Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Tri-City Speedway
May 4, 2012
_______________________________________

O'Neal is Outstanding in Winning Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at Tri-City



James Essex
PONTOON BEACH, IL (May 4) - It took Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN just four laps to gain the lead as he went on to take the $10,000 to win Spring Classic 50. O'Neal knew he had a good race car when he won the first heat race to earn the pole for Friday Night's Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Tri-City Speedway.
 
Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA tried to chase down O'Neal in the closing laps as he settled for his best LOLMDS finish of the year to place second. Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN held off point's leader, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN for third. Wendell Wallace of Batesville, AR came home in fifth.
 
O'Neal came into the race tied for second in Lucas Oil Championship Points and made it to Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the fifth time behind the wheel of the Tader and Keith MasterSbilt house car. "The car was awesome tonight, we didn't qualify like we wanted to, but winning that first heat sure made us feel like we had a great shot at winning here tonight. (Brian) Shirley fired off real good, but our car was so good on the bottom," said O'Neal, who trailed Shirley for the first three laps of the race.
 
"Our last race in Pennsylvania was not good at all, I think we finished 18th. If we are going to win the championship this year, we can't have finishes like that! This is definitely a step in the right direction. I have to thank Keith, Tader, and the crew. The car was just on a rail tonight," said the 47-year-old. The victory marks the 24th career series win of O'Neal's career.



O'Neal's Jay Dickens Racing Engines powered car is sponsored by Optima Batteries, Independence Lumber, Tarpy Trucking, O'Neal Mulch, Seubert Calf Ranches, Superior Cleaning Services, Jones Core, and Budda Bert Transmission.
 
O'Neal had very little difficulty maintaining his lead, only once in traffic was Bloomquist able to close ground on him, but after several cautions O'Neal had the dominant car the rest of the race. Reddick was able to wrestle second away from Bloomquist with 15 laps to go.
 
"We had a really good car tonight, I think if we could have won that first heat we might have been the car to beat tonight. I didn't have anything for Don, but Scott and I had a really good race, we will take this finish, it was our best of the year and head to Paducah," said the driver of the Broken Bow Records, Stoney Creek Records, Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet.
 
Completing the top ten were Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY; Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, WI; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL; John Blankenship of Williamson, WV; and Austin Hubbard of Seaford, DE.



In preliminary action Tyler Reddick was the Red Buck Cigar Fastest Qualifier among the 48 entrants. Heat races were by Don O'Neal, Brad Neat, Brian Shirley, and Scott Bloomquist. Jimmy Owens and Jared Landers won the B-Mains.
 
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday Night, May 4th, 2012
Tri-City Speedway - Pontoon Beach, IL

A-Main
1 1 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN $10,000
2 5 11T Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
3 4 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
4 17 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
5 12 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
6 3 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
7 13 28m Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
8 20 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
9 26 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
10 15 11h Austin Hubbard Seaford, DE
11 11 b5 Brandon Sheppard Berlin, IL
12 24 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
13 6 28e Dennis Erb, Jr. Carpentersville, IL
14 18 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
15 23 15d Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA
16 8 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY
17 2 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
18 10 18H Ronny Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
19 19 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
20 14 A1 Duke Whiseant Texarkana, AR
21 9 18 Shannon Babb Mowequa, IL
22 16 28 Eddie Carrier, Jr. Salt Rock, WV
23 25 78 Chad Zobrist Highland, IL
24 22 81c Kevin Cole Benton, IL
25 21 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
26 7 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR

Race Statistics
Entrants: 48
Lap Leaders: Brian Shirley (Laps 1 - 3); Don O'Neal (Laps 4 - 50)
Caution Flags: Shannon Babb (Lap 1); Billy Moyer, Eric Wells, Austin Hubbard (Lap 1); Debris (Lap 22); Dennis Erb Jr. (Lap 24); Earl Pearson Jr., Jared Landers (Lap 28); Brian Shirley (Lap 38), Debris (Lap 41)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jonathan Davenport, Steve Francis
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: John Blankenship
Tri-City Speedway Track Provisional: Chad Zobrist
Time of Race: 43 minutes 08 seconds

B-Main #1  
1 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
2 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
3 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
4 15 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA
5 99jr Frank Heckenest Orland Park, IL
6 77 Jason McBride Carbondale, IL
7 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
8 5B Klint Byars Calhoun City, MS
9 25 Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA
10 33 Tim Manville Highland, IL
11 5 Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA
12 7L Jerry Lierly Camp Point, IL
13 00 Randy Korte Highland, IL

B-Main #2  
1 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
2 44 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL
3 81C Kevin Cole Christopher, IL
4 78 Chad Zobrist Highland, IL
5 32X Chris Simpson Oxford, IA
6 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
7 7B Mark Burgtorf Quincy, IL
8 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
9 20 Dustin Griffin Camp Point, IL
10 54 Dillon White Crofton, KY
11 82 Billy Laycock Marine, IL
12 24 Ryan Unzicker El Paso, IL
13 1st Justin Reed Collinsville, IL
14 93 Jay Johnson Burlington, IA
15 92B Billy Faust Highland, IL

Heat #1  
1 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
2 11 Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
3 18 Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
4 28M Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
5 15 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA
6 99jr Frank Heckenest Orland Park, IL
7 77 Jason McBride Carbondale, IL
8 33 Tim Manville Highland, IL
9 5 Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA
10 7L Jerry Lierly Camp Point, IL
11 00 Randy Korte Highland, IL
12 33f Ricky Frankel Quincy, IL

Heat #2  
1 41 Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
2 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
3 b5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
4 11 Austin Hubbard Seaford, DE
5 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
6 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
7 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
8 5B Klint Byars Calhoun City, MS
9 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
10 25 Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA
11 46 Tim Rivers Salem, IN
12 8 Craig Smith Godfrey, IL

Heat #3  
1 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
2 28 Dennis Erb Jr Carpentersville, IL
3 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
4 A1 Duke Whiseant Texarkana, TX
5 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
6 24 Ryan Unzicker El Paso, IL
7 7B Mark Burgtorf Quincy, IL
8 32X Chris Simpson Oxford, IA
9 1st Justin Reed Collinsville, IL
10 20 Dustin Griffin Camp Point, IL
11 82 Billy Laycock Marine, IL
12 92B Billy Faust Highland, IL

Heat #4  
1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
3 6 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
4 28 Eddie Carrier Jr Salt Rock, WV
5 81C Kevin Cole Christopher, IL
6 78 Chad Zobrist Highland, IL
7 44 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL
8 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
9 25 Jason Feger Bloomington, IL
10 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
11 93 Jay Johnson Burlington, IA
12 54 Dillon White Crofton, KY

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be at Paducah International Raceway in Paducah, KY on Saturday Night, May 5th for a $10,000 to win event. For more information log on to www.paducahracing.com.

For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com and make sure to follow us at www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and www.twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.