World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Screven Motor Speedway
February 6, 2015
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Steve Casebolt Claims First-Career World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory In Friday’s Season Opener At Screven Motor Speedway
Indiana Standout Bags $10,600 After Passing Polesitter Brandon Overton Late In The First Leg of Screven's Winter Freeze Doubleheader

WoOLMS PR
SYLVANIA, GA (February 6) - Steve Casebolt added another major accomplishment to his resume Friday night at Screven Motor Speedway in earning his first-career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory during the opening race on the national tour's 2015 season.

Casebolt, 36, of Richmond, Ind., overtook Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., on lap 44 of Friday's 50-lap Winter Freeze A-Main at Screven's 3/8-mile oval and turned back Overton's last-ditched effort to retake the lead in the closing laps. The former Eldora Dream winner earned $10,600 in just his second start behind the wheel of a Club 29 Race Car for new car owner Tye Twarog.

"We started this new team kinda on a whim late last year," said Casebolt, who recently announced his partnership with Twarog during December's Performance Racing Industry trade show. "This is unbelievable. I'm thrilled and just couldn't be any happier. Everything turned out great."

Overton settled for the runner-up spot, falling just shy of claiming his own breakthrough WoO LMS victory after leading the race's first 43 laps. He was followed by a pair of three-time WoO LMS champions in third-finishing Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., and fourth-place Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., rounded out the top five finishers in a race slowed by five cautions.

The yellow flags made things difficult for the race winner. After starting to Overton's outside on the front row, Casebolt appeared to have the quicker car for much of the race, but multiple cautions spoiled his challenges.

Casebolt's first serious bid for the lead came just after the lap-20 mark when he began to look under Overton as the two leaders entered lapped traffic. The two cars were side by side on lap 24 when the race's fourth caution waved and thwarted Casebolt's strong run.

Overton edged away from Casebolt in the initial laps following the restart, but Casebolt was again looking under the leader before the race's final caution on lap 31 again slowed his run.

Overton again enjoyed a slight advantage in the laps following the restart, but Casebolt was back looking for the lead by lap 40.

The third time was a charm for Casebolt. Just as Overton reached the tail of the field, Casebolt used a bold move to drive to the outside of Overton in turns one and two on lap 44 and completed the winning pass down the back straightway as Overton remained stuck behind two lapped cars.

Overton quickly moved around the slower cars on the following lap and closed the gap to Casebolt as he had his own struggles with traffic. But it wasn't enough for Overton to make a serious challenge, and Casebolt pulled away over the final two laps.

"I did not need those cautions," said Casebolt, who became the first driver in the WoO LMS modern era to claim his first career series victory during a season-opening event. "Every time they came out I was getting ready to pass him. I was sitting there cussing and saying things nobody should ever say, but I finally got to him in lapped traffic. That was what we needed because we had the better car; we just had trouble getting to him and getting around him. He drove one heck of a race."

Although he missed out on what would have been his biggest career victory, Overton was plenty happy with his performance. Making just his second start in a new MasterSbilt by Huey machine, Overton earned his first top-five in a WoO LMS event with his career-best series finish.

"They were double file in front of me," Overton said of the lapped cars that slowed his pace and allowed Casebolt to make the winning pass. "When you get in traffic like that it's way easier to be running second than leading them things. But that's how it goes. For our second night in the car, I'm definitely happy with the way we ran tonight."

The race's only serious accident came on lap four when sixth-running Rodney Sanders of Happy, Texas, got over the cushion in turn four and rolled his No. 20 machine. Sanders emerged from his battered car without any apparent injuries, but the wreck ended what began as a promising run in his first-career WoO LMS A-Main start.

Reigning WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., began his sophomore season with a solid sixth-place performance. He was followed by Jordy Nipper of Gray, Ga., in the seventh spot.

Defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., was never a factor in finishing eighth. The result ended a streak of 11 consecutive top-five WoO LMS finishes for Lanigan, who two weeks ago broke his right thumb while racing in a non-series event in Arizona.

Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga., was part of a solid showing for home-state drivers, with his ninth-place finish making four top-10 results by Georgia-based teams. Behind him, Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., rallied from 20th to 10th in making his first appearance in a Longhorn Chassis.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series returns to Screven for the final night of the Winter Freeze weekend on Saturday. Another complete program is on tap, featuring time trials, heat races, last-chance qualifiers and a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main.

