Langille Takes Outlaw Victory On Night One of INEX Winter Nationals (AUDIO)

It has been a few years, but an Atlantic Canadian is back in victory lane at INEX Winter Nationals.

Braden Langille of Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, captured the 20-lap Bandolero Outlaw feature Monday at Orlando Speedworld during the first day of competition at INEX Winter Nationals. Langille, at his third INEX Winter Nationals event and first at Orlando Speedworld, led wire to wire en route to the win, but it was not easy as he had to hold off a hard charging David French for the win. The nine car field also featured Kennetcook, Nova Scotia’s Luke Ettinger, who came home in seventh place.

LANGILLE VICTORY LANE AUDIO HERE

It was a big day for Langille, who also made his Legend debut in his #51 Velocity Machining and Welding ride. Langille was working his way through the 15 car Young Lions field after qualifying seventh and was up to the top five before an altercation with the #9 of Anthony Alfredo. Both cars went to the rear of the field and picked their way back to the front of the field, but not before Alfredo sauced the #51 in Turn Four, spinning Langille in what appeared to be retaliation. Newfoundland’s Waylon Farrell was swept up in a Lap One wreck and was scored last on the field in the Young Lions feature. Cole Ledson of Ontario, brother of last year’s Winter Nationals Semi Pro Champion Nick Ledson, finished 12th in his event debut.

Speaking of Semi Pro Legends, the event was cut short to 25 laps due to the feature going overtime. Christian Eckes pocketed the feature win, with Cory Hall of Jolicure, New Brunswick coming home as the top Canadian in fifth place in the 27 car field with Nick Ledson right behind him in sixth. The opening round of INEX Winter Nationals was Hall’s fourth ever start in a Legend car and showed much promise for a rookie in the main event.

The Semi Pro feature did not go well for Dartmouth, Nova Scotia’s Nicholas Naugle (24th) or for Porter’s Lake, Nova Scotia’s Jarrett Butcher (18th). Naugle was caught in a Lap One, Turn One wreck which saw his car being spun from behind. Another car collected Naugle’s right front corner, sending the car up and over Naugle’s #88 car. A left front failure was at fault for Butcher’s trip into the Turn Four wall. Both drivers were okay, and for Butcher, he will be going to a back up car furnished by Farbo Motorsports for the completion of INEX Winter Nationals.

Newfoundland had two entries in the Semi Pro race, with rookie Dylan Rumbolt coming home 15th in his first ever Legends start. Eastbound Park’s Legend champion Will Farrell placed 18th place.

Cole Butcher started off his INEX Winter Nationals event with a 13th place finish in the Legend Pro division after being shuffled back from a fifth place qualifying effort. The 30-lap race was won by Ladyga Motorsports driver Carson Ferguson.

Calgarian Ira Laughy started his Chase Pistone Inc. Legend from the pole in the 30-lap Masters feature and was shuffled back on two early restarts, which were run with “the choose” or “the cone” rule in all Legend divisions. The feature ran 27 laps to the finish under green and in the midst of the green flag run, Laughy’s #17 got caught three wide on the outside of a battle for the third place spot while getting caught behind the lapped car of Robert Wilson. The move put Laughy back to seventh in the exchange but was able to run down up to fifth place at the finish of the race.

Moncton, New Brunswick’s Gary Bursey finished 10th in the feature. The green flag laps to the finish tired out the driver whom is north of 70 years young, and mentioned he felt like his arms were going to fall off and was out of breath after the long run. New Jersey’s Jeff Lefcourt, who carries the TCM sticker on his #14 Masters ride, did not answer the call to the green flag in the feature event.

In addition to Braden Langille (Outlaws) and Ira Laughy (Masters), Nathan Langille of Coldbrook, Nova Scotia also set quick time in his division, making it three divisions of the seven at Orlando Speedworld that were led to the green by Canadian entries. Langille led the most laps in the Bandolero Beginners Bandits feature, but a pair of late restarts would be the downfall for the Woodville Auto Body Bandolero as he had to settle for second to Tyler Chapman. Owen Mahar made his Florida debut on Monday as well, but it was short lived as a stuck throttle ended his race on Lap Eight of the 20 lap feature following a spin from the third place position.

“The King Commander” Austin MacDonald of Pictou, Nova Scotia, the 2014 Hydraulics Plus Bandolero Rookie of the Year at Scotia Speedworld, placed fourth and was the highest finishing Canadian in the Bandolero Bandits feature. MacDonald was running down the front runners at the completion of the event but ran out of time in the 20-lap feature to make anymore progress. Chasing MacDonald to the line in fifth was 2014 INEX Canadian East Bandolero Bandits champion Josh Langille of Coldbrook, Nova Scotia. Canning, Nova Scotia’s Danny Chisholm crossed the stripe in the feature in the 13th place spot.

Action continues all week for the INEX Winter Nationals, with racing beginning at 1pm Eastern/2pm Atlantic each day. You can watch live streaming video with commentary from the event at SpeedShiftTv.com.