Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Speedway
May 24, 2013
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Owens Leaves No Doubt in Winning Third Consecutive Show-Me 100



by James Essex
WHEATLAND, MO (May 25) - Jimmy Owens' dominance of Lucas Oil Speedway continued on Saturday Night as the veteran driver notched his third consecutive Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 Presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com. Owens took the lead on lap 11 from Scott Bloomquist and was virtually unchallenged the rest of the way, picking up the $30,000 for his win in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and Lucas Oil Midwest Racing Association co-sanctioned event.

Owens now has won six races at the track since 2010. Chris Simpson came home in second; his best career finish in a crown-jewel event. Dennis Erb, Jr. charged from 20th to take third. Brady Smith also made his way to a top five finish, grabbing fourth after starting 22nd. Chad Simpson would round out the top five, climbing from 24th to fifth at the finish.

"I have to thank Lucas Oil, Forrest Lucas, everybody with the series and this speedway, this is an awesome facility and to win this race three years in a row, I don't know what to say!" said the 2-time and reigning series champion. "Scott (Bloomquist) and I had a really good race for the lead early on, and once I cleared him I pretty much felt like if the car held together it would be our race."



Owens had to survive a first lap melee in turn two when several drivers got together, forcing a restart. "I thought we were in big trouble there, it was little slimy and Don (O'Neal) got sideways. It wasn't anyone's fault, but fortunately we had some quarter-panel and door damage. Nothing got into the tires or suspension," said the winner, who maintains the LOLMDS points lead after his fourth series win of 2013.

"I want to thank Mike Reece, Reece Monument Company, Gantte Appraisals, Sunoco, Red Line Oil, Ohlins, Cornett Racing Engines, Bloomquist Race Cars and Chris Davis from Midwest Sheet Metal. I want to especially thank Chris for what he does not only for our team, but racing in general."

Chris Simpson, who was also involved in that first lap incident, maintained his position at the start and he steadily climbed through the field. Simpson took the second spot from Bloomquist inside of 20 laps to go, and with a final caution with only nine laps to go, he took one last shot at his first career crown jewel win. "I thought maybe I had a chance there at the end, but he got out of turn two better than me and that was all she wrote. We are happy with this finish, to finish second in this magnitude of a race means a lot to me and my race team," said the driver of the Five Star Shop Service, MB Customs Chevrolet.



Erb, coming off of heartbreak last week at Batesville, needed a good finish. "Yes we really needed this run tonight, we had bad luck last week while leading at Batesville. It feels good to run up front with these guys, and to come home in third is awesome." Erb, who started on the outside of the tenth row, quickly moved into to the top ten early on in the race. He kept picking cars off, lap after lap, eventually getting to third place. On the final restart, with nine laps to go, Erb thought his best chance was to take the high side. "He (Simpson) did what had to do, he is a clean racer, I had a run on him and thought I could clear him on the front-stretch, but he shut the door, and from then on I couldn't build up my momentum."

Completing the top ten were Steve Francis, Mike Marlar, Tony Jackson, Jr., Scott Bloomquist and Jason Feger.

In preliminary action, Scott Bloomquist set the overall time (Group A) amongst the 72 entrants, with a lap of 14.902 seconds. Eric Jacobsen set the fastest time in Group B with a time of 14.934 seconds. Scott Bloomquist, Tyler Reddick, Jesse Stovall, Jimmy Owens, and Steve Francis their respective heat races. Eric Turner won the LucasOilGear.com Manufacturers' Dash for Cash. Terry Phillips won the Crawford Supply Race of Champions presented by Traeger Grills. Jimmy Mars, Dennis Erb Jr., and Billy Moyer won their respective B-Mains Mike Marlar won the Midwest Sheet Metal Show-Me Challenge Non-Qualifiers' Race.
 
