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James Essex
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (June 20) - Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC earned his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win since 2006 on Saturday Night at Fayetteville Motor Speedway. The final night of the 2009 Summer Sizzler Tour ended with six different winners in six races. Cook led all 50 laps to earn $10,000 for the D&R Racing Team. Ricky Weeks of Rutherfordton, NC finished second followed by Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, NC, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL and Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC.
Cook and Ferguson started on the front row of the main event as Cook beat Ferguson to turn number one to grab the lead. Weeks slipped past Ferguson to take over second with Pearson running fourth followed by McDowell.
The race was going along smoothly until the first of nine cautions in the race came out for a slowing Timmy Blackwell with seven laps complete. On the restart, Cook again bolted to a two car length advantage over Weeks with Ferguson following closely in third as the drivers were predominately using the inside line of the track.
The second caution came out on lap 16 for a slowing G.R. Smith as that again would bunch up the field. Cook again was strong on the restart as he was keeping Weeks at bay as the cars went to the half-way mark of the race as it was still Cook, Weeks, Ferguson, Pearson and McDowell running in the top five.
Just past the half-way mark the caution came out on lap 26 for Steve Casebolt's flat which again reset the lineup in single file formation behind Cook. The race went four green flag laps until track provisional and hometown driver David Taylor slowed with a flat.
With 30 laps scored Cook again pulled Weeks and Ferguson on the restart as five more circuits went green flag until a bevy of cautions for flat tires (four in five laps) kept the field closely bunched behind Cook. A lap 40 restart would see the top five remain as they had from the drop of the green as Weeks took a peek to the inside of Cook coming off of turn number four with nine laps to go.
Weeks kept within striking distance of the leader as the laps wound down. Cook would go to as much as a three-car length advantage with five to go but the ninth and final caution for Jonathan Davenports' flat tire wiped out a solid finish for the second night in a row for Davenport, who cut a tire down while running fourth with the two laps to go the night at Cherokee.
With a green-white-checker finish for the second night in a row all eyes was on Cook if he could hold the hold the point that he had had from the very start of the race. Cook fired well on the restart and that was all he needed to carry his mount to the finish to score his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win since April 8, 2006 at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Cook became the 17th different winner in 21 races this year and has he exited his car he received a large applause from his homestate crowd. "First off I want to thank the Good Lord for a safe race and a happy father's day to all the dads out there including mine, I want to thank all my sponsors, my car owners Danny Dishman and Ronald Ivey, MasterSbilt Race Cars, Race Engine Design, American Racer Tires, I was a little worried there with all the flats that were happening out there, the tires looked good after the race with the track the way it was I just kept my line out there and it paid off. I want to also thank Gary Winger of GW Performance, he's helped us a lot with the shocks and thanks to all the fans for coming tonight as well," said Cook who remains fifth in points, but only 75 points out of second place.
The rest of the sponsors on Cook's D&R Racing #53 include Hicks and Ingle Company General Contracting, A+ Moving and Storage Company, Performance Rod and Custom, VP Racing Fuels, PPM Racing Fuels, Real Racing Wheels, K&N Filters and Ohlins.
Weeks had his best career finish with the Lucas Oil Series in his Parton Lumber/Clements Racing Engines/Rocket Impala SS as Ferguson was third in his Carver and Sons Roofing/Clements Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS also marking his best career finish in only his second ever start with the series.
Rounding out the top five were Pearson in the Bobby Labonte Racing/Larry Wallace Racing Engines/Rocket Chassis and Madden passed McDowell on the last lap to finish fifth in his Century Plastics/Cornett Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS.
Completing the top ten were Dale McDowell, Jeff Smith, Jimmy Owens, Don O'Neal and Steve Casebolt. Points leader Scott Bloomquist was running eighth until the final circuit when a flat tire relegated him to an 11th place finish.
In preliminary action Chris Ferguson was the PRC Fast Qualifier with a lap of 18.327 seconds among the 32 entrants. Heat race winners were Ray Cook, Ricky Weeks, Chris Ferguson and Dale McDowell. The B-mains went to Don O'Neal and Dan Schlieper. David Taylor was the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race after starting 25th he finished 13th in the final rundown.
