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James Essex
LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (August 16) - Leading all 100 laps, Tim McCreadie, of Watertown, NY marched to the biggest win of his dirt late model racing career as he captured the 16th Annual COMP Cams 100 on Saturday Night at Batesville Motor Speedway. The 34-year-old son of legendary Big Block Modified driver "Barefoot" Bob McCreadie earned his second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season as he took home $25,000 for winning the event. Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA finished second followed by Brady Smith of Solon Springs, WI, Jeremy Payne of Springfield, MO and John Blankenship of Williamson, WV.
The event which ran in its entirety on Saturday Night after rain forced a schedule change after Friday Night's Time Trials and Heat Races were washed out. Defending COMP Cams Topless 100 winner Jimmy Mars started on the pole with McCreadie alongside. With the cameras of SPEED Channel taping the race, McCreadie would grab the point with Mars and Blankenship in tow.
The first caution would come out for Kyle Beard with two laps recorded. On the restart, McCreadie would hold the advantage with Blankenship who climbed to second past Mars, A red flag would then come out for a multi-car accident in turn three, in which several cars saw heavy damage, left three cars on the back of a wrecker.
On the Delaware double file restart; McCreadie would again be the point man with Blankenship, Mars, Scott Bloomquist and Wendell Wallace in the top five running order. McCreadie would start to encounter traffic by the 11th lap, just as Billy Moyer brought out another caution as he came to a halt in turn number two with a flat tire.
McCreadie would see Blankenship challenge on this restart with Mars, Bloomquist and Brian Birkhofer among the top five contenders at this point of the event. McCreadie would then again start to work some more lapped traffic with 20 laps recorded and that would allow Mars who had passed Blankenship for second to narrow the advantage that McCreadie had built up.
As the frontrunners were working lapped traffic the race for the lead was tightening up between McCreadie Mars and now Birkhofer who had raced his way into third place. Birkhofer then passed Mars on lap 24 restart to take over second place.
McCreadie would continue to pace the field over the next 16 laps and with 40 laps complete he still had Birkhofer to contend with for the race lead. Birkhofer then had Mars to contend with as the two friends were nose to tail in the running order.
McCreadie had a two-car length lead as the cars not only approached more traffic, but the halfway mark of the race. With 55 laps complete Bloomquist quest for the win would end as he pulled into the infield pit after his air cleaner had blown off the engine several laps earlier.
With McCreadie's car still able to run all over the 3/8ths mile track he would make a nice move in traffic splitting two lapped cars which put some distance between himself, Birkhofer and Mars. Mars would then suddenly slow on the frontstretch with 57 laps complete as he headed pitside with a left rear flat on his number 28 car.
On the restart McCreadie would be ahead of the double filed running order of Smith and Birkhofer. Smith would try a slidejob in turn two that would put him in front, but McCreadie quickly recovered and retook the lead with a slider of his own in turn number four.
Birkhofer then regained some momentum as he and Smith would race side-by-side for several trips around the track until he was finally able to clear him on lap 72. Smith then fought back regaining the runner-up slot on lap 74.
The battle for second between Smith and Birkhofer was allowing McCreadie to out in front all by himself. McCreadie then would face four lapped cars in his path with 20 laps to go and it was then that Smith and Birkhofer would close the gap on him.
Birkhofer made the pass on Smith with 17 laps to go and then immediately started to close on McCreadie. Birkhofer had made up several car lengths to McCreadie and with McCreadie battling heavy traffic it looked just a matter of time before Birkhofer would be right on McCreadie's tail.
But Birkhofer's late race challenge would be thwarted as Mars would slow and stop on lap 86 which would then set up a 14 lap dash to the finish. McCreadie just as had done all night was the car to beat as on the restart he would open up enough of a lead that neither Birkhofer and Smith would be able to overcome.
McCreadie would then set sail and go on to win the biggest race of his dirt late model career in his Coffey-McCreadie/Sweeteners Plus/Pro Power Racing Engines/Hoosier Tires/VP Racing Fuels/ Rocket Chassis Impala SS. In the Lucas Oil victory lane for the first time since his win at La Salle, IL back in May McCreadie was elated with his win. "I finally was able to get the monkey off my back and win one of these crown jewel races, we felt like we had the car several times to win one of these races and I finally was able to pull it off. ," said McCreadie who captured the Chili Bowl Midget Race back in 2006. "I only had one crew man here this weekend (Al Stevens) and the car was just super, thanks to Rocket Chassis and Pro Power Engines, Bill (Schlieper) got me on his program a year or so ago and it paid dividends here tonight, the race track was super all night and thanks to all the fans for coming out this weekend."
