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James Essex
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. (August 28) - Taking the lead with two laps to go Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA went on to score his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of 2009 on Friday Night at Lawrenceburg Speedway. Birkhofer passed Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, MI with two laps to after VanWormer had led the entire race up until that point as Birkhofer denied VanWormer his first ever Lucas Oil Series win. VanWormer then jumped the cushion on the final lap as Birkhofer pulled away for the $10,000 victory. VanWormer finished second followed by Matt Miller of Waterville, OH, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN and Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV.
Miller and VanWormer started on the front row of the 50 lap main event as VanWormer took the lead at the start of the race. Miller, Scott James, Zack Dohm and Bloomquist were running in the top five with a lap scored. The first caution flew after one lap was complete for Steve Casebolt who went pitside.
When the race resumed VanWormer held the point with pressure from Miller and James as the top three drivers had opened up some distance between themselves and the rest of the field. Carrier then charged up to fourth using the bottom groove of the race track as he started to put the heat on James, who was running third.
James and Carrier would go back and forth for a few laps with Carrier moving into third place. Carrier then moved closer to the two frontrunners as VanWormer and Miller saw their lead erased in a hurry as