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Kevin Kovac
BARBERVILLE, Fla. (February 13) - And the beat goes on.
Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., continued to roll through the Sunshine State on Wednesday night, capturing his second straight 30-lap UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model feature during the 37th annual Alltel DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia Speedway Park.
The $7,000 triumph made Moyer two-for-two in 2008 Alltel DIRTcar Nationals action at the half-mile oval, and it was his fourth consecutive victory overall in Florida. He arrived at Volusia coming off three wins in four nights on the west side of the state at East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, including the track's final two Winternationals events.
"I just hope I don't wake up from this dream," said Moyer, who led from flag-to-flag after starting from the pole position. "Everything is just falling in line right now."
Driving a three-week-old Victory Circle M1 Chassis that he built in collaboration with the Bakersfield, Calif.-based Victory Circle shop, Moyer was never seriously challenged. He survived four caution flags between laps seven and 18 and a last-lap bout with heavy lapped traffic to cross the finish line 0.954 of a second ahead of Shinnston, W.Va.'s Josh Richards.
"We're tweaking on little things right now, just trying to watch the racetrack," said Moyer, a 50-year-old dirt Late Model legend. "I guess we're doing everything right."
Richards, 19, slid forward from the fifth starting spot to reach second on lap 10. He was within a few car lengths of Moyer at the race's halfway point, but couldn't keep pace after the final restart, on lap 18, falling a full straightaway behind before a jumble of lapped traffic on the last circuit allowed him to draw closer to Moyer.
"I caught up to (Moyer) and thought I might have a shot," said Richards, who drove his father Mark's Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket No. 1. "But he could stay smooth and consistent in the line he was running and I had to move around to try to find something, and then he got some distance on me."
Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., enjoyed a strong run in his J.P. Drilling GRT car, advancing from the ninth starting spot to finish third.
Defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., charged forward from the 14th starting slot to place fourth in Dale Beitler's Reliable Painting Rocket No. 19, and 2006 WoO LMS titlist Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., finished fifth in the Sweeteners Plus Rocket after recovering from an early-race problem that forced him to the rear of the field.
McCreadie, who started 13th but stopped in turn one to draw a caution flag on lap eight after being involved in a scramble, snatched fifth place on the final lap when 2007 UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model national champ Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., slowed rounding turns three and four with driveline woes.
Erb, who started 19th, limped across the finish line in sixth place.
PIT NOTES: Seventy-eight cars were signed in for Wednesday night's action, which rolled on with virtually no delay in start time after a short shower struck the facility late in the afternoon…
Heat winners were Patrick Sheltra of Indiantown, Fla., Richards, Moyer, Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich., Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., and Brandon Kinzer of Allen, Ky. The B-Mains were captured by Erb, Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y., and Darren Miller of Chadwick, Ill…
Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., appeared headed to victory in the fourth heat until stopping in turn two. He did not return…
Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, W.Va., and Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va. - all top-10 finishers in Monday night's feature - were among the non-qualifiers on Wednesday.
Also missing the cut was Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who appeared headed to a top-five finish on Monday night until a flat tire slowed him on the final lap. He made his first start of the season in team owner Clint Bowyer's Rocket Chassis mount…
G.R. Smith of Huntersville, N.C., was left with a badly damaged Rocket car after slamming the inside wall in turn one on the final lap of the third B-Main. He was battling for a transfer position with Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, when his car, which was already hampered by a bent j-bar, veered into the concrete due to a broken left-front suspension.
Smith, who is considering making a run at the 2008 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year award, said his machine's front clip was severely bent. With only one car in his trailer for the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, he was unsure if he would be able to repair the damage for Thursday night's scheduled WoO LMS season opener…
Clanton was running a strong third in the feature when his car's left-rear wheel came off on lap 18, sending him spinning between turns one and two.
"To make a good lap I had to catch (the cushion) with the left-rear," said Clanton, who started fourth. "That's how I got by Jeep (VanWormer for third), but I guess (the wheel) wouldn't take it."…
VanWormer started from the outside pole and ran in the top five until lap 22, when he got caught up behind the slowing car of Campbellsville, Ky.'s Justin Rattliff, who experienced mechanical trouble while holding third place. VanWormer lost numerous spots and finished 16th…
The week's UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model finale is set for Friday night (Feb. 15). The WoO LMS takes center stage at Volusia on Thursday (Feb. 14) and Saturday (Feb. 16).
For more information on the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, visit www.volusiaspeedwaypark.com or www.dirtcar.com.
UMP DIRTcar Super Late Model Feature Finish (30 laps):
1. Billy Moyer
2. Josh Richards
3. Clint Smith
4. Steve Francis
5. Tim McCreadie
6. Dennis Erb Jr.
7. Darren Miller
8. Rick Eckert
9. Donnie Moran
10. Brady Smith
11. Brandon Kinzer
12. Jason Fitzgerald
13. Billy Decker
14. John Blankenship
15. Vic Coffey
16. Jeep VanWormer
17. Justin Rattliff
18. Shane Clanton
19. Darrell Lanigan
20. Dan Schlieper
21. Jimmy Owens
22. Duke Whiseant
23. Patrick Sheltra
24. Dan Stone
B-Main #3: 1 7 Matt Miller 2 99 Donnie Moran 3 18 Shannon Babb
B-Main #2: 1 91 Billy Decker 2 2 Brady Smith 3 6K Michael Kloos
B-Main #1: 1 28 Dennis Erb Jr 2 23 John Blankenship 3 71 Don O'Neal
Heat #6: 1 18 Brandon Kinzer 2 7 Jason Fitzgerald 3 s9 Dan Schlieper
Heat #5: 1 25 Shane Clanton 2 16 Justin Rattliff 3 32C Vic Coffey
Heat #4: 1 55 Jeep Van Wormer 2 29 Darrell Lanigan 3 21 Dan Stone
Heat #3: 1 21 Billy Moyer 2 44 Clint Smith 3 24 Rick Eckert
Heat #2: 1 1 Josh Richards 2 20 Jimmy Owens 3 19 Steve Francis
Heat #1: 1 23 Patrick Sheltra 2 A1 Duke Wiseniant 3 39 Tim McCreadie
DNQ: Don O'Neal, Tim Fuller, Scott James, Austin Dillon, Josh McGuire, Earl Pearson Jr., Stacy Boles, Jason McBride, Al Purkey, George Scheffler, Andrew McKay, Reid Millard, Brian Diveley, Peter Mantha, Mike Hammerle, Matt Santel, Luke Roffers, Rick Briggs, Dave Tyrchniewicz, Michael Kloos, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jared Hawkins, Dillon Wood, Mike Knight, Jeff Alsip, John Garvin, J.R. Hotovy, Jackie Boggs, Ricky Elliott, Wendell Wallace, Wayne Chinn, Chris Hackett, Steve Shaver, Eddie Carrier Jr., Danny Johnson, Terry Casey, Shannon Babb, Ivedent Lloyd, Brian Shirley, Jake Redetzke, Joe Isabell, D.J. Miller, G.R. Smith, Chub Frank, Audie Swartz, Lance Mathees, C.J. Rayburn, Joe Morris, Don Gordon, John Melvin, Matt Miller, Chuck Julien, Michael Walker
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