Langley Speedway

The Old Guy Racing League's Late Model Stock Series opened its season at Langley Speedway on Wednesday night with a 51-lap affair that produced three lead changes and three cautions, ultimately delivering the victory to the #16 of Harold Rothery. Starting from third, Rothery moved into contention early and went on to lead 40 of the 51 laps, earning a clean run — zero incidents — in a 13-car field where contact and mistakes were far from rare. It was Rothery's first win in the series, and with 65 points banked after Round 1, he sits at the top of the standings heading into the races ahead.

Pole-sitter Clyde Cunfer in the #72 held the front early and led eight laps, but a difficult night unfolded from there — the Langley polesitter ultimately crossed the line ninth, a swing of eight positions from where he started. Dave Holmberg's #63 also put in a lap of leadership, accounting for one of the three lead changes on the night, before finishing tenth. Up front, Michael Champlin in the #520 rounded out the podium in third despite collecting five incidents, while Wyatt Collins brought the #23 home fourth after charging from ninth on the grid.

The performance of the night beyond the winner belonged to Jacob Carter in the #21. Starting dead last in the 13-car field from P13, Carter drove all the way to a second-place finish, a gain of 11 positions across 51 laps with zero incidents along the way. That clean, composed run earned him the Hard Charger honors and 48 points, slotting him second in the early standings. Carter has one all-time series win to his credit, and a result like this in the opening round puts him in immediate contention.

With Round 1 in the books, Rothery's 65-point haul gives him a 17-point cushion over Carter, with Champlin at 46, Collins at 44, and Ron Walters rounding out the top five at 42. Five of the 13 drivers ran incident-free on the night, a notable mark at a track like Langley where the tight confines punished others — #31 Scott Carlson led all drivers with 13 incidents, while #18 Charlie Stutzman collected 12. The title fight is wide open with the top five separated by just 23 points, and the league has itself a compelling early storyline heading into Round 2.