RICKY “THE ROCKET” ELLIOTT LIVES UP TO HIS NICKNAME IN DELAWARE LATE MODELS 08/16/2008 By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Ricky Elliott may spend most of his time on the road racing up and down the East Coast in the Super Late Model division but he still enjoys racing at his home track at Delaware International on Saturday nights. After about a month’s absence, Elliott returned “home” on Saturday night and walked away the $1250 25-lap Super Late Model feature.         Rookie Staci Warrington continues to impress as she took control of the feature at the drop of the green. Defending point champion, Donald Lingo, Jr. was running hard in the second spot with Elliott catapulting from eight to third on lap one. A hard tangle between Rick Whaley and Norman Short brought out the yellow on lap five with both cars taken to the pits on the wrecker.         The restart produced a three car battle for the lead between Warrington, Lingo, Jr. and Elliott. Elliott took second on lap seven and one lap later powered by Warrington off turn two for the lead.         Jon Callaway was on the move coming from his 11th starting spot to take third just before the halfway sign. Callaway grabbed second from Warrington at the crossed flags with Lingo, Jr. holding on to fourth and Kerry King running in the fifth spot.         King’s drive ended with a flat tire on lap 22 and erased a big lead that Elliott had developed. On the restart, Elliott bolted away from the rest of the field and drove to his fourth win in the Charles Jarvis/Seaside Builders/Rocket. Rookie Jon Callaway stayed in the point chase with a strong second and Warrington turned in another stellar performance in third. Lingo, Jr. finished in fourth. Point leader, Ray Davis, Jr. crossed the finish in fifth but had a tire fail post race inspection and was disqualified. Fifth was credited to Richard Jarvis, Jr. Heats were won by Warrington and Elliott. RESULTS: 25-Lap Super Late Model Feature: 1. RICKY ELLIOTT; 2. Jon Callaway; 3. Staci Warrington; 4. Donald Lingo Jr; 5. Richard Jarvis Jr; 6. David Hill; 7. Ross Robinson; 8. Derrik Hill; 9. Kevin Scott Jr; 10. Bob Geiger; 11. Kerry King; 12. Ron Ormsbee; 13. Al Chaney; 14. Dave Hertz; 15. Norman Short Jr; 16. Rick Whaley; DNS: Hal Browning; DQ: Ray Davis Jr.

Steve Francis Wins Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Event at Bedford on Thursday Night BEDFORD, PA (July 31, 2008) - In a race cut short by six laps due to severe fog blanketing the track, Steve Francis of Ashland, KY became the 20th different driver to win a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Thursday Night at Bedford Speedway.  Francis, in the Dale Beitler owned Rocket GTO, led all 24 laps in winning the $7,000 to win the inaugural “Paul Beamer Memorial Race” sponsored by Bedford Valley Petroleum.  Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL finished second followed by Josh Richards of Shinnston, WV, Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, PA and Rick Eckert of York, PA. The start of the A-main was delayed due to a pop-up shower, but after about two hours and after running the track back in, the race was ready to go, with Francis and Richards starting on the pole.  Third-place starter Bart Hartman slowed on the initial start bringing out the caution, which negated the start and forced a restart.  Hartman took to the pits and not return to the race until the twelfth lap. Francis managed to motor ahead of the field, as he led all 24 scored laps with a nice battle for second taking place between Richards and Pearson.  Francis opened up a seven car length lead in the early stages of the race until lapped traffic would allow both Richards and Pearson to gain on him. With ten laps down, Richards and Pearson had closed on Francis’ rear bumper as the first three cars were running nose to tail.  Francis was able to put a lapped car between himself and the race for second as the first caution came out on lap 12. On the restart, Francis would again extend his lead over Richards and Pearson as Pearson was all over the rear decklid of Richards’ car.  With 15 laps down, Francis was on a rail, stretching his lead over the duo of Richards and Pearson with Jeremy Miller and Rick Eckert in a tight battle for fourth. As the halfway mark was given, fog started to overtake the race track as Jeff Rine slowed for the third caution on lap 20.  With ten laps to go, there was enough visibility for the drivers to continue as they would only be able to race for four more laps until Nick Dickson stopped in turn two bringing out the caution. During the caution period, the drivers stopped on the frontstretch and relayed to the Lucas Oil officials and track officials that it was unsafe to resume the race.  The decision was made to wave the checkered flag as the cars came back around the frontstretch and the race was officially ruled complete.  Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Josh Richards, Earl Pearson Jr., Chuck Clise, Justin Rattliff, Jeff Rine, John Mason, Wayne Chinn, Steve Everhart, Freddy Smith, Shawn Claar, DJ Myers, Bo Feathers, Tom Decker Sr. Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Rick Eckert, Steve Shaver, Jason Covert, Steve Casebolt, Gary Stuhler, Scott Haus, Randy Burkholder, Dan Schlieper, Greg Fetters, Wayne Johnson, Matt Parks, TJ Wright, Tom Decker Jr. AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Steve Francis, Jeremy Miller, Billy Drake, Dan Stone, Jim Yoder, Nick Dickson, Tyler Armstrong, Scott LeBarron, Brian Booze, Shane Beegle, Jimmy Owens, Andy Martz, Chris Harr. Tiger Rearend Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Bart Hartman, Terry Casey, Donnie Moran, Ricky Elliott, Jeff Miller, Tyler Hershey, Alan Sagi, Jack Pencil, Scott James, JT Spence, Scott Rhodes, Doug Ishler. Mason Racin’ Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Gary Stuhler, Jeff Rine, Scott Haus, John Mason, Randy Burkholder, Dan Schlieper, DJ Myers, Freddy Smith, Greg Fetters, Wayne Chinn, Steve Everhart, Wayne Johnson, Matt Parks, Tom Decker Sr., Shawn Claar, TJ Wright, Bo Feathers (DNS), Tom Decker Jr(DNS). Quarter Master Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): (Finished after 8 Laps Due to Rain Delay): Jeremy Miller, Jack Pencil, Nick Dickson, Tyler Hershey, Scott Rhodes, Tyler Armstrong, Scott LeBarron, Brian Booze, Alan Sagi, Shane Beegle, Jim Yoder, Scott James, JT Spence (DNS), Jimmy Owens (DNS), Anndy Martz (DNS), Doug Ishler (DNS), Chris Harr (DNS). “Inaugural Paul Beamer Memorial” (30 Laps): Steve Francis, Earl Pearson Jr.,  Josh Richards, Jeremy Miller, Rick Eckert, Steve Shaver, Terry Casey, Ricky Elliott, Billy Drake, Steve Casebolt, Donnie Moran, Scott Haus, Jason Covert, Chuck Clise, Gary Stuhler, Scott James, Jeff Miller, Nick Dickson, Dan Stone, Jeff Rine, Justin Rattliff, Tyler Hershey, Jack Pencil, Steve Everhart, Freddy Smith, Bart Hartman. Entries:  51 Caution Flags: 5 Lap Leaders: Steve Francis 1-24 (Ended Due to Extreme Fog) Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Scott James, Freddy Smith Bedford Speedway Track Provisionals: Steve Everhart, Tyler Hershey PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Scott Haus Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Scott James K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Steve Casebolt Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Terry Casey ASI Racewear Lucky 7 Award: Terry Casey Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Kevin Miller Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines Time of the Race: start: 1:02am finish: 1:30am

