Post by LMR on 04/29/11 at 7:25pm
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Hartford Motor Speedway
Friday, April 29, 2011
Lanigan Glides To Third Triumph Of 2011 In ‘Cabin Fever 50’
At Hartford Motor Speedway
Kevin Kovac
HARTFORD, MI – April 29, 2011 – Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., glided forward from the sixth starting spot to score a convincing victory in Friday night’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Cabin Fever 50’ at Hartford Motor Speedway.
Race Photos: World of Outlaws Late Model Series:
http://www.latemodelracer.com/photos/
The 40-year-old star continued his spectacular early-season surge, winning for the third time in the six events that have been contested so far on the national tour. He missed the season-opening race in February due to a medical issue but has quickly roared back into title contention with four consecutive top-three finishes.
“I’m telling you, right now we’re on a roll,” said Lanigan, who earned $10,775 for a victory that gave him sole possession of third place on the WoO LMS win list since 2004, with 22 career wins. “The Rocket Chassis is awesome, the Cornett motor is awesome, the crew’s doing a great job and I’m feeling better than I have in a while after getting a cortisone shot for my lower-back (which has been causing him discomfort due to the fractured tailbone recently found by doctors). Everything is just going great.”
Lanigan discovered an extreme outside line around the sprawling 9/16th-mile oval before any of his rivals and used it almost exclusively to sweep through the top five. He completed his charge by passing pole sitter Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., for the lead on lap 17.
“I knew I had a good car at the beginning, but they kind of got me bundled up there on the bottom,” said Lanigan, who moved to fourth place in the WoO LMS points standings, just 38 points behind leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. “I couldn’t go nowhere, so I said, ‘I’m just going to the top.’ And I’ll tell ya, that thing was a rocket on the top.”
The remainder of the distance belonged to Lanigan, who pulled away from the field following the race’s second and final caution flag on lap 24. The 2008 WoO LMS champion crossed the finish line 3.859 seconds – nearly a full straightaway – ahead of Feger, who registered a season-best runner-up outing in his Bob Pierce-built car.
“Man, that guy is on fire right now,” the 32-year-old Feger said of Lanigan. “He passed me and took off there. It was his night.
“It’s not very often I get passed on the top side, but that’s part of the disadvantage of leading – you don’t know who’s coming behind you. But I don’t know if I would’ve been able to hold him off even if I could’ve gotten to the top. We’re just happy to run second finally. We’ve been fast lately but haven’t had any good results.”
Richards, the two-time defending WoO LMS titlist and current points leader, finished third, but he had to rally during the second half of the A-Main after falling from third to fifth when he slid high between turns one and two on the lap-24 restart. He finally secured third place on lap 46 by passing outside pole sitter Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who settled for a fourth-place finish that marked his first top-five run of the 2011 tour.
McCreadie’s Sweeteners Plus Racing teammate, Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., completed the top five. The race’s third starter recorded a season-best finish and also earned the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ cash for being the highest-placing driver who hasn’t won a tour A-Main and wasn’t ranked among the top 12 in the points standings entering the event.
Rick Eckert of York, Pa., ran a steady-but-quiet race to finish sixth, keeping him second in the points standings. Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., moved up from the 10th starting spot to place a season-high seventh, followed by top-finishing WoO LMS rookie Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., and Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del.
Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who debuted a self-owned effort sponsored by Pennsylvania’s BPG Inc., brought out the race’s first caution flag on lap five when he stopped on the backstretch. He drove into the pit area and did not return due to a possible lost cylinder.
Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich., suffered the feature’s toughest break. He smacked the turn-three wall on lap 24 and was towed off the track just moments after his outside-groove assault had put him in sixth place.
A field of 41 cars was signed in for the evening’s action.
Heat winners were Feger, Eckert, Doar and Lanigan. The B-Mains were captured by Fuller and WoO LMS rookie John Lobb of Frewsburg, N.Y.
Feger was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, earning his third career WoO LMS fast-time honor with a lap of 18.770 seconds. He narrowly missed the two-year-old track record of 18.745 seconds held by Frankie Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill.
The WoO LMS moves to Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky., on Saturday night (April 30) for the ninth annual ‘My Old Kentucky Home Shootout.’ A 50-lap A-Main paying $10,000 to win tops the evening’s agenda.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Cabin Fever 50’ at Hartford Motor Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (6) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,775
2. (1) Jason Feger/50 $5,650
3. (4) Josh Richards/50 $3,650
4. (2) Tim McCreadie/50 $3,150
5. (3) Vic Coffey/50 $2,500
6. (5) Rick Eckert/50 $2,250
7. (10) Clint Smith/50 $1,950
8. (8) Pat Doar/50 $1,550
9. (11) Shane Clanton/50 $1,750
10. (12) Austin Hubbard/50 $1,650
11. (14) Ron Davies/50 $1,050
12. (16) Matt Miller/50 $1,000
13. (7) Brady Smith/50 $950
14. (13) J.R. Hotovy/50 $950
15. (20) Brent Robinson/49 $1,400
16. (18) John Lobb/49 $800
17. (21) Chub Frank/48 $1,320
18. (15) Brian Ruhlman/48 $750
19. (19) Curtis Roberts/48 $730
20. (23) Jill George/48 $700
21. (9) Jeep VanWormer/23 $700
