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Kevin Kovac
BARBERVILLE, Fla. (February 17) - Scott Bloomquist brought an end to Josh Richards's mastery of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener on Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.
Racing through gritted teeth on a fast, physical track due to a sore shoulder and ribs, Bloomquist took advantage of Richards's losing bout with the half-mile oval's ample cushion to capture the 50-lap A-Main that was part of the 40th annual DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio.
Bloomquist, 47, of Mooresburg, Tenn., regained command of the race on lap 42 after Shinnston, W.Va.'s Richards slammed the dirt curb between turns one and two and lost momentum. The 2004 WoO LMS titlist controlled the remainder of the distance to record his 20th victory on the national tour since '04.
Richards, who advanced from the seventh starting spot to take the lead from Bloomquist on lap 29, saw his bid for an unprecedented fifth consecutive win in the WoO LMS lidlifter end when his Rocket Chassis house car's right-rear wheel broke off exiting turn two on the final circuit as he ran second. The 22-year-old, two-time defending series champion limped around the track on three wheels to cross the finish line in 14th place.
Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who drives a Team Zero car built by Bloomquist, finished second after starting 10th. He flashed under the checkered flag 2.970 seconds behind Bloomquist's Roush-Yates Ford-powered machine.
Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., celebrated his 19th birthday - and the start of his sophomore season as a WoO LMS regular - with a solid third-place finish in Dale Beitler's Rocket car. Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., registered a WoO LMS career-best placing of fourth in NASCAR star Clint Bowyer's Rocket and 13th-starter Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., completed the top five in Larry Moring's MasterSbilt mount.
Bloomquist, who started from the pole position, felt the effects of the tough conditions after pocketing $10,175 for his first triumph during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH since a WoO LMS event on Feb. 8, 2004.
"I'm wore out," Bloomquist said following a race that was slowed by just two caution flags. "This track's pretty demanding, and I tore my left shoulder muscle and bruised my ribs in that rough stuff at Ocala (Speedway) on Sunday so there was a little bit of pain involved. When you jump the cushion and you gotta grab a handful of (steering) wheel to give it all you got to get out of there, it hurts.
"But when you're racing, you can overcome that. It's afterwards when you feel it the most, but it's all worth it to win the race."
Bloomquist appeared headed to a runner-up finish, however, after Richards made a breathtaking move between him and a lapped car off turn four to take the lead on lap 29. Richards perched his machine in the outside groove and maintained a short edge over Bloomquist as the race wound down.
But when Richards hit the cushion working lap 41, Bloomquist seized the moment to grab the lead. Richards was unable to mount another challenge; his impact with the berm was so violent that it bent his car's right-rear wheel, which eventually broke and flew off.
"He got in a little hot, didn't get the car turned enough and got out in the stuff," Bloomquist said of the moment that cost Richards. "He always seems to dance with the devil. The problem is, it's hard to get out of (the cushion) once you get in it, and that's all it took. He did get it out of it, but not in time.
"Once I got the lead back I was pretty sure I wasn't gonna give it back again. When (Richards) got by us I tried running low and there just wasn't enough to get up off the corner. The high line was better at that time of the race, but once he made that mistake we were pretty confident we weren't gonna give it up again."
Smith, who won last year's WoO LMS finale during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, slipped by Richards for second on lap 45 but gave the spot back when he scrubbed the homestretch wall on the 48th circuit. The 33-year-old driver avoided Richards - and Richards's flying wheel - on the last lap to regain second place.
"I was driving as hard as I could," said Smith, who spent much of the race's second half battling for position with Hubbard. "But if I gotta take second, he's (Bloomquist) the one I want to take second to. We're happy and I know we got a helluva chance to get to Victory Lane here the next two nights."
Hubbard, the 2010 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year, ran as high as second early in the distance but couldn't quite match the leaders' pace.
"We were really good in the beginning but once we got some heat in the tires we started getting tighter," said Hubbard, who started fourth. "I just couldn't run that line I was running, sweeping across the bottom of three and four and riding up. We just got up on the cushion and kind of held on."