RICKY ELLIOTT QUALIFIES TO BE YOUR ALLTEL ALLSTAR FAVORITE DRIVER: If you had $10,000 to sponsor someone, who would you choose?  The Alltel Allstar Contest gives you that chance.  Four nights of World of Outlaws Late Model Series racing during Alltel Ohio Speedweek, the top-five finishers qualify every night and your vote can help one of them take home a n extra $10,000 cash award from Alltel Wireless and join Dave Hess Jr. as an Alltel Allstar.  You will also be entered for a chance to win a $500 gift card from Alltel Wireless, the Official Wireless Provider of Fans.  Rally the troops; tell your family, your friends, your neighbors, tell people you don’t even know and see how many votes you can score for your favorite driver! Voting begins at 11:59pm on Sunday, July 27th.  You can vote once every 24 hours until 11:59pm on Tuesday, September 9th, after which the votes will be tallied and Alltel will have a special ceremony to announce the winner of the Alltel Allstar.  Your driver’s chances for victory rest in your hands, so be sure to vote.  All you have to do is click on your favorite out of the list of qualified drivers below and follow the instructions.  It will only take a minute, but what a difference it could make! Click on the following link to find Ricky’s picture and vote :  http://alltelallstar.com/index.php THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Moyer falters, Moran capitalizes at Sharon By Kevin Kovac World of Outlaws Late Model Series HARTFORD, Ohio (July 26) — Donnie Moran caught the breaks he needed to win the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Sharon Speedway. On an evening that saw two rounds of rain delay the racing action for over four hours, Moran benefited from Billy Moyer’s misfortune and survived heavy track conditions that exacted a toll on his equipment en route to capturing the third leg of Alltel Ohio Speedweek. Moran, 45, of Dresden, Ohio, inherited the lead on a lap-44 restart when Batesville, Ark.’s Moyer slowed with mechanical trouble. The driver known as the Million Dollar Man went on to triumph by 0.814 of a second over Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., whose runner-up placing matched his career-best WoO finish. It was the first WoO win of the 2008 season for Moran, who pumped his career victory total on the tour to four. He also continued his longtime penchant for success at Sharon, a Buckeye State track where Moran has shined on both its former half-mile configuration and current 3/8-mile layout. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., settled for a second consecutive third-place finish on the tour after bidding for the lead midway through the race in the RSD Enterprises Rocket. Defending WoO champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., finished tight to Clanton’s rear bumper in fourth after starting 11th in Dale Beitler’s Rocket, and polesitter Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., was fifth in a J.P. Drilling GRT car that ended the race with its suspension at less than 100 perfect functionality. Moran acknowledged afterward that the sudden departure of Moyer, whose Victory Circle car tossed its fan belts after he had led laps 17-44, was ultimately the key to his win. The 50-year-old Moyer had advanced from the fourth starting spot to grab the lead from Moran on lap 17 and appeared primed to register his series-leading fifth victory of the season. Moran still had a major worry following the rough-and-tumble race’s ninth and final caution flag, on lap 44. His car’s left-rear suspension was left out of whack, likely as a result of the blazing-fast track conditions. Moran seized the lead for the first time on lap six from 2006 WoO champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who paced laps 1-5 off the outside pole before fading and eventually retiring his overheating Sweeteners Plus machine on lap 17. Moran lost the top spot to Moyer in lapped traffic on lap 17 and watched Clanton overtake him for second on a lap-22 restart, but Clanton’s miscue on lap 31 allowed Moran to slip back into the runner-up slot and position himself for later glory. Clanton, 32, appeared capable of threatening Moyer until his slap of the turn-two wall cost him two positions and left his car with too much damage to seriously challenge for the win Making his first appearance in New Yorker Joe Beyea’s Rocket No. 121 since last month’s WoO Great Northern Tour, the 42-year-old Elliott also slipped by Clanton on lap 31. But he couldn’t summon enough speed to pass Moran for a first-ever tour win. “He had on a little bit softer tires than us and just fired better (on the final restart),” said Elliott, who used American Racer rubber as opposed to Moran’s Hoosier tires. “The longer we went, the better we were, but Moran was good and deserved to win. I’m real happy with a second. I think it shows that this (Beyea) deal we have here is working out pretty well. This was only the fourth Late Model race for Randy (Kisacky, a noted DIRTcar big-block Modified crew chief who is wrenching the Beyea car), and you can see how well he’s working together with my regular crew chief Wayne Benson to get this car going right.” WoO points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., padded his advantage with a sixth-place finish. He fell behind at the start of the night when a flat left-rear tire during his time-trial run forced him to start scratch in his heat, but he rallied to qualify and then quietly marched forward from the 15th starting spot in the feature. Finishing in positions 7-10 were Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who came from the rear of the field after pitting on lap three to change a flat left-rear tire; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who pitted for servicing on lap 17. Notes: Moran's MasterSbilt Race Car is sponsored by Custom Cutters and Eddie's Sunoco. ... Rick Eckert’s ninth-place run came after he played musical cars during the night. He time-trialed his Rayburn; fell in at the back of the pack for his heat after switching to his GRT mount; won a consolation race with the GRT but developed engine woes; and went back to the Rayburn for the feature. ... Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who sits second in the WoO points standings, took a bit hit in his pursuit of Darrell Lanigan for the title. He was racing for sixth place on the final lap with Lanigan, Matt Miller and Babb when a scrape with Miller sent the 20-year-old sensation spinning in turn two. The last-lap incident, which also collected Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., left Richards with a 16th-place finish. ... Rain hit the track minutes after the heat races were completed, delaying the action. The strongest storms initially missed Sharon Speedway, but a heavy downpour did come around 10 p.m. to further delay the program. ... Fast qualifier Jeremy Miller, who led last year’s WoO event at Sharon until the final laps, saw his fortunes go south in the feature. He was running sixth on lap 44 when a broken connecting rod bolt in his car’s engine caused him to stop on the homestretch in a cloud of smoke. ... The event will be televised later on the Speed cable network. ... Alltel Ohio Speedweek concludes on Sunday night at Eriez Speedway near Erie, Pa. World of Outlaws @ Sharon: (1) Donnie Moran, (2) Ricky Elliott, (3) Shane Clanton, (4) Steve Francis, (5) Clint Smith, (6) Darrell Lanigan, (7) Matt Miller, (8) Shannon Babb, (9) Rick Eckert, (10) Chub Frank, (11) Brent Rhebergen, (12) David Scott, (13) Gregg Satterlee, (14) Vic Coffey, (15) John Blankenship, (16) Josh Richards, (17) Tim Fuller, (18) Billy Moyer, (19) Jeremy Miller, (20) Dutch Davies, (21) Russell King, (22) Tim McCreadie, (23) Dan Stone, (24) Brian Birkhofer, (25) Mickey Wright. Fast qualifier (among 39 cars): Miller, 16.116 seconds. Heat race winners: Moyer, Matt Miller, Elliott, McCreadie. Consolation winners: Frank, Eckert. Provisional starters: Blankenship, Coffey, King.

RAY DAVIS, JR. WIN LAST TURN THRILLER AND $5000 IN THE ELK MOONEYHAM MEMORIAL LATE MODEL MAIN 07/19/2008 By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – “It ain’t over until it’s over,” could not have been more true as Ray Davis, Jr. of Millsboro, Del. came from third on the final lap to win the 30-lap Elk Mooneyham Memorial Saturday night at the Delaware International Speedway. Davis not only picked up the $1000 weekly winners share of the purse but he also pocketed the $2500 bonus and an additional $1500 bonus for being the first weekly racers across the finish line.         The race boiled down to a one lap shootout. Ricky Elliott had started in 12th. Hal Browning was driving an inspired race in memory of his partner for 45 years, Elk Mooneyham and had led since lap two when he passed pole sitter, Bob Geiger. David Hill gave chase in second until lap seven when David Pettyjohn moved by and took up the chase.         At the halfway sign the top five were Browning, David Pettyjohn, Ray Davis, Jr., Mark Pettyjohn and Elliott. Elliott was putting on a rim riding exhibition taking fourth on lap 18 and one lap later moving into second. Running on the very top edge of the speedway, Elliott quickly caught Browning and on lap 19 moved into the lead.         Mark Pettyjohn got as high as second but it was David Pettyjohn taking the runner-up spot with six laps to go. Just when it looked like Elliott would be heading to victory the yellow was out when a car came to stop in turn three on the final lap. On the restart, David Pettyjohn made a strong bid for the lead but spun to bring out the yellow one more time.         David, Jr. was now running in the second spot with Jon Callaway in third.  On the green, Elliott again went to the very top of the speedway leading down into the third turn. In turn four, Elliott missed is line by inches and slid off the top of the track. Davis, Jr. was in the bottom groove and brought home his Virgil Davis III Trucking/Rocket to his first win of the season and to the roar of the crowd. Elliott recovered to finish in the second spot with Callaway third. Fourth went to Mark Pettyjohn and Browning finished a strong fifth.         Heats for the 25 cars were won by Browning and David Pettyjohn with Rob Schirmer winning the consolation. With his win, Davis, Jr. not only collected $5000 but he also increased his point lead in the division.         RESULTS: 30-Lap Elk Mooneyham Memorial Late Model Feature: 1. RAY DAVIS, JR.; 2. Ricky Elliott; 3. Jon Callaway; 4. Mark Pettyjohn; 5. Hal Browning; 6. Rob Schirmer; 7. David Hill; 8. Mark Bryum; 9. Kenny Pettyjohn; 10. Al Chaney; 11. Bob Geiger; 12. Bobby Dryden; 13. David Pettyjohn; 14. Kerry King; 15. Ross Robinson; 16. Richard Jarvis Jr; 17. Rick Whaley; 18. Dale Lingo; 19. Norman Short; 20. Kevin Scott Jr; DNQ: Bryan Driver; Staci Warrington; Rob Massey; Trent Collins; Donald Lingo, Jr

BUNTING, ELLIOTT & LAUBACH COLLECT BIG PAYDAYS AT DELAWARE’S CAMP BARNES BENEFIT 07/10/2008 By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Wednesday night thunderstorms that postponed the 36th Annual Camp Barnes Benefit for 24 hours didn’t dampen the enthusiasm for the event as a large crowd and 145 racers attended Thursday night’s rain date making the benefit a huge success. Defending NAPA Big Block Modified Champion, H.J. Bunting staved off the challenges of the mid-week invaders to post one of his best paydays of his career ($4,400) in the 25-lap feature. Ricky Elliott benefited from Richard Jarvis, Jr.’s flat tire just past he halfway sign to win the 25-lap Super Late Model main and collect $3896 and Rick Laubach started in last and won the Camp Barnes Modified vs. Late Model Shoot-Out collecting $1000 in just 12 laps. Other winners on the night included: Herb Tunis in the Crate Models; Brad Trice in the AC Delco Modifieds; Tim White in the Modified Lites; Bill Brittingham in the Lincoln Vintage Cars and Morris Tucker (modified) and James LaPlant (sportsman) in the Vintage Stock Cars.              The Super Late Model qualifying was identical to the Big Blocks with heat race wins going to Richard Jarvis, Jr., Donald Lingo, Jr. and Jon Callaway. Jarvis set sail at the drop of the green with Callaway and Elliott dicing for second. The first yellow as out on lap eight when Trent Collins came to a stop and under the yellow Lingo, Jr. pulled to the infield.           Elliott shot into the second spot on the restart dropping Callaway to third. Invader, Roland Mann was up to fourth and Norman Short held down fifth. Jarvis would take the $100 midway bonus which was donated in the memory of Edward Lee Jones by his children.           Two laps later, Jarvis’ perfect night came to sudden end when he exploded a right rear tire in the fourth turn and quickly came to a stop. Elliott was now in the top spot with Mann grabbing second with eight laps to go. A late race caution did not affect he outcome as Elliott cruised to the win in the Charles Jarvis/Seaside Builders/Rocket. Mann posted his best finish at the speedway in second with Callaway third. Fourth went to Short and Austin Hubbard rounded out the top five.           “We always seem to go a little better when the track slicks off,” said Elliott. “It finally started to burn off the cushion right around the top. Once you open a lane up and make the track a little wider it makes for better racing.”

