World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Farmer City Raceway
April 17, 2015
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Bloomquist Tops Shirley To Score Opening Night Victory At Farmer City Raceway's Douglas Ram Trucks Illini 100
Veteran Tennessee Racer Claims First World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory In More Than Two Years In A Triumphant Return To Famer City



by Joshua Joiner, WoO LMS PR
FARMER CITY, IL (April 17) - Before Friday's Douglas Ram Trucks Illini 100 opening night event, Scott Bloomquist hadn't raced at Farmer City Raceway in more than a decade.

The veteran Dirt Late Model racer from Mooresburg, Tenn., made up for all that lost time with a fantastic performance in Friday's 25-lap main event, outdueling Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., to claim a $6,000 victory in the first leg of a World of Outlaws Late Model Series doubleheader weekend at Farmer City's quarter-mile oval.

The Illini 100 weekend continues on Saturday with another complete WoO LMS slate of racing highlighted by the 75-lap, $15,000-to-win Illini 100 finale.

Making his first appearance at Farmer City since 2002, Bloomquist recovered from a poor qualifying effort during Friday's preliminary action to win his heat race from the fourth spot then roared to the front of the A-Main from his sixth starting position before overcoming Shirley in a tight back-and-forth battle.

"It's been a long time since we've been here," said Bloomquist, who drove a Reece Monuments-sponsored Sweet-Bloomquist machine to the victory. "The track was real racy. It had one little hole in the middle of one and two that seemed to mess other guys up, but we could float right through it."

Shirley settled for second after starting from the pole and twice leading the race. He was followed by Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who ran close to the leaders for most of the distance but never could mount a strong enough charge to make a serious bid for the lead. Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., was fourth at the finish, while three-time WoO LMS champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., advanced from his 18th starting spot to round out the top five finishers.



Bloomquist established himself as a contender with a three-wide move from sixth to fourth on the race's opening lap. He then made quick work of Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., to take the third spot.

Taking full advantage of the race's only restart with three laps completed, Bloomquist powered around McCreadie in turns one and two to grab second, then crossed to the bottom groove down the back straightaway to pull even with Shirley in turns three and four.

Bloomquist completed the pass for the lead the next time through turns one and two and began pulling away. But Shirley battled back during the race's middle portions and retook the lead with a high-side pass on lap 15.

Shirley never could quite break free from Bloomquist after edging ahead, and a bout with turn-four cushion gave Bloomquist the chance to pull back ahead on lap 18. Bloomquist never looked back from there, pulling to an advantage of 1.595 seconds at the finish line.

"This is one of the ones that you can say was fun," said Bloomquist, the 2004 WoO LMS champion who claimed the 27th series victory of his career and first since February of 2013. "Once I saw him out there, I stayed focus and tried just to get more out of the bottom. I knew I could pick it up a notch because I was kind of in a zone just trying not to tear the tires up.

"When he got by I said piss on the tires and just went after it. The car responded and the tires stayed good."

Shirley, a veteran of the Illinois bullrings and a former DIRTcar UMP Summer Nationals champion, was doing his best to turn back Bloomquist's bid to retake the lead in piloting his Riggs Motorsports Rocket Chassis around the track's high line, but a fit with the turn-four cushion on lap 18 cost him.



"We got beat by one of the best guys in the business," said Shirley, whose lone WoO LMS victory came at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway in 2007. "I hit (the cushion) one time and that really cost me a lot of time. It's just one of those things that you flirt with when you're up there running it.

"All in all, we'll just do what we can to get the car better next time and see what tomorrow brings."

The race's only caution appeared with three laps complete when Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., and Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., tangled in turns three and four.

WoO LMS points leader Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., saw his streak of eight consecutive top-five finishes to start the season come to end with a 23rd-place finish. Clanton, who won four races during the tour's seven-race trek through Georgia and Florida in February, saw his lead in the championship chase cut from 92 points entering Friday's event to 74 points over defending series champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who finished 14th and 80 points over Richards.

The Douglas Ram Trucks Illini 100 weekend continues on Saturday with another complete WoO LMS slate of time trials, heat races and Last Chance Showdowns to set the lineup for the 75-lap, $15,000-to-win Illini 100 finale.

Pit gates open at noon with grandstand gates opening at 1 p.m. More information on the Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway is available by logging on to www.farmercityracing.com.

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

A-Main    
1 6 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN (25) $6,150
2 1 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL (25)
3 3 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY (25)
4 5 5 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN (25)
5 18 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV (25)
6 8 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA (25)
7 10 B5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL (25)
8 2 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN (25)
9 4 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN (25)
10 7 38c John Gardner Germantown, IL (25)
11 12 Z Joe Harlan El Paso, IL (25)
12 9 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY (25)
13 20 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY (25)
14 11 25f Jason Feger Bloomington, IL (25)
15 17 7v Rick Eckert York, PA (25)
16 14 99Jr Frank Heckenast Jr. Orland Park, IL (25)
17 22 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY (25)
18 16 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville, IL (25)
19 26 76 Brandon Overton Appleton, GA (25)
20 15 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL (24)
21 13 18b Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL (24)
22 21 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX (24)
23 23 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA (24)
24 19 7T Steve Thorsten Milford, IL (24)
25 27 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN (24)
26 24 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS (24)
27 25 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA (4)