22. (22) Zack Olger/15 $700
23. (17) Tim Fuller/4 $1,250
24. (25) Alan Vochaska/0 $700
25. (24) Kent Robinson/0 $725
Time of Race: 23 Mins., 16.485 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 3.859 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 5, 24)
Lap Leaders: Feger (1-16); Lanigan (17-50)
Provisional Starters: George, K. Robinson (WoO); Vochaska (track)
Rookie of the Race: Doar ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Coffey ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results
(Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 25-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 18.770
2. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.927
3. 11d-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 18.934
4. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 18.940
5. 9R-Curtis Roberts/Coleman, MI 18.959
6. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 18.998
7. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 19.029
8. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 19.034
9. 13-J.R. Hotovy/Hartford, MI 19.107
10. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 19.113
11. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 19.136
12. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 19.137
13. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 19.278
14. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 19.280
15. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 19.304
16. 7-Matt Miller/Waterville, OH 19.316
17. 55-Jeep VanWormer/Pinconning, MI 19.319
18. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 19.394
19. 49-Brian Ruhlman/Clarklake, MI 19.406
20. V77-Guy Volk/Portage, IN 19.494
21. 49J-Greg Johnson/Bedford, IN 19.546
22. 111-Curt Spalding/Hartford, MI 19.571
23. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 19.662
24. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 19.668
25. 34-Alan Vochaska/South Haven, MI 19.700
26. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 19.779
27. 15-Phil Ausra/Dowagiac, MI 19.901
28. 14-Kerry Matthew/Rennselaer, IN 20.026
29. 20-Chad White/Coloma, MI 20.045
30. 85-Mark Anderson/Blanchard, MI 20.073
31. 0x-Zack Olger/St. Johns, MI 20.104
32. 1L-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 20.120
33. 23v-Ryan Vanderveen/Six Lakes, MI 20.177
34. 87-Richard Neiser/Fruit Port, MI 20.536
35. 69-John Nobach/Lakeview, MI 20.649
36. 71E-Pat Elhert/Ovid, MI 20.661
37. 3A-Steve Ausra/Dowagiac, MI 20.813
38. 22A-Doug Ausra/Dowagiac, MI 21.058
39. 1%-Jeremy Ferguson/Hartford, MI 21.675
40. 86-Louis Miller/Battle Creek, MI 21.745
41. 78-Mark Wagner/St. Joseph, MI N/T
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Feger, Richards, VanWormer, Hotovy, Roberts, Vochaska, G. Johnson, Vanderveen, White, S. Ausra (DNS) Wagner
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, McCreadie, C. Smith, Davies, Fuller, Frank, Spalding, Anderson, D. Ausra (DNS) Neiser
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Doar, Coffey, Clanton, Ruhlman, B. Robinson, P. Ausra, Olger, George, Ferguson, Nobach
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, B. Smith, Hubbard, Miller, Lobb, Volk, Matthew, Elhert, Miller, K. Robinson
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Fuller, Roberts, Frank, G. Johnson, Vochaska, Spalding, Vanderveen, Anderson, Neiser, S. Ausra, White, D. Ausra (DNS) Wagner
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Lobb, B. Robinson, Olger, P. Ausra, Volk, George, Elhert, Ferguson, Matthew (DNS) Miller, Nobach, K. Robinson
A-Main
1 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY $10,000
2 F25 Jason Feger Bloomington, IL
3 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV
4 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
5 32C Vic Coffey Leicester, NY
6 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
7 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA
8 11 Pat Doar New Richmond, WI
9 25 Shane Clanton Locust Grove, GA
10 19 Austin Hubbard Seaford, DE
11 71D Ron Davies Warren, PA
12 7 Matt Miller Watertown, OH
13 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
14 13 J.R. Hotovy Hartford, MI
15 3 Brent Robinson Smithfield, VA
16 1L John Lobb Frewsburg, NY
17 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
18 49 Brian Ruhlman Clark Lake, MI
19 9R Curtis Roberts Coleman, MI
20 22 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA
21 55 Jeep Van Wormer Pinconning, MI
22 0 Zack Olger St. Johns, MI
23 19 Tim Fuller Watertown, NY
24 34 Alan Vochaska South Haven, MI
25 7R Kent Robinson Bloomington, IN
A-Main: Lanigan wins 3rd of '10 over Feger, Richards, T-Mac, Coffey, Eckert, C. Smith, Doar, Clanton, Hubbard
A-Main: Caution L24 - VanWormer hits 3/4 wall running 6th...Lanigan leads Feger, Richards, T-Mac, Coffey, Eckert, C. Smith, Doar, B. Smith, Hubbard
A-Main: Lanigan sailing around outsd...started 6th and takes lead from Feger on lap 17...
A-Main: Cabin Fever 50 has gotten the green flag... Feger leads first lap...
B-Main 2: Lobb, B. Robinson, Olger. Provisionals to George, Kent Robinson & Vochaska.
B-Main 1: Fuller, Curtis Roberts, Chub Frank...
Lineup: Feger draws pole for A-Main. Starting 2-8: T-Mac, Coffey, Richards, Eckert, Lanigan, Brady Smith, Pat Doar.
Heat 4: Lanigan wins over Brady Smith, Hubbard & Matt Miller. WoO rookie John Lobb 5th
Heat 3: WoO Rookie Pat Doar wins over Vic Coffey, Clanton & Brian Ruhlman. Brent Robinson 5th, Jill George 8th
Heat 2: Eckert wins over McCreadie, Clint Smith & Ron Davies. Fuller 5th, Chub Frank 6th
Heat 1 (top 4 transfer): Jason Feger wins over Richards, Jeep VanWormer, Hartford regular JR Hotovy
Qualifying: Feger sets fast time at 18.770. 2-10: Eckert, Doar, Lanigan, Curtis Roberts, Davies, Clanton, Brady Smith, JR Hotovy, McCreadie
Pre-race: 41 cars are signed in and ready to battle on the big Hartford Motor Speedway half-mile tonight...Not a cloud in the sky here at Hartford, MI...Outlaw teams already here, locals still coming through pit gate...Sun coming out in Michigan as teams descend on the Speedway for tonight's 'Cabin Fever 50'.
courtesy: http://twitter.com/#!/woolatemodels