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Lucas Oil PR
CORONA, Calif. (November 10) - The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series put the finishing touches on a record-setting season on Friday Night, November 7th with their annual awards celebration at the new Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. (Photos Below)
Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, IL once again took home the lion's share of the honors as he was crowned the national champion of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series for the fourth consecutive year. The string of national dirt late model titles for the 36-year old second generation driver now stretches back to 2004 when he captured the Xtreme DirtCar Series Championship. In 2008, on the LOLMDS 40-race tour Pearson won four times and recorded 21 top five finishes and 27 top ten finishes to cap off the second title in a row for Bobby Labonte Racing based out of Archdale, NC.
Pearson's four wins this year on the LOLMDS National Tour tied him with Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR for the most wins on the tour and now gives him a total of 14 career series wins which is second only to Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN who has 16 career victories. Pearson's triumphs this year came at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, GA, Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN, Winchester Speedway in Winchester, VA and Rome Speedway in Rome, GA.
Pearson also won the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger Award and car owner Bobby Labonte the 2000 NASCAR Cup Champion was honored with the car owner championship trophy. Mark Hughes representing Bobby Labonte Racing accepted for Labonte who was in Phoenix, AZ preparing for this weekend's Cup action.
"I would like to thank all of my sponsors, Lifelong Locks, Lucas Oil, and Sunoco Race Fuels especially for all of their support this year," exclaimed Pearson Jr in his acceptance speech, " I would also like to thank my Crew Chief Randall Edwards, Keith Edwards, Matt Langston and Devine Ellis for everything they've done for me this season. I especially want to thank my car owner Bobby Labonte and my family; they mean the world to me. My mother couldn't be here tonight, but I want to dedicate my 2008 season, and this Championship my mom, Gloria."
Bart Hartman of Zanesville, OH competing for the first-time on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour wound up second in the final Lucas Oil Championship Point's Standings. Hartman had two wins this year (Lucas Oil (MO) Speedway and Hagerstown (MD) Speedway) and recorded eight top five finishes to go along with 20 top ten finishes.
Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN was honored as well for his third place finish in the final 2008 Lucas Oil Championship Points Standings. Casebolt who finished third in last year's final standings had nine top five finishes this year, to go along with 18 top twenty finishes to duplicate his '07 season where he finished third behind Earl Pearson, Jr. and Scott James.
Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL had his highest finish ever in Lucas Oil Series competition with his fourth place in the final points tally. Drake took six top five finishes and 17 top twenty finishes as he locked up the fourth place spot for 2008.
Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY used the strength of two top five finishes in the last two point events of this year to claim the fifth place finish in points. Rattliff, who was the 2007 series "Rookie of the Year", scored six top five finishes and 14 top ten finishes to wrestle the fifth spot away from Scott James the final weekend of the year for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN finished runner-up to Pearson last year; took two wins this year (Screven and Hilltop (OH) Speedway) with his final statistics showing three top five finishes and eight top ten finishes as he would wind up sixth in the year's LOLMDS Championship standings.
Taking the seventh spot this year was Terry Casey of New London, WI. Casey like Hartman followed the entire Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series season for the first-time in his racing career and it paid off with three series wins (East Bay, Brownstown and Swainsboro), eight top five finishes and 16 top twenty finishes. Casey also captured the 2008 Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year" title earning an extra $10,000 along with several contingency awards.
Fellow Wisconsin driver Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI took eighth place in the final 2008 points standings to equal his same finishing position for the 2007 season. Schlieper who went on a winning streak mid-year by winning three out of four races during a stretch where he won at North Georgia, Cherokee and Muskingum County had eight top five finishes and 13 top twenty finishes in LOLMDS competition this year.
The legendary "Southern Gentleman" Freddy Smith of Seymour, TN kept his streak alive of finishing in the top ten of the final points standings every year in series competition since the inception of the LOLMDS. Smith who just completed his 42nd year of racing took a historic win as he grabbed his first ever series win at North Alabama Speedway back on July 11th. Smith ended the '08 campaign with the series recording five top ten finishes.
Rounding out the top ten for the 2008 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series was this year's runner-up for the Quarter Master "Rookie of the Year' Wayne Chinn from Bradford, OH. Chinn, the third driver on this year's series tour to run it full-time for the very first time came home with six top ten finishes to wrap up his rookie season on the road with the series.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series set several season records in 2008 including the most events completed (40), the most different winners (22) and with 694 drivers competing with the series at least once this year that also set a new-season record for participants. Over the 40 race-schedule the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series averaged 50.9 cars per event with six drivers taking their first career LOLMDS wins including Terry Casey, Brady Smith, Chris Madden, Joe Armes, Freddy Smith and Josh McGuire.
Other awards which were presented at the banquet included the Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Year Award to Jack Cornett of Cornett Racing Engines in Somerset, KY. Mark Richards and Steve Baker of Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV were honored with the 'Chassis Builder of the Year.". The Allstar Performance Performer Award went to Dan Schlieper; the Integra Shocks "Crew Chief of the Year" was presented to Austin Hargrove, Crew Chief for Bart Hartman.
Terry Casey took home both the PRC Fast Time of the Year Award and the AFCO/Tiger Rear Ends/Hawk Brake Heat Race Winner Award; and the 2nd Annual Mike Swims Award of Excellence was presented to John Mason of Millersburg, OH.
Series Director Ritchie Lewis also spoke and thanked all of the Team Lucas and series sponsors for their contributions in making the 2008 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series the best to date. Lewis also thanked all of the LOLMDS staff, drivers, car owners, crews, promoters, media and fans for their support of the series this year.
The 2009 season for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will kick-off with the 33rd Annual East Bay Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL with six-straight nights of racing starting on February 2. The entire '09 slate is posted on the series website.
For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can visit www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Mario Page, Terry Knoblauch, Brian Kressley, Tim Doran
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