World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Bubba Raceway Park
February 14, 2014
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Brady Smith Steers New Rocket Car To Victory In World of Outlaws Late Model Series Season Opener At Bubba Raceway Park
Wisconsin Standout Holds Off Substitute Rocket Chassis House Car Driver Brandon Sheppard For $7,000 Triumph

Kevin Kovac
OCALA, FL (February 14) – Brady Smith loves his new car.

After steering the three-race-old machine to a wire-to-wire victory in Friday night’s caution-free 35-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener at Bubba Raceway Park, Smith’s decision to join the Rocket Chassis fold in 2014 was vindicated.

“We just couldn’t be happier with the support we’ve been getting (from Rocket Chassis),” Smith said after capturing the milestone 400th WoO LMS A-Main contested since the national tour was reborn in 2004 under the World Racing Group banner. “All those guys over there – (Steve) Baker, Mark (Richards), Cody (Duncan), Matt (Barnes), Josh (Richards) – have been just so helpful. I couldn’t be happier with the effort they’ve been giving me to help us get going here.”

Smith, 36, of Solon Springs, Wis., took off from his pole position starting spot and led the entire distance in his Vic Hill-powered car, but his $7,050 triumph in the first of three Bubba Army Dirt Late Model Winter Nationals events didn’t come easy. He had to hold off a furious late-race challenge from Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill. – the substitute driver of Mark Richards’s Rocket Chassis house car while reigning WoO LMS champ Josh Richards is sidelined by undisclosed medical issues – to secure his fifth career win on the WoO LMS.

The 21-year-old Sheppard’s last-lap bid fell short by 0.367 of a second as he settled for runner-up money. Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., finished about one second behind Sheppard in third driving his new self-designed Club 29 car. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., burst forward from the 12th starting spot to fourth place in 11 laps and stayed there to the finish in his Bloomquist car, while seventh-starter Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., completed the top five in his Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car.

In a non-stop race that was completed in a mere 9 minutes, 28.214 seconds, Smith found himself dealing with heavy lapped traffic throughout the closing stages. Never far behind was Sheppard, who started fourth and reached second with a lap-10 pass of Lanigan.

Sheppard repeatedly slid underneath Smith in the corners of the egg-shaped, three-eighths-mile oval over the final 10 laps, but Smith made the correct moves to hang on for his first WoO LMS checkered flag since Aug. 20, 2011, at Merritt Speedway in Lake City, Mich.

“The lapped traffic was somewhat hellacious tonight so we had our hands full out there,” said Smith, whose best finish in four previous WoO LMS starts at BRP was a seventh on Feb. 16, 2013. “I was just trying to do the best I could without roughing anybody up too bad and still keep my pace up.

“I saw that blue nose (of Sheppard’s car) poked under me a couple times but just got back up on the wheel and tried to finish the job.”

Smith smiled broadly through a bushy winter’s beard while celebrating with family and friends during the post-race ceremonies. An annual competitor in Florida dirt Late Model Speedweeks events since 2005, Smith was triumphant during the February stretch of action for the first time since Feb. 13, 2010, at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.

“I’m extremely happy to be here in Victory Lane,” said Smith. “I’ve got almost all my best supporters here – my family (wife Jenni and young children Travis and Rowan), a couple of my great sponsors (Michaletz Trucking and Jim Gummerson from Mid-States Equipment Inc.). This means a lot.”

Sheppard, meanwhile, graciously accepted his solid second-place finish.

“The lapped traffic was just tough,” said Sheppard, who registered a career-best WoO LMS finish in the state of Florida. “Every time I’d get up there to (Smith), get close to him, we’d always catch up to lapped traffic. Every batch of lapped traffic we got to was two-wide, so it was hard to do anything with him.”

Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., improved four positions to finish sixth in his first WoO LMS start driving a car fielded by his father-in-law Ron Davies while Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., was seventh and earned the $500 WoO LMS Bonus Bucks for being the highest-finished non-touring regular who has never won a series event. Ivedent Lloyd Jr. of Ocala, Fla., placed eighth at his hometown track; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., advanced from the 20 th starting spot to finish ninth; and possible WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Frankie Heckenast Jr. of Orland Park, Ill., rounded out the top five.

