Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Speedway
Show Me 100
May 26, 2012
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Jimmy Owens Wins Second Straight DART Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway 
by James Essex
WHEATLAND, MO (May 26, 2012) - Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN successfully defended his DART Show-Me 100 Presented by ProtectThe Harvest.com crown on Saturday Night at Lucas Oil Speedway. Owens earned $30,000 for his second consecutive series victory. In a hard-fought race that went down to the final lap, Owens held off 27th starting John Blankenship of Williamson, WV and Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL for the win. The event was co-sanctioned with the Lucas Oil MLRA.
With high-flying passes on nearly every lap of the entire event, it was anyone's race to win. Owens started from the pole position and took the lead at the start of the race. Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR; a 3-time winner of the event; challenged Owens for the lead early on. Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA, the 16-year-old phenom, made his presence known early. He was going to a contender for the win as he came from his seventh starting spot to pass both Moyer and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN to take over the second spot.
Reddick then put the heat on Owens for the lead, diving to the bottom of the track Reddick gained ground on Owens and was gunning for the lead when his engine popped with 16 laps scored. Bloomquist inherited the second position after Reddick's night ended.
Jared Landers of Batesville, AR quickly became one of the wild-cards of the race. Landers started 25th and powered through the field, running third by lap 19. The top three of Owens, Bloomquist, and Landers then pulled away from Erb, who was fourth at this point. The leaders experienced heavy traffic with 30 laps in the books and ten circuits later they were nose-to-tail.
A caution on lap 48 for Will Vaught bunched the field up. On the restart, Landers went for the lead and took over the top spot, passing Owens on lap 49. Landers then led two more laps until his power steering started to go out. Owens regained the point from Landers on lap 53.
Landers then started to fade as several cars passed him. Bloomquist moved into second and he and Erb started to challenge Owens for the lead. Owens began to push in the turns as the cushion became a bit treacherous. He had trouble entering turn two and exiting turn four, allowing both Bloomquist and Erb to stay close.
Cautions for Kevin Sather on lap 74 and Bloomquist on lap 76, only added to the mix of exciting restarts. Erb picked up the challenge for the lead, racing Owens hard until the final caution of the race came out for Eric Wells with 89 laps scored. The field was set-up for the final free-for-all, with everyone gunning for the top spot with only 11 laps to go.
On the restart Blankenship; who had surged through the field, slid up in turn two, directly in front of Owens to briefly take the lead. But Owens dove down beneath Blankenship, and the two went door to door down the back stretch. Owens hung on to just edge out both Blankenship and Erb at the finish line.
"That was an awesome race, I think maybe we broke something on the left rear, I don't know, the car was a handful all night! If I could stay up on that cushion, I knew I couldn't let those guys get by me, I couldn't even take off good on the restarts," said the 40-year-old who won for the 31st time in his LOLMDS career.
"They could get a good run on me on the restarts, and luckily we were able to hang on. John (Blankenship) passed me there after that last restart, and I thought, well we have got to cross back over and kind of return the favor. My hat's off to John he had a great car, and made a great run."
"I have to thank my car owner Mike Reece, my sponsors Reece Monument Company, Sunoco Race Fuels, Gantte Appraisals, Red Line Oil, Midwest Sheet Metal, Ohlins, Hoosier, Keyser and C&C Tucking." The Bloomquist Race Cars entry that Owens drives is powered by a Cornett Racing Engine.
For the fourth time in the last five races, Blankenship earned the title of Hard Charger of the Race in the Coal America's Energy, Cornett Race Engines, Rocket. Erb bounced back with a solid third place finish in his JL Scrap Metals, Bloomquist Race Cars, Chevrolet.
Austin Hubbard of Seaford, DE also made a strong run. He started dead last in 29th place and worked his way up to a fourth place finish in his first ever appearance at Lucas Oil Speedway. Hubbard's run came in the Trinity Logistics, Cornett Race Engines, Rocket Chevrolet. Moyer completed the top five in his Banner Valley Hauling, Clements Race Engines, Moyer Victory Circle Chevy.
Completing the top ten were Steve Francis of Ashland, KY; Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA; Earl Pearson of Jacksonville, FL; Eric Turner of Hermitage, MO ; and John Anderson of Omaha, NE.
