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Kevin Kovac
SARVER, Penn. (June 25) - Tim McCreadie rediscovered the path to Victory Lane on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Friday night at Lernerville Speedway. June 25 Race Photos
And after capturing the second 30-lap preliminary A-Main of the fourth annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com weekend, the 2006 WoO LMS champion was smiling and allowing himself to dream of an even bigger triumph in Saturday night's extra-distance, $30,000-to-win spectacular.
"We've struggled a little bit and been off, so we went back to the shop, changed some things and got back to where we were a year ago," said McCreadie, who earned $6,275 for his second win of the 2010 WoO LMS and guaranteed himself a pole starting spot in a Firecracker 100 heat on Saturday evening. "I know we didn't show it last night with our finish (seventh in the weekend's first 30-lap preliminary), but we came on a bunch late. Tonight we just started further up and were able to get to the lead quick enough.
"We've had two good nights in a row. Hopefully in a lot longer race (Saturday) night we can just pace ourselves, get our car balanced and be up there at the end."
McCreadie, 36, of Watertown, N.Y., started fourth but hustled his Sweeteners Plus Rocket car into second place on a lap-two restart. He then stalked leader Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., until diving to the inside of turn four to assume command for good on lap 21.
In another fast-paced event slowed by only a single caution on lap two for a spin by Union, Ky.'s Darrell Lanigan, McCreadie crossed the finish line 1.386 seconds ahead of Shinnston, W.Va.'s Josh Richards, who slipped his Rocket Chassis house car by Smith for second with the white flag flying. The 22-year-old Richards, who started fifth, fell short of duplicating his victory in Thursday night's 30-lap A-Main.
"We came on at the end but Timmy was really good," said Richards, who leads the WoO LMS with five victories this season. "We pretty much did the same thing we did last night, but the car was just a little bit too tight."
Smith, 33, settled for third place in his Team Zero by Bloomquist machine after racing off the outside pole to lead laps 1-20. Sixth-starter Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., finished a steady fourth for the second consecutive night in his Victory Circle car and seventh-starter Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., who didn't qualify for Thursday night's A-Main, completed the top five in NASCAR star Clint Bowyer's Warrior car.
McCreadie's discovery of the extreme lane was the key to his victory over Smith, who spent virtually the entire distance tossing his mount around the four-tenths-mile oval's outer lip.
"I thought my best shot was to get low (on the track) because I knew I wasn't gonna pass him above the cushion," said McCreadie, who recorded his 14th career win on the WoO LMS. "There was a bunch of moisture down there, so I figured I'd take a shot at it. We got lucky tonight. Our stuff steered pretty good down there."
Smith had no answer for McCreadie's challenge. He was left to battle for second with Richards.
"I saw Tim down there, but I thought I'd keep doing what I was doing," said Smith, who recently made the difficult decision to no longer follow the WoO LMS as a regular for reasons that include financial concerns. "I just lost all my drive (off the corners). I checked my right-rear tire afterward and there was only four pounds of air in it so that didn't help my any, but even if my tire didn't start going flat I don't know if I would've had anything for Tim."
The mop-haired McCreadie was bubbling with enthusiasm following his triumph, which was punctuated by a ear-splitting fireworks display during the Victory Lane ceremonies. He gave the slick Lernerville racing surface rave reviews, making him look forward to Saturday's Firecracker 100 finale.
"I like the way (the track) is," said McCreadie, whose previous WoO LMS win at Lernerville came during his 2006 championship season. "It's really neat. It takes a little more than just being really smooth - sometimes you gotta cock it and run hard. It's a pretty challenging track."
McCreadie moved to second in the WoO LMS points standings, overtaking Lanigan, who could only manage a 13th-place finish after qualifying through a B-Main and being forced to the rear of the A-Main field after his lap-two spin. McCreadie trails Richards by 30 points - and that's what his deficit will remain after Saturday night because the Firecracker 100 offers only show-up points to all competitors.
Rookie Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., started from the pole position by steadily slipped backward, ultimately finishing sixth. Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., advanced from the 12th starting spot to place seventh, followed by Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y. - the $500 WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' winner for being the highest-finishing driver who hasn't won a tour A-Main and isn't among the top 12 in the points standings - Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, and 24th-starter Will Vaught of Crane, Mo.
Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., was quickest in the 57-car time-trial session, touring the oval in 15.823 seconds. But his first fast time of the 2010 WoO LMS campaign was the highlight of his night; he was never a factor in the A-Main, finishing 17th.
Heat winners were Brady Smith, Doug Horton of Bruceton Mills, W.Va. (from the last starting spot), Richards, Hubbard, McCreadie and Moyer. The B-Mains were captured by Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., and Davey Johnson of Latrobe, Pa.
The heat-race action was highlighted by a wild tangle during the second qualifier involving Bloomquist and defending Firecracker 100 champion Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who came together and slid off the track in turn one while battling for second place. Bloomquist restarted at the rear of the field and finished fourth, while Mars retired with suspension damage and was later unable to climb high enough to transfer to the feature through a B-Main.
The Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com concludes on Saturday (June 26) with a full day of activities. Following an afternoon of pre-race entertainment that includes a driver/fan horseshoes tournament at 12 noon, the Ms. Firecracker pageant at 2 p.m. and a huge driver autograph session at 4 p.m., six heat races - lined up using entrants' best finish from the two preliminary events - are scheduled to begin at 7:35 p.m.
Saturday's program also includes B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 Non-Qualifiers' Race and the Firecracker 100.
