Scott Speed completed a dominant display in Atlantic City, winning the second final of the double header event at Bader Field in what was his 50th main event start.
The Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross star, who again won his semi final, was the only driver to make a clean getaway in the final and was never realistically challenged for the lead after a first corner scramble which had him go three wide with the second semi final winner Sebastian Eriksson and Patrik Sandell.
Steve Arpin made a strong getaway from the third row of the grid to challenge Sandell for third. He got by on the second lap and followed Speed and Eriksson into an early joker, pushing Sandell further back.
As the race reached its mid-point, Eriksson looked as if he was closing in on Speed, only for the former F1 man to build a gap to the second placed driver.
Sandell went for the joker on lap five, which allowed him to move into third place, just ahead of Arpin who challenged the Olsbergs Honda driver immediately. Arpin got by and set his sights on second placed Eriksson. He got onto the bumper of the Swede’s Honda Civic, while both remained three and a half second ahead of dominant leader Speed with three laps to go.
Behind them, Mitchell deJong was beginning to mount a challenge for third place, having passed the slowing Sandell.
Eriksson held on after a late challenge from Arpin to take second behind winner Speed. DeJong and Sandell’s podium hopes to a hit when the pair were collected in a melee instigated by a charging Foust.
That allowed Chris Atkinson to sneak through after a quiet race to take fourth. DeJong ended up being classified fifth, ahead of Cabot Bigham and Olsbergs Honda team mate Oliver Eriksson. Austin Dyne was eighth, with Foust ninth after a two penalties totalling eight seconds dropped him from seventh to ninth. The two-time champion was marked down for the last lap contact with Sandell, as well as earlier contact with Bigham.
After the last lap drama, Sandell was classified 10th and last, despite beginning the race as a contender for the win.
Speed’s win mean that he is the only driver to have won a Red Bull GRC main event at Atlantic City after his triumph last year and his win earlier in the weekend. His points lead is now 38 points over Arpin, who moves ahead of Tanner Foust. Sebastian Eriksson and deJong continue to hold fourth and fifth in the points.
In Red Bull GRC Lites, Conner Martell won ahead of Christian Brooks and Travis PeCoy. Points Leader Cyril Raymond posed a threat to Martell early on but slipped down the order to finish sixth.
