]
- Cody Overton [21]
- Tristan Chamberlain [24]
- Dustin Sorensen [15]
- Keith Hammett [22]
