Concord Speedway

The opening round of the Old Guy Racing League Fun Runs series at Concord Speedway delivered everything a season opener should — chaos, carnage, and a worthy winner emerging from the thick of it. Six drivers took the green flag across 30 laps, and when the checkered waved, it was #16 Mitchell Williams who stood tallest, converting a fourth-place starting spot into a victory in his Fun Runs debut. The race featured 10 lead changes and six caution periods, keeping the field bunched and the outcome very much in doubt deep into the event.

Williams led 16 of the 30 laps, but earning those laps was anything but comfortable — the #16 machine accumulated 8 incidents across the afternoon, a reminder that Concord Speedway has teeth. His closest pursuer at the finish was #21 Jacob Carter, who started third, gained one spot, and kept his nose clean enough with 6 incidents to secure a strong P2 in what was also his first Fun Runs result. The battle for the final podium spot went to #18 Charlie Stutzman, who led 8 laps from his second-place starting position but ultimately lost ground late in the race, sliding back one position to third while carrying a race-high 16 incidents — the most of any driver on the day.

Pole-sitter #520 Michael Champlin had arguably the toughest afternoon of anyone, falling four spots from his front-row starting position to finish fifth. Champlin's slide through the field was punctuated by 12 incidents, suggesting his strong qualifying effort didn't translate to consistent pace when racing traffic arrived. #003 Andrew Jones quietly moved forward one position to claim fourth, while #63 Dave Holmberg — the cleanest driver in the field with just 4 incidents — held his sixth-place starting spot to finish sixth, and notably led 5 laps during his time at the front. Remarkably, not a single driver completed the race without at least one incident, underlining just how demanding the short-track layout proved on opening night.

Williams also earned Hard Charger honors for his three-position gain from P4 to the win, making it a complete night for the #16 camp. With 98 races still remaining in the Fun Runs season, Williams leads the early standings, but with just this one result separating the entire field, Carter, Stutzman, and Jones are all breathing down his neck before Round 2 even arrives. The title fight in the Old Guy Racing League is very much open.