LINGO, JR. REPEATS IN DELAWARE LATE MODELS 07/05/2008 By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Donald Lingo, Jr. may have learned something when he posted his first win of the season last week in the 20-lap Super Late Model feature at the Delaware International Speedway as last Saturday night he took the lead on the second lap and never looked back for his second straight victory.             In the 20-lap Super Late Model feature, Rob Massey led the first lap before Donald Lingo, Jr., who had started on the outside of the second row, took the lead. Once out front, Lingo, Jr. would never be headed.             Hal Browning took over the second spot on lap three with Staci Warrington running in third. Ricky Elliott was on the move from his eighth starting spot jumping into fourth and taking third from Warrington on lap five. Elliott took second behind Lingo, Jr. at the halfway sign with Browning holding on in third. Callaway held the fourth spot at this point with Kenny Pettyjohn, driving for Alex Beaumont, running in fifth.             Lingo turned the quickest lap of the night with a 19.036 and was able to stave off the challenge of Elliott for the win. Lingo crossed the checkered .941 seconds ahead driving the Lingo Marine/Atkins Masonry/Parker Farm/Rocket. Elliott finished in second with Callaway topping off a great night taking third from Browning on the final lap. Ross Robinson also finished out a good evening by rounding out the top five. 20-lap Late Model Feature: 1. DONALD LINGO, JR.; 2. Ricky Elliott; 3. Jon Callaway; 4. Hal Browning; 5. Ross Robinson; 6. Rick Whaley; 7. Staci Warrington; 8. Ray Davis, Jr.; 9. Bob Geiger; 10. David Hill; 11. Kenny Pettyjohn; 12. Kerry King; 13. Derrik Hill; 14. Bryan Driver; 15. Richard Jarvis, Jr.; 16. Rob Massey; 17. Kevin Scott, Jr.; 18. Al Chaney; 19. David Pettyjohn; 20. Norman Short.

 

DONALD LINGO, JR. GETS FIRST WIN OF SEASON IN LATE MODELS 06/28/2008 By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Defending Point Champion, Donald Lingo, Jr. of Millsboro, Del. would be the first to admit that he has been struggling with his new Super Late Model this season at the Delaware International Speedway. “We’ve been throwing a lot of things at this new car and tonight we just went back to basics,” smiled Lingo in victory lane after winning the 20-lap Pepsi Super Late Model feature – his first of the season on Saturday night.         Lingo, Jr. and Ricky Elliott claimed the two heats for the solid field of 18 cars setting the stage for what was yet to come. A big tangle occurred on the first lap when Ray Davis, Jr. and Elliott got hung together coming down the front straight causing a chain reaction back deeper in the field. Although the pair was able to get untangled and continue the cars of Bob Geiger, Trent Collins, Hal Browning, and Kerry King all received damage.         On the restart Lingo pulled away as David Hill and Staci Warrington battled for second. The duo raced side by side for the spot for the next five laps until Warrington nailed down the spot. Norman Short ran in the fourth spot as Elliott jumped from ninth to fifth.         The top five remained unchanged through the halfway sign as Lingo opened up a 7.5 seconds lead. Bryan Driver came to a stop on lap 11 bringing out the yellow and erasing Lingo’s lead. Lingo again was able to pull away on the restart with Warrington solidly in second. On lap 16, Hill lost a motor going into the third turn and Rick Whaley went hard off the turn after getting in the fluid.         This set up the race to the checkered with four laps to go. Again Lingo was able to scoot away as Elliott went to work on Warrington for second. Elliott was able to take the spot with two laps to go but was unable to close on Lingo who took his first checkered of the season in the Lingo Marine/Ellwanger Insurance/Ford. Elliott finished in second with Warrington third. Fourth went to Davis, Jr. and Ross Robinson rounded out the top five.         RESULTS: 20-Lap Pepsi Super Late Model Feature: 1. DONALD LINGO, JR.; 2. Ricky Elliott; 3. Staci Warrington; 4. Ray Davis Jr; 5. Ross Robinson; 6. Jon Callaway; 7. Trent Collins; 8. Bryan Driver; 9. Norman Short Jr; 10. David Hill; 11. Rick Whaley; 12. Kerry King; 13. Hal Browning; 14. Rob Schirmer; 15. Bob Geiger; 16. Erik McKinney; DNS: David Pettyjohn; Kevin Scott Jr.

 

Eckert ends WoO skid at Autodrome Drummond By Kevin Kovac World of Outlaws Late Model DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec — Rick Eckert doesn’t have to answer the questions anymore. With his frustrating winless streak on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series approaching two full years, Eckert finally broke through with a flag-to-flag victory in the second annual Quebec 50 at Autodrome Drummond. Oh, what a relief it was for the popular driver known as Scrub. “It’s been a long time between wins and a lot of grief,” said Eckert, who had gone without a win in 71 straight races since his last WoO triumph, on July 8, 2006, at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. “I’m just glad it’s over now – and hopefully the next one won’t take nearly so long to come.” Eckert, 42, of York, Pa., surged off the outside pole to grab the lead at the start and never looked back. He built an edge of as large as a full straightaway before turning back a final-lap challenge from Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who settled for runner-up money in an event that was contested in front of a standing-room-only crowd at the 4/10-mile oval for the second consecutive year. Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., extended his WoO points lead with a third-place finish, while Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., placed fourth and polesitter Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., was fifth. Driving a Raye Vest-owned GRT car that he debuted in the WoO Great Northern Tour opener on June 17 at Port Royal (Pa.) Speedway, Eckert was flawless from start-to-finish. His only real scare came when he reached a pack of lapped traffic on the 48th circuit. McCreadie, who advanced from the sixth starting spot to second in 10 laps, quickly erased a half-straightaway deficit when Eckert found his momentum dulled behind young Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga. McCreadie closed up behind Eckert entering turn one on the final circuit, but Eckert played his cards right down the backstretch to maintain control. The 34-year-old McCreadie, who scored his first WoO win since August 2006 the previous night at Ohsweken (Ontario) Speedway, had a front-row seat for Eckert’s race-saving move. Eckert pocketed the race’s $10,150 top prize — the biggest race purse he’s collected since slipping into a two-year slump that had tested his mettle. “It’s hard to keep your morale up when you go through a stretch like we did,” said Eckert, who finished in last year’s inaugural WoO event at Drummond. Eckert, who won eight of the first 17 features in 2006 before losing the key to victory lane, made some history with his checkered flag. It was his 16th career WoO win, tying him with 2004 champion Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg,Tenn., for the most victories on the tour since 2004. Lanigan, meanwhile, felt that his GottaRace.com Rocket No. 29 was “as good as Eckert’s car” early in the race, but he couldn’t maintain his speed as the track surface changed. “As soon as it rubbered up, I was way too tight,” said the 38-year-old Lanigan, who registered his seventh consecutive top-five finish on the WoO. Clanton, 32, registered his second straight top-five finish on the tour’s three-race Canadian swing. He fell back as far as fifth after starting third, but kept firm control of fourth place once he drove his RSD Enterprises Rocket past the 20-year-old Richards’s Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket on the 13th circuit. The event was slowed by five caution flags, including one for a multi-car tangle in turn one on the 13th lap. Among the drivers involved was Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., whose machine sustained significant body and suspension damage that forced him out of action shortly thereafter. Defending WoO champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and top ’08 title contender Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., suffered similar fates in the A-Main — both drivers clipped the inside wall while bidding for top-five spots, breaking their cars’ left-front spindles. Babb hit the barrier in turn two while running sixth on lap 10, forcing him to pit and finish a dismal 23rd. Francis, meanwhile, slowed to bring out a caution flag on lap 33 and retired from further action after damaging the left-front corner of his Beitler Motorsports mount when he caught the turn-four wall while holding fifth place. Twenty-five cars were signed in for the Quebec 50 at the long-time DIRTcar-sanctioned track promoted by Yan Bussiere. Bussiere, who races regularly in the DIRTcar 358-modified division, drove Chub Frank’s backup dirt Late Model in his event for the second consecutive year but completed only 12 laps after being involved in two tangles. World of Outlaws @ Drummond: (1) Rick Eckert, (2) Tim McCreadie, (3) Darrell Lanigan, (4) Shane Clanton, (5) Josh Richards, (6) Chub Frank, (7) Neil Baggett, (8) Jeremy Miller, (9) Billy Decker, (10) Ricky Elliott, (11) Tim Fuller, (12) John Blankenship, (13) Dan Stone, (14) Tony Knowles, (15) Peter Mantha Jr., (16) Steve Francis, (17) Greg Oakes, (18) Boom Briggs, (19) Danny Johnson, (20) Clint Smith, (21) Adam Ferri, (22) Joe Isabell, (23) Shannon Babb, (24) Yan Bussiere, (25) Sean Beardsley. Fast qualifier (among 25 cars): Lanigan, 18.222 seconds. Heat race winners: Lanigan, McCreadie, Clanton. Dash winner: Lanigan.

