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ROCKINGHAM – In a performance that will be talked about for seasons to come, A.J. Binish defied the odds, overcame heavy damage, and charged through the field to steal a spectacular, last-gasp victory Tuesday night in the Bonfire Racing Series at the notoriously tough Rockingham Speedway.

Binish, whose race seemed all but over after a lap 22 wreck, executed a stunning pass on a late surging Nick Mills with just 12 laps remaining, pulling away to win by over three seconds. The victory capped a wild, caution-filled race that saw multiple leaders and shattered contenders. Nick Mills was forced to settle for a hard-fought second, while David Owens survived the chaos to land on the final podium step in third. Joseph Vulpis and Christopher Smorol rounded out the top five.

The night began with a massive 36-truck field ready to battle “The Rock,” and Binish immediately established himself as a contender, posting the fastest lap in practice. While Jaron Valley would ultimately claim the pole award, all eyes were on Binish’s speed. His promising night appeared to come to a crushing end on lap 22, however, when contact sent him spinning and forced him to the pits for significant front-end repairs.

As Binish began the long road to recovery, the race devolved into a slugfest on the abrasive track surface. The event was slowed by a total of eight yellow flags, and the punishing pace created a war of attrition. By the time the checkered flag flew, only 26 of the 36 trucks that started the race were still running, a testament to the day’s brutal nature. Through the carnage, pole-sitter Jaron Valley established himself as the class of the field, expertly navigating the restarts and holding the lead.

The race reached its fever pitch following a restart on lap 106. By lap 120, Valley was desperately fending off David Owens, while a resurrected A.J. Binish had miraculously fought his way back into third. The ensuing battle was breathtaking. On lap 121, contact in the three-way fight for the lead sent both Owens and the leader Valley into the outside wall.

From that chaos, a new challenger emerged: Nick Mills. While the leaders scrambled, Mills mounted a masterful charge, slicing through the pack and taking the lead from a wounded Valley on lap 128. It was a brilliant drive that looked destined for victory lane, especially after Valley’s night officially ended when he pitted for fuel on lap 131. Valley last pitted around lap 108, where the pit crew fumbled the ball and forgot to put tires on the 01.

But Binish, even with a damaged truck, was not done. He relentlessly closed the gap to Mills, and on lap 138, he made his move. Diving to the inside of Mills in turn one, Binish’s #5 truck clawed its way past, taking the lead for good as they roared out of turn two.

Once out front, Binish never looked back, stretching his advantage to over three seconds. It was a masterclass in resilience and a drive that defines a season, proving once again that at a track like Rockingham, the race is never over until it’s over.

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Q&A from Victory Lane with A.J. Binish

After the race, we caught up with a triumphant A.J. Binish to get his thoughts on a wild night.

LNW: What a great win. After a two-week absence, you come back to The Rock with a vengeance. Can you tell us a little bit about the incident you were in? Did you take any damage from it?

Binish: Yeah, just kind of a racing incident. I think [the other driver] drifted up a bit and gave it a tap that kind of got me going and I didn’t realize in time to save it. We ended up with about two minutes of damage but no engine damage. Not sure how much I would have had if I hadn’t backed into someone as I got going… that was a big dumb moment for me.

LNW: It seemed like the whole field tonight was having a hard time with the track. There were eight cautions and 10 of the 36 drivers didn’t finish. You have any thoughts on that?

Binish: If you look at it that way it seems bad, but quite honestly I thought it was a pretty good race from the guys. Thirty-six guys is a lot of drivers on a pretty tough track. Turn 1 and 2 is a beast unless you really know the track. It was great to get some longer green flag runs. It almost seemed like Nick hit the tire lottery with it, but his tires just didn’t hold out.

LNW: In the three races you have raced in, you have two wins and a P2. With this run you’re on, you shouldn’t have trouble climbing back up the ranks. What can we expect from your availability going forward?

Binish: I should be good to go for a while now. I’m looking forward to getting more races in since this field is real deep and real tough. It makes for some great, fun racing every week.

LNW: Well thank you for the time, AJ, we appreciate it as always.

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Check out our Power Rankings for Big Trucking Tuesday.