Brad Hancock took the lead for good on the 24th circuit and rolled to his fifth win of the season in the 25-lap Casey Cycle City INEX Legends feature, part of Friday evening's Old Point National Bank Night program at Langley Speedway.
Steve Keesee won the pole for the event, at 77.182 mph, sharing the front row with Rette Causey. Hancock lined up on the inside of Row 2 with Jamie Price alongside, while Cameron Patrick and Joe Hendricks Jr. made up Row 3.
As the race got under way, Keesee and Causey battled door-to-door with Keesee eking out a narrow margin at the end of lap 1. Keesee cleared Causey on the backstretch on lap 2 and left the door wide open for Hancock, Patrick, Hendricks, Bayley Currey and Price as Causey tumbled to seventh.
On lap 4, Hendricks slipped past Patrick for third. Currey followed Hendricks' lead on the following circuit and moved into fourth, bringing Price and Causey along with him.
By lap 6, Hendricks had tracked down Keesee and Hancock. They were soon joined by Currey, making the battle for the lead a four-way affair.
On lap 9, Currey scooted around Hendricks for third. Again, Price and Causey tagged along, booting Hendricks from the top five.
The only caution flag flew on lap 11 for Gary Adams' spin in Turn 2. Setting the lineup, Keesee showed the way, followed by Hancock, Currey, Price and Causey.
Back under green, Hancock wasted no time in going after Keesee for the lead. He ducked under Keesee's #0 machine off Turn 2, nosed ahead at the line and gained the clear-cut edge on lap 12. Currey, Price and Causey also capitalized on Keesee's predicament.
Reaching the halfway mark, Hancock held a two-length lead over Currey. Behind them, Causey bypassed Price to take over third.
Currey continued to shadow Hancock until lap 23 when he shot into the lead in Turn 3. Hancock immediately sought to return the favor, slipping underneath Currey on the backstretch on lap 24 and inching ahead at the white flag.
The Hancock/Currey duel lasted until they made their last tour of Turns 3 and 4. With the checkers in sight, Currey bobbled in the fourth corner and Hancock pulled away.
At the finish, Hancock was the winner by 0.249-second - about two lengths. Causey slid past Currey in the homestretch to take second. Currey was third, followed by Keesee and Hendricks.
In the evening's opening event, a 20-lapper for the INEX Bandoleros, Trevor Collins led from pole to checkers to pick up the victory.
Jonathan Findley shared the front row with Collins and held down the runner-up spot throughout the contest, never falling more than a couple car-lengths back.
On the final circuit, Findley took a run at the leader off Turn 4. His charge came up half a car-length short, though, as Collins held on to seal the win.
Behind the two front-runners, Jacob Leverstein, Cori French, Jacob Harberts and D.J. Powell took turns swapping the third position. At the finish, that battle was won by Powell. French and Leverstein were fourth and fifth, respectively.
JULY 2 RACE RESULTS --
INEX Legends: 1. Brad Hancock; 2. Rette Causey; 3. Bayley Currey; 4. Steve Keesee; 5. Joe Hendricks Jr.; 6. Jamie Price; 7. Cameron Patrick; 8. Sparky West; 9. Woody Howard; 10. Spencer Saunders; 11. Chris Raiford; 12. Brian May; 13. Steve Ward; 14. Kenny Aubrey; 15. Kim Forrester; 16. Bobby Gobble; 17. Gary Adams. Pole: Keesee - 77.182 mph.
INEX Bandoleros: 1. Trevor Collins; 2. Jonathan Findley; 3. D.J. Powell; 4. Cori French; 5. Jacob Leverstein; 6. Jacob Harberts; 7. Mason Diaz; 8. Macy Causey. Pole: Collins - 66.281 mph.