Thompson Wins Atlanta Overtime Fight, Takes Control of Summer Shootout Championship

Round 3 of the MLSR Ideal Family LLC Summer Shootout brought Major League Sim Racing to EchoPark Speedway for a scheduled 96-lap NASCAR Truck Series event that was pushed to 103 laps after two overtime attempts. After Daytona and Talladega opened the series with pack racing and survival, Atlanta delivered its own version of drafting intensity, late-race pressure, and championship consequences.

Ethan A. Thompson came away with the victory in the No. 98, leading 21 laps and beating Matthew Taylor to the line by 0.143 seconds. Adam Ramsey finished third, just 0.154 seconds behind the winner, giving the race a tight top-three finish after a closing stretch that repeatedly reset the field and forced the contenders to settle it in overtime.

The race-defining moment came late, when a chain-reaction incident changed the complexion of the battle for the win. Thompson made contact with James Beard, who then collected race leader Chris Etchepare in the closing laps. Etchepare had been one of the strongest trucks of the night, leading a race-high 32 laps, but the incident knocked him out of position and opened the door for Thompson to take control.

The sequence also added a subtle team layer to the finish. Thompson, Ramsey, and Etchepare all race under the Team Ignition banner, and all three played major roles in the closing storyline. Thompson won the race, Ramsey finished on the podium, and Etchepare led the most laps before the late incident changed his night.

Thompson did not waste the opportunity once the race came back to him. After starting 11th, he stayed in the mix through the long run, the late restarts, and the overtime pressure. When the race finally reached its finish after 103 laps, Thompson had done enough to secure not only the Round 3 win, but also the championship lead.

Taylor’s runner-up finish was nearly as important in the title picture. After starting 23rd, he drove to second and left Atlanta only two points behind Thompson in the standings. His climb through the field was one of the strongest performances of the night and kept him firmly in position to challenge for the Summer Shootout championship at Daytona.

Ramsey also delivered a strong result, climbing from 13th to third and finishing within two-tenths of the win. Steven Shannon and Gary May completed the top five, while Dana Shepard, Joseph Essenberg, Elijah Maupin, Dave W Allen, and Shane Hatfield rounded out the top 10.

Several contenders had nights that changed dramatically. Etchepare led the most laps but finished 13th after the late chain-reaction incident. Beard, the Round 2 winner at Talladega, started third, led 15 laps, and finished 17th after disconnecting. Howard Peeples also led 21 laps before finishing 19th, while pole-sitter Ronald Breland ended the night 21st after disconnecting.

With the win, Thompson now enters the Daytona finale in the driver’s seat for the Summer Shootout championship. Taylor remains close enough to apply real pressure, while Tanner Ensign, Etchepare, and Beard still sit inside the top five in points. After three rounds, the MLSR Ideal Family LLC Summer Shootout has delivered three different styles of superspeedway racing, and the championship will be decided at Daytona in the Next Gen cars.