Post by LMR on 08/12/11 at 9:34pm
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Florence Speedway
August 13, 2011
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Owens Repeats in Sunoco Race Fuels North-South 100 at Florence Speedway
by James Essex
UNION, Ky. (August 13) - Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN has won the Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil on Saturday Night at Florence Speedway. Owens took the lead on lap 75 from Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN as he went on to score his third career victory in the annual $50,000 to win event. Bloomquist had to hold off a hard-charging Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY to finish second. Neat started 15th and finished third, followed by Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC. Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN rounded out the top five.
"It feels great to win this race again," said the 39-year-old Owens who joins the late Jack Boggs as the only 3-time winner of the race. "I never got the chance to race with Jack Boggs, I know all about what he did in Late Model Racing and to be mentioned in the same breath as him, it's just a tremendous accomplishment, I have to my car owner, Mike Reece, he's here tonight and all the crew, they did a great job all weekend long."
Don O'Neal has led more laps than any other driver the last two years in this race. He grabbed the lead at the start of the race with Bloomquist running second. Bloomquist shadowed O'Neal for 22 laps of the race before taking over the top spot on lap 23. Bloomquist then pulled away from O'Neal and the rest of the field as he stretched his lead out to several car lengths.
As the race reached the halfway mark, it was Bloomquist, Owens, Marlar, O'Neal, and Lanigan all outpacing the field. Owens then started to close the gap on Bloomquist ever so slightly as Bloomquist was having to deal with lapped traffic. Owens cut the deficit to half a straightaway when a caution for John Blankenship, who slowed on the front-stretch with a flat tire.
This time on the restart Owens was bound and determined to pass Bloomquist as he went to the top of the race track and passed him on lap 75 to take over the point. Over the last 25 laps of the race, Owens had to hold off Bloomquist, who was having his position threatened by Neat.
But Owens was able to put enough distance between the Bloomquist-Neat battle to go on and capture his fifth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of 2011 and he expanded his points' lead over Bloomquist.
"I didn't now if could do anything with Scott once I caught him, the cautions sure helped us, and it looked like his left rear tire sealed over, I just got tired of running there on the bottom, so I decided to go up top and that was the way to go around him. I was worried there for a while that the track was going to become one-groove but it held up nicely, the car worked so well on it at the end. Scott builds a great race car and to beat him is always tough," said Owens.
Owens' Cornett Racing Engines powered Bloomquist Race Cars Ford is sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Gantte Appraisals, Red Line Oil, Hoosier Tires, Ohlins, Midwest Sheet Metal and VP Racing Fuels.
Bloomquist in his Hawkeye Tricking, Roush-Yates Racing Engines, Bloomquist Race Cars Ford just edged out the Red Buck Cigars, Cornett powered Longhorn Chassis of Neat. Cook, in one of his best runs at Florence was fourth in the D&R Racing, Rockstar Energy, MasterSbilt. Marlar debuted a new ride in the Billy Ward Rocket Chassis came home fifth.
Completing the top ten were Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA; Steve Francis of Ashland, KY, who was PPB Erson Cams Hard Charger of Race. Darrell Lanigan of Union, KY; Clint Smith of Senoia, GA; and John Blankenship of Williamson, WV.
The next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event will be on August 19th and 20th with the $40,000 to win COMP Cams Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway in Batesville, AR.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com or call the series' office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday Night, August 12th, 2011
Sunoco Race Fuels "North/South 100" Presented by Lucas Oil Products, Inc.
Florence Speedway - Union, KY
North/South 100
1 6 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN $50,000
2 2 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
3 15 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
4 18 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
5 5 1G Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
6 14 49 Jonathan Davenport Cowpens, SC
7 22 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
8 4 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
9 13 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA
10 11 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
11 1 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
12 19 777 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
13 16 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
14 25 J2 Josh Williams West Harrison, IN
15 27 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY
16 23 57J Bub McCool Vicksburg, MS
17 7 6J Joe Janowski Carmel, IN
18 9 99G Jacon Grizzle Blairsville, GA
19 26 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr Orland Park, IL
20 3 1H Vic Hill Morristown, TN
21 8 44 Chris Madden Gaffney, SC
22 21 7R Kent Robinson Bloomington, IL
23 24 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA
24 20 24h Greg Johnson Bedford, IN
25 17 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
26 12 71w Chris Wall Holden, LA
27 10 c9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN
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B-Main #1
1 777 Jared Landers
2 7R Kent Robinson
3 6 Steve Shaver
4 28C Eddie Carrier Jr
5 25n Dustin Neat
6 d8 Dustin Linville
7 19c Chad Smith
8 18e Eric Wells
9 5b Tim Breeding
10 10 Tim Tungate
B-Main #2
1 24h Greg Johnson
2 15 Steve Francis
3 21b Chris Brown
4 25 Shane Clanton
5 55 Jeep Van Wormer
6 17d Zack Dohm
7 s9 Dan Schlieper
8 9 Mike Jewell
9 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr
10 75g John Gill
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Heat #1
1 1H Vic Hill
2 6J Joe Janowski
3 44 Clint Smith
4 21d Chip Brindle
5 25n Dustin Neat
6 5b Tim Breeding
7 6 Steve Shaver
8 180 Danny Erskine
9 25 Josh Richards
10 17m Dale McDowell
11 57J Bub McCool
Heat #2
1 1G Mike Marlar
2 99G Jacon Grizzle
3 41n Brad Neat
4 7R Kent Robinson
5 28C Eddie Carrier Jr
6 b5 Brandon Sheppard
7 1 Brian Shirley
8 10 Tim Tungate
9 5b Jason Barrett
10 4s Rob Starkey
11 21 Jason Montgomery
12 11r James Rice
Heat #3
1 71 Don O'Neal
2 23 John Blankenship
3 44 Earl Pearson, Jr.
