Robert Stout wins duel with Cheek in Nashville Race 1

For the second Stadium Super Trucks race in a row, Myles Cheek dominated only to lose the win in the closing laps. In Saturday’s case, he was stout as he navigated the streets of Nashville in the face of pressure from Robert Stout until the latter passed him on the penultimate lap.

Cheek’s day began with a drift into Gavin Harlien on the opening lap as they entered turn five, but he followed Harlien past Bill Hynes for the lead on lap two. Stout kept watch through the competition caution a lap later and before initiating his battle with Cheek.

The two distanced themselves from the field for the rest of the race. With two laps to go, Stout closed the gap and rode on Cheek’s bumper across the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge before finding an opening on the inside through turn seven.

Stout did not give up the lead for the final lap as he notched his third career win and second at Nashville after Race #2 in 2021.

“Had a super good run on Myles. We used to run in Lucas Oil Off Road together,” said Stout. The two were previously rivals in the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series’ Production 1000 UTV category and its final class champions prior to the series’ demise. “Really fun to get #1 and #2 with him and just try to walk away, pushing him over the bridge, trying to get the draft and gap Harlien because Harlien’s not somebody you want to see behind you or Max (Gordon) for that matter. It was a great run. This thing ripped. Got to hang on for tomorrow because we beat them up pretty hard today.”

Cheek once again settled for second as he did in Long Beach Race #2 in April. Coincidentally, he lost that race to Matt Brabham also on the second to last lap in turn seven.

While Stout and Cheek fought for the win, Gordon and Harlien were on an island of their own in the battle for third. Gordon tried various attempts to get by Harlien before finally succeeding on the final lap.

Ryan Beat spun after going deep into turn seven on lap one, but rebounded for a fifth. Blade Hildebrand also went around shortly before the caution, but salvaged a ninth in his first race since 2019. The SST début of Rob Radmann ended just short of a top ten in eleventh.

Robby Gordon retired after his axle broke on lap five, marking his first DNF since Long Beach in 2019. Brabham, who beat Gordon for pole, also bowed out.

Although SST races are typically between nine to twelve laps in length, Race #1 was shortened to six while the post-qualifying field inversion was dropped due to a compacted schedule brought on by severe rain.

Race results