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, May 25th, 2013
Show-Me 100
Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO

Show Me 100
1 4 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
2 12 32x Chris Simpson Oxford, IA
3 20 28e Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville, IL
4 21 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
5 24 25c Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA
6 6 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
7 30 5b Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
8 15 56 Tony Jackson, Jr. Lebanon, MO
9 1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
10 9 25F Jason Feger Bloomington, IL
11 28 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
12 7 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
13 3 11T Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
14 29 5J Eric Jacobsen Watsonville, CA
15 8 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
16 13 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
17 25 44 Earl Pearson Jr. Jacksonville, FL
18 31 21JR Billy Moyer Jr. Batesville, AR
19 27 28 Eddie Carrier Jr. Salt Rock, WV
20 32 7L Jerry Lierly Camp Point, IL
21 14 2a John Anderson Omaha, NE
22 2 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
23 16 20R Jeremy Payne Springfield, MO
24 19 28m Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
25 26 1v Will Vaught Crane, MO
26 17 33x Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
27 10 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
28 21 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
29 11 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
30 5 00s Jesse Stovall Billings, MO
31 18 9T Tim Isenberg Marshfield, WI
32 23 6s Steve Shaver Vienna, WV

Race Statistics
Entrants: 72
Lap Leaders: Scott Bloomquist (Laps 1 - 10); Jimmy Owens (Laps 11 - 100)
Caution Flags: John Blankenship, Chris Simpson, Tony Jackson Jr., Jared Landers, Brian Shirley, Jimmy Owens (Lap 1); Eric Turner, Steve Shaver, Jared Landers, Will Vaught (Lap 2); Jerry Lierly, Tim Isenberg, Jared Landers, Steve Shaver (Lap 31); Brian Shirley (Lap 43); Debris (Lap 45); Jeremy Payne (Lap 62); Don O'Neal (Lap 63); Tyler Reddick (Lap 91)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Earl Pearson Jr.; Eddie Carrier Jr.
Lucas Oil Midwest Latemodel Racing Association Provisionals: Will Vaught; Terry Phillips
Show-Me Challenge Provisional: Mike Marlar
Fast Time Provisional: Eric Jacobsen
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: Billy Moyer Jr.; Jerry Lierly
 
Heat Race #1 (20 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Brian Birkhofer, Jared Landers, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jimmy Mars, Tim Manville, Brady Smith, Kyle Beard, Jerry Lierly, Brandon McCormick, Will Vaught, Justin Wells
 
Heat Race #2 (20 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Tyler Reddick, Jason Feger, Tony Jackson, Jr., Mike Marlar, Randy Weaver, Terry Phillips, Shannon Babb, Austin Rettig, Jay Brunson, Earl Pearson Jr., Ryan Gustin, Ron Johnson
 
Heat Race #3 (20 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Jesse Stovall, Brian Shirley, Eric Turner, Tanner English, Jack Sullivan, Steve Shaver, Stacy Taylor, Bryon Allison, Billy Moyer Jr., Jason Sivils, Steve Lampley, Brantlee Gotschall

Heat Race #4 (20 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Don O'Neal, John Blankenship, John Anderson, Travis Dickes, Dennis Erb Jr., Eric Jacobsen, AJ Diemel, Brandon Smith, Justin Asplin, Garrett Alberson, Tommy Weder, Scott Lewis

Heat Race #5 (20 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Bobby Pierce, Jeremy Payne, Jason Bodenhamer, Chad Simpson, Wendell Wallace, Chris Brown, David Deetz, Cole Wells, Robert Baker, Mark Dotson, Timothy Culp
 
Heat Race #6 (20 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Steve Francis, Chris Simpson, Tim Isenberg, Billy Moyer, Brandon Sheppard, Brad Looney, Rodney Sanders, Shawn Knuckles, Chase Junghaus, Dustin Walker, Mason Oberkramer, Jeff Floyd

Dash Finish: Eric Turner, Steve Shaver, Don O'Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Mike Marlar, Brandon Smith, Brian Shirley, Austin Rettig, Steve Lampley

Race of Champions: Terry Phillips, Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Brian Birkhofer, Billy Moyer, Wendell Wallace

Fast Time Group A: Scott Bloomquist / 14.902 seconds
Fast Time Group B: Eric Jacobsen / 14.934 seconds

Event Photos courtesy of Lloyd Collins