(May 22, 2024) Salisbury, NC – Zach Daum and the Trifecta Motorsports team found the boost they needed at Millbridge Speedway, securing their first Feature win of the season with the Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series presented by Toyota. This win comes after a challenging start to their 2024 campaign.
Overcoming Adversity
Daum, 33, from Pocahontas, IL, captured the lead on a late restart in the DIAEDGE Double Down Showdown finale and held on to claim the $5,000 prize. Reflecting on the victory, Daum said, “We needed a win. We’ve had struggles with engines and stuff. You’ll have those spurts. Luckily, we were able to put together a good night tonight.”
Early Season Struggles
The season began with promise as Daum secured back-to-back third-place finishes. However, mechanical issues at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex and Humboldt Speedway, followed by a late-race incident at 81 Speedway, hindered their progress. Despite these setbacks, the team remained resilient.
The Race Unfolds
Starting from the outside pole, Kale Drake initially took the lead and maintained it through the race’s first red-flag period on Lap 18. On the restart, Daum pressured Drake for the lead but was initially bested. However, Daum seized the lead on Lap 23 after another red flag and maintained it through to the finish.
“When [Drake] picked the throttle up, I was still turned the wrong way, so it took me two car lengths to get going the other way,” Daum explained. “The next restart, I was turned and I was on his bumper when we came across there. I gained two car lengths for free and was able to race him a lot harder and quicker.”
Key Competitors
Karter Sarff, starting from seventh, moved into second place after battling with Drake. Despite his efforts, Sarff couldn’t close the gap on Daum. “The top was just a little bit trickier than it was last night,” Sarff said. “Zach was just really good on the bottom.”
Points leader Cannon McIntosh finished third, extending his lead over teammate Ryan Timms. Drake and Chase McDermand rounded out the top five.
Additional Highlights
Karter Sarff earned the Whitz Racing Products Quick Time Award with a lap of 9.880. Trevor Cline, Ashton Torgerson, and Zach Daum won their respective heat races. Chase McDermand received the Hard Charger award, advancing 12 positions from 17th to finish fifth.
Looking Ahead
The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series will next compete in Chillicothe, OH, for a two-day event at Atomic Speedway alongside the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series on May 24-25. Tickets are available at XtremeOutlawSeries.com, and the event will be streamed live on DIRTVision.
Feature Results (35 Laps)
- Zach Daum [1]
- Karter Sarff [7]
- Cannon McIntosh [5]
- Kale Drake [2]
- Chase McDermand [17]
- Ryan Timms [15]
- Ashton Torgerson [3]
- Sam Johnson [8]
- Trevor Cline [4]
- Taylor Reimer [12]
- Hayden Reinbold [20]
- Nick Drake [10]
- Brayton Lynch [14]
- Elijah Gile [16]
- Jade Avedisian [11]
- Zach Wigal [13]
- Tyler Edwards [6]
- Chase Briscoe [21]
- Ethan Mitchell [9]
- Gavin Miller [19]
- Jayden Clay [18]