Race 3 of the Central Regional Series brought the field to (Dirt), and the night delivered a little bit of everything—an early race-stopping moment right in front of the pack, a new winner stepping up, and a points picture that’s tightening fast with four races still remaining in the 7-race season. With the scoring format paying 12 points to win, one less per position behind, the margins are always thin, and this race proved how quickly the storyline can flip in a single event.

The race’s biggest moment happened almost immediately. Aiden Stull suffered a mechanical malfunction while leading on lap 2, coming to a stop in front of the entire field. Fortunately, almost everyone was able to get by without major issues, but the early interruption instantly reshuffled the front-running order and set the stage for a new group to battle for control. In the aftermath, Brayden E Carter assumed the lead and looked poised to turn it into another points-heavy night.

That’s when Jesse Newsome went to work. Newsome tracked down Carter and made the pass for the lead on lap 6, then settled into a rhythm that kept him out front when it mattered most. It was a huge performance for a driver still building his ICL Dirt Modified résumé—this was Newsome’s 7th career start, and he converted it into his second career win, a statement result at one of the most demanding on the schedule.

Carter wasn’t going away, though. He stalked Newsome for the majority of the event, waiting for an opening and keeping the pressure steady into the late laps. In the closing stretch, Carter made a move and the lead battle tightened—exactly the kind of situation where one small mistake can change the final order. But the fight didn’t stay a two-car story for long, because Brycen Daffern came storming into it in a way that completely changed the ending.

Daffern’s drive was one of the standout stories of the night. After starting dead last in the evening’s LCQ, he climbed the way up into the lead battle and caught Carter and Newsome right at the moment the race was getting tightest. As Daffern and Carter started racing each other, it created the breathing room Newsome needed to stretch the gap back out and seal the win. That charge from the back not only earned Daffern a runner-up finish, it also made him the clear hard-charger of the night, turning a long-shot starting position into a 10-point result.

Behind the top three, the finishing order had several important implications for the standings. Michael Buanno backed up a solid run with 4th, and Aidan Strawberry—the points leader entering the race—minimized damage with a 5th-place finish worth 8 points. That matters, because while Strawberry didn’t dominate this week the way he did at Lanier and Limaland, he kept himself in control of the season by staying near the front and adding another points-paying finish to his total.

And that brings us to the championship picture after three races. Strawberry remains on top with 34 points and two wins, but Carter has climbed into second with 22 despite only two starts—proof that when he’s in the field, he’s collecting points at a championship pace. Brenden McGlothlin sits third at 20, and the next layer is starting to form a real chase pack: Doug Welch (16) is right there, and now Newsome’s win launches him straight into the top five at 12 points in a single start. With four races left, the math is still wide open—especially if the top contenders don’t all make every start—so every points night from here on out carries extra weight.

RESULTS (USA International Speedway)

  1. Jesse Newsome

  2. Brayden E Carter

  3. Brycen Daffern

  4. Michael Buanno

  5. Aidan Strawberry

  6. Brenden McGlothlin

  7. Doug Welch

  8. Jason Dudley2

  9. Lenden Rojewski

  10. Braxton Deweese

  11. Brandon Lollis

  12. Kaleb Moulton

  13. Thomas Drew

  14. Ashley Zinn

  15. Aiden W Stull

  16. Davin Markham

  17. Josh Cormier4

  18. Hunter James4

  19. Brycin Sweeney

  20. Randy Morehouse

  21. Kaleb Smith2

TOP 10 STANDINGS (After Race 3)

  1. Aidan Strawberry — 34

  2. Brayden E Carter — 22

  3. Brenden McGlothlin — 20

  4. Doug Welch — 16

  5. Jesse Newsome — 12

  6. Dolan Cole — 10

  7. Brycen Daffern — 10

  8. Brayden Avila — 9

  9. Michael Buanno — 9

  10. Cam H Smith — 9

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