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

A-Main                        
1 2 C9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN (50) 10,600
2 1 76 Brandon Overton Appleton, GA (50) 5,000
3 7 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR (50) 3,150
4 4 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV (50) 2,650
5 3 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA (50) 2,550
6 6 99Jr Frank Heckenast Jr. Orland Park, IL (50) 2,250
7 10 1N Jordy Nipper Gray, GA (50) 1,400
8 11 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY (50) 1,950
9 9 26 Tony Knowles Tyrone, GA (50) 1,250
10 20 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA (50) 1,650
11 14 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY (50) 1,550
12 5 17M Dale McDowell Chickamaugua, GA (50) 1,050
13 13 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX (50) 1,500
14 21 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY (49) 1,450
15 23 93 Pancho Lawler Glenville, PA (49) 850
16 18 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA (49)  1,350
17 22 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS (49) 1,320
18 12 25z Mason Zeigler Chalk Hill, PA (49) 1,000
19 16 7 Rick Eckert York, PA (48) 1,380
20 19 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR (29) 700
21 24 21d Dan Stone Thompson, PA (13) 700
22 15 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA (8) 700
23 17 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN (4) 700
24 8 20 Rodney Sanders Happy, TX (3) 725

B-Main #1
1 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN
2 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR
3 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
4 93 Pancho Lawler Glenville, PA
5 21d Dan Stone Thompson, PA
6 4D Chad Hollenbeck Montrose, PA
7 60 Jim Manka Savannah, GA
8 4 Brian Ligon Augusta, GA

B-Main #2
1 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
2 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
3 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
4 11 Austin Smith Cedartown, GA
5 D8 Dustin Mitchell Princeton, NC
6 87 Josh Knoll Lake, MI
7 R1 Riley Hickman Cleveland, TN
8 98 Casey Barrow Savannah, GA

Heat #1
1 99Jr Frank Heckenast Jr. Orland Park, IL
2 20 Rodney Sanders Happy, TX
3 26 Tony Knowles Tyrone, GA
4 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX
5 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN
6 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
7 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR
8 4D Chad Hollenbeck Montrose, PA

Heat #2
1 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV
2 17M Dale McDowell Chickamaugua, GA
3 1N Jordy Nipper Gray, GA
4 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
5 93 Pancho Lawler Glenville, PA
6 21d Dan Stone Thompson, PA
7 4 Brian Ligon Augusta, GA
8 60 Jim Manka Savannah, GA

Heat #3
1 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
2 76 Brandon Overton Appleton, GA
3 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
4 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA
5 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
6 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
7 R1 Riley Hickman Cleveland, TN
8 D8 Dustin Mitchell Princeton, NC

Heat #4
1 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA
2 C9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN
3 25z Mason Zeigler Chalk Hill, PA
4 7 Rick Eckert York, PA
5 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
6 11 Austin Smith Cedartown, GA
7 98 Casey Barrow Savannah, GA
8 87 Josh Knoll Lake, MI

Group A
1 99Jr Frank Heckenast Jr. Orland Park, IL 14.840
2 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV 15.086
3 20 Rodney Sanders Happy, TX 15.199
4 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY 15.333
5 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN 15.341
6 17M Dale McDowell Chickamaugua, GA 15.348
7 26 Tony Knowles Tyrone, GA 15.378
8 4 Brian Ligon Augusta, GA 15.433
9 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX 15.569
10 1N Jordy Nipper Gray, GA 15.601
11 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR 15.757
12 21d Dan Stone Thompson, PA 15.825
13 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY 16.024
14 93 Pancho Lawler Glenville, PA 16.172
15 4D Chad Hollenbeck Montrose, PA 16.261
16 60 Jim Manka Savannah, GA 16.318

Group B
1 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR 14.815
2 C9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN 14.848
3 76 Brandon Overton Appleton, GA 14.937
4 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY 14.985
5 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA 14.985
6 25z Mason Zeigler Chalk Hill, PA 15.122
7 101 Casey Roberts Toccoa, GA 15.124
8 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA 15.241
9 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS 15.335
10 7 Rick Eckert York, PA 15.451
11 R1 Riley Hickman Cleveland, TN 15.500
12 98 Casey Barrow Savannah, GA 15.511
13 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA 15.567
14 11 Austin Smith Cedartown, GA 15.681
15 D8 Dustin Mitchell Princeton, NC 16.172
16 87 Josh Knoll Lake, MI 16.870


- race-monitor / all results unofficial