Austin Hull Powers to TEKTON 250 Battle at Berlin Victory

Austin Hull scored one of the biggest wins of his career on Wednesday night, winning the TEKTON 250 Battle at Berlin and pocketing $40,000.

The leader in Berlin Raceway's Super Late Model track championship, Hull passed Blake Rowe with nine laps to go to take the win against a field of 30 Late Model competitors from across North America.

After a long night and a hard-fought battle to the win, Hull could hardly find the words to describe the overwhelming emotions.

"This is crazy," said Hull in victory lane. "I don't even know what to say. There are so many people down here. The car was a rocket all night. I'm lightheaded right now. Just a crazy, crazy race. I'm totally speechless."

While the field featured drivers from all corners of the continent, it was a pair of Michigan natives battling for the $40,000 prize in the fight to the finish, with Hull muscling around Rowe in the closing laps.

"I kept trying the top," said Hull. "I knew he liked it, and tried to make, like, a fourth groove work up there, but it just wasn't enough room. I had to just get a huge run down the back and try to get in there and not use him up. Just roll the middle on him and just try to get there.

"I was just praying to God the last five laps we didn't get a caution. I knew we were gone."

Already enjoying a breakthrough year at Berlin, Hull now joins the list of Battle at Berlin victors that includes the likes of Erik Jones, Carson Hocevar and Bubba Pollard.

"The first race [win] is special, but this one's gonna go down in the history books.

"This is everything you work for. I'm so happy. So many people showed up to see this race, and I'm so happy I was able to put on a good show for everyone. Goddang, I'm gonna be partying tonight."

Rowe saved four fresh tires for the final run in the 250-lap marathon that lasted nearly three hours, but couldn't hold off Hull in the closing laps. Rowe believed he used up too much of the life in that final set of tires passing Ty Majeski to get to the lead with 41 laps to go.

"That was just a battle, man," said Rowe. "I knew we were in really good shape. We played a fairly aggressive tire strategy and had four laying there with 80 to go or whatever it was. I felt really good about it.

"Ty [Majeski] got a little bit better start than us there with 55 to go or whatever it was, and I had to fight him pretty hard to get back around him. I just kind of nuked the right-front doing it. Austin, them guys wer really rolling. I hate to be the bridesmaid, but that was a lot of fun. I'm happy for him."

Maine's Joey Doiron, making his first start at Berlin Raceway as well as his first start under the UARA National banner, battled to a third-place finish after qualifying 26th while trying to learn the new track and an unfamiliar tire.

"Just a testament to my crew," said Doiron. "They just never gave up. We kept throwing stuff at it. Not having the practice day really hurt us, first time here. The stuff we wanted to run through and try, we didn't get a chance to do. We did it today, and we were not very good. We were trying to learn the tire, I hadn't ran on this tire in five or six years. The track, I come from Oxford Plains, and it was similar, but quite a bit of a difference."

Majeski finished fourth, with Rattler 250 winner Michael Atwell rounding out the top five.

A pair of NASCAR Cup Series competitors were in Wednesday's Battle at Berlin field, but neither saw the checkered flag in an attrition-filled race. Carson Hocevar was credited with a 16th-place finish after completing 230 of the race's 250 laps. After battling several mechanical issues early, Erik Jones completed just 28 laps and finished last in the 30-car field.

Tyler Lupton, a 14-year-old driver from Clarkton, Michigan with a win to his credit this season at Berlin, entered the night second in the track championship behind Hull. However, Lupton suffered a scary incident, going off-track on the backstretch and colliding with the tractor tires protecting the outside retaining wall at the entrance of turn three.

Fortunately, Lupton walked away from the incident.

"I'm not sure what happened there," said Lupton. "I'd have to see a replay, I guess. All I know is I dipped two tires off, and it just kind of went straight. I couldn't get back on, and I just went straight into the tires.

"We were running really good. I hate to see it happen."

The next UARA National event brings the series back to South Alabama Speedway on September 19-20 for the Frank Grill Memorial 112.

TEKTON 250 Battle at Berlin Unofficial Results