 

McCreadie Returns To World of Outlaws Late Model Series Limelight With Powerful ‘Six Nations 50’ Victory At Ohsweken Speedway Ohsweken, ONT — Welcome back, T-Mac. Tim McCreadie reached Victory Lane in World of Outlaws Late Model Series competition for the first time in nearly two years on Friday night, powering to a convincing victory in the Arrow Express ‘Six Nations 50’ at Ohsweken Speedway.   The 34-year-old from Watertown, N.Y., slid underneath Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., for the lead on lap 20 and never looked back. He sailed away from the pack to defeat Clanton by 4.901 seconds – a full straightaway margin – in the WoO LMS ‘Great Northern Tour’ event, which was postponed one day by rain.   How much did the $10,150 triumph mean to McCreadie? The 2006 tour champion showed his joy to the big crowd that gathered for the first-ever WoO LMS show in Ontario, performing a couple celebratory 360s in turn four with his Sweeteners Plus Rocket No. 39 and pounding his fists on the roof of his car as he exited it in Victory Lane.   “I was fortunate enough to win a Lucas (Series) race earlier this year, but to beat these boys – man, they’re the best on the planet,” McCreadie said after his first WoO LMS win since Aug. 4, 2006, at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. “It’s so satisfying to come back in here and win an Outlaw race.”   McCreadie, who parlayed his ’06 WoO LMS title into a Richard Childress Racing Driver Development deal that included several NASCAR Nationwide Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series starts last season, has returned to the dirt Late Model wars in 2008 with his pavement aspirations in limbo. He feels he’s picking up some steam as he puts his focus back on dirt-track action.   “We did some testing a week ago in Michigan,” said McCreadie, who won an unsanctioned special on June 12 at Merritt (Mich.) Speedway. “I had to put the pavement stuff in the past. If I never get back there again, that’s O.K. It’s damn nice to race in front of these people (dirt fans) like this.”   McCreadie had nothing but praise for Ohsweken Speedway, a three-eighths-mile oval owned by 360 Sprint Car racer Glenn Styres.   “What an phenomenal facility,” raved McCreadie, who registered his 11th career WoO LMS win. “You can’t hold anybody back here. If you’re a little bit better, you just gotta work at it.   “These are the types of tracks we live for, and we appreciate (promoter Styres) having us up here.”   McCreadie gave plenty of credit to his chief mechanic Al Stevens, who received the Integra Shocks ‘Wrench of the Race’ Award. He also cited help he received on Friday night from his former crew chief Tommy Grecco, who earlier in the week left his position as the chief mechanic of Shannon Babb’s Bowyer Dirt Motorsports car and has reunited with McCreadie for the ‘Great Northern Tour.’   Clanton, 32, started second and led laps 1-19 but was no match for McCreadie. He spent the race’s second half nearly a straighaway behind McCreadie, fighting hard to keep his RSD Enterprises Rocket car ahead of York, Pa.’s Rick Eckert and Watertown, N.Y.’s Tim Fuller to land a runner-up finish worth $5,100.   Bidding to end a WoO LMS winless streak that has reached nearly two years and 71 races, Eckert made a strong surge forward from the 11th starting spot to sit third by lap 15. But while he got his Raye Vest-owned GRT car inside Clanton several times, he couldn’t complete the pass and settled for a third-place finish.   Fuller, who started eighth, raced with Clanton and Eckert late in the distance but crossed the finish line fourth in his Gypsum Express Rocket. It was the second consecutive top-five run for the 2007 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year.   Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., moved forward from the 13th starting spot to place fifth in his GottaRace.com Rocket. He ran his streak of consecutive top-five finishes to six races.   Lanigan also grabbed sole possession of the WoO LMS points lead for the first time this season. He overtook defending champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who made several pit stops during the A-Main and finished one lap down in 14th place.   Finishing in positions 6-10 was Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; polesitter Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., who earned the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ cash for being the highest-finishing driver who hasn’t won a tour A-Main and isn’t ranked among the top-12 in the current points standings; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.; Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.; and 2008 Rookie of the Year contender Danny Johnson of Phelps, N.Y., who recorded his first-ever top-10 finish in WoO LMS competition.   Five caution flags slowed the event, but all were for minor incidents.   A field of 40 cars re-assembled for Friday night’s action.   Four drivers who were on hand Thursday did not return for the raindate, led by Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa. He returned home to attend his daughter’s graduation party, but was planning to head north again for weekend WoO LMS events in Quebec and Ontario.   Other drivers who weren’t back for Friday’s program were Brent Rhebergen of Clymer, N.Y., who suffered a blown engine during hot laps on Thursday; Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y.; and Paul Rivait of Tilbury, Ont.   Friday night’s time trials were dominated by Clint Smith Racing – Smith registered his second fast time of 2008 with a lap of 16.094 seconds, and Neil Baggett of Shannon, Miss., drove Smith’s backup car to the second-fastest time of 16.181 seconds.   Heat winners were Smith, Elliott, Fuller and Clanton. The B-Mains were captured by Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., and Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa.   The Canadian swing of the WoO LMS ‘Great Northern Tour’ continues this weekend, visiting Autodrome Drummond in Drummondville, Que., on Saturday night (June 21) and Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway on Sunday night (June 22).   For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.   Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Six Nations 50’ (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):   1. (4) Tim McCreadie/50 $10,150 2. (2) Shane Clanton/50 $5,100 3. (11) Rick Eckert/50 $3,000 4. (5) Tim Fuller/50 $2,500 5. (13) Darrell Lanigan/50 $2,000 6. (7) Clint Smith/50 $1,700 7. (1) Ricky Elliott/50 $1,900 8. (16) Shannon Babb/50 $1,300 9. (6) Josh Richards/50 $1,200 10. (3) Danny Johnson/50 $1,350 11. (12) John Blankenship/50 $1,050 12. (15) Chris Ross/50 $1,000 13. (18) Dan Stone/50 $950 14. (8) Steve Francis/49 $900 15. (17) Chub Frank/48 $850 16. (19) Adam Ferri/47 $800 17. (20) Tony Knowles/42 $770 18. (10) Ed Carley/31 $750 19. (22) Jeff Isabell Jr./22 $730 20. (9) Jeremy Miller/20 $700 21. (14) Neil Baggett/20 $700 22. (23) Sean Beardsley/19 $700 23. (24) Andrew Reaume/18 $700 24. (21) Chad Valone/13 $700   Time of Race: 30 Mins., 25.539 Secs. Margin of Victory: 4.901 Secs. Yellow Flags: 5 (Laps 14, 20, 20, 20, 33) Lap Leaders: Clanton (1-19); McCreadie (20-50) Provisional Starters: Beardsley, A. Reaume Rookie of the Race: D. Johnson ($250) WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Elliott ($500) Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Al Stevens (McCreadie) Chick Hawk Racing Hot Lap Award: Clanton (half-off tire warmers)   Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):   1. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.094 2. 41-Neil Baggett/Shannon, MS 16.181 3. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.326 4. Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 16.342 5. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.489 6. 121-Ricky Elliott/Seaford, DE 16.499 7. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.504 8. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 16.556 9. 24M-Jeremy Miller/Gettysburg, PA 16.620 10. 27J-Danny Johnson/Phelps, NY 16.649 11. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.706 12. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.713 13. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.745 14. 2V-Chad Valone/Warren, PA 16.787 15. 22-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 16.818 16. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.828 17. 88-Andrew Reaume/Blenheim, ONT 16.839 18. 1F-Adam Ferri/Port Colbourne, ONT 16.855 19. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.883 20. 1M-Peter Mantha Jr./Gatineau, QUE 17.035 21. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 17.181 22. 04-Bob Close/Eldred, PA 17.181 23. 01-Doug Ricotta/Warsaw, NY 17.364 24. 26-Tony Knowles/Tyrone, GA 17.417 25. 18s-Sean Beardsley/Central Square, NY 17.490 26. 7-Ed Carley/Freedom, NY 17.536 27. 18R-Chris Ross/Wallaceburg, ONT 17.547 28. 6J-Jeff Isabell Jr./Pennellville, NY 29. 60-Dale Glassford/Thomasville, ONT 17.850 30. 1A-Brad Authier/Chatham, ONT 17.966 31. 05-Mike Lewis/Wallaceburg, ONT 18.157 32. 33G-Gerald Giroux/Chatham, ONT 18.179 33. RH94-Justin Coulter/Leamington, ONT 18.455 34. 77-Brett Reaume/Blenheim, ONT 18.559 35. 5-Jeff Dayman/Welland, ONT 18.739 36. 81-Tim Mackenzie/Chatham, ONT 18.821 37. 78-Rick Baker/Blenheim, ONT 18.861 38. RH21-Gregg Haskell/Chatham, ONT 19.303 39. 13x-John Vanderlinden/Paincourt, ONT 19.307 40. 92-Adam West/Ridgetown, ONT N/T   Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): C. Smith, Richards, J. Miller, Lanigan, Frank, Beardsley, Glassford, A. Reaume, Baker, Coulter   Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Elliott, D. Johnson, Carley, Baggett, Valone, Authier, B. Reaume, Haskell, Ferry (DNS) Close   Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Francis, McCreadie, Eckert, Ross, Oakes, Stone, Dayman, Lewis, Vanderlinden, Ricotta   Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Fuller, Blankenship, Babb, Isabell, Knowles, Giroux, West, Mantha, Mackenzie   B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Frank, Ferri, Valone, Beardsley, A. Reaume, Coulter, Glassford, Authier, B. Reaume, Haskell, Baker (DNS) Close   B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Stone, Knowles, Isabell, Oakes, Dayman, Giroux, West, Vanderlinden, Lewis, Ricotta (DNS) Mantha, Mackenzie

 

Rain Halts MACS Action at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway

