World of Outlaws Late Model Series
I-96 Speedway
August 22, 2014
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Curtis Roberts Enjoys Dream Night at I-96 Speedway, Scores First WoOLMS Victory
Michigan Driver Thrills Home-State Crowd in Claiming the NAPA Lake Odessa 50



WoOLMS PR
LAKE ODESSA, Mich. (August 22) - Curtis Roberts lived his dream Friday night at I-96 Speedway.

A regional racer for more than 20 years, Roberts, 47, of Coleman, Mich., took the lead when Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., suffered a flat right-rear tire on lap 42 of the NAPA Lake Odessa 50 Presented by Keyser A-Main and held off a furious charge by Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., through the race's finale eight laps to claim his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory.

Roberts earned and career-high $10,550 for his breakthrough victory and thrilled a large crowd of his home-state fans as the 3/8-mile oval hosted the national tour first time since 2007.

"I've been racing a lot of years and this is definitely my biggest win," said Roberts, who became the fourth first-time winner on the WoO LMS this season. "To come in here and beat these guys - the best drivers in the country - it's a dream come true. This is really just unbelievable."

Surrounded by a pack of WoO LMS stars, Roberts turned in the performance of his life in Friday's A-Main. Starting from the pole, Roberts slipped into second behind Clanton on the race's opening lap and turned back challenges from series veteran Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., through the first half of the 50-lapper.

After pulling away from Frank after the halfway point, Roberts appeared to be headed for a runner-up result until Clanton's demise put him out front. Roberts continued his impressive performance by holding off Lanigan in a tense battle that saw the two-time series champion and current points leader pull even with Roberts with a hard charge into the final turn.

"I could hear (Lanigan)," Roberts said. "I didn't know for sure who it was, I just said, 'Hey, keep hitting your marks, you've been doing good the whole race. Just keep it up. Don't mess up.' "

Just as he had all race, Roberts remained steady and pulled back ahead down the homestretch, forcing Lanigan to settle for the runner-up finish in his self-designed Club 29 Race Car. Frank, who claimed the only previous WoO LMS stop at I-96 in 2007, was third in the Sorbera Chiropractic Rocket, while 2006 WoO LMS champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., took fourth in the Sweeteners Plus Rocket ahead of leading series rookie Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., in the Heckenast Racing Club 29 car.

After taking second from Frank on the race's final restart on lap 42, Lanigan followed Roberts' line around the track's top groove before moving lower on the track to make his bid for the lead though the final corner. Lanigan crossed the finish line a mere 0.408 seconds behind Roberts, notching his 26th top-five finish in 30 WoO LMS A-Mains this season.

"He was super good around the top," Lanigan said, describing how Roberts mastered the tricky cushion that kept drivers on their toes throughout the event. "I gave it a last-lap effort there to try to get it done, but he did a good job. Starting sixth and to come home second, I'm definitely happy. He did a great job to get his first win - super job."

After lowering the track record in time trials and dominating his heat race, Clanton appeared headed for victory in dominating the majority of the main event. He built leads of more than a straightaway at times and continued to pull away from his chasers even in traffic. But his bid to end his year-long WoO LMS winless streak came to an early end when he slowed in turn two with 42 laps completed.

"It's heartbreaking, but that's racing," said Clanton, who debuted a new Capital Race Car in Friday's event. "This being a brand new race car, as good as it was you can't ask for much more. Set a new track record, won the heat, led every lap that we were on the racetrack - that's a pretty good night. It just sucks that Lady Luck got us."
Restarting second after the lap-42 caution for Clanton, Frank was aiming to end a winless streak even longer than Clanton's, but he was unable to challenge Roberts as the race went back green and Lanigan drove by for the second spot.

"We just weren't any good on the restarts," said Frank, whose winless stretch on the WoO LMS reached exactly five years on Friday. "I don't know why - if it was tires or what. I just needed a few laps to get going and just could not get going on the restarts."

Rick Eckert of York, Pa., drove the Rocket Chassis house car to a sixth-place finish, while Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas finished seventh in the P&W Sales Rocket. Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., was eighth in the Todd Wood Racing Rocket with Eric Wells ninth in the Wells Motorsports Rocket and Mike Spatola 10th in a Warrior Race Car.

The race was slowed by four cautions, the first appearing when Rusty Schlenk of McClure, Ohio had mechanical issues with 23 laps complete. The next yellow flag waved on lap 35 when WoO LMS rookie contender Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., slowed on the front straightaway, collecting Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. Jeep Van Wormer of Pinconning, Mich., spun to bring out a lap-36 caution, and Clanton's flat tire caused the final caution on lap 42.