Details and ticket information on the Firecracker 100 can be obtained by logging on to www.lernerville.com.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series 'Firecracker 100' Preliminary Night No. 2 (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Tim McCreadie/30 $6,275
2. (5) Josh Richards/30 $3,100
3. (2) Brady Smith/30 $2,000
4. (6) Billy Moyer/30 $1,850
5. (7) Dale McDowell/30 $1,500
6. (1) Austin Hubbard/30 $1,500
7. (12) Steve Francis/30 $1,250
8. (14) Mike Knight/30 $1,600
9. (8) Doug Drown/30 $1,050
10. (24) Will Vaught/30 $1,000
11. (20) Shane Clanton/30 $900
12. (3) Doug Horton/30 $825
13. (22) Darrell Lanigan/30 $850
14. (19) Scott Bloomquist/30 $725
15. (10) Rick Eckert/30 $700
16. (21) Davey Johnson/30 $680
17. (13) Tim Fuller/30 $720
18. (23) Dave Hess Jr./30 $660
19. (17) Jamie Lathroum/30 $640
20. (15) Brian Birkhofer/30 $620
21. (26) Russell King/30 $600
22. (16) Bub McCool/30 $600
23. (25) Clint Smith/29 $600
24. (18) Chub Frank/29 $600
25. (9) Robbie Blair/29 $600
26. (11) Steve Shaver/8 $625
Time of Race: 13 Mins., 33.399 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.386 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 1 (Lap 2)
Lap Leaders: B. Smith (1-20); McCreadie (21-30)
Provisional Starters: C. Smith, King
Rookie of the Race: Hubbard ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Knight ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.823
2. 12-Doug Drown/Wooster, OH 15.842
3. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.881
4. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.926
5. 6s-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV 15.935
6. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 15.982
7. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 15.983
8. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 16.032
9. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 16.048
10. 19h-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.081
11. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.096
12. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 16.138
13. 1c-Lynn Geisler/Cranberry Twp., PA 16.140
14. 9K-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 16.173
15. 4J-John Mollick/Toronto, OH 16.232
16. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.244
17. 2Jx-Davey Johnson/Latrobe, PA 16.248
18. 14c-Corey Conley/Wellsburg, WV 16.279
19. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.319
20. 28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 16.358
21. J4-John Garvin/Sarver, PA 16.376
22. 72M-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 16.382
23. 6L-Jamie Lathroum/Mechanicsville, MD 16.382
24. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.414
25. 21L-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 16.427
26. 99b-Rick 'Boom' Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 16.443
27. won11-Robbie Blair/Titusville, PA 16.489
28. 29s-Ken Schaltenbrand/Sarver, PA 16.513
29. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.541
30. 4-Alex Ferree/Saxonburg, PA 16.553
31. 22-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 16.594
32. 2J-Mike Johnson/Imperial, PA 16.602
33. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 16.647
34. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 16.657
35. 1J-Dave Murdick/Slippery Rock, PA 16.679
36. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 16.679
37. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.736
38. 22s-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 16.752
39. 7-Matt Miller/Waterville, OH 16.776
40. 1cfr-Peter Mantha Jr./Gatineau, QUE 16.837
41. 66-Todd Bachman/Natrona Heights, PA 16.895
42. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 16.932
43. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 16.943
44. 4T8-John Flinner/Zelionople, PA 16.956
45. 44H-Dave Hess Jr./Waterford, PA 16.975
46. 23T-Tony Burke/Sarver, PA 17.065
47. 88-Chuck Sarver/W. Sunbury, PA 17.065
48. 38R-Nick Reges/Butler, PA 17.087
49. 14-April Farmer/Livingston, TN 17.104
50. H1-Jared Miley/South Park, PA 17.132
51. 72N-Michael Norris/Sarver, PA 17.156
52. 45-Mark Byram/Georgetown, DE 17.280
53. 25z-Mason Ziegler/Chalk Hill, PA 17.392
54. 32c-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA 17.444
55. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 17.456
56. 46-Doug Horton/Bruceton Mills, WV 17.522
57. c33-Chris Casner/Mifflintown, PA 17.597
58. J19-Jason Fosnaught/Creighton, PA N/T
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): B. Smith, McDowell, Fuller, Lux, Lanigan, Farmer, Oakes, King, Geisler, Robinson
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Horton, Drown, Knight, Bloomquist, Briggs, Miley, M. Johnson, Flinner, Satterlee, Mars
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Richards, Blair, Birkhofer, Clanton, Miller, Hess, Casner, Norris, Garvin, Mollick
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Hubbard, Eckert, McCool, C. Smith, Schaltenbrand, Mason, Byram, Burke, Mantha (DNS) Fosnaught
Heat No. 5 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): McCreadie, Shaver, Lathroum, D. Johnson, Stone, Murdick, Sarver, Bachman, Ziegler
Heat No. 6 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Moyer, Francis, Frank, Vaught, Ferree, Frye, Conley, Reddick, Reges
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): Bloomquist, Lanigan, Lux, Briggs, Mars, Farmer, King, Satterlee, Oakes, Geisler, Miley, Flinner, M. Johnson (DNS) Robinson
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): Clanton, Hess, C. Smith, Byram, Miller, Mason, Norris, Schaltenbrand, Casner, Burke, Mollick, Mantha (DNS) Garvin, Fosnaught
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): D. Johnson, Vaught, Ferree, Stone, Murdick, Reddick, Conley, Sarver, Bachman, Reges, Ziegler, Frye
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