Birkhofer drove by the congratulate McCreadie after a hard fought race as he finished second in the Daufeldt Transport/Pro Power Engines/Mars-Birkhofer Monte Carlo SS. Smith was third in the AMSOIL/Vic Hill Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS with Payne in one of his best finishes in a major race taking fourth in the Andy's Frozen Custard/Hatfield Engines/GRT by Phillips GTO as Blankenship was fifth in the Don Blankenship/Fast Lane/Pro Power Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS.
Completing the top ten were Wendell Wallace, Terry Phillips, Jimmy Mars, Earl Pearson Jr. and Terry Casey.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be back in action this Friday Night, August 22nd with a first ever visit to the Lawrenceburg Speedway in Lawrenceburg, IN for a $7,000 to win race and a Saturday Night, August 23rd trip to Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY for the $10,000 to win Bluegrass Classic.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com, or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, August 16, 2008
Batesville Motor Speedway - Batesville, AR
PRC Fast Time: Scott Bloomquist/13.132 seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jimmy Mars, Brian Birkhofer, Billy Moyer, Jr., Ray Cook, Freddy Smith, Ray Moore, David Breazeale, Jon Kirby, Dewaine Hottinger, Joseph Long, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Jeff Chanler
Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Darren Miller, Terry Phillips, Jimmy Owens, Scott James, Justin Rattliff, James Ward, Will Vaught, Jared Landers, Steve Rushin, Jamie Elam
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Wendell Wallace, Jeremy Payne, Billy Drake, Matt Miller, John Mason, Brian Shirley, Chris Wall, Jesse Stovall, Chris Jones, Blake Lane, Dan Schlieper - DNS
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Tim McCreadie, John Anderson, Gary Stolba, Jack Sullivan, Jon Mitchell, Skip Arp, Steve Casebolt, Brandon Smith, Bill Frye, Brian Rickman, Eric Conner
Hawk Brake Fifth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Brady Smith, Billy Moyer, Kyle Beard, Earl Pearson, Jr., Larry Campbell, Wayne Chinn, Kyle Cummings, Michael Murphree, Chris Fisher, Jason Cliburn, Jeremy Grady - DNS
Hawk Brake Sixth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): John Blankenship, Terry Casey, Jason Utter, Brad Neat, Andrew McKay, Raymond Merrill, Rex Berry, Robbie Stuart, Stacy Caldwell, Bart Hartman, Brian Ritchie
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jimmy Owens, Matt Miller, Ray Cook, David Breazeale, Freddy Smith, Brian Shirley, Scott James, Ray Moore, James Ward, Will Vaught, Steve Rushin, Chris Wall, Jesse Stovall, Dan Schlieper, Jared Landers, Chris Jones, Jon Kirby, Joseph Long, Jeff Chanler, Jamie Elam, John Mason, Justin Rattliff, Dewaine Hottinger - DNS, Blake Lane - DNS, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth - DNS
Quarter Master Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Brad Neat, Jack Sullivan, Jon Mitchell, Earl Pearson, Jr., Skip Arp, Wayne Chinn, Raymond Merrill, Larry Campbell, Brandon Smith, Michael Murphree, Steve Casebolt, Bill Frye, Andrew McKay, Robbie Stuart, Kyle Cummings, Clay Fisher, Rex Berry, Bart Hartman, Brian Rickman, Brian Ritchie, Eric Conner, Jeremy Grady, Jason Cliburn - DNS, Stacy Caldwell - DNS
16th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 Feature Finish (100 Laps): Tim McCreadie, Brian Birkhofer, Brady Smith, Jeremy Payne, John Blankenship, Wendell Wallace, Terry Phillips, Jimmy Mars, Earl Pearson, Jr., Terry Casey, John Anderson, Bart Hartman, Jack Sullivan, Billy Drake, Jon Mitchell, Darren Miller, Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Ray Cook, Billy Moyer, Jr., Gary Stolba, Kyle Beard, Brad Neat, Jimmy Owens, Matt Miller, Jason Utter
Race Statistics
Entries: 67
Caution Flags: 7
Lap Leaders: Tim McCreadie 1-100
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Earl Pearson Jr., Bart Hartman
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Terry Phillips (Started 14th and finished 7th - advanced 7 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Tim McCreadie
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Brian Birkhofer
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: John Blankenship
ASI Racewear Lucky 7 Award: Terry Phillips
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Al Stevens (Tim McCreadie)
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Time of the Race: 1 hour, 2 minutes
Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings
1) Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonvile, FL) 5870
2) Bart Hartman (Zanesville, OH) 5310
3) Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 5145
4) Billy Drake (Bloomington, IL) 4840
5) Justin Rattliff (Campbellsville, KY) 4555
6) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 4495
7) Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 4455
8) Scott James (Lawrenceburg, IN) 4440
9) Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 4070
10) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 3775
Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1) Terry Casey (New London, WI) 4495
2) Wayne Chinn (Bradford, OH) 3775
3) John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 1060
4) Tony Knowles (Tyrone, GA) 505
5) Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 385
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