Special from Speed51.com – In his first start at the track this year, 2015 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway track champion Willie Allen returned to a familiar place Saturday evening: victory lane.  Allen of nearby Bon Aqua, TN took the lead from Dylan Fetcho just past the halfway mark and set sail to win the 100-lap Pro Late Model main event.

 

Allen’s win came after a busy week in which he traveled to the state of California to assist race teams that his WAR Shocks program works with.  With Allen out of town, he relied on his team to prepare the car for Saturday night’s race at Nashville.  Their eagerness to race and work at the shop resulted in a fast car that Allen piloted to victory lane.

 

“It was a fun night.  It was so nice to come here and race this week,” Allen said.  “I was in California doing some testing with some race teams out there.  The guys have been busting their butts to get the car ready.  They really wanted to race bad, and I’m glad they did.  They probably wanted to race more than I did because I was so tired.  I’m definitely glad we came.  One of the best cars I’ve had.  I’ve had a lot of good cars, but that thing was unreal.  It’s crazy how good it was there at the end.”

 

As Allen continues to increase his involvement with WAR Shocks and WAR Development, the chances for him to climb into a race car are far and few between.  But when he does find the time to get behind the wheel, he takes advantage of the opportunity to have fun and improve his program.

 

“It feels really good.  I like to race a few times a year before I completely retire,” he stated.  “I definitely enjoy helping Jackson (Boone) and all the guys I help.  It’s a lot of fun but I like to get back in the car once in a while, too.  I think it helps our program figure out what we need tuning wise with different tires, combinations and stuff.  We try to do a little R&D because we have nothing to lose with my deal.”

 

Prior to Allen taking over the lead on Lap 53, a trio of other drivers swapped the lead in the first half of the race.  Jackson Boone, Michael House and Dylan Fetcho all spent time at the front of the field before Allen took control and never looked back.

 

Dylan Fetcho turned in another strong performance at the Fairgrounds oval, finishing second after trying to chase down Allen in the closing laps.

 

“We caught that traffic, I was catching him and I was getting really excited,” Fetcho said.  “Then once he got through the traffic and I caught the traffic, he kind of pulled back away.  Other than that, it was a really good night.”

 

2018 track champion Michael House, Austin Brawley and opening night winner Cole Williams completed the top five.

 

The next event on the 2020 Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway schedule is slated for August 29, when the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour makes a stop in the Music City.

 

-Story by: Brandon Paul, Speed51 Content Manager – Twitter: @Brandon_Paul51

-Photo credit: Speed51