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Ben Shelton
WEST PLAINS, Mo. (May 24) - Scott Bloomquist from Mooresburg, Tennessee went from worst to first in the 16th Annual O'Reilly Show Me 100 on Saturday night at West Plains Motor Speedway in West Plains, Missouri en route to his fifth event title and a $42,000 payday.
Record high fuel prices and two inches of rain on Saturday morning did not put a damper on the 16th Annual O'Reilly Show Me 100 as 79 Super Late Models, representing 18 states, and a huge crowd converged on West Plains Motor Speedway. On Friday night in time trials it was Ashland, Kentucky's, Steve Francis, setting fast time around the 3/8 mile oval with a 14.717 second lap. Francis received $2,000 for his efforts courtesy of Mark Martin Ford, Mark Martin Chevrolet, S&H Industrial, and Larry Shaw Race Cars.
With the top 24 cars inverted for heat race action on Friday night, the stage was set for the most incredible action in O'Reilly Show Me 100 history. Freddy Smith would win the first heat race from the 8th starting position, while Terry blasted from his 9th starting position to the triumph in the second heat race. Earl Pearson Jr. charged from the 6th position to win the third heat. Jeremy Payne, Shannon Babb (started 4th), and Stacy Taylor claimed victories in the other heat races.
Via their heat race wins, Freddy Smith and Terry Phillips earned the front row for the 100 lap O'Reilly Show Me 100 feature event on Saturday night. At the drop of the green flag, Phillips rocketed to the lead with Smith, Jeremy Payne, and Shannon Babb in tow. The leaders would battle two wide for the first few laps before the caution flag flew for Georgetown, Tennessee's, Skip Arp, who rolled to a stop in turn three on the fourth circuit. At the time of the caution the top five running order consisted of Phillips, Smith, Payne, Pearson Jr., and Babb.
On the ensuing restart, Payne took advantage of the Delaware double file restart to race around Smith on the high side for the second position, and set sail for his teammate, Phillips. Lap six would see Jimmy Mars from Menomonie, Wisconsin continue his march to the front as he passed Smith for the third position.
Caution once again would be displayed on lap 12 as Dan Schlieper rolled to a stop in turn four. Phillips, Payne, Mars, Smith, and Pearson Jr. held down the top five spots as the field prepared for a restart. With the green flag back in the air, Phillips once again motored away from the field with Payne and Mars battling side by side for the next few laps, before Mars took sole possession of the runner-up spot on lap 14. At the same time, Pearson Jr., Smith, and Babb battled three wide for the fourth spot with Babb capturing the position on lap 19.
At the front of the pack Jimmy Mars' car started to come around on the long, green flag run and on lap 21, he caught Phillips. With Mars on the low side and Phillips on the high side the pair waged war for the next several laps before Mars took over the top spot on lap 33 as the leaders diced through lapped traffic.
With the action heating up at the front of the pack, much of the crowd's attention was being focused toward the middle of the pack where 24th starting Scott Bloomquist motored past Tim McCreadie for the 10th spot on lap 36. Lap 40 would once again see the yellow flag wave as Dan Schlieper brought out the caution as he rolled to a stop on the back stretch. The top five positions were occupied by Mars, Phillips, Payne, Pearson Jr., and Babb when the caution was displayed. During the caution period, Wendell Wallace and Stacy Taylor would head pitside for fresh tires and rejoin the back of the pack before green flag conditions resumed.
On the restart, Phillips continued to work the high side of the track as he once again challenged Jimmy Mars for the lead. Phillips would edge ahead to reclaim the lead on lap 45 as Bloomquist moved past Smith and Francis to claim the 6th spot on lap 49. Francis would roll to a stop on the back stretch bringing out the caution on lap 60 as he headed to the pits for a tire change.
On the restart, Bloomquist raced past Pearson Jr. for the 5th position, while Phillips motored away from Mars at the front of the pack. Five laps later, Bloomquist would use the highline to move past Babb for the fourth spot. At the front of the pack, Mars began to once again reel in the leader, Phillips, and by lap 70 the pair were once again battling side by side for the top spot with Mars on the hub and Phillips continuing to work the high side. Bloomquist would move past Payne for the third spot on lap 75.
Lap 80 saw Mars finally clear Phillips and jump out to a ten car length advantage with Phillips ten car lengths in front of Bloomquist. By lap 85, Mars was encountering heavy lapped traffic, as Phillips began to narrow the gap between he and Mars. On lap 93, the race would take a dramatic change when mechanical woes resulted in fourth running, Jeremy Payne, stopping on the front stretch. With the caution displayed, Mars' advantage was erased with Phillips and Bloomquist lined up side by side behind the leader for the double file restart.
