Winners Crowned, Records Broken Friday Night at Five Flags

Familiar faces and first-time winners visited victory lane during Friday's regular season kickoff at Five Flags Speedway.

Grassroots

by Zach Evans on Mar 28, 2026

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The Faith Chapel Outlaws and Story & Bleich Crown Stocks resumed their 2026 season on Friday night at Five Flags Speedway, while the Gulf Real Estate Pro Trucks, Dock of Pensacola Beach Street Stocks and Lloyd's Glass Pure Stocks hit the track for the first time this year.

Timothy Watson won the Faith Chapel Outlaws 40-lap feature, pulling away to the win ahead of Logan Boyett and Dustin Smith.

Watson blew an engine ahead of the Outlaws contest on the weekend of the Sunshine State 200, continuing a string of mechanical issues he has been fighting since last fall. This time, the engine held up and he cruised to victory.

"It's a lot better to come to the racetrack and win rather than blow a motor up in practice," said Watson. "The car was great. I can't thank my dad, Mr. Gary, Mr. Randy enough. They gave me a really good car, and we were able to get it done.

"We blew one up in Montgomery. Got a brand new one, ran the Snowball Derby with it, and it blew up two weeks ago, so we had to put a new one in it. We go through motors like crazy."

Eli Loper, the son of two-time Lloyd's Glass Pure Stock track champion and five-time Pure Stock Snowball Derby winner Robert Loper, scored a victory of his own on Friday night. After setting a new track record in qualifying, Loper drove from sixth to first for a convincing win, his first in the division at Five Flags.

"It was a really hard battle to get to the front right there," Loper said. "We made quick work of it, thank God. I'd really like to thank everybody that helps me on this car."

Watson took the lead from Paul Gene on the 25th lap, as Gene had led every lap to that point. However, Gene was involved in a pair of incidents after losing the lead, ending his night five laps shy of the finish.

Austin Reeves made it back-to-back wins at Five Flags in the Story & Bleich Crown Stocks, driving from sixth to first in his No. 6 for the victory.

"I had to start sixth, but it was fun," said Reeves. "About five to go, the ass-end just kept kicking out. I was like, damn, I hope that's not my tire going down. Then the caution came out. To start sixth and win, I'm tickled."

Matthew Laprade, 14, scored his first Gulf Real Estate Pro Trucks victory, staying ahead of Kyler Bean over the course of the 25-lap race for the win.

"Unloaded yesterday, we were pretty solid with it," said Laprade. "I was really happy with this truck all weekend. It wouldn't be possible without everyone."

Chad Robinson won the Dock at Pensacola Beach Street Stock feature, finishing ahead of Ryan Logan and Jim Pokrant in the 15-lap race.

"I've been working on the car this offseason. Just try to make it a little bit better, because I know these Street Stock guys at Montgomery are going to be coming down."

The night started with a 10-lap Non-Winners Crown Stocks event. Brayden Thompson scored the victory in that race ahead of Bobby Suarez and Jordan Berry.

-Photo credit: Timothy Watson Racing on Facebook