PERKINSTON, MS – The Billy Riels Racing Team entered a three-car effort of Lee Performance dirt late models Friday night at Hattiesburg Speedway in Hattiesburg, MS for Crate Racin’ USA Weekly Racing Series Late Model action. The team produced a one, two, six finish in the 20-lap Feature Race.

Three-time Crate Racin’ USA Weekly Racing Series Nation Late Model Champion Shannon Lee of Lumberton, MS took his first CRUSA WRS Late Model win of the 2023 season. The 2022 CRUSA WRS Late Model National Championship Runner-Up K.I. Davis of Poplarville, MS took the second spot in his Billy Riels Racing Special.

A third Billy Riels Racing Special was driven by Tootie Arnold of Bude, MS. Arnold started eighth, drove up to as high as fourth in the race, and finished in the sixth spot among the 16-car field for the main event.

Lee and Davis lined up in third and fourth starting spots respectively for the start of the 20-lap main event. The first lap saw Lee move up to the second spot, while Davis maintained the fourth position. An early caution flag had the field line up for a Dixie-Style Double-File Restart with Joshua Thomas of Lake Amanda, MS leading with Lee, Jeffery Cooper of Kiln, MS and Davis in the top four.

When the green flag was unfurled to resume racing action, the top three cars battled for the lead three-wide in turn two. Thomas was on the outside with Cooper on the inside. Lee filled the space in between them and shot through to take the lead on the backstretch. On lap three, Davis drove under Thomas to settle into the third spot.

The caution flag came out on lap four, and Davis made the best of the restart to drive under Cooper to take over the second spot. Davis was able to dive under Lee in turn three to begin side-by-side battle for the lead among the teammates. The outside running Lee and Davis raced door-to-door for the lead for six laps.

Arnold was on the move in the third Billy Riels Racing entry, moving up to the fourth spot by the seventh lap. Lee began to pull away from Davis on lap eight, as they had command of the top two spots. Davis closed in again to battle for the lead again on lap 14, but Lee defended the top spot and pulled away on lap 18 to take the checkered flag with a three car-length margin of victory.

The Billy Riels Racing Team took Saturday night off after CRUSA WRS events at Outlaw Speedway in Perkinston, MS and at Jackson Motor Speedway in Jackson, MS were cancelled due to rain.

Billy Riels Racing Marketing Partners are Look Out Graphics of Petal, MS, Wall2Wall Performance Engines of Moselle, MS, Petal Family Dentistry of Petal, MS, SS Construction Forestry and Land Services of Florence, MS, Tillman’s Heating and Air of Gulfport, MS, Parker’s Service Center of Wiggins, MS, Allstate Insurance of Wiggins, MS, Wiggins NAPA of Wiggins, MS, Helm Communications of Etowah, TN, and Shorty’s Motorsports of Greenback, TN.