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series completes its doubleheader weekend with a visit to Merritt Speedway in Lake City, Mich., on Saturday for the NAPA Merritt 50. Gates open at 4 p.m. at the 3/8-mile oval with qualifying scheduled for 6 and racing to follow at 7. General admission prices are $30 for adults and $6 for children ages 6-15. Additional information is available on the track's website at www.merrittspeedwaymi.com

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

A-Main
1 1 9r Curtis Roberts Coleman, MI $10,000
2 6 29 Darrell Lanigan Union, KY
3 3 1* Chub Frank Bear Lake, PA
4 5 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
5 4 99Jr Frank Heckenast Jr. Orland Park, IL
6 12 1 Rick Eckert York, PA
7 15 14M Morgan Bagley Tyler, TX
8 7 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA
9 9 18 Eric Wells Hazard, KY
10 17 89 Mike Spatola Manhattan, IL
11 18 55 Jeep Van Wormer Pinconning, MI
12 16 m14 Brandon Thirlby Traverse City, MI
13 10 99B Rick Briggs Bear Lake, PA
14 22 27 Eric Spangler Lake City, MI
15 2 25 Shane Clanton Zebulon, GA
16 8 19 Tim Fuller Watertown, NY
17 11 18c Chase Junghans Manhattan, KS
18 20 1N Casey Noonan Sylvania, OH
19 13 91 Rusty Schlenk Weston, OH
20 23 34 Herb Reich Ann Arbor, MI
21 19 23v Ryan VanderVeen Six Lakes, MI
22 21 2s Bry Sloan Lowell, MI
23 24 94 Bill Bray Spring Lake, MI
24 14 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI



B-Main #1
1 89 Mike Spatola
2 23v Ryan VanderVeen
3 2s Bry Sloan
4 22 Kevin Juusole
5 94 Bill Bray
6 87 Rich Neiser
7 52x Brad Harden
8 41 Jason Playter Jr.
9 66 Kurt Mesman

B-Main #2
1 55 Jeep Van Wormer
2 1N Casey Noonan
3 27 Eric Spangler
4 34 Herb Reich
5 1G Greg Gokey
6 21T Derek Thebo
7 8g Keith Gentz
8 28 John McDonald
dns 21 Tom Sprague Jr.

Heat #1
1 99jr Frank Heckenast Jr
2 39 Tim McCreadie
3 18 Eric Wells
4 91 Rusty Schlenk
5 89 Mike Spatola
6 2s Bry Sloan
7 94 Bill Bray
8 52x Brad Harden
9 41 Jason Playter Jr.

Heat #2
1 9R Curtis Roberts
2 44 Clint Smith
3 1*B Boom Briggs
4 2 Brady Smith
5 23v Ryan VanderVeen
6 87 Rich Neiser
7 22 Kevin Juusole
8 66 Kurt Mesman

Heat #3
1 25 Shane Clanton
2 1* Chub Frank
3 18c Chase Junghans
4 14M Morgan Bagley
5 55 Jeep Van Wormer
6 34 Herb Reich
7 1G Greg Gokey
8 21T Derek Thebo
9 28 John McDonald

Heat #4
1 29 Darrell Lanigan
2 19 Tim Fuller
3 1 Rick Eckert
4 M14 Brandon Thirlby
5 1N Casey Noonan
6 27 Eric Spangler
7 21 Tom Sprague Jr.
8 8g Keith Gentz


Group A Qualifying
1 89 Mike Spatola 16.159
2 9R Curtis Roberts 16.499
3 99jr Frank Heckenast Jr 16.501
4 44 Clint Smith 16.628
5 91 Rusty Schlenk 16.816
6 23v Ryan VanderVeen 16.857
7 18 Eric Wells 16.910
8 1*B Boom Briggs 16.943
9 39 Tim McCreadie 17.015 0
10 2 Brady Smith 17.420
11 94 Bill Bray 17.596
12 22 Kevin Juusole 17.603
13 52x Brad Harden 17.932
14 87 Rich Neiser 17.987
15 2s Bry Sloan 18.436
16 66 Kurt Mesman 19.551
17 41 Jason Playter Jr. no time

Group B Qualifying
1 25 Shane Clanton Best 16.000
2 29 Darrell Lanigan 16.224
3 1* Chub Frank 16.435
4 19 Tim Fuller 16.482
5 55 Jeep Van Wormer 16.543
6 1 Rick Eckert 16.559
7 18c Chase Junghans 16.606
8 1N Casey Noonan 16.613
9 14M Morgan Bagley 16.653
10 M14 Brandon Thirlby 16.785
11 34 Herb Reich 17.076
12 21 Tom Sprague Jr. 17.555
13 1G Greg Gokey 17.650
14 27 Eric Spangler 17.884
15 28 John McDonald 18.963
16 8g Keith Gentz 19.484
17 21T Derek Thebo no time