CHILLICOTHE, OH -- The last lap pays the most, and Lockbourne, Ohio’s Cole Duncan took that methodology to heart on Saturday evening at Atomic Speedway in Chillicothe, Ohio, utilizing a last lap pass to score the George Fisher Memorial Freedom 40 title worth $15,000. For Duncan, the Tezos All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 score was his first of the season and seventh overall, now with three total Series victories at the Atomic highbanks.

“George built my motors when I started racing, and to win a race in his honor is pretty special,” an elated Cole Duncan explained, ace of the Helms Construction/Ohio Heating No. 22 sprint car. “He was such a great guy and he is missed so much. One heck of a mechanic, and an even better guy.”

In fact, the last lap was the only lap that Duncan led during the entire 40-lap distance, commencing his march to the front from the inside of row three. Kokomo, Indiana’s Parker Price-Miller and Waterville, Ohio’s Travis Philo were the pace setters for the first 39 circuits with Price-MIller leading the first 22 before Philo took over on lap 23. Price-Miller’s hiccup occurred with a slip in turn two, leaving the abrasive groove open for Philo at the exit of the corner.

Incidentally, Philo’s loss of the lead on 33 was due to the same mistake, ultimately leaving the bottom, abrasive groove open for Price-Miller to slip by. The duo would exchange positions yet again on lap 36 with Philo retaking command, this time due to Price-Miller’s near contact with a lapped car at the entrance of turn three. Philo seemed to have the cat in the bag, but a series of cautions due to flat tires on lap 38 kept the race at a standstill. Green lights would eventually return, but only for a circuit, as a stoppage due to tire failure would bring out the yellow yet again. By this time, Duncan had quietly powered his way to second, getting by Hunter Schuerenberg on the fifth lap 38 restart attempt.

With an abrasive surface the obvious issue, rather than finish with a traditional green-white-checkered format, the call was made to finish green-checkered. Despite the extra lap out of the question, Duncan persevered, using a slingshot move down the backstretch to power by Philo at the exit of turn four.

“I was actually kinda hoping for those cautions,” Duncan continued. “I just felt like I had more tire. I really went into conserve mode there about halfway. It was getting hard to get by lapped cars, so I just let the front two or three race. Travis didn’t do what I thought he was going to do on the last lap. My only option was to try and keep my left rear in the rubber and drive out around him. It worked out for us tonight.”

ON DECK: Cometic Gasket Ohio Sprint Speedweek presented by Mobil 1 will kick-off on Friday, June 10, with the Bert and Brigitte Emick Classic at Attica Raceway Park in Attica, Ohio. Ohio Sprint Speedweek will continue the next eight nights with stops at Fremont Speedway on Saturday and Sunday, June 11-12, Wayne County Speedway on Monday, June 13, Sharon Speedway on Tuesday, June 14, Atomic Speedway on Wednesday, June 15, Waynesfield Raceway Park on Thursday, June 16, Limaland Motorsports Park on Friday, June 17, and Portsmouth Raceway Park on Saturday, June 18. Saturday’s finale, the Dean Knittel Memorial, will award $20,554-to-win.

For those who can not witness the All Star Circuit of Champions live and in person, FloRacing.com, the official media partner and broadcast provider of the All Stars, has you covered. To access live and on-demand racing action from the All Star Circuit of Champions, visit FloRacing.com and become an annual PRO subscriber. Race fans can see all the USAC and dirt late-model action they want in addition to Eldora Speedway’s slate of races and those of the All Star Circuit of Champions. The subscription unlocks access to premium content across the entire FloSports network. Watch the events across all screens by downloading the FloSports app on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Chromecast.