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Jeff Simmons had confidence in the No. 24 Team ISI Dallara/Infiniti/Firestone right off the transporter during preparations for the Corning 100.

Through the practice sessions and SWE Race Car Parts qualifying, the car didn't disappoint the veteran Menards Infiniti Pro Series driver on the 3.37-mile, 11-turn Watkins Glen International course. Even after a Lap 2 bobble that cost the leader four positions, Simmons didn't resign himself to a non-podium finish in the 29-lap race.

"I knew we had a chance to get back in the lead," he said. "We've been one of the quickest cars all weekend, and so was Wade (Cunningham)."

Simmons was rewarded equally for his patience and confidence with the victory in the inaugural race by 0.6316 of a second over Marco Andretti. Cunningham, the series' points leader, was 0.8092 of a second back in third.

After the slide in Turn 9 - "I locked up the rear brakes a lot in the race, and that's what sent me wide" - Simmons regained momentum and was reeling in Andretti by Lap 22 (0.8414 of a second behind). After crossing the start-finish line 0.5307 of a second behind, Simmons overtook Andretti on Lap 26 as they approached lapped traffic.

"He and I were both kind of hard on the brakes trying to avoid the car that slid in front of him," said Simmons, who posted his third victory in the past four races and fourth of the season. "In a way, I was hoping there wasn't going to be traffic because it can mess you up just as easy as it's going to help you. Fortunately, it worked out OK for me, but I was measuring him up any way trying to get him out on the open track.

"It worked out well for us and gave us the gap we needed to make it to the end."

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Andretti, who started on the outside of Row 2 in the No. 26 Vonage car, was seeking a sweep of the four non-oval races. But the 18-year-old son of Michael Andretti learned more valuable lessons in his first Menards Infiniti Pro Series season.

"The lapped car didn't have his eyes open," said Andretti, who led 25 laps. "Obviously, he didn't know I was there, or he would have just moved over. If he would have, it would have been my race. It happens. I still had a shot at the end, but then I got a little aero push."

Chris Festa was fourth, followed by Vision Racing teammates Nick Bussell and Phil Giebler, who was keeping the seat warm for Jay Drake as he competed in the USAC Valvoline National Spring Car event at Eldora Speedway in Ohio (15th place in the feature).

Simmons supplanted Travis Gregg, whose spin in Turn 8 of Lap 4 brought out the only yellow flag of the race, for second in the standings with one race remaining.

"We have a chance mathematically in the points," Simmons said. "If Wade has problems and we're able to win again, we have a chance. It's a little bittersweet because we had mechanical problems and got taken out a couple of times early in the year, so we know that we could have been way ahead in the points right now. To still have a chance after all of the problems we had, we came back in such a short amount of time, I proud of everyone on Team ISI and the Kenn Hardley Racing for sticking with it."