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Feathers unloaded as one of twenty-nine competitors on hand to take a shot at capturing the Fall Classic.  Mother Nature threatened the region all weekend and despite some minor delays as a result, Natural Bridge Speedway did finally get action underway and complete the night’s action.

Despite hitting the track for time trials in the back half of the field, Feathers put the 3rd quickest lap of the qualifying session on the board, earning him the pole of the third heat race.

Feathers dominated the 8-lap heat race, winning by 1.553 seconds over runner-up Cody Wright.

The heat race victory put Feathers into the Dash 4 Cash that would set the first three rows of the feature lineup.  By luck of the draw, he started outside the front row and held the runner-up spot in the early going.

Feathers was challenging for the lead in the Dash when the handling of his ride changed abruptly.  He ultimately slipped to a 3rd place finish.

After an early evening rain delay, the program was moved along quickly—that limited Feather’s time to investigate the handling issue prior to the main event.  The team checked the car over but was unable to identify what caused the sudden change in handling.

The 50-lap feature provided plenty of time for Feathers to find his way to the front from his 3rd starting spot.  Seven laps into the race he moved past Justin Williams to claim 2nd and set his sights on leader Kyle Hardy.

Still battling the earlier issues that cropped up, Feathers pursued the top spot but was unable to get there.  He settled for the runner-up finish just 1.684 seconds back.

“Our car was so good all night but we did develop some kind of issue a few laps into the dash and we fought that the rest of the night.”, Feathers commented.  “Early on it was really in the track but then I just got loose on entry.  It was still a good night for us and a good way to wrap up our year.“

Feathers signed in at Lincoln Speedway in Abbottstown, PA on Saturday night as part of a quality 29-car field on hand to take their shot at the $3,500 winner’s share that was up for grabs.

The event used the PA Late Model Speedweek format, which kicked off with time trials.  The fastest eight advanced directly to a timed dash later in the evening to set the top four rows of the main event.  Meanwhile, the remainder of the field would be split to compete in two qualifiers and a consolation race to set the rest of the starting field.

Feathers came out of the gate fast and locked himself into the dash with the 5th quickest overall lap.  Applying what he learned by way of some adjustments to his Team Zero No.20, he then went on to lay down the fastest lap in the timed dash, which put the Winchester, VA native on the pole for the Lazer Late Model Clash finale.

Working the bottom of the speedway during the opening laps of the 30-lap feature, Feathers got out front and took command.  Ross Robinson worked the top of the speedway following an early restart and slipped by on the outside to take the lead.

The pair ran one-two for the next thirty laps.  Feathers never left Robinson get more than a few car lengths away.  When they caught lapped traffic, Feathers closed in.

Feathers pulled alongside Robinson with three laps remaining and took the lead for good with just two circuits to go.  He held on to take the victory.

“I’m glad I got by when I did.  I got so focused on him (Ross) and looking for a shot to get by, I didn’t realize I was running out of laps until I saw the white flag.”, a happy Feathers said.  “I don’t really agree with the mentality that it’s better to be in second when you get to lapped traffic.  I would have rather been out front, controlling the race.  My dad (Bo Feathers) taught me to race everybody the same and I stick to that approach.  I think that helped me during the last five laps.“

Feathers definitely got through traffic efficiently.  Once taking command, he built up a 1.134-second advantage over the two remaining laps.

“This car is a breath of fresh air.  I can’t thank Shane McDowell enough for helping us get this car going.”, Feathers added.  “We made the right tire choice tonight.  I was a little free on entry, so I was on the edge and had to be careful not to over-rotate but this car was great.”

“As a driver, when things aren’t going right like earlier this year, you start to doubt yourself, both with adjustments and behind the wheel.  I didn’t change anything about how I drive or the adjustments I make.  The only change we made was to get this car, and now it all clicks.  That’s a huge confidence boost, not only for me but the whole team.  I am always striving to be better, in the shop and on the track.  In this sport, you have to be constantly learning and preparing to handle new situations.“