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James Essex
COLUMBUS, Miss. (July 12) - For the second straight night a member of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame would win a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event, as Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN became the 18th different winner of a LOLMDS event in 2008. Bloomquist captured the $10,000 to win 10th Annual James Nickoles Memorial on Saturday Night at Columbus Speedway. The event was taped in front of the SPEED Channel cameras as Bloomquist won the event for the second year in a row. Another Hall of Famer, Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR finished second followed by Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, Chris Wall of Holden, LA and 12th starting Terry Casey of New London, WI.
Bloomquist started on the outside of the front row alongside of his fellow Team Zero driver Jimmy Owens. Owens took the lead at the drop of the green flag and lead Bloomquist through turns one and two but coming down the back straight Bloomquist made a move to the inside of Owens, passing him heading in the third turn.
With Bloomquist holding the point, a fierce battle for second behind would begin to take shape. Owens and Moyer ran nip and tuck in the early going with Billy Drake moving up fast from his fifth starting spot as he took the fourth spot from Earl Pearson Jr. on lap two.
Moyer, who closely followed Owens for the first 11 laps of the race made the move to take over second on lap 12, and now had Bloomquist in his sights. The top five would set a blistering pace until lap 15 when the first caution of the race came out slowing what was a terrific race for the lead.
On the restart Bloomquist would be out in front on the Delaware double-file restart with Moyer and Owens lined up side-by-side. When the green flag came back out to resume the race, Bloomquist still managed to maintain his lead. A side by side battle continued between Moyer and Owens
as the drivers neared the half-way mark of the race.
The top five remained on the same straightaway until they were bunched even closer, as another caution came out with 30 laps in the books. On the restart three more scored laps would be counted until the final caution of the race appeared for a slowing Eddie Rickman on lap 33.
In what would be the final restart of the race, it was the closest Bloomquist's competitors had gotten to him all night. That did not deter the race for second as Owens and Moyer again went back and forth in a close knit battle. Moyer managed to regain the second spot from Owens with less than 15 laps to go, but by then, Bloomquist was well out in front.
Bloomquist would continue to build his lead taking his advantage to almost a full straightaway as Owens would again close the gap on Moyer. With ten laps to go it was shaping up to be quite a finish for second as Chris Wall, Terry Casey and Billy Drake would challenge Moyer and Owens making it a five-car race for the runner-up slot.
Bloomquist had no problems negotiating traffic down the stretch as he convincingly went on to record his 16th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. Moyer would survive the race-long competitive battle with Owens to finish second in his Banner Valley Hauling/Clements Engines/Moyer Victory Circle Monte Carlo. Owens in the Mike Reece Monuments/Bloomquist Race Cars Ford Fusion finished third followed by Wall in the C&M Gator Farm/Wall2Wall Performance Engines/MasterSbilt by Stuckey Monte Carlo SS and Casey in the Arnie Ranta Motorsports/Pro Power Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo who came from the 12th starting spot to record yet another top five finish.
In the Lucas Oil victory Lane, for the first time in 2008, Bloomquist did a brief interview for SPEED and later talked to the large crowd that was on hand for the event. "The car would run anywhere on the track high, low, in the middle it didn't matter and really in lapped traffic it was good we could get by the lapped cars pretty easily and track was really racy tonight," said the 44-year-old driver who in June became the first five-time winner of the Dirt Late Model Dream Race at Eldora Speedway. "I knew those guys behind me were racing hard with Jimmy and Billy there, but the last part of the race we were able to get away from them and it's always good to run well in front of the television cameras."
Bloomquist who drives his own designed Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet Monte Carlo is sponsored by Miller Brothers Coal/Hawkeye Trucking/VP Racing Fuels/Hoosier Tires and Sweet Manufacturing is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine.
Completing the top ten were Billy Drake, 23rd starting Bart Hartman, Earl Pearson Jr., Wayne Chinn and David Breazeale.
In PRC Time Trials for the 32 entrants on hand Billy Moyer set quick time with a lap of 13.33 seconds. The heat race winners were Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens and Earl Pearson Jr. The B-Main went to Bub McCool.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be back in action next weekend with a Friday Night, July 18 visit to Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL and Saturday Night, July 19th at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO. Both events will pay $10,000 to win.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can log onto www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
For more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series log on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, July 12, 2008
Columbus Speedway - Columbus, MS
PRC Fast Time: Billy Moyer/13.330 seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 6 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Wayne Chinn, Neil Baggett, Randy Weaver, Jeremy Glasgow, Chad Thrash, Scott James, Anthony Burroughs, Jason Fitzgerald, James Ward
Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 6 Advance): Jimmy Owens, Billy Drake, Steve Casebolt, Dean Carpenter, Jason Cliburn, Eddie Rickman, Bub McCool, Dane Dacus, Mark Tice, Jamie Elam, Bart Hartman
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 6 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Chris Wall, David Breazeale, Terry Casey, Chris Ragan, John Mason, Freddy Smith, Justin McRee, Justin Rattliff, Chad Washington - DNS
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno B-Main (12 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Bub McCool, Scott James, Freddy Smith, Chad Thrash, Justin McRee, Anthony Burroughs, Dane Dacus, James Ward, Jason Fitzgerald, Mark Tice, Justin Rattliff - DNS, Jamie Elam - DNS, Bart Hartman - DNS, Chad Washington - DNS
10th Annual "James Nickoles Memorial" Feature Finish (50 Laps): Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Jimmy Owens, Chris Wall, Terry Casey, Billy Drake, Bart Hartman, Earl Pearson Jr., Wayne Chinn, David Breazeale, Chris Ragan, Freddy Smith, Scott James, Steve Casebolt, Jason Cliburn, Justin Rattliff, Dean Carpenter, John Mason, Eddie Rickman, Neil Baggett, Bub McCool, Jeremy Glasgow, Randy Weaver, Chad Thrash
Race Statistics
Entries: 32
Caution Flags: 4
Lap Leaders: Scott Bloomquist 1-50
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Bart Hartman, Justin Rattliff
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Bart Hartman (Started 23rd and finished 7th - advanced 16 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Chris Wall
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Terry Casey
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Terry Casey
ASI Racewear Lucky 7 Award: Bart Hartman
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Austin Hargrove (Bart Hartman)
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Racing Engines
Time of the Race: 30 minutes
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings
1) Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) 4300
2) Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 4000
3) Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH) 3950
4) Billy Drake (Bloomington, IL) 3660
5) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY) 3635
6) Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 3535
7) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 3485
8) Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN) 3435
9) Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 3175
10) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 2895
Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 3485
2) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 2895
3) John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 745
4) Tony Knowles (Tyrone, GA) 425
5) Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 245
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