Jamaica, VA (June 14, 2008) Bill Sawyer’s Immaculate Virginia Motor Speedway played host to round three of the Mid-Atlantic Championship Series Super Late Models for the Miss Utility Summer Sizzler II featuring the ‘Dig with Care 50’ attracting 43 drivers from six states. The ’07, ‘28th Annual, Ernie Shelton’s USA 100TM’ Champion at the VMS speed plant, Jason Covert turned quick time of 17.928 seconds in the JNJ Motorsports Media presented, AlturnaMATS® Shock the Clock Time Trials and posted a second place finish in the Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Heat Race #1 behind Gettysburg, PA’s Jeremy Miller. Roland Mann held off the hard charging Josh Richards in the American Racer Heat #2 presented by Lias Tire Racing Division. Just as the Hoosier Tire Ohio Valley Heat #3, which is presented by Dave Poske Performance Parts, took the green, the skies, which had been darkening, filled with lightening followed by torrential rains. This extensive storm completely overcame the speedway forcing track and series officials to cancel the remainder of the scheduled events including the final two other heat races, two B-Mains and the $7,000 to-win ‘Dig with Care 50’. The MACS will return to action next Saturday, June 21, at Sharon Speedway, Hartford, OH for the $5,000 to-win ‘Triton 50’. The pit gate opens at 3:00 p.m. and spectator gates open at 4:00 p.m. The drivers meeting is slated for 5:00 p.m. Hot laps are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. with time trails slated for 6:00 p.m. Racing will immediately follow the conclusion of time trials at approximately 7:00 p.m. For more information visit the Sharon Speedway website at www.sharonspeedway.com or the Series at www.macsracing.com. Car Count: 43 AlturnaMats ® MACS Shock the Clock Time Trials presented by JNJ Motorsports Media Time Trials: Car # / Driver Name / Time 43A - Jason Covert 17.928 - Approximately 100.400 mph 25 - Josh Richards 17.978 46 - Doug Horton 18.019 7D - Darryl Hills 18.029 24M - Jeremy Miller 18.037 3R - Brent Robinson 18.092 24 - Rick Eckert 18.111 87 - Walker Arthur 18.115 70J - D.J. Myers 18.262 55M - Roland Mann 18.345 79 - Mike Altobelli 18.367 25W - David Williams 18.393 6 - Jamie Lathroum 18.398 215 - Al Shawver 18.424 45 - Ricky Elliott 18.443 38S - Kenny Pettyjohn 18.464 F1 - Coleby Frye 18.519 00B - Booper Bare 18.521 17 - Nick Dickson 18.537 90 - Gary Stuhler 18.543 0 - Ron Delano 18.563 21 - Matt Lux 18.640 119 - Chad McClellan 18.662 18H - Rick Hulson 18.707 2* - Jared Powell 18.728 10 - Ryan Hackett 18.734 5 - Chuck Clise 18.744 07 - Keith Jackson 18.757 84 - Tyler Armstrong 18.773 72* - Jared Teegarden 18.898 44G - Deane Guy 18.920 56 - Russell King 18.989 02 - Tony Lombardi 19.093 22A - Donald Lingo Jr 19.177 00 - Tom Cohick 19.275 2 - Scott Richwine 19.415 37 - Brian Tavenner 19.473 5W - Waylon Wagner 19.756 21M - Matt Murphy 19.822 22S - Scott Adams 20.048 47 - Matt Quade 20.743 14P - Jack Pencil NT 39 - Greg Fetters NT Jason Covert was awarded a $200 Gift Certificate from Alturnamats® plus a $100 Gift Certificate from Impact Graphics for being Fast Qualifier. Bill Saywer’s Virginia Motor Speedway Track Record is 17.097 and held by Shane Clanton. Hoosier Tire Mid-Atlantic Heat Race #1 presented by Hoosier Tire: Jeremy Miller, Jason Covert, D.J. Meyers, Coleby Frye, Tyler Armstrong, Jamie Lathroum, Brian Tavenner, Jared Powell, Ron Delano Jr., Tony Lombardi Lias Tire Racing Division Heat Race #2 presented by American Racer: Roland Mann, Josh Richards, Brent Robinson, Matt Lux, Donald Lingo Jr., Booper Bare, Al Shawver Jr., Ryan Hackett, Waylon Wagner, Jared Teegarden, Jack Pencil MACS FACTS: Four heats were held for 45 drivers from six states including: Delaware, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia

 

STACI WARRINGTON MAKES HISTORY WITH DELAWARE LATE MODEL WIN
06/07/2008

By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Going into Saturday night’s 20-lap Super Late Model feature at the Delaware International Speedway, Milton, Del.’s Staci Warrington’s odds of winning were probably higher than those of Da’Tara’s at the Belmont earlier that day. The result however was the same as the diminutive 17 year old who recently graduated from Cape Henlopen High School, led wire to wire holding off former champion Richard Jarvis, Jr. to post her first career win. It was a great night for the young chargers in the fendered divisions as Tyler Reed of Milton, who just celebrated his 15th birthday in April, drove to the win in the 15-lap Crate Model main.

            Warrington moved into the Super Late Models this season after a single year in the Crate Model division in 2007. At five feet tall and less than 100 pounds she is far from your typical driver in the division. What would later turn out to be a perfect night, Warrington demonstrated that she was on her “A” game when she captured her qualifying heat and by becoming the first female driver to ever do so in the division.

            In the main, Warrington started on the pole in the 20 lap feature and immediately found the upper groove to her liking. Defending point champion, Donald Lingo, Jr. challenged from second with Rob Massey running strong in third.

            Ross Robinson worked his way into the third spot just as the yellow flew when Lingo rolled to a stop on lap four. On the restart Jarvis, who had started in eighth, went to work on Robinson for second, taking the spot on lap eight. At the halfway sign the top five were Warrington, Jarvis, Robinson, Jon Callaway and David Hill.

            Once in second, Jarvis was able to close the comfortable lead that Warrington had built and was running on her back spoiler by lap 14. The caution was out on the next circuit when Bob Geiger and Derrike Hill came to a stop. Warrington controlled the restart but the yellow was quickly out again for debris.

            Warrington’s patience would be tested one final time when the caution came out with just two laps to go. Under the yellow Robinson pulled from the top five with mechanical problems. Warrington would never falter as Jarvis pulled to her inside in turn four. She had the better line coming off the turn and drove to her first career checked before the cheering crowd in her Warrington’s Construction/ASI/Rocket.

            When questioned why she had moved from the Crate Models to the Super Late Models this season Warrington replied, “We just weren’t doing too well in the Crate class. I like the Crate class but I just wanted to do something different and it was a chance of a lifetime.”

            Javis settled for the second spot with David Hill coming on strong for his best finish of the season in third. Fourth went to Callaway and David Pettyjohn rounded out the top five. The second heat was won by Massey.

            RESULTS: 20-lap Super Late Model Feature: 1. STACI WARRINGTON; 2. Richard Jarvis Jr; 3. David Hill; 4. Jon Callaway; 5. David Pettyjohn; 6. Bobby Dryden; 7. Trent Collins; 8. Ray Davis Jr; 9. Derrike Hill; 10. Bob Geiger; 11. Ross Robinson; 12. Hal Browning; 13. Kerry King; 14. Bryan Driver; 15. Rob Massey; 16. Rick Whaley; 17. Kevin Scott, Jr.; 18. Donald Lingo Jr; 19. Norman Short Jr; DNS: Ricky Elliott.

Hagerstown Speedway  May 31st 27th Annual Conococheague  World of Outlaw Late Model Race has been CANCELED due to heavy rains and the forcast for more throughout the day.

Lanigan makes quick work of Delaware foes
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model SeriesDELMAR, Del. (May 29) —

Darrell Lanigan has taken a liking to Delaware International Speedway. The Union, Ky., standout scored his second win in four career World of Outlaws Late Model Series starts at the half-mile oval on Thursday night, rolling to a flag-to-flag victory in the caution-free First State 50 that moved him into a tie for the tour’s points lead.
“I’d say this is a place I like,” Lanigan quipped after holding off Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., to record his first WoO LMS triumph of the season. “We like big tracks like this — and we do run good here.”
Lanigan, who turns 38 on June 3, surged forward from his starting spot on the outside of the front row when the race began to immediately grab the lead from polesitter, Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del. He proceeded to steer his gottarace.com Rocket car flawlessly around promoter Charlie Cathell’s well-manicured track, capturing the tour’s first non-stop feature of 2008 in under 18 minutes.
Babb, 34, made several runs at Lanigan during the final circuits, but he settled for a second-place finish in his Traeger Grills Rocket car. He raced with his car owner, NASCAR Sprint Cup star Clint Bowyer, looking on from the pit area after riding down from nearby Dover (Del.) International Speedway.
Defending series champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who started sixth, finished third in Dale Beitler’s Reliable Painting Rocket. Elliott’s bid to give his legion of local fans a celebration fell short with a fourth-place finish in the Seaside Builders Rocket, and 2006 WoO LMS champ Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., was fifth after starting third in the Sweeteners Plus Rocket.
Lanigan’s triumph, worth $10,150, continued his recent hot streak on the WoO LMS. He’s registered four consecutive top-five finishes and now is atop the points standings for the first time in his five years as a tour regular, albeit tied with Francis.
World of Outlaws @ Delaware: (1) Darrell Lanigan, (2) Shannon Babb, (3) Steve Francis, (4) Ricky Elliott, (5) Tim McCreadie, (6) Rick Eckert, (7) Josh Richards, (8) Shane Clanton, (9) Vic Coffey, (10) Chub Frank, (11) Tim Fuller, (12) Clint Smith, (13) Jason Covert, (14) Jeremy Miller, (15) Jamie Lathroum, (16) John Blankenship, (17) Donald Lingo Jr., (18) Darryl Hills, (19) Scott Cross, (20) Mark Pettyjohn, (21) Danny Johnson, (22) Joe Isabell, (23) David Pettyjohn, (24) David Hill, (25) Dave Blaney. Fast qualifier (among 39 cars): Fuller, 18.888 seconds. Heat race winners: Babb, Richards, Lanigan, Francis. Consolation winners: Blankenship, Lingo. Provisional starters: Johnson, Isabell, Blaney.