4 777 Jared Landers
5 18e Eric Wells
6 28m Jimmy Mars
7 19c Chad Smith
8 d8 Dustin Linville
9 11g Billy Gullion
10 16 Justin Rattliff
11 p51 Jim Price
12 25b Jarrod Breeding
Heat #4
1 20 Jimmy Owens
2 44 Chris Madden
3 49 Jonathan Davenport
4 15 Steve Francis
5 21b Chris Brown
6 17d Zack Dohm
7 25 Shane Clanton
8 41 Josh McGuire
9 71R Rod Conley
10 47 Chris Combs
11 49s Steve Landrum
12 44w Jeff Watson
13 25d Dan Deaton
Heat #5
1 0 Scott Bloomquist
2 c9 Steve Casebolt
3 11t Tyler Reddick
4 24h Greg Johnson
5 9 Mike Jewell
6 J2 Josh Williams
7 81 Scott James
8 75g John Gill
9 33 Jesse Lay
10 55r Jeff Raisor
11 P1 Tim Prince
Heat #6
1 29 Darrell Lanigan
2 71w Chris Wall
3 53 Ray Cook
4 s9 Dan Schlieper
5 55 Jeep Van Wormer
6 78 Jeff Alsip
7 3b Brian Gray
8 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr
9 17C Chris Wilson
10 81jr Jason Riggs
11 21h Robbie Hensley
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Group A Qualifying
1 6 Steve Shaver 16.742
2 7R Kent Robinson 17.053
3 23 John Blankenship 17.135
4 25 Josh Richards 17.150
5 16m Mike Marlar 17.161
6 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. 17.169
7 1v Vic Hill 17.176
8 99G Jacob Grizzle 17.288
9 71 Don O'Neal 17.307
10 57J Bub McCool 17.310
11 21m Jason Montgomery 17.334
12 28m Jimmy Mars 17.336
13 17m Dale McDowell 17.355
14 41n Brad Neat 17.374
15 19c Chad Smith 17.385
16 25n Dustin Neat 17.405
17 1s Brian Shirley 17.421
18 18e Eric Wells 17.430
19 6J Joe Janowski 17.448
20 28 Eddie Carrier, Jr. 17.457
21 777 Jared Landers 17.511
22 21B Chip Brindle 17.658
23 B5s Brandon Sheppard 17.778
24 16 Justin Rattliff 17.845
25 44c Clint Smith 18.022
26 11R James Rice 18.047
27 D8 Dustin Linville 18.072
28 5bx Tim Breeding 18.075
29 10 Tim Tungate 18.124
30 11G Billy Gullion 18.178
31 5 Greg Martin 18.229
32 B5 Jason Barrett 18.329
33 25b Jarrod Breeding 18.386
34 13w David Webb 18.404
35 4s Rob Starkey 18.625
36 P51 Jim Price 18.873
37 180 Danny Erskine 19.947
Group B Qualifying
1 44m Chris Madden 17.193
2 0 Scott Bloomquist 17.235
3 53 Ray Cook 17.241
4 20 Jimmy Owens 17.277
5 c9 Steve Casebolt 17.290
6 28 Darrell Lanigan 17.320
7 49 Jonathan Davenport 17.322
8 81 Scott James 17.371
9 71w Chris Wall 17.389
10 15 Steve Francis 17.500
11 24h Greg Johnson 17.540
12 s9 Dan Schlieper 17.561
13 49s Steve Landrum 17.572
14 9J Mike Jewell 17.586
15 55 Jeep VanWormer 17.645
16 71r Rod Conley 17.649
17 33 Jesse Lay 17.653
18 3b Brian Gray 17.671
19 25c Shane Clanton 17.678
20 11t Tyler Reddick 17.689
21 99jr Frank Heckenast, Jr. 17.729
22 17d Zack Dohm 17.764
23 JJ2 Josh Williams 17.778
24 17c Chris Wilson 17.794
25 81m Josh McGuire 17.886
26 75G John Gill 17.903
27 1* Chub Frank 17.909
28 21b Chris Brown 17.946
29 P1 Tim Prince 18.030
30 78 Jeff Alsip 18.116
31 44w Jeff Watson 18.228
32 55R Jeff Raisor 18.308
33 81JR Jason Riggs 18.315
34 47 Chris Combs 18.385
35 21hk Kenneth Howell 18.625
36 21h Robby Hensley 18.657
37 25d Dan Deaton 20.741
