BRUNSWICK, Ga. — It's been nearly a year since Brandon Overton was at Golden Isles Speedway winning two consecutive Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events at the beginning of Georgia-Florida Speedweeks. He clearly didn't forget how to get around the 4/10-mile oval.

The 31-year-old Evans, Ga., jumped to a commanding lead in his Wells Motorsports Longhorn in the opener of the Super Bowl of Racing and turned back a couple of challenges from two-time and reigning series champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., for a $10,000 payday in the first of three weekend races at the Kyle and Amber Bronson-owned track.

"This race car's awesome, man. It's the first night on it. We tested it at Volusia (Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.) the other night and it was really fast," Overton said, thanking his crew for his new machine. "They built a bad-ass race car."

Overton took the checkers 0.402 of a second ahead of the 10th-starting McCreadie, who made a bid for the lead with a dozen laps to go and drew nearly within striking distance of Overton on the final lap. Third-starting Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., was third followed by polesitter Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, who had his two-race win streak broken after a pair of World of Outlaws Case Late Model Series victories a week earlier at Volusia. Second-year series driver Daulton Wilson of Fayetteville, N.C., rounded out the top five.

Two drivers battling in the top five fell from contention with 10 laps remaining. Three-time tour champ Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., was trying to take third from Hudson O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., in turn three when Davenport made contact with O'Neal's left-rear quarterpanel, sending both drivers spinning to draw the second of three cautions.

While he led by more than two seconds in the first half of the race, Overton's car began handling so tightly he couldn't keep it in his preferred low groove. He wasn't even sure which groove he should be in as high watched signals from crew members when he felt like a "sitting duck" as McCreadie began closing in by lap 35.

Overton said "everything went our way" in getting a caution that relieved the pressure he was feeling from McCreadie.

"We got out front and got the lead and stayed away from the lapped traffic," Overton said. "You gotta have a lot of luck man. These guys — I seen Timmy behind me — and I knew you can't mess up. I knew I was protecting riding behind those lapped cars and I knew somebody had to step out there (in the higher groove)."

VIDEO: Watch highlights from Thursday's Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season opener. 

Overton was making his first start since Dec. 3 and, despite a relatively short layoff, wasn't immediately back up to speed.

"I think I was a little rusty qualifying," Overton said. "I got out and I was like, 'Man, I felt really good,' but I was fourth or whatever, so I made up for in the heat race, got us a good starting spot (for the feature). Last-minute tire choice there, you know, some of the guys lined up a little harder tire, so we hurried up and put it on. So everything worked out for us."

McCreadie figured his only chance was being able to sneak past Overton quick enough before the leader's crew members could signal his assault.

"His guy moved him up into (turn) one which kind of hurt my momentum," McCreadie said. "That's where I started make a little time. I knew if I was gonna try to poke them on the outside I had about a lap, maybe a lap and a half to do it. Because the good guys, they can see their (crews signaling to change grooves).

"No shame in second for this Paylor Motorsports team," added McCreadie, who has been the runner-up in each of his three 2023 starts. "We just got to qualify better. I messed up and did a bad job driving in qualifying and put us behind all night long, but we're maneuverable the pass cars and that's all you can ask for."

The 40-lapper was slowed by three cautions. G.R. Smith's car showed smoke at the outset and he slowed on the third lap with a loose oil line for the first yellow. The second caution flag dropped on the 31st lap for the Davenport-O'Neal scrape and a multicar scramble on the lap-31 restart brought out the final yellow.

Lucas Oil competitors gather Friday to do it all again with a $12,000-to-win event heading toward Saturday's $25,000-to-win finale at the Super Bowl of Racing, the richest Georgia-Florida Speedweeks payday in 21 years.

Notes: After starting seventh and running as high as second, Hudson O'Neal and the Rocket Chassis house car team's race was lost after the spin with Davenport. O'Neal pitted and ended up 19th. ... Former Rocket Chassis house car driver Brandon Sheppard started 19th and finished ninth in his Sheppard Riggs Racing ride. ...  Garrett Smith lost fuel pressure and parked during the lap-31 caution period. ... Brandon Koehler, a teammate to four-time series champ Jimmy Owens, took a provisional for his first career Lucas Oil start. ... Home-state driver Shane Clanton skipped the night's action because he wasn't feeling well. ... Watch all Lucas Oil's Speedweeks action at FloRacing.