First State Favorite Ricky Elliott Riding A Hot Streak At Delaware International Speedway Entering Thursday’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series Event 

DELMAR, DE – May 25, 2008 – Ricky Elliott can’t wait for Thursday to arrive.
But who can blame him? After all, he’s the hottest driver at Delaware International Speedway, where the World of Outlaws Late Model Series will contest the $10,000-to-win ‘First State 50’ this Thursday night (May 29). 
Elliott, 42, of Seaford, Del., has two wins and a second-place finish in the half-mile oval’s last three weekly events, which he’s used to gear up for the arrival of the WoO LMS stars.
“We’ve been working hard and testing stuff for the last couple weeks,” said Elliott, whose successful month of dirt Late Model action at promoter Charlie Cathell’s motorsports complex includes wins on May 3 and May 17 and a runner-up finish on May 24. “We think we’ve found something pretty special (with the car’s setup), so we’re really looking forward to the World of Outlaws show.” 
Elliott, of course, is a regional standout who’s considered a serious threat to reach Victory Lane whenever he enters a WoO LMS event – especially one held at Delaware International, where he hasn’t competed regularly since 1992 but nonetheless has won more than 50 career big-block Modified features and a growing number of dirt Late Model headliners. He’s come close to a WoO LMS triumph on several occasions, finishing as high as second – on July 8, 2005, at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway – and leading laps in a handful of other A-Mains.
Last year’s WoO LMS ‘First State 50’ at Delaware International ranks as one of Elliott’s biggest heartbreakers running with the Outlaws. He was bidding to overtake eventual winner Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., for second on lap seven when he clipped an inside marker tire and bent his car’s front end, effectively ending his hopes for a big win.  
“We had a real good car last year,” said Elliott, who hung tough in third until a lap-21 scrape with 2006 WoO LMS champ Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., sent him over the track’s bank and tumbling to a disappointing eighth-place finish. “I think we had something for ‘em until I hit that tire.
“We’re going to give it another shot. One of my goals as a driver is to win a World of Outlaws race – because when you do that, you can say you’ve beaten the best.” 
Elliott, who began focusing on dirt Late Model racing late in the 2004 campaign, has started 23 WoO LMS A-Mains since 2004, including two this season. He owns four top-five and nine top-10 finishes.
Last year marked the first time in three WoO LMS events at Delaware International that Elliott had scored a top-10 finish, but don’t think for a minute that he’s struggled. In 2004, for instance, he finished 14th in a pick-up ride with local Lou Johnson that came before he got serious about dirt Late Model competition, and in 2005 he started from the pole position after winning the dash and paced the field early before encountering problems and again finishing 14th. 
The bottom line: Elliott is supremely confident about his chances to win Thursday night’s ‘First State 50.’ He’ll go to the post with fresh, top-notch equipment fielded by Delaware’s Charles Jarvis – a Rocket car with just three races on it and a ProPower engine that has been run only 80 laps since being rebuilt – and an innate knowledge of the track that’s less than 20 miles from his home, including its 2008 characteristics.
“From what I’ve seen so far this year,” Elliott said of Delaware International Speedway, “I think it’s going to take an 18.50 or 18.60 (second) lap to get fast time (in WoO LMS qualifying. We’ve been as low as 18.80 this year running a spec (track-mandated) tire, so I figure that with an open tire (rule for the WoO LMS event) and us putting a little more gear to it, our speed should be up a couple tenths.” 
Will Elliott have enough speed to be up front after 50 laps? He hopes so.
“Usually you can step up your program a little bit when you run your hometrack,” said Elliott, whose 10-year-old son, Cole, and his step-children, Dalton and Chace, will have a rare opportunity to see him battle the national WoO LMS standouts. “That’s what we’re planning to do. There’s going to be a lot of my family, friends and customers (he runs the Advanced Motorsports speed shop) there, so we want to have a good night for them.” 
Elliott is actually planning to be a very familiar face on the WoO LMS for the next month. Starting with DIS on Thursday night, he has eight of the next nine tour events on his schedule, including all but one stop of the ‘Great Northern Tour’ that hops across Pennsylvania, New York and Canada from June 17-28.

After running Jarvis’s No. 45 at DIS, Elliott is slated to make his next seven WoO LMS appearances in a Cornett-powered Rocket No. 121 fielded by upstate New Yorker Joe Beyea, a DIRTcar big-block Modified driver who is well-known for his Beyea Custom Headers business. The car is being prepared and wrenched by Randy Kisacky, a resident of New York’s Southern Tier who is regarded as one of the brightest mechanical minds on the DIRTcar big-block Modified circuit. 
Elliott is expected to make his first start with Beyea and Kisacky this Saturday night (May 31) in the WoO LMS ‘Conococheage 50’ at Hagerstown Speedway. He then plans to hit WoO LMS ‘Great Northern Tour’ shows on June 19 at Oshweken (Ont.) Speedway; June 21 at Quebec’s Autodrome Drummond; June 22 at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway; June 24 at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Speedway; June 25 at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa.; and June 27-28 at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (the $40,000-to-win Firecracker 100).
Thursday night’s ‘First State 50’ at Delaware International Speedway will see Elliott face off with a star-studded field featuring the WoO LMS travelers, including ’07 event winner Chub Frank; points leader and defending Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.; Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va; Rick Eckert of York, Pa.; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga.; Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; and John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va. 
Other WoO LMS names expected to compete include 2006 tour champion Tim McCreadie; ’08 Rookie of the Year contenders Vic Coffey of Leicester, N.Y., Danny Johnson of Phelps, N.Y. (a former big-block Modified winner at DIS) and Joe Isabell of Pennellville, N.Y.; and Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., a regional star who won his first-ever WoO LMS A-Main on April 11 at Virginia Motor Speedway.
In addition, with Thursday’s program situated at the start of the big NASCAR weekend at Dover (Del.) International Speedway just 45 minutes north of DIS, Sprint Cup Series standout Dave Blaney will make a special appearance behind the wheel of a dirt Late Model. The former Advance Auto Parts World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series champion will drive Fuller’s backup car. 

Reserved seats are $30 for adults and $9 for children 7-13, while general admission will be $26 for adults, $5 for children 7-13 and free for kids 6-and-under. 

Pit passes will be $35 for adults, $10 for children 7-13 and free for kids 6-

RICKY ELLIOTT DOUBLES IN DELAWARE LATE MODELS
05/17/2008

By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del. made it two for two as he won his heat and his second consecutive Super Late Model feature Saturday night at the Delaware International Speedway. Elliott took advantage of a late race caution to catch rookie Jon Callaway and take the lead.

        Callaway, who looked impressive in his heat race win, worked his way by 17 year old high school senior, Staci Warrington to lead lap one. Callaway quickly settled into a rhythm in the high groove with Warrington keeping place in second. Donald Lingo, Jr. held the third spot with 16 year old Kevin Scott in fourth and Ross Robinson in fifth.

        The first caution came out on lap seven for Brian Driver. Ricky Elliott had just entered the top five after starting in tenth and on the restart took third from Lingo, Jr. Warrington held off Elliott’s challenges for the next two laps before a four car tangle brought out the yellow just one lap shy of halfway.

        On the restart, Lingo was able to regain second as Callaway once again pulled away from the field. Elliott’s Charles Jarvis owned mount came alive regaining third on lap 12 and taking second from Warrington one lap later. Once again the yellow was out for a spin erasing Callaway’s lead and putting Elliott on his bumper.

        Callaway held on for one more lap before Elliott moved on top to stay with three laps to go. It wasn’t over as Warrington ended her outstanding drive with one lap to go when the front suspension broke, bringing out the final yellow. On the restart, Elliott cruised to his second win in the Seaside Builders/Rocket. Callaway finished a personal best in the division in second and Lingo, Jr. finished in third. Fourth went to point leader, Ray Davis, Jr. and Rick Whaley rounded out the top five.

RESULTS: 20-Lap Late Model Feature: 1. RICKY ELLIOTT; 2. Jon Callaway; 3. Donald Lingo Jr; 4. Ray Davis Jr; 5. Rick Whaley; 6. Kevin Scott; 7. Hal Browning; 8. David Pettyjohn; 9. Ross Robinson; 10. Bobby Dryden; 11. Kerry King; 12. Derrik Hill; 13. David Hill; 14. Bob Geiger; 15. Austin Hubbard; 16. Rob Schirmer; 17. Staci Warrington; 18. Bryan Driver; 19. Ed Drury; 20. Rob Massey.

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RICKY ELLIOTT STAYS HOME AND WINS IN LATE MODELS
05/03/2008

By Charlie Brown, Delmar, DE – Seaford, Delaware’s Ricky Elliott spends most of his time on the road as a full-time racer in the Charles Jarvis Super Late Model. Saturday night, Elliott decided to stay home and race at his home track, Delaware International. The break from the road turned out well as he captured the 20-lap main.

            Heats were won by Kevin Scott, Jr. and David Hill. Early in the feature, rookie, Kevin Scott, Jr. became the driver to beat for the second week in a row. Veteran Hal Browning held the second spot until lap three when Elliott, who had started in tenth, took over the runner-up spot.

            Scott, Jr. would not give up the lead easily as Elliott gave pursuit until lap eight before taking over the lead. Clearly the quickest car in the field, Elliott pulled away as Scott remained solidly in second. Ray Davis, Jr. who has been very consistent this season took over third and Browning held off David Pettyjohn in for fourth.

            The second half of the race stayed green and Elliott was on cruise control the rest of the distance taking the win in the Seaside Builders/Starrette Trucking/Rocket. “We tried some new stuff tonight that we don’t get to try when we are out on the road racing and it is amazing how well it worked,” said Elliott. “Kevin Scott did a good job. He is one of my customers.”

            Scott, Jr. who is just 16 years old, turned in a person best in second with Davis, Jr. third. Fourth went to Browning and David Pettyjohn rounded out the top five.

RESULTS: 20-Lap Super Late Model Feature: 1. RICKY ELLIOTT; 2. Kevin Scott, Jr.; 3. Ray Davis Jr; 4. Hal Browning; 5. David Pettyjohn; 6. Donald Lingo Jr; 7. Richard Jarvis Jr; 8. Jon Callaway; 9. Rick Whaley; 10. David Hill; 11. Staci Warrington; 12. Ross Robinson; 13. Bob Geiger; 14. Trent Collins; 15. Austin Hubbard; 15. Ed Drury; 16. Kerry King; DNS: Derrik Hill; Brian Driver.