To find out 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, June 20, 2009
Fayetteville Motor Speedway - Fayetteville, NC
PRC Fast Time: Chris Ferguson / seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Ray Cook, Earl Pearson Jr., G.R. Smith, Scott Autry, Don O'Neal, Brad Neat, Freddy Smith, Justin Labonte
Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Ricky Weeks, Jonathan Davenport, Travis Hair, Jimmy Owens, Steve Casebolt, Josh McGuire, David Taylor, David Breazeale-DNS
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Chris Ferguson, Chris Madden, Jeff Smith, John Blankenship, Dan Schlieper, Ed Basey, Timmy Blackwell, Zachary Cox-DNS
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Dale McDowell, Scott Bloomquist, Shawn Beasley, Craig Shuffield, Michael Mason, Dustin Mitchell, Roger Lucas, Michael Walker
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Don O'Neal, Steve Casebolt, Brad Neat, Josh McGuire, David Taylor, Freddy Smith, Justin Labonte, David Breazeale
Wiles Drive Shafts Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dan Schlieper, Ed Basey, Timmy Blackwell, Dustin Mitchell, Michael Mason, Roger Lucas, Zachary Cox, Michael Walker
Feature Finish (50 Laps): Ray Cook, Ricky Weeks, Chris Ferguson, Earl Pearson Jr., Chris Madden, Dale McDowell, Jeff Smith, Jimmy Owens, Don O'Neal, Steve Casebolt, Scott Bloomquist, Shawn Beasley, David Taylor, Dan Schlieper, Jonathan Davenport, Brad Neat, Craig Shuffield, Scott Autry, John Blankenship, Josh McGuire, Travis Hair, G.R. Smith, David Breazeale, Ed Basey, Timmy Blackwell
Finish (Start) Car Number Driver Name
1. (1) #53 Ray Cook
2. (3) #1W Ricky Weeks
3. (2) #22 Chris Ferguson
4. (5) #44 Earl Pearson Jr.
5. (6) #44M Chris Madden
6. (4) #17M Dale McDowell
7. (10 ) #18m Jeff Smith
8. (15) #20 Jimmy Owens
9. (17) #71 Don O'Neal
10. (19) #c9 Steve Casebolt
11. (8) #0 Scott Bloomquist
12. (12) #25 Shawn Beasley
13. (25) #14 David Taylor
14. (18) #s9 Dan Schlieper
15. (7) #6 Jonathan Davenport
16. (21) #41N Brad Neat
17. (16) #360 Craig Shuffield
18. (13) #1A Scott Autry
19. (14) #23 John Blankenship
20. (23) #41 Josh McGuire
21. (11) #27 Travis Hair
22. (9) #54H G.R. Smith
23. (24) #54 David Breazeale
24. (20) #4B Ed Basey
25. (22) #17 Timmy Blackwell
Race Statistics
Entries: 32
Caution Flags: Timmy Blackwell (Lap 7); G.R. Smith (Lap 15); Steve Casebolt (Lap 26); David Taylor (Lap 32); Shawn Beasley (Lap 36); John Blankenship (Lap 23); Dan Schlieper (Lap 39); Brad Neat (Lap 40); John Davenport (Lap 48)
Lap Leaders: Ray Cook (1-50)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Josh McGuire, David Breazeale
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: David Taylor
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Chris Madden
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Steve Casebolt
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: John Blankenship
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Race Engine Design
Time of the Race: 42 minutes 34 seconds
2009 Championship Points Standings
1. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) 3350
2. Dale McDowell (Chickamauga, GA) 3015
3. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) 2985
4. Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) 2965
5. Ray Cook (Brasstown, NC) 2940
6. Don O'Neal (Martinsville, IN) 2830
7. Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 2790
8. Brad Neat (Dunnville, KY) 2700
9. Josh McGuire (Grayson, KY) 2555
10. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 2395
11. Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 2375
12. Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 2310
13. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 2125
14. Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 2040
18. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 1545
2009 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 2395
2. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 2125
3. Jeep VanWormer (Pinnconning, MI) 1590
4. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 1545
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