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No Hot Laps Needed as Rice Rolls to Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Win at Atomic Speedway

WAVERLY, OHIO (May 10, 2025)– The Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP Racing Fuels was in action for the second time in 2025 on Saturday evening at Atomic Speedway in Waverly, OH for the Mother’s Day Shootout/Ladies Night event and Josh Rice of Crittenden, KY would arrive late and miss hot laps, but would take the lead on lap nine and remain sporty for the remainder of the event and drive to the win and claim the $5,000 victory.

The win by the 26-year-old Rice would be his seventeenth career Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP Racing Fuels victory and would come in the seat of the Rick Jones owned Rocket Chassis powered by a Jay Dickens Race Engine. Rice’s winning entry carries sponsorship from Sunesis Holdings, M.C. Tank Transportation, Glenwood Electric, Air Max Heating and Cooling, Chain Locker, Rice Excavating and Plumbing, Schaeffer’s Oil, Sunoco Race Fuels, Impact RaceGear, and RBRGear.com.

Clint Keenan and Tristan Chamberlain would bring the field to the XS Power Batteries green flag, with Keenan grabbing the race lead on the opening lap of the event, followed R.J. Conley, Josh Rice, Seth Daniels, and Chamberlain. Keenan would hold steady at the point, while Daniels and Chamberlain would battle for fourth, with Chamberlain grabbing the position on lap three. Keenan would continue to keep Conley and Rice at arm’s length, while Rice would begin to get racy with Conley for the runner-up slot and would grab the runner-up spot on lap eight and would rimride around Keenan one circuit later on lap nine. The first Deatherage Racing Opticians caution flag would wave on lap eleven when Chamberlain would slow on the frontchute and roll to a stop in turn one. The restart would see Rice maintain the lead, with Keenan, Conley, Daniels, and Colton Burdette giving chase. Burdette would snag fourth from Daniels on lap twelve. Rice would begin to stretch his lead as the race neared the halfway mark, while Conley would go to second around Keenan and would bring Burdette along into third, shuffling Keenan back to fourth. Keenan would draw the final Deatherage Racing Opticians caution of the event on lap seventeen when he slowed on the track with a flat right-rear tire. Rice would get a great restart, with Burdette driving past Conley for second, while Daniels would stay fourth, with Rusty Schlenk getting around Jeff Babcock for fifth. Adam Stricker would take fifth from Schlenk on lap nineteen, only to have Schlenk reclaim the spot a couple of laps later, as Rice would open up to an almost four second lead as he started lapping slower traffic on lap twenty-four. Burdette would close the gap in the final few laps in traffic, with Rice’s lead decreasing to just over one second, but Rice would see the VP Racing Fuels checkered flag first, with Burdette, R.J. Conley, Daniels, and Schlenk completing the top five finishers. The remainder of the top ten at the finish would be Adam Stricker, Freddie Carpenter, Jeff Babcock, Rod Conley, and Justin Cooper.

The next events for the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Late Model Series Fueled by VP Racing Fuels will be a tripleheader of action on Memorial Day weekend, starting on Friday May 23 at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, MI for the Late Model Dirt Rumble ($7,500 to win/$700 to start), followed on Saturday May 24 at Butler Motor Speedway in Quincy, MI ($5,000 to win/$500 to start), and concluding on Sunday May 25 at Crystal Motor Speedway in Crystal, MI ($7,500 to win/$500 to start)

For more information on the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP Racing Fuels, phone series promoter Chris Tilley at (828) 361-5981 or by visiting the tour website at www.IMDIRT.net or by following American Late Model Iron-Man Series (@ironmandirt) on Twitter or by liking American Late Model Iron-Man Series on Facebook.

The Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Series Fueled by VP Racing Fuels is brought to the fans in the region by many important sponsors and partners: Official partners include, Valvoline Global Operations (Official Oil), VP Racing Fuels (Official Fuel), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), STAKT Products, DIRTcar Racing, XS Power Batteries, Todd Steel Buildings (Move of the Race Award), FloRacing (Rookie of the Year Award), DirtonDirt.com, MD3 (Hard Charger of the Race Award), Impact RaceGear, Allgaier Performance Parts, Allgaier Racing Shocks, Domination Race Cars (Official Victory Lane Sponsor), Swafford Signs (Official Graphics), MyRacePass (Official Website), Deatherage Racing Opticians (Middleman Award Sponsor), Wayne’s Auto Repair, Slicker Graphics, First Line Industries, Jim & Nancy Viox, Octane Custom Trailers, CNR, and Dirt Empire Magazine.