The race's only caution flags were produced by cars rolling slowly due to steaming engines - on lap 12 for Eric Jacobsen of Sea Cliff Beach, Calif., lap 29 for Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who won Monday night's DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned feature; 12th-starter Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; outside-polesitter Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky.; WoO LMS regular Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who started 26 th by virtue of a provisional; and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who won the previous evening's UMP A-Main.
A sterling field of 69 cars was signed in to begin the 2011 WoO LMS campaign.
Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., registered his first career WoO LMS fast-time honor, setting a new track record of 15.783 seconds in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials. A Rookie of the Year hopeful on this year's tour, the 47-year-old driver surpassed the one-lap Volusia standard of 15.813 seconds established 24 hours earlier by Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind.
Heat winners were Landers, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., Bloomquist, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., Hubbard and Wells. The B-Mains were captured by Clint Smith, 15-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., and Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga.
Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., captured the 12-lap 'Bulrush Dash' that was reserved for 15 of the evening's non-qualifiers. He earned $300 for his night-ending effort.
Surprisingly absent from the evening's action was 2008 WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who finished second in last year's points standings. He flew home on Monday afternoon because he wasn't feeling well and was planning to return for Thursday night's program, but before he could get on a plane health issues forced him to remain in the Bluegrass State.
Two $10,000-to-win dirt Late Model events remain on the 2011 DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH schedule - a 40-lap UMP-sanctioned A-Main on Friday night (Feb. 18) and another 50-lap WoO LMS program on Saturday night (Feb. 19). Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified shows will also be part of both cards.
Results of WoO Late Model Series 'DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH' Night No. 1 at Volusia Speedway Park
(Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Scott Bloomquist/50 $10,175
2. (10) Brady Smith/50 $5,000
3. (4) Austin Hubbard/50 $3,600
4. (6) Jared Landers/50 $3,000
5. (15) Don O'Neal/50 $2,000
6. (9) Billy Moyer/50 $1,800
7. (12) Earl Pearson Jr./50 $1,400
8. (2) Eric Wells/50 $1,300
9. (26) Shane Clanton/50 $1,750
10. (8) Jimmy Mars/50 $1,100
11. (3) Jason Feger/50 $1,100
12. (11) Chris Madden/50 $1,000
13. (23) Rick Eckert/50 $1,500
14. (7) Josh Richards/50 $1,550
15. (30) Chub Frank/50 $650
16. (25) Tim McCreadie/50 $1,450
17. (24) Steve Francis/50 $1,320
18. (27) Dennis Erb Jr./50 $750
19. (20) Tyler Reddick/49 $730
20. (22) Pat Doar/49 $1,050
21. (29) Tim Fuller/39 $550
22. (5) Jonathan Davenport/30 $700
23. (16) Tyler Ivey/28 $700
24. (19) Clint Smith/27 $1,250
25. (13) Dan Stone/25 $700
26. (14) Eddie Carrier Jr./23 $700
27. (21) Casey Roberts/18 $700
28. (18) Eric Jacobsen/11 $700
29. (17) Justin Rattliff/1 $700
30. (28) Ryan Unzicker/1 $800
Time of Race: 20 Mins., 41.082 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.581 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 12, 29)
Lap Leaders: Bloomquist (1-28); Richards (29-41); Bloomquist (42-50)
Provisional Starters: McCreadie, Clanton, Fuller, Frank (WoO); Erb (DCN); Unzicker (UMP)
Rookie of the Race: Doar ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Landers ($500)
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Landers, Richards, Stone, Doar, Vaught, Briggs, Reese, Garvin, Henry, Hammerle, McDowell, Owens
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Feger, Mars, Carrier, C. Smith, Clanton, Coffey, Zeigler, Hollenbeck, Julien, Weiss, Mitchell, Sullivan
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Bloomquist, Moyer, O'Neal, Eckert, Schlieper, Wight, D. White, Fuller, Thirlby, McBride, Unzicker (DNS) D.J. Wells
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Davenport, B. Smith, Ivey, Reddick, Lobb, Sheppard, Kerr, Ogle, Mason, McCreadie, Marlar
Heat No. 5 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Hubbard, Madden, Rattliff, Francis, Bruening, Frank, Davies, K. Robinson, Carpenter, Callahan, Moyer Jr.
