Post by LMR on 02/17/14 at 9:59pm
DIRTcar Nationals/UMP Late Models
Volusia Speedway Park
February 17, 2014
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Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Defends Home Turf On Opening Night Of DIRTcar Nationals
Florida Driver Turns Back National Stars For $7,000 DIRTcar Late Model Triumph
by Kevin Kovac
BARBERVILLE, FL (February 17) – Ivedent Lloyd Jr. did his home state proud on Monday night at Volusia Speedway Park.
The 47-year-old veteran from Ocala, Fla., authored one of the drives of his career, turning back a field filled with national stars to win the 30-lap DIRTcar Late Model A-Main that opened the full-fender portion of the 43rd DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment.
An accomplished Sunshine State racer who has won often in local and regional competition at the half-mile oval, Lloyd became the first driver from Florida to capture a dirt Late Model feature during the DIRTcar Nationals by Summit since Jacksonville’s Earl Pearson Jr. topped a DIRTcar-sanctioned event on Feb. 10, 2009. He earned $7,000 for his efforts.
“This is the biggest win,” said Lloyd, who has driven Late Models on both dirt and asphalt for three decades. “There’s races that pay more money, but this is by far the career-topper, to win this. To have all these guys here and race these guys, it’s neat.”
Lloyd started from the outside pole and led every circuit but was chased throughout the distance by Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who drew within a couple car lengths of the leader several times in the closing laps before settling for second place.
Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., finished third after starting from the pole position, giving him a career-best performance at Volusia. Fifth-starter John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., slid into fourth place on lap 14 and finished there and Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., slipped backward from the third starting spot to finish fifth.
Lloyd’s victory was his first-ever during the DIRTcar Nationals by Summit, an ultra-competitive mid-winter meet that he doesn’t annually enter.
“We usually shy away from here during Speedweeks strictly because I can race for two months on the abuse you put on a motor here in a week,” admitted Lloyd, who operates a machine shop in his hometown of Ocala, about 50 miles west of VSP. “But with the new motor (his partner, J.B. Harris, obtained a Race Engine Design powerplant for the 2014 season) we wanted to come over here and race some.”
The decision to make an assault on Volusia paid off – after Lloyd stuck to his guns on tire choice, of course.
Lloyd’s strategy for the A-Main? “Just not get beat on tires like I have been all weekend,” he said, referring to his runs the previous three nights in World of Outlaws Late Model Series events at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. “We made our decision after the heat race was over based on what happened to us the last three nights. We decided to stay with (the tires) we were on and just go at it and live or die by it.”
Perching his Snow Brothers-built car on the outside of the fast D-shaped track, Lloyd kept the field at bay from start to finish. Smith was well within striking distance over the final 10 laps, but Lloyd didn’t flinch.
“We know this track well as far as where to drive around the track,” said Lloyd. “J.B. was giving me signals, so I knew I had a little bit of room and just tried to make good laps. That’s all you could do – make good laps and not hit a hole wrong and get yourself up in the cushion.”
Smith, 36, was satisfied to continue his stretch of strong Speedweeks results, adding a runner-up finish to his first-, second- and third-place runs over the previous three nights at Bubba Raceway Park.
“We certainly didn’t change much (for the A-Main), but we made our car just a little bit too tight,” Smith, who started fourth, said of his Rocket machine. “I didn’t expect the conditions to stay this fast either, so maybe we misjudged the racetrack too.
“I could see (Lloyd) was getting tighter down (in turns three and four) and I thought that’s where I might be able to make my move. But the time when he made the biggest mistake I also made a mistake, so we had to settle for second.”
Just one caution flag slowed the event, on lap seven when Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., stopped in turn four with mechanical trouble.
With 40 cars signed in for action, group qualifying was utilized to set the starting lineups for four heat races in the first of three DIRTcar Late Model programs during the DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit.
Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., registered the fastest overall qualifying lap at 15.352 seconds.Other group fast-timers were Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla. (15.597), Clanton (15.517) and Tyler Bruening of Decorah, Iowa (15.819).
Heat winners were Wells, Lloyd, Clanton and Smith. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., captured the B-Mains.
The DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit continues on Tuesday night (Feb. 18) with another DIRTcar Late Model program topped by a 30-lap A-Main. The UMP Modifieds will also compete in triple features to close out the division’s week-long meet.
Race time is 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, log on to www.DIRTcarNationals.com.
