By Gary Daughtrey
Special to the News-Herald

RICHMOND — In a battle between current and former Arena Racing USA champions, Jordan Wood held off Suffolk’s Scott Prillaman to pick up the win in the 50-lap Top Dog race, the featured event of Saturday evening’s Markel 200 presented by the Eagle Companies at the Richmond Coliseum.

The event was the 2011-12 season opener for the series’ 15-race Richmond slate.

B Main winner Matt Midgett started on the pole, but surrendered the top spot to Josh Turner at the end of the opening circuit. Wood moved up to second. Wood moved past Turner on a restart on lap 4

On lap 6, Prillaman slipped past Cody Carlton for the runner-up spot. Four laps later, the second caution flag appeared for a three-car tangle.

Back under green, Wood nosed ahead of Prillaman to maintain the lead. The two dueled nose-to-tail until lap 21 when, deeper in the field, some jostling for position got out of hand, causing minor damage to the outside wall. The caution period consumed laps 21-35.

The race resumed at the beginning of lap 36, but the restart was a bit disjointed and was quickly waved off by officials. Ten laps remained when the green flag flew again.

On the final restart, Wood cleared Prillaman as they approached

Turn 1.

On lap 46, Prillaman had closed in on Wood’s rear bumper and was hunting for the lead. He couldn’t muster a winning pass, however, as Wood held him at bay to the checkered flag, winning by a car-length.

Cody Carlton tailed Wood and Prillaman to the line, in third, while Travis Wall and Tyler Hughes completed the top five.

Mike Weddell grabbed the lead on the opening circuit and sailed to the win in the 50-lap A Main, which ran caution-free.

Weddell’s margin of victory was nearly a full straightaway. Pole-sitter Tommy Jackson Jr. settled into second after giving way to Weddell on the start and held down the runner-up spot throughout the contest, fighting off Scott Prillaman at the checkers.

Series veteran Matt Midgett started from the pole and survived four restarts on the way to a victory in the 50-lap B Main.

At the finish, Midgett was the winner by two lengths over Pete Hunt.

Daniel Thomas moved out front on lap 17 and rolled to the win in a caution-filled 50-lap C Main.

Cole Amsten, Joe McGrath and Austin Dodge each took a turn at the head of the field over the first 16 circuits, which were punctuated by six yellow flags. Thomas assumed the lead when Dodge and McGrath tangled on a restart.

Fresh from an INEX Bandoleros championship at Hampton’s Langley Speedway, Macy Causey kicked off the indoor season with a dominating win in the 30-lap Youth Series feature.

She started on the pole and led all the way, finishing a straightaway ahead of second-place runner Tripp Thurston.