Young Xavier Doney had a night he won't forget Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway, capturing his first POWRi 410 Sprint Car victory at the POWRi Summer Thunder main event.
The 18-year-old from Odessa, Mo., led all 30 laps and held off Ayrton Gennetten in the late stages to earn the $5,000 victory.
Meanwhile, Richie Tosh of Salado, Ark., beat Derek Brown with a last-corner pass in the first Diamond Full Fender Challenge, with the POWRi Super Stocks and USRA Stock Cars. Those features were held in conjunction with the POWRi Summer Thunder that included the POWRi 305 Sprints and full programs for USRA Stock Cars and POWRi Super Stocks.
Doney was fast from the drop of the green, taking a 2.4-second lead over fellow front-row starter Gunner Ramey in the POWRi 410 feature by lap eight as the leaders caught lapped traffic. Ramey was cutting into the margin when a caution on lap 10 slowed the action.
Blake Hahn got around Ramey on the restart for second, but Doney was able to build a 1.8-second lead in the meantime with Gennetten moving into third.
Another caution came out on lap 16 as eighth-running Roger Crockett slowed on the speedway after a puff of smoke came from the motor.
Doney quickly moved back to the high groove as action resumed to try and protect his lead over the next 13 laps with veterans Hahn and Gennetten right behind. The youngster was able to open a 1.4-second lead by lap 22, but Gennetten quickly cut it to just under one second by lap 24.
Gennetten closed within three car lengths with three to go, but Doney held on to nail down the personal landmark win by .779 seconds. Hahn finished third with Kyle Bellm of Nixa, Mo., was fourth and Miles Paulus came home fifth.
"That was probably about the best 25 laps I've ever run," Doney said. "I made a few mistakes in there. The top's about as thin as it gets and it was really treacherous up there. I had to keep the car out of the wall and I almost put it in there a couple of times, but we managed.
"We got a good set-up on the car. I have to thank my dad for that. He's been working really good with me, helping learn all this winged set-up stuff. I have to thank all my sponsors. Everyone does a heck of a lot for this race team and I'm fortunate for it."
Gennetten, the POWRi 410 series points leader, said he just couldn't quite get to Doney in the late going.
"When you start fifth you want to get as far forward as you can," Gennetten said. "We fell back early and just kind of kept picking them off on the restarts. Xavier was the best car all night. He was really good her at the High Limits race and I knew he was the car to beat."
Doney served notice that he would be the man to beat by setting fast qualifying time with a lap of 13.638 seconds. He said he qualifying runs of seventh and fourth earlier this year with the Kubota High Limit Racing series gave him confidence, though he still had to carry the speed over 30 laps.
"It was a tricky race and I think that's the best I've driven here before," Doney said.
