ROUGEMONT — Jamie Yelton took over the lead early in Saturday’s Strutmasters 150 United Auto Racing Association race at Orange County Speedway and never surrendered the top spot on his way to victory lane.

Once he had the lead, Yelton, in the No. 8 vehicle, was seriously threatened just once when Alex Yontz, who ended up sixth on the day, got up on his bumper on lap 60. It became a two-car race for a brief time before Yelton was able pull away for good.

A spin out on lap 137 ended up costing Yontz a top-five finish.

It was the third UARA event of 2008. OCS is scheduled to host a second series race on September 13.

Twenty-eight cars started the race, which featured six cautions. One of them consisted of a several-car pile up on lap 79, involving drivers Ross Furr (17th place finish) and Justin Boston (27th), who was knocked out of the race.

The incident caused a red flag until the contest was restarted on lap 81.

UARA points leader and teenage phenom Jake “the Snake” Crum, who had suffered noticeable damage to his hood and driver’s-side door early in the race, worked his way to another top five finish, as he crossed the finish line in third.

Crum was the runner-up in the season’s first two events.

B.J Mackey, who was second in points and won the previous contest back on April 12 at the Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia, was the fifth-place finisher. Richard Boswell, who was ninth in points entering the race, took second, while Jamey Caudill (seventh in the standings before Saturday’s action) came home in fourth.

The 88 machine of Curtis Truex Jr. (fifth in the standings coming in) experienced some misfortune when he was black flagged with 20 laps to go. But he still managed to fight his way back to the eighth position by race’s end.

The excitement didn’t end with the completion of the race as a heated brawl broke out near victory lane when it was over. Yontz’s team was one of the groups involved in the melee. Fortunately, peace was restored fairly quickly.

Brandon McReynolds, son of FOX NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds, finished in 13th place on Saturday.

Roxboro driver Matt Lofton, last year’s Rookie of the Year in the OCS Late Model Division, was supposed to be part of Saturday’s UARA event, but he reportedly opted to compete at the Hooters Pro Cup race in Concord instead.

Hatley makes successful return in Grand Stocks

Chapel Hill’s Michael Hatley, who was not on hand for the season-opener on April 12, made a successful return to action on Saturday by leading from start to finish to win the 35-lap Grand Stock event.

Ray Ellington Jr., the division points’ leader after two races, was second and James Turner placed third.

Hatley’s vocal fans were also present and cheered loudly when Hatley, last year’s GS champion, made his victory cruise around the track after it was over.

Eddie Capps, who won the season opener, did pass Hatley for a brief moment late in the race before his car suddenly went dead and he had to exit the contest.

Cory Purnell and James Myers were the fourth and fifth-place finishers in Saturday’s event.

Langston scores Pure Stock win

After a brief rain delay, Keith Langston took over the points lead with a win in the 20-lap Pure Stock contest.

Tony Ivey, second in the standings, was the runner-up, while Augie Saccoccio, Bruce Chisholm, and Thomas Penny were the third, fourth, and fifth-place finishers on Saturday.

In other action, Gary Lloyd beat out Kan Faucette to win the Southern Ground Pounders 25-lap Sportsman race, while Matt Faucette took the top spot in the SGP modified race. Lloyd placed second in that event.

The local Late Model Division will be back in action on May 17, when OCS resumes racing action at the track with the Coca Cola 355. That event will include races in all four local divisions, plus the Southern Ground Pounders.