Covert takes $5000 Super Late Model victory at VMS

In the Super Late Model 40 lap feature Tim Fuller of Watertown, NY was scheduled to lead the 25 car field to green but was unable to answer the bell with mechanical issues. That left Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY and Jason Covert of York Haven, PA leading the field to green. Heading into turn 3 the race for the lead got three wide with Covert, McCreadie and Jeremy Miller. At the line Covert emerged with the lead over McCreadie by inches, that’s about as close as it would get the rest of the night as Covert began to pull away from the field.
On lap 5 the races first caution came out for a spin by Jared Powell. Also going to pit road during the caution was Josh Richards for a tire change. On the restart McCreadie went to the high side riding the cushion looking to take over the top spot. Covert was able pull away leaving McCreadie to deal with Miller for second.
McCreadie worked the cushion as Miller worked the inside groove, racing side by side to the line with McCreadie holding the spot each time by inches. On lap 13 the races second caution of the night came out again for a spinning Powell, this time Covert came close to getting caught up in the spin.
On the restart Covert once again pulled away again leaving McCreadie and Miller to battle for second. By lap 16 Covert had gone on to stretch his lead to a full straight away over the battle for second. With all the action at the front keeping everyone occupied Josh Richards had managed to work his way to sixth and looking for more. On lap 21 the battle for fourth got three wide with Brent Robinson, David Williams and Richards. Richards would emerge from the battle with fourth with Ricky Elliott following to fifth.
With Covert working traffic all eyes were on the battle for second as McCreadie and Miller put on a side by side show for second. Lap after lap the two swapped the second position with MCreadie working the high side and Miller on the bottom. On lap 32 Miller finally wrestled the spot away for good.
On lap 35 caution came out for a spinning G.R. Smith closing the field back up on covert for the restart. With the green flag back out McCreadie tried the outside of Miller in turn 1 but couldn’t make the pass. Taking fourth on the restart was Elliott. On lap 37 Elliott went after McCreadie for third only to be turned back by the races final caution.
On the races final restart Miller tried to get inside Covert heading into turn 1 but Covert was able to turn back the attempt for the lead. Behind the leaders Elliott was able to get inside McCreadie for third. Covert would hold off Miller over the last two laps to take home the victory. Rounding out the top five were Jeremy Miller, Ricky Elliott, Tim McCreadie and Josh Richards.
Keith Jackson and Josh Richards picked up heat race wins.
SUPER LATE MODEL 40 LAP FEATURE (31 CARS):
Time Trial (Top 12 in A Main, Top 6 Redraw) — 1. Jason Covert, York Haven, Pa.; 2. Brent Robinson, Smithfield; 3. Tim McCreadie, Watertwn, N.Y.; 4. Jeremy Miller, Gettysburg, Pa.; 5. Jamie Lathroum, Mechanicsville, Md.; 6. Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky.; 7. Austin Hubbard, Laurel, Del.; 8. David Williams, Avenue, Md.; 9. Ricky Elliott, Seaford, Del.; 10. Booper Bare, Rockbridge Baths; 11. D.J. Meyers, Greencastle, Pa.; 12. Kenny Schrader, Mooresville, N.C.; 13. Darryl Hills, Great Mills, Md.; 14. Jared Powell, Charlottesville; 15. Keith Jackson, Odenton, Md.; 16. Josh Richards, Shinnston, W. Va.; 17. Al Shawver Jr., Hampsted, Md.; 18. Donald Lingo Jr., Millsboro, Del.; 19. Tyler Hershey, Mercersburg, Pa.; 20. Roland Mann, Chaptico, Md.; 21. Ronnie Dehaven Jr., Winchester; 22. Devin Friese, Chambersburg, Pa.; 23. Scott Cross, Centreville, Md.; 24. Billy Tucker, King George; 25. Dean Guy, Clements, Md.; 26. Anthony Kincaid, Hayes; 27. Rob Schirmer, Ellendale, Del.; 28. Matt Quade, Mechanicsville, Md.; 29. Ross Robinson, Georgetown, Del.; 30. Chris Cromer, Charllottesviile; 31. G.R. Smith, Cornelius, N.C.; 32. Tim Fuller, Watertwon, N.Y..
Heat 1 (Transfer Top 6) — 1. Keith Jackson, Odenton, Md.; 2. Darryl Hills, Great Mills, Md.; 3. Scott Cross, Centreville, Md.; 4. Al Shawver Jr., Hampsted, Md.; 5. Rob Schirmer, Ellendale, Del.; 6. Ronnie Dehaven Jr., Winchester; 7. Ross Robinson, Georgetown, Del.; 8. Tyler Hershey, Mercersburg, Pa.; 9. Dean Guy, Clements, Md.; 10. G.R. Smith, Cornelius, N.C..
Heat 2 (Transfer top 6) — 1. Josh Richards, Shinnston, W. Va.; 2. Roland Mann, Chaptico, Md.; 3. Jared Powell, Charlottesville; 4. Devin Friese, Chambersburg, Pa.; 5. Donald Lingo Jr., Millsboro, Del.; 6. Anthony Kincaid, Hayes; 7. Matt Quade, Mechanicsville, Md.; 8. Chris Cromer, Charllottesviile; 9. Billy Tucker, King George.
A-Main 01 — 1. Jason Covert, York Haven, Pa.; 2. Jeremy Miller, Gettysburg, Pa.; 3. Ricky Elliott, Seaford, Del.; 4. Tim McCreadie, Watertwn, N.Y.; 5. Josh Richards, Shinnston, W. Va.; 6. Booper Bare, Rockbridge Baths; 7. Brent Robinson, Smithfield; 8. Austin Hubbard, Laurel, Del.; 9. Devin Friese, Chambersburg, Pa.; 10. David Williams, Avenue, Md.; 11. Jamie Lathroum, Mechanicsville, Md.; 12. Darryl Hills, Great Mills, Md.; 13. Roland Mann, Chaptico, Md.; 14. Rob Schirmer, Ellendale, Del.; 15. Keith Jackson, Odenton, Md.; 16. Anthony Kincaid, Hayes; 17. Kenny Schrader, Mooresville, N.C.; 18. Donald Lingo Jr., Millsboro, Del.; 19. Scott Cross, Centreville, Md.; 20. G.R. Smith, Cornelius, N.C.; 21. Ronnie Dehaven Jr., Winchester; 22. Jared Powell, Charlottesville; 23. Al Shawver Jr., Hampsted, Md.; 24. D.J. Meyers, Greencastle, Pa.; DNS: Tim Fuller, Watertwon, N.Y.
FAST TIME: Jason Covert – 17.587 seconds, 102.348mph.

Feb. 15: Clint Smith rallies to $10,000 victory
From staff and series reports
BARBERVILLE, Fla. (Feb. 15) — Clint Smith picked a perfect time to hit his stride in the 37th annual Alltel Dirtcar Nationals. The veteran from Senoia, Ga., was the star of Friday night’s show, powering forward from the 15th starting spot to win the week’s 50-lap UMP DirtCar Super Late Model finale at Volusia Speedway Park.
Smith, 42, drove around the outside of Newport, Tenn.’s Jimmy Owens to assume command on lap 39 and never looked back. He pocketed $10,000 for what was not only his first career win at the D-shaped half-mile track, but also his initial triumph in the state of Florida.
In an ultra-competitive race that featured six lead changes among five drivers, Smith cracked the top five within 10 laps and reached second place with a lap-29 pass of Carpentersville, Ill.’s Dennis Erb Jr. He was closing in on Owens, who had controlled the lead since overtaking Erb on lap 23, when the fourth and final caution flag flew on lap 36. Shortly thereafter, on lap 39, Smith steered to the outside of Owens through turns one and two and grabbed the lead for good. He crossed the finish line three-quarters of a second in front of Batesville, Ark.’s Billy Moyer, who won the two UMP features earlier in the week.
Finish: (1) Clint Smith, (2) Billy Moyer, (3) Jimmy Owens, (4) Steve Francis, (5) Dennis Erb Jr., (6) Tim Fuller, (7) Darrell Lanigan, (8) Josh Richards, (9) Steve Shaver, (10) Ricky Elliott, (11) Shane Clanton, (12) Earl Pearson Jr., (13) Dan Schlieper, (14) Eddie Carrier Jr., (15) Jeep Van Wormer, (16) Ryan Newman, (17) Terry Casey, (18) Brady Smith, (19) Tim McCreadie, (20) Jason McBride, (21) Jackie Boggs, (22) Justin Rattliff, (23) Michael England, (24) Shannon Babb, (25) Wayne Chinn, (26) Brian Dively, (27) Chub Frank, (28) Don O'Neal.

Feb. 11: Red-hot Moyer grabs Volusia victory

By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer

BARBERVILLE, Fla (Feb. 11) — Different Florida Speedweeks track, same Florida Speedweeks results. Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., stayed red-hot in the Sunshine State on Monday with his third consecutive victory and fourth in his last five starts as he picked up $7,000 in the opener of Volusia Speedway Park's Alltel DirtCar Nationals.
Starting outside the front row, Moyer dueled with polesitter Jimmy Owens in a side-by-side battle the first three laps, then slipped into the low groove and pulled away unchallenged the remainder of the 30-lapper sanctioned by the UMP DirtCar Series.
Owens, who tried the high side on the final restart at lap 26, faded to finish fourth while seventh-starting Earl Pearson Jr. moved up to finish second in a home-state run. Consolation race winner Steve Francis rallied throughout the race and ended up third with Owens and Eddie Carrier Jr. rounding out the top five.
Third-starting Justin Rattliff held the third spot much of the way, but dropped out while running fifth on the 25th lap. Shannon Babb, who started 10th, was running fifth on the final lap when he limped home 14th with a flat tire.
Owens, on the inside, and Moyer, on the outside, battled the first few laps with Moyer officially leading lap one and Owens taking over for laps two and three. But after that, Owens slipped high in turn two and Moyer grabbed the inside groove and a lead he'd never give up.
Moyer was starting to move through lapped traffic by the time Tim McCreadie pulled up in turn four to draw a lap-11 caution with Moyer leading Owens, Rattliff, Billy Decker and Pearson.
On the restart, Rattliff was shuffled back to fifth while Decker's high-side charge appeared to pay dividends. But Decker nearly lost control in turn four on the 13th lap and faded from contention while Francis, who restarted ninth after 11 laps, was quickly into the top five.
With 10 laps remaining, Moyer had a half-straightaway advantage on Owens while Pearson, Francis and Rattliff gave chase. Rattliff's race ended when he stopped in turn two on the 25th lap, setting up the final restart. Owens jumped to a high side that hadn't been productive in the last half of the race, and that allowed Pearson and Francis to slip past in the final laps.

