Story By: JEREMY PETERS / ROBERTS MOTORSPORTS – DUBUQUE, IA – Garrett Alberson visited Lucas Oil Midwest LateModel Racing Association (MLRA) Victory Lane twice this past weekend with an Iowa Corn State Nationals sweep at Davenport (IA) Speedway aboard his Roberts Motorsports / Mesilla Valley Transportation / Lucas Oil Products No. 58 Longhorn Chassis Late Model.
Alberson increased his 2024 win total to eight after backing up a $5,000 preliminary victory on Friday evening with a $10,000 payday in Saturday’s finale at the quarter-mile bullring.
“I think I just fell into the right places at the right time,” Alberson said. “I knew the lane was probably going to change somewhere in there and you know I was trying to be smart with my tires. They did a great job with the track prep, it was transitioning and moving and dirt was flying. It was just awesome. I’m super proud of my guys. I don’t know if this is what I expected coming into the weekend, but this is really cool.”
Alberson’s tripleheader swing with the Lucas Oil MLRA commenced Thursday afternoon with a short trip from the Roberts Motorsports headquarters to Cedar County Raceway (Tipton, Iowa) for the Hawkeye Land 40.
With 28 MLRA entries on the grounds for Thursday’s opener, Garrett clocked in fastest in his qualifying group before taking the checkered flag in his heat race. With $5,000 on the line in the 40-lap feature, Alberson attempted to chase down the race leader Tyler Erb in the closing laps but ultimately settled for the runner-up honors.
Parked at Davenport (Iowa) Speedway for the remainder of the weekend, Alberson joined a strong 35-car field for the two-day Corn State Nationals.
Starting on the front row of Friday’s feature, Alberson tracked down race leader Dennis Erb Jr. and dramatically took the top spot with only four laps remaining. He survived a last-lap scare with a lapped car to hang on for the $5,000 triumph.
Looking for the same results on Saturday night, Garrett earned a second-row starting spot for the 40-lap finale and fell back to fourth early in the feature. Regaining his composure as the race continued, Alberson slipped by Tyler Bruening on lap 23 for the race lead and held off Brandon Sheppard in the closing laps to claim the $10,000 victory.
The win marked Alberson’s eighth victory of the season and his fourth career MLRA triumph.
Alberson is set to return with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) this Thursday – Friday for the 20th annual Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville (IA) Raceway. A pair of $7,000-to-win preliminaries on Thursday and Friday set the stage for Saturday’s finale, which boasts a $50,000 top prize.