Dutilly Honors Lindley With Dominating Victory at Desoto Speedway

Dutilly Honors Lindley With Dominating Victory at Desoto Speedway

(April 23, 2016 – B radenton, FL) Not even six months away from Desoto Speedway could slow down Jesse Dutilly.

Dutilly, who won several Super Late Model starts over the course of the 2015 season at Desoto, took the lead on a restart just prior to the halfway point and drove off to the victory in the Sunoco Challenge Series' Remembering Butch Lindley 115. Lindley was a former NASCAR competitor who was severely injured in an accident in an All-Pro Series Race at Desoto Speedway in 1985.

A four-car inversion put Jonathan Guy on the pole and fast-qualifier Joe Boyd on the outside of the front row for the 115-lap main event. Winchell and Guy battled for the top spot for the opening laps, with Winchell grabbing the top spot at the end of the ninth lap.

Dutilly got by Guy for second on lap 12 and began cutting down on Winchell's lead. He caught Winchell at the 20-lap mark and spent the next 27 laps stalking the leader around the 3/8-mile oval. Boyd joined the lead battle and right behind the lead duo when the caution flew for Mike Franklin's spin on lap 48.

Dutilly used the outside line to his advantage and took the lead from Winchell on the lap 52 restart.

“That was my chance,” Dutilly said. “Joe was racing me awful hard – which he should have been since he was in the lead. I thought I had him a couple of times before, but he just shut the door on me. That's good, hard short track racing.”

“It's an honor to lead these races and when you get someone like Jesse behind you, you don't want to roll over for them,” Winchell added. “I wanted to make him work for it...and I did.”

The Bradenton driver was over a mile per hour faster than the rest of the field and had built nearly a straightaway lead before another caution flew for an accident involving Richie Anderson and Tyler Scofield on lap 65.  Boyd moved to the outside for what would be the final restart on lap 68, but Dutilly got away at the flag and used lapped traffic to pull away from Boyd over the final, caution-free 47 laps on his way to the win.  “The car was just awesome tonight,” Dutilly said in victory lane. “We couldn't be more excited. These guys are getting faster and closing the gap.”

Winchell, Guy and Devin Mcleod rounded out the top five.

Edited from SCOTT LOCKWOOD article.