Official Summary of Results

Valvoline A-Main Feature Results for the Valvoline American Late Model Iron-Man Late Model Series Fueled by VP Racing Fuels Mother’s Day Shootout/Ladies Night at Atomic Speedway on Saturday May 10, 2025

1. Josh Rice-Crittenden, Ky.
2. Colton Burdette-Parkersburg, West Va.
3. R.J. Conley-Wheelersburg, Ohio
4. Seth Daniels-Jackson, Ohio
5. Rusty Schlenk-McClure, Ohio
6. Adam Stricker-Batavia, Ohio
7. Freddie Carpenter-Parkersburg, West Va.
8. Jeff Babcock-Wayne, Ohio
9. Rod Conley-Wheelersburg, Ohio
10. Justin Cooper-Wheelersburg, Ohio
11. David Webb-Nicholasville, Ky.
12. Shane Bailey-Grayson, Ky.
13. Jerry Bowersock-Wapakoneta, Ohio
14. Clint Keena-Pataskala, Ohio
15. Dusty Moore-Swanton, Ohio
16. Zach Hill-Red House, West Va.
17. Henry Hornsby III-Beckley, West Va.
18. Rob Anderzack-Swanton, Ohio
19. Austin Lay-Walton, Ky.
20. Tristan Chamberlain-Richmond, Ind.
21. Matt Melvin-Coal Grove, Ohio
22. Russell Throckmorton-Chillicothe, Ohio

Time of Race: 20 minutes, 51 seconds
Margin of Victory: 1.199 seconds
Deatheridge Racing Opticians Yellow Flags: Two (lap 11, 17)
Red Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Clint Keenan 1-8, Josh Rice 9-30
Entries: 31
Provisionals: Shane Bailey, Russell Throckmorton
Emergency Provisionals: None
VP Racing Fuels “Challenge the Clock” Time Trials Top Qualifier: Tyler Carpenter (Group A) 13.582 seconds
Five Star Race Bodies/MD3 Hard Charger Award ($100 product certificate): David Webb (started 20th-finished 11th-advanced 9 positions)
Conley River Terminal Hard Luck Award ($50 entry fee credit at next event): Clint Keenan
Deatherage Racing Opticians Middleman Award ($50 product certificate to the 11th place finisher): David Webb
Todd Steel Buildings Move of the Race ($50 entry fee credit at next event): Josh Rice

Hoosier Racing Tire Heat Race One Finish (8 laps/top 4 transfer): Clint Keenan, Seth Daniels, Freddie Carpenter, Jerry Bowersock, Zach Hill, Darren Kattine, Zach Milbee, Tyler Carpenter

FloRacing Heat Race Two Finish (8 laps/top 4 transfer): R.J. Conley, Jeff Babcock, Adam Stricker, Dusty Moore, Rod Conley, Kirk Phillips, Carter Schlenk, Donnie Jeschke

Impact RaceGear Heat Race Three Finish (8 laps/top 4 transfer): Tristan Chamberlain, Colton Burdette, Justin Cooper, Rob Anderzack, Matt Melvin, Scott Alan, David Webb, Russell Throckmorton

Jim and Nancy Viox Heat Race Four Finish (8 laps/top 4 transfer): Josh Rice, Rusty Schlenk, Henry Hornsby III, Austin Lay, Shane Bailey, Miles Cook II, Wyatt Ervin

STAKT Products B-Main One Finish (8 laps/top 2 transfer): Rod Conley, Zach Hill, Zach Milbee, Donnie Jeschke, Darren Kattine, Kirk Phillips, Carter Schlenk (DNS-Tyler Carpenter)

Todd Steel Buildings B-Main Two Finish (8 laps/top 2 transfer): Matt Melvin, David Webb, Miles Cook II, Shane Bailey, Russell Throckmorton, Scott Alan (DNS-Wyatt Ervin)

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