B-Main #1
1 7T Steve Thorsten Milford, IL
2 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX
3 28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
4 99m Devin Moran Dresden, OH
5 89 Darren Friedman Forest, IL
6 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
7 18s Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
8 134 Chuck Mitchell Fairbury, IL
9 9d Daniel Flessner Thawville, IL
10 83 Scott Bull Fairbury, IL
11 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
12 8k Levi Kissinger Mt. Vernon, IN
13 782 Mark Larson Ottawa, IL
14 22 Chris Dick Deland, IL
15 89 Mike Spatola Manhattan, IL

B-Main #2
1 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
2 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
3 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA
4 4g Bob Gardner Germantown, IL
5 76 Brandon Overton Appleton, GA
6 10 Scott Schmitt Tonica, IL
7 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN
8 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
9 35 Derek Chandler Pontiac, IL
10 b12 Kevin Weaver Gibson City, IL
11 116 Torin Mettille Cullom, IL
12 42 Mckay Wenger Fairbury, IL
13 45 Kyle Hammer Clinton, IL
14 33 Billy Hough Thomasboro, IL
dns 75 Billy Drake Bloomington, IL

Heat #1
1 4 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
2 3 38c John Gardner Germantown, IL
3 1 18b Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
4 5 7T Steve Thorsten Milford, IL
5 2 28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
6 7 99m Devin Moran Dresden, OH
7 8 18s Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
8 6 83 Scott Bull Fairbury, IL

Heat #2
1 1 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
2 2 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
5 3 89 Mike Spatola Manhattan, IL
3 4 99Jr Frank Heckenast Jr. Orland Park, IL
6 5 9d Daniel Flessner Thawville, IL
4 6 89 Darren Friedman Forest, IL
7 7 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
8 8 22 Chris Dick Deland, IL

Heat #3
1 4 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 2 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
3 3 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX
4 1 32 Bobby Pierce Oakwood, IL
5 5 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
6 6 8k Levi Kissinger Mt. Vernon, IN
7 8 782 Mark Larson Ottawa, IL
8 7 134 Chuck Mitchell Fairbury, IL

Heat #4
1 1 5 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
2 6 B5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
3 4 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville, IL
4 7 4g Bob Gardner Germantown, IL
5 3 10 Scott Schmitt Tonica, IL
6 5 116 Torin Mettille Cullom, IL
7 2 b12 Kevin Weaver Gibson City, IL
8 8 33 Billy Hough Thomasboro, IL

Heat #5
1 2 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
2 1 25f Jason Feger Bloomington, IL
3 4 7v Rick Eckert York, PA
4 3 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
5 5 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
6 8 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA
7 6 42 Mckay Wenger Fairbury, IL
8 7 45 Kyle Hammer Clinton, IL

Heat #6
1 1 157 Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
2 2 Z Joe Harlan El Paso, IL
3 4 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV
4 6 76 Brandon Overton Appleton, GA
5 3 35 Derek Chandler Pontiac, IL
6 5 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
7 7 77 Jordan Yaggy Rochester, MN
dns 8 75 Billy Drake Bloomington, IL

Group A Qualifying
1 18b Shannon Babb 12.934
2 39 Tim McCreadie 12.962
3 32 Bobby Pierce 13.066
4 28 Jimmy Mars 13.095
5 1* Chub Frank 13.174
6 29 Darrell Lanigan 13.203
7 38c John Gardner Jr 13.228
8 89s Mike Spatola 13.231
9 14M Morgan Bagley 13.255
10 3s Brian Shirley 13.258
11 99jr Frank Heckenast Jr 13.262
12 0 Scott Bloomquist 13.266
13 7T Steve Thorsten 13.305
14 9D Daniel Flessner 13.352
15 99B Boom Briggs 13.383
16 83 Scott Bull 13.448
17 89 Darren Friedman 13.458
18 8K Levi Kissinger 13.544
19 99M Devin Moran 13.642
20 18c Chase Junghans 13.647
21 134 Chuck Mitchell 13.661
22 18s Jack Sullivan 13.761
23 22 Chris Dick 13.797
24 782 Mark Larson 14.009

Group B Qualifying
1 5 Don O'Neal 12.817
2 25F Jason Feger 12.968
3 157 Mike Marlar 13.066  
4 B12 Kevin Weaver 13.086
5 20 Jimmy Owens 13.117
6 Z Joe Harlan 13.156
7 10 Scott Schmitt 13.206
8 15 Steve Francis 13.242
9 35 Derek Chandler 13.247
10 28E Dennis Erb Jr 13.269
11 7V Rick Eckert 13.312
12 1 Josh Richards 13.314
13 116 Torin Mettille 13.335
14 18 Eric Wells 13.349
15 6m Wendell Wallace 13.352
16 B5 Brandon Sheppard 13.380
17 42 Mckay Wenger 13.398
18 76 Brandon Overton 13.420
19 4G Bob Gardner 13.439
20 45 Kyle Hammer 13.694
21 77 Jordan Yaggy 13.807
22 33 Billy Hough 14.328
23 25 Shane Clanton 19.239
24 75 Billy Drake no time

-- results unofficial