With the crowd on their feet in anticipation of an exciting finish, the green flag was once again displayed. Mars headed into turn one on the bottom as Bloomquist blasted the high line and pulled even with the leader down the backstretch. Exiting turn two on the next circuit, Bloomquist would rocket to the lead. The Mooresburg, Tennessee native would motor away from the field over the next five laps on the way to a $42,000 payday and an unprecedented fifth O'Reilly Show Me 100 title. Jimmy Mars, Terry Phillips, Earl Pearson Jr., and Shannon Babb rounded out the top five spots.
Consolation event #1 saw Tim McCreadie and Billy Moyer transfer to the main event, narrowly holding off a hard charging Ray Cook, who started 19th. Consolation event #2 was a thriller with Bart Hartman taking the win. Wendell Wallace survived a last corner slide job by Brad Neat to take the final transfer spot. The third and final consolation race was won by Will Vaught over a hard-charging, Scott Bloomquist. Ray Cook captured the Manufacturer's Dash for Cash and Scott Bloomquist out-gunned the field to claim the Miller Brothers Coal Race of Champions.
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16th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Show Me 100
West Plains Motor Speedway
Saturday Results
Main Event
1 24 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 10 28 Jimmy Mars Menomonie, WI
3 2 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
4 3 44 Earl Pearson Jr Jacksonville, FL
5 5 18 Shannon Babb Moweaqua, IL
6 16 15B Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
7 23 88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
8 1 00 Freddy Smith Seymour, TN
9 9 44 Clint Smith Senoia, GA
10 19 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
11 8 5 Eric Jacobsen Seacliff, CA
12 7 19 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
13 18 21 Neil Baggett Shannon, MS
14 14 1 Josh Richards Shinnston, WV
15 12 18 Brandon Kinzer Allen, KY
16 4 74 Jeremy Payne Springfield, MO
17 6 27 Stacy Taylor Jacksonville, AR
18 17 s9 Dan Schlieper Sullivan, WI
19 21 1V Will Vaught Crane, MO
20 20 75 Bart Hartman Zanesville, OH
21 22 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
22 13 14JR Steve Rushin Poplar Bluff, MO
23 11 16C Kevin Claycomb Vincennes, IN
24 15 31 Skip Arp Georgetown, TN
B-Main #3
1 1V Will Vaught Crane, MO
2 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
3 44s Larry Campbell Van Buren, AR
4 18 Jack Sullivan Greenbriar, AR
5 14 Brad Looney Republic, MO
6 3s Brian Shirley Catham, IL
7 5T Jeff Taylor Cave City, AR
8 1D Billy Drake Bloomington, IN
9 16J Dusty Johnston Flippin, AR
10 86 Kyle Beard Trumann, AR
11 26 Tony Knowles Tyrone, GA
12 33s Gary Stolba Willow Springs, MO
14 1MC Ron McQuery St Albans, MO
15 11J Bubba Jones Hattiesburg, MS
16 32D Darren Miller Chadwick, UL
B-Main #2
1 75 Bart Hartman Zanesville, OH
2 88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
3 41 Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
4 5E Michael England Glasgow, KY
5 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
6 33 Al Purkey Coffeyville, KS
7 m45 Kevin Gibson Ringgold, GA
8 F1 Jeff Floyd Batesville, AR
9 1G John Gill Mitchell, IN
10 66 Bill Frye Greenbriar, AR
11 11 Jon Kirby Russellville, AR
12 R5 Kyle Cummings Minden, LA
13 W3 James Ward Lettsworth, LA
14 97 Bobby Giffin Maryville, TN
15 65 Dewayne Hottinger Russellville, AR
16 1T David Thomas Eads, TN
17 7 Trace Westling Fulton, MO
18 888 Jason Cliburn Star. MS
B-Main #1
1 39 Tim McCreadie Watertown, NY
2 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
3 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
4 25 Shane Clanton Locust Grove, GA
5 121 Billy Peden Poplar Bluff, MO
6 54c Stacy Caldwell Nettleton, MS
7 88 Jimmy Cliburn Star. MS
8 24 Rick Eckert York, PA
9 21JR Billy Moyer Jr Batesville, AR
10 5L Leslie Essary Crane, MO
11 22 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA
12 5W Johnny Waters Sedgewick, AR
13 40 Jeff Davis Aztec, NM
14 18C Don Cliburn Star, MS
15 21S Brandon Smith Flora, AR
16 75 Eric Turner Hermitage, MO
17 54 David Breazeale Four Corners, MS
19 2 Brady Smith Solon Springs, WI
Manufacturer's Dash
1 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
2 54 David Breazeale Four Corners, MS
3 00 Freddy Smith Seymour, TN
4 s9 Dan Schlieper Sullivan, WI
5 5E Michael England Glasgow, KY
6 19 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
7 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
8 88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
9 22 Jill George Cedar Falls, IA
10 14JR Steve Rushin Poplar Bluff, MO
11 33 Al Purkey Coffeyville, KS
12 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
Past Champions Dash
1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 88 Wendell Wallace Batesville, AR
3 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
4 75 Terry Phillips Springfield, MO
5 21 Billy Moyer Batesville, AR
6 00 Freddy Smith Seymour, TN
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