TULSA, Okla. — Becoming the 54th driver to win a preliminary night feature during the Chili Bowl National powered by NOS Energy Drink, California’s Landon Brooks captured his first win at Tulsa Expo Raceway and landed Matt Wood Racing his first win as a car owner inside the SageNet Center.
Brooks became the second Matt Wood Racing driver to lock into Saturday’s main event after Shane Golobic, who wrenched Brooks’ machine, finished second on Monday night.
“Honestly, this feels unbelievable. I haven’t even taken it all in yet. When I passed the checkered flag, I couldn’t believe it,” replied Brooks when asked what the win meant to him.
Seventh at the start, Brook jumped to fourth early before slipping back through the midpoint of the feature before adjusting his line.
On the start of the race and the changes he made to move back forward, Brooks said, “I fell back from seventh at the start and started rolling the bottom to get back to fifth, then they all kind of crept to the bottom, and I was able to rip the top to second, and luckily, I was able to reel in Brenham [Crouch] and throw a few sliders on him and pull it off, but just incredible. This whole Matt Wood Racing team, they do a great job.”
Getting to Crouch, who had led since the start, the first hold on the lead came on Lap 28. Returning the favor a lap later, Crouch set the pace past the white flag, with the No. 57w striking again through the first and second turns.
Keeping pace through the final set of turns, Brooks made it to the line with 0.504 seconds to spare.
Crouch held on for second, with Buddy Kofoid mounting a massive comeback after an incident in his TRD Qualifier landed him in the second Ferguson Supply B Feature. Winning the consolation event, Kofoid wheeled the Mobil 1 No. 71 from 18th to the final podium step.
Corbin Rueschenberg crossed fourth with Gunnar Setser, who challenged for the lead numerous times through the first 20 laps, fifth.
The finish:
Feature (30 Laps): 1. 57W-Landon Brooks[7]; 2. 1C-Brenham Crouch[1]; 3. 71-Michael Kofoid[18]; 4. 26-Corbin Rueschenberg[5]; 5. 43-Gunnar Setser[4]; 6. 21J-Kameron Key[11]; 7. 29S-Hank Davis[17]; 8. 57-Kaylee Bryson[16]; 9. 27B-Jake Bubak[12]; 10. 41D-Derek Hagar[13]; 11. 8J-Jonathan Beason[19]; 12. 19R-Ricky Thornton Jr[24]; 13. 55X-Kevin Thomas Jr[3]; 14. 25V-Billy VanInwegen Jr[8]; 15. 6G-Garet Williamson[23]; 16. 20Z-Stevie Sussex III[9]; 17. 55D-Nick Drake[14]; 18. 73-Hunter Schuerenberg[2]; 19. 1R-RJ Johnson[21]; 20. (DNF) 7X-Thomas Meseraull[20]; 21. (DNF) 7MF-Chance Morton[22]; 22. (DNF) 11B-Clinton Boyles[6]; 23. (DNF) 1Z-Justin Zimmerman[15]; 24. (DNF) 3T-Brad Sweet[10]