Sheppard topped the evening’s 27-car field in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials with a lap of 14.872 seconds. It was his second career WoO LMS fast-time honor.

Heat winners were Sheppard, Brandon Overton of Appleton, Ga., and Brady Smith. Morgan Bagley of Tyler, Texas, captured the B-Main.

The Bubba Army Dirt Late Model Winter Nationals continue with a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event on Saturday night (Feb. 15) and a 60-lap finale paying $12,000 to win on Sunday evening (Feb. 16).

More information on the Winter Nationals is available by logging on to www.bubbaracewaypark.com.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com

A-Main
1 1 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI $7,000
2 4 1 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
3 3 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
4 12 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
5 7 19 Tim Fuller Watertown, NY
6 10 25 Shane Clanton Fayetteville, GA
7 9 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
8 15 21L Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL
9 20 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
10 18 99jr Frank Heckenast Jr Orland Park, IL
11 5 76 Brandon Overton Appling, GA
12 6 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
13 13 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
14 11 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
15 14 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
16 19 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
17 17 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA
18 16 54 Dalton Myers Riverview, FL
19 21 12m Raymond Merrill Salisaw, OK
20 23 99b Boom Briggs Bear Lake, PA
21 22 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA
22 8 11 Austin Kirkpatrick Ocala, FL
23 2 58 Mark Whitener Middlebourne, FL
24 24 17j John Winge Sioux Falls, SD

B-Main  (top 4 transfer)
1 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
2 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
3 12m Raymond Merrill Salisaw, OK
4 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA
5 99b Boom Briggs Bear Lake, PA
6 1G Michael Lake Uniontown, PA
7 17j John Winge Sioux Falls, SD
8 16h Mike Hammerle St Charles, MO

Heat #1  
1 1 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
2 58 Mark Whitener Middlebourne, FL
3 19 Tim Fuller Watertown, NY
4 25 Shane Clanton Fayetteville, GA
5 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
6 54 Dalton Myers Riverview, FL
7 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
8 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA
9 1G Michael Lake Uniontown, PA

Heat #2  
1 76 Brandon Overton Appling, GA
2 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
3 11 Austin Kirkpatrick Ocala, FL
4 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
5 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
6 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA
7 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
8 17j John Winge Sioux Falls, SD
9 99b Boom Briggs Bear Lake, PA

Heat #3  
1 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
2 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
3 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
4 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
5 21L Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL
6 99jr Frank Heckenast Jr Orland Park, IL
7 12m Raymond Merrill Salisaw, OK
8 2m Allen Murray San Antonio, TX
9 16h Mike Hammerle St Charles, MO

Qualifying Results (unofficial)
1 1 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL 14.872
2 76 Brandon Overton Appling, GA 15.176
3 21L Ivedent Lloyd Jr. Ocala, FL 15.196
4 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY 15.215
5 58 Mark Whitener Middlebourne, FL 15.222
6 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY 15.244
7 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI 15.246
8 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS 15.275
9 11 Austin Kirkpatrick Ocala, FL 15.309
10 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN 15.310
11 25 Shane Clanton Fayetteville, GA 15.400
12 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX 15.481
13 24 Rick Eckert York, PA 15.502
14 19 Tim Fuller Watertown, NY 15.547
15 18x Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR 15.554
16 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA 15.557
17 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA 15.581
18 99jr Frank Heckenast Jr Orland Park, IL 15.591
19 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 15.716
20 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA 15.815
21 2m Allen Murray San Antonio, TX 15.925
22 54 Dalton Myers Riverview, FL 15.968
23 99b Boom Briggs Bear Lake, PA 15.987
24 12m Raymond Merrill Salisaw, OK 16.130
25 1G Michael Lake Uniontown, PA 16.134
26 17j John Winge Sioux Falls, SD 16.329
27 16h Mike Hammerle St Charles, MO 17.500