By Gary Daughtrey

Special to the News-Herald

Scott Prillaman of Suffolk took the lead on Lap 9 and showed the way to his sixth victory of the season in the 50-lap A Main race for the Pro Series in the Arena Racing USA program Friday at Richmond Coliseum.

The win snapped a lengthy drought for Prillaman, who had been shut out of Victory Lane since Jan. 18.

Travis Wall drew the pole for the start of the event, but was slow coming up to speed at the initial green flag. Outside pole starter Jason Manes grabbed the early lead, while Cody Carlton moved up to second.

The race got off to a halting start with four caution flags in the first five laps. As the field gathered for a restart at Lap 6, Manes held the top spot, followed by Prillaman, who had advanced from the eighth starting spot. Carlton, Wall and Tommy Jackson Jr. rounded out the top five.

Back under green, Prillaman shadowed Manes until Lap 9, when he ducked low at the entrance to Turn 1, taking the lead as they returned to the flagstand. Wall tagged along with Prillaman and snagged second, leaving the door open for Carlton.

After a protracted battle, Carlton finally took over third on Lap 14. In the meantime, though, he had lost a full straightaway to the lead duo.

At the halfway mark, Prillaman held a one-length edge over Wall, with slower cars looming half a straightaway ahead. Prillaman waded into traffic on Lap 30 and was progressing nicely until he encountered Jason Styron.

Showing strength in the high lane, Styron kept the leader pinned on the inside and preserved his place on the lead lap. The race’s fifth yellow flag waved on Lap 37, when Dystany Spurlock looped her machine in Turn 2.

For the ensuing restart, with five laps to go, second-place Wall opted for the outside lane. He jumped the green flag, though, prompting the sixth caution flag as the field regrouped. On the last restart, Prillaman eked out a slim advantage at the end of Lap 46.

A lap later, he was up by half a car-length. He cleared Wall on Lap 48.

At the checkers, Prillaman was the winner by a car-length over Wall. Carlton was third, followed by Jackson and Dylan Loving. Francis Jarrelle III, Manes and Styron were sixth, seventh and eighth, in that order, taking the final three Top Dog transfer spots.