In preliminary action, Jimmy Owens set the Red Buck Cigars Fast Time amongst the 55 entrants with a lap of 15.513 seconds. Heat races were taken by: Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, Don O'Neal, and Billy Moyer. Billy Moyer Jr. and Jesse Stovall won their respective B-Mains.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, May 26th, 2012
20th Annual DART "Show-Me 100" Presented by Protect The Harvest
Lucas Oil Speedway - Wheatland, MO
1 1 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN $30,000
2 27 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
3 8 28e Dennis Erb, Jr. Carpentersville, IL
4 29 11h Austin Hubbard Seaford, DE
5 4 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
6 14 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
7 10 15d Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA
8 19 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
9 5 33x Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
10 24 2a John Anderson Omaha, NE
11 20 5J Eric Jacobsen Watsonville, CA
12 11 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY
13 3 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
14 12 3E Kevin Sather Des Moines, IA
15 25 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
16 17 21JR Billy Moyer, Jr. Batesville, AR
17 16 1v Will Vaught Crane, MO
18 9 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
19 21 A1 Duke Whiseant Texarkana, AR
20 28 56 Tony Jackson, Jr. Lebanon, MO
21 18 00S Jesse Stovall Galena, MO
22 23 58 AJ Diemel Elkmound, WI
23 6 28m Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
24 26 15T David Turner Creighton, MO
25 7 11T Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
26 2 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
27 13 25c Chad Simpson Mt. Vernon, IA
28 15 18 Shannon Babb Mowequa, IL
29 22 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
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B-Main #1
1 21jr Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR
2 44 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL
3 A1 Duke Whiseant Texarkana, TX
4 58 A.J. Diemel Bonduel, WI
5 11 Austin Hubbard Seaford, DE
6 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
7 56 Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO
8 17 Robert Baker Bryant, AR
9 98 Jason Rauen Dubuque, IA
10 17 Mark Dotson Cameron, MO
11 0 Shane Harris Sheridan, AR
12 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
13 7L Jerry Lierly Camp Point, IL
14 02 Tommy Weder Woodward, OK
B-Main #2
1 00 Jesse Stovall Galena, MO
2 5e Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA
3 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
4 2 John Anderson Omaha, NE
5 1A Bryon Allison Marshall, MO
6 9I Tim Isenburg Marshfield, WI
7 c8 Timothy Culp West Monroe, LA
8 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
9 41 Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
10 15t David Turner Adrian, MO
11 14L Brad Looney Republic, MO
12 20 Jake Meier Tipton, IA
13 46 Tim Rivers Salem, IN
14 96t R.C. Whitwell Tucson, AZ
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Dash
1 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
2 14L Brad Looney Republic, MO
3 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
4 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
5 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
6 44 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL
7 56 Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO
8 42 Brandon McCormick Lebanon, MO
Race of Champions
1 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
2 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
3 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
4 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
5 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
6 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
Heat #1
1 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
2 99 Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
3 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
4 25 Chad Simpson Mt Vernon, IA
5 21jr Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR
6 44 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL
7 56 Tony Jackson Jr Lebanon, MO
8 02 Tommy Weder Woodward, OK
9 17 Robert Baker Bryant, AR
10 7L Jerry Lierly Camp Point, IL
11 22 Charles McKenna Clear Lake, IA
12 14M Morgan Bagley Longview, TX
13 71 Chris Wall Holden, LA
14 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
Heat #2
1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
3 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
4 18 Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
5 58 A.J. Diemel Bonduel, WI
6 11 Austin Hubbard Seaford, DE
7 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
8 A1 Duke Whiseant Texarkana, TX
9 32 Mark Dodson Caledonia, MS
10 3s Brian Shirley Chatham, IL
11 98 Jason Rauen Dubuque, IA
12 41 Josh McGuire Ashland, KY
13 0 Shane Harris Sheridan, AR
14 99 Scott Lewis Brighton, CO
Heat #3
1 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
2 28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
3 15 Jonathan Davenport Blairsville, GA
4 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
5 5e Eric Jacobsen Seacliff Beach, CA
6 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
7 2 John Anderson Omaha, NE
8 18 Ronny Lee Hollingsworth Northport, AL
9 1A Bryon Allison Marshall, MO
10 96t R.C. Whitwell Tucson, AZ
11 42 Brandon McCormick Lebanon, MO
12 46 Tim Rivers Salem, IN
13 F5 B.J. Robinson Shreveport, LA
14 c8 Timothy Culp West Monroe, LA
Heat #4
1 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
2 28 Dennis Erb Jr Carpentersville, IL
3 3 Kevin Sather Des Moines, IA
4 1V Will Vaught Crane, MO
5 41 Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
6 00 Jesse Stovall Galena, MO
7 9I Tim Isenburg Marshfield, WI
8 32 Chris Simpson Oxford, IA
9 15t David Turner Adrian, MO
10 14L Brad Looney Republic, MO
11 20 Jake Meier Tipton, IA
12 7 Mike Stadel Rapid City, SD
13 5 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
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