A-Main
1 2 21L Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL $7,000
2 4 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
3 1 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
4 5 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
5 3 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA
6 10 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
7 9 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
8 6 22 Gregg Satterlee Indiana, PA
9 11 1 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
10 8 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
11 15 81 Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
12 20 99Jr Frankie Heckenast Orland Park, IL
13 17 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
14 13 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
15 19 38 Kenny Pettyjohn Millsboro, DE
16 16 5 Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA
17 24 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
18 21 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
19 18 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbrier, AR
20 12 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA
21 7 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
22 23 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
23 14 2 Dan Stone Thompson, PA
24 22 J4 John Garvin Jr. Sarver, PA
B-Main #1 (top 4 transfer)
1 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
2 38 Kenny Pettyjohn Millsboro, DE
3 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
4 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
5 32c Vic Coffey Caledonia, NY
6 4ds Chad Hollenbeck Montrose, PA
7 1 Jason Fitzgerald Middleburg, FL
8 27 Jeff Beyers Pana, IL
9 20 Chad White Benton Harbor, MI
10 99b Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
B-Main #2
1 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbrier, AR
2 99Jr Frankie Heckenast Orland Park, IL
3 J4 John Garvin Jr. Sarver, PA
4 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
5 16 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA
6 1 Jeff Babcock Wayne, OH
7 11b Stacy Boles Clinton, TN
8 32 David Gibson Jr. Charleston, WV
9 16H Mike Hammerle St. Charles, MO
10 17J John Winge Sioux Falls, SD
Heat #1 (top 4 transfer)
1 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
2 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
3 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
4 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
5 38 Kenny Pettyjohn Millsboro, DE
6 40B Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL
7 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
8 1 Jason Fitzgerald Middleburg, FL
9 27 Jeff Beyers Pana, IL
10 20 Chad White Benton Harbor, MI
Heat #2
1 21L Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL
2 22 Gregg Satterlee Indiana, PA
3 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
4 2 Dan Stone Thompson, PA
5 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
6 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
7 99b Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
8 32c Vic Coffey Caledonia, NY
9 4ds Chad Hollenbeck Montrose, PA
10 57 Chuck Julien Apopka, FL
Heat #3
1 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA
2 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
3 1 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
4 81 Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
5 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbrier, AR
6 11b Stacy Boles Clinton, TN
7 1 Jeff Babcock Wayne, OH
8 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
9 17J John Winge Sioux Falls, SD
10 32 David Gibson Jr. Charleston, WV
Heat #4
1 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
2 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
3 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA
4 5 Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA
5 16 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA
6 99Jr Frankie Heckenast Orland Park, IL
7 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
8 J4 John Garvin Jr. Sarver, PA
9 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville, IL
10 16H Mike Hammerle St. Charles, MO
Qualifying Results
1 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR 15.352
2 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA 15.517
3 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN 15.578
4 40B Kyle Bronson Brandon, FL 15.597
5 21L Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL 15.613
6 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN 15.617
7 22 Gregg Satterlee Indiana, PA 15.656
8 1 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL 15.766
9 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY 15.817
10 16 Tyler Bruening Decorah, IA 15.819
11 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX 15.850
12 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA 15.855
13 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI 15.872
14 81 Brian Shirley Chatham, IL 15.891
15 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL 15.907
16 1 Jeff Babcock Wayne, OH 15.933
17 24 Rick Eckert York, PA 15.960
18 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY 15.964
19 99Jr Frankie Heckenast Orland Park, IL 15.971
20 11b Stacy Boles Clinton, TN 15.975
21 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 15.980
22 2 Dan Stone Thompson, PA 15.985
23 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV 16.020
24 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbrier, AR 16.028
25 5 Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA 16.037
26 32c Vic Coffey Caledonia, NY 16.048
27 38 Kenny Pettyjohn Millsboro, DE 16.052
28 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS 16.074
29 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA 16.120
30 J4 John Garvin Jr. Sarver, PA 16.122
31 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville, IL 16.152
32 99b Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA 16.178
33 1F Jason Fitzgerald Middleburg, FL 16.265
34 4ds Chad Hollenbeck Montrose, PA 16.298
35 17J John Winge Sioux Falls, SD 16.664
36 27 Jeff Beyers Pana, IL 16.848
37 20 Chad White Benton Harbor, MI 17.061
38 32 David Gibson Jr. Charleston, WV 17.748
39 57 Chuck Julien Apopka, FL 17.894
40 16H Mike Hammerle St. Charles, MO 18.043