Finish: (1) Billy Moyer, (2) Earl Pearson Jr., (3) Steve Francis, (4) Jimmy Owens, (5) Eddie Carrier Jr., (6) Steve Shaver, (7) Scott James, (8) Brady Smith, (9) Clint Smith, (10) Darren Miller, (11) Billy Decker, (12) Don O'Neal, (13), Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (14) Shannon Babb, (15) Dennis Erb Jr., (16) Josh Richards, (17) Brandon Kinzer, (18) Vic Coffey, (19) Tim McCreadie, (20) Justin Rattliff, (21) Darrell Lanigan, (22) Terry Casey, (23) Tim Fuller, (24) Wendell Wallace.

Francis-Beitler pairing produces first victory

By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Feb. 2) — When World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Steve Francis hooked up with the potent Beitler Enterprises team for 2008, observers tagged the team a winning combination. It didn't take long for that first victory to appear as Francis led the final 24 laps of the 50-lap finale at Golden Isles Speedway's Super Bowl of Racing IV.
Starting third, Francis moved into second early in the race and began stalking polesitter Billy Moyer. Francis moved in for the kill near the race's midpoint, then pulled away amid lapped traffic in the closing laps for a $10,000 victory on the O'Reilly Southern All Star Series. Moyer, a Hall of Fame driver from Batesville, Ark., stayed within striking distance of Francis much of the second half of the race, but he faded in the final laps to settle for second while fellow front-row starter Eric Jacobsen, a Californian making his Golden Isles debut, finished third. Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., got his best Super Bowl finish by rallying from the 20th starting spot to finish fourth.
Moyer and Jacobsen were lucky to even be racing at the finish after the race got off to a wild start. Exiting turn two on the first lap, they banged together when Moyer pushed high and Jacobsen spun. Moyer quickly pitted to change a flat tire and restarted on the pole while Jacobsen pitted to repair his steering.
On the second start, Moyer pulled up lame with suspension damage to draw yet another caution, and soon the red was out when Mark Andersen of Blanchard, Mich., got upside down in turn three in the scramble to slow the 27-car field. Andersen climbed from the car uninjured and the field was lined up for another complete restart, this time with Jacobsen, who returned from the pits and returned to his front-row spot.
The third start was smooth as Moyer, Jacobsen and Francis took the top three spots ahead of Scott Bloomquist, who had won the previous two Super Bowl events but was forced to pit during one of the early cautions.
Another turn-two scramble on the fourth lap — involving Derek Ellis, Josh Richards and others — brought out another caution, but the race went green the rest of the way.
Bloomquist ended up pulling out on the 20th lap and another Super Bowl standout, three-race winner Jimmy Owens advanced from his 13th position almost into contention, but settled for sixth. Still, that was plenty good enough to secure his $10,000 bonus as the Dart Winternationals points champion at Golden Isles.

Notebook

The winner's Rocket Chassis is sponsored by Reliable Painting and Valvoline. ... In victory lane, Francis thanked track owner Frankie Lloyd and his employees for putting on what was originally scheduled for 10 $10,000-to-win races (three events rained out. "They put up a lot of money of for us racers," Francis said. ... Francis earned $19,900 overall in race purses, third most behind Owens ($39,600) and Scott Bloomquist ($24,500). Other top earners were Earl Pearson Jr. ($17,350), Billy Moyer ($14,300), Chris Madden ($11,600) and Shane Clanton ($11,000). No other drivers cracked the $10,000 mark. ... Only eight drivers made all seven features: Owens, Pearson, Moyer, Chris Madden, Ivedent Lloyd Jr., Tim Fuller, Kelly Boen and Terry Casey. ... Although the Southern All Stars don't typically use group qualifying, the series went to the system because the moisture in the track would have caused a vast disparity in times from the beginning to the end of the 59 drivers qualifying. The group qualifying sets 10 drivers who qualify and heat race only among each other. ... The only new driver on hand for Saturday's action was Eric Jacobsen of Santa Cruz, Calif., fielding his Bloomquist Race Car. ... After wrecking his car Friday, Southern All Star rookie of the year candidate Anthony Hill took a seat in fellow Georgia driver Clint Smith's backup car to he could gather series points. "We've got it set up for East Bay now," Smith said, "and he's going to try it out for us." ... A total of 27 drivers that raced at Golden Isles earlier in Super Late Model competition had already departed from the track. During the 11-day event, 83 Super Late Model teams entered cars. ... Tyler Ivey was offered a spot in the feature as a promoter's option, but he scratched from the main event. ... Two drivers on Saturday made their only feature starts of the Super Bowl: Mark Andersen of Blanchard, Mich., and Derek Ellis of Chatsworth, Ga. Both were involved in wrecks in the early laps. ... The event drew the best Super Bowl crowd with the grandstands virtually full.

Super Bowl of Racing (Feb. 2)

1. Steve Francis
2. Billy Moyer
3. Eric Jacobsen
4. Brady Smith
5. Earl Pearson Jr.
6. Jimmy Owens
7. Ivedent Lloyd Jr.
8. Matt Miller
9. Chris Madden
10. Terry Casey
11. Donnie Moran
12. Michael England
13. Josh Richards
14. Kelly Boen
15. Tim Fuller
16. Steve Shaver
17. Ricky Elliott
18. Damon Eller
19. Jason Fitzgerald
20. Dan Schlieper
21. Darren Miller
22. Scott Bloomquist
23. Shannon Babb
24. Mark Vineyard
25. Derek Ellis
26. Vic Coffey
27. Mark Andersen
Car count: 59
Fast qualifier: Moran, 15.696 seconds
Heat race winners: Moyer, Jacobsen, Francis, Bloomquist, Casey, Pearson
Consolation winners: Shaver, B. Smith
Non-qualifiers' race winner: Fitzgerald
Promoter's option: Boen

 

Owens third win bolsters Super Bowl points lead

By Todd Turner

BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Jan. 29) — With $10,000 on the line for the top overall driver at Golden Isles Speedway's Super Bowl of Racing IV, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., is eyeing the points title.  Owens continued his storybook start to the 2008 season on Tuesday night with another dominating victory at Golden Isles. The 35-year-old racer who has barely hiccuped since winning 2007's World 100 at Eldora Speedway notched his third $10,000 victory in four starts at the southeast Georgia oval and left his competitors in awe.
Owens merely finished sixth on Monday night, but he bounced back with a vengeance on Tuesday to earn a starting spot outside the front row alongside the polesitting Francis of Ashland, Ky. He sprinted away at the outset and was never challenged, even on restarts, in roaring to an unsanctioned 50-lap victory.
Fifth-starting Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., worked past Francis before the halfway point to grab second, but he simply couldn't keep up with Owens, who reverted to the effortless form he showed in leading all 50 laps of the Jan. 25 event. Owens beat Richards to the line by more than five seconds.
Francis fended off a hard-changing Tim Fuller of Edwards, N.Y., who started 10th, to maintain the third spot. Fuller was fourth and home-state driver Shane Clanton of Locust Grove fifth. Eckert, who won the non-qualifiers' race and started 25th in the 25-car field, was sixth.
The race was slowed by four cautions, none for serious incidents. With Owens setting a blistering pace, only nine cars were on the lead lap at the finish.

Notebook

Owens' Bloomquist Race Car has a Cornett engine and sponsorship from Gantte Appraisals, Reece Monument, PRC, VP Racing Fuels and Byrd's Radiator. ... Going back to last season, Owens has won five of the last six races he has entered. ... The initial start was called back when Darren Miller spun in turn two. ... Owens was leading by more than a straightaway by the eighth lap when Miller slowed on the frontstretch for the second caution. ... Another caution came out on the restart when several cars got bottled up exiting turn four. Scott Bloomquist and Brady Smith were among the drivers involved. ... Ivedent Lloyd Jr. was running fifth at the lap-eight caution but departed a few laps later with a flat tire. ... Brady Smith retreated to the infield on lap 21. ... Tommy Kerr stopped on the 24th lap to bring out the final caution. ... Tuesday's race was originally scheduled to be sanctioned by UMP, but the track ran the event unsanctioned after a controversy developed over the tire rules and Scott Bloomquist's Monday disqualification. Because the track opened up the two-tire rule to allow any Hoosier tire, some of the softest rubber — Hoosier 1100s and 1200s — became hot property in the pits as teams scrambled to find tires they hadn't expected to be legal. ... Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, Wis., wasn't able to race after aggravating a back injury. Schlieper tried to hot-lap despite the injury, but his back locked up and forced him to pull off the track. In the pits, crew members removed the No. 9's roof so Schlieper could be pulled from the car and put onto a backboard, with assistance from the ambulance personnel. Schlieper was taken to the hospital to check out the injuries and returned to the track later in the night after receiving a shot and medication.

Super Bowl of Racing (Jan. 29)

1. Jimmy Owens
2. Josh Richards
3. Steve Francis
4. Tim Fuller
5. Shane Clanton
6. Rick Eckert       
7. Earl Pearson Jr.
8. Scott Bloomquist
9. Justin Rattliff
10. Ricky Elliott
11. Damon Eller
12. Dennis Erb Jr.
13. Kelly Boen
14. Matt Miller
15. Randle Chupp
16. Tommy Kerr
17. Casey Roberts
18. Chris Madden
19. Billy Moyer
20. Brady Smith
21. Terry Casey
22. Don O'Neal
23. Ivedent Lloyd Jr.
24. Tim McCreadie
25. Darr