Heat No. 6 (10 laps - Top 3 Transfer): E. Wells, Pearson, Jacobsen, Roberts, B. Robinson, Erb, King, Blankenship, Schrader, George, Henderson
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): C. Smith, Doar, Vaught, Coffey, Briggs, Reese, Hollenbeck, Zeigler, Garvin, Henry, Clanton, Sullivan, Hammerle (DNS) Julien, Weiss, McDowell, Mitchell, Owens
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): Reddick, Eckert, Schlieper, Kerr, Wight, White, Lobb, Thirlby, Sheppard, Mason, Fuller, Ogle, McCreadie, Unzicker (DNS) McBride, Marlar, D.J. Wells
B-Main No. 3 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): Roberts, Francis, Erb, King, Frank, Blankenship, B. Robinson, K. Robinson, Davies, Bruening, Schrader, Henderson, George, Callahan, Carpenter (DNS) Moyer Jr.
'Bulrush Dash' (12 laps): 1. Dan Schlieper, 2. Vic Coffey, 3. Tommy Kerr, 4. Will Vaught, 5. Brandon Sheppard, 6. Kent Robinson, 7. Brian Reese, 8. John Lobb, 9. Brandon Thirlby, 10. Ken Schrader, 11. Dillan White, 12. John Garvin, 13. John Henderson, 14. Chad Hollenbeck, 15. Larry Wight (DNS) Russell King, John Blankenship, Rick 'Boom' Briggs, Ron Davies, Tyler Bruening, Mason Zeigler
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 15.783
2. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 15.902
3. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 15.912
4. 49-Jonathan Davenport/Blairsville, GA 16.030
5. 44M-Chris Madden/Gray Court, SC 16.091
6. 18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 16.134
7. 777-Jared Landers/Batesville, AR 16.158
8. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 16.204
9. 71d-Don O'Neal/Martinsville, IN 16.210
10. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.218
11. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.219
12. 44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 16.230
13. 1R-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.241
14. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 16.248
15. 21M-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 16.255
16. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.267
17. 16R-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY 16.268
18. 101-Casey Roberts/Toccoa, GA 16.286
19. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.310
20. 25c-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 16.346
21. 24E-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.347
22. 47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL 16.365
23. 16b-Tyler Bruening/Decorah, IA 16.394
24. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 16.398
25. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.413
26. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.415
27. 54-Dillan White/Hopkinsville, KY 16.418
28. 1JL-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 16.429
29. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.440
30. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 16.456
31. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 16.457
32. 28c-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 16.462
33. 9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.466
34. 36-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 16.467
35. 15F-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.476
36. 5J-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA 16.497
37. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.521
38. 18d-Danny Mitchell/Clarksburg, WV 16.524
39. M14-Brandon Thirlby/Traverse City, MI 16.544
40. 201-Billy Ogle Jr./Knoxville, TN 16.570
41. 21Jr.-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR 16.597
42. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.604
43. J4-John Garvin Jr./Sarver, PA 16.607
44. 7-Ricky Weiss/St. Francis Xavier, MAN 16.607
45. 24U-Ryan Unzicker/El Paso, IL 16.674
46. 4T-Tommy Kerr/Maryville, TN 16.683
47. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 16.720
48. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.732
49. 99B-Rick 'Boom' Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 16.733
50. 25z-Mason Zeigler/Chalk Hill, PA 16.755
51. 19F-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.759
52. 11R-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 16.812
53. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 16.847
54. 9s-Ken Schrader/Concord, NC 16.850
55. 15H-Jon Henry/Ada, OH 16.850
56. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.856
57. 99L-Larry Wight/Phoenix, NY 16.863
58. 72M-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 16.880
59. 911-Freddie Carpenter/Parkersburg, WV 16.974
60. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 17.228
61. 33-Brian Reese/Sharpsburg, GA 17.273
62. 4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 17.419
63. 77-Jason McBride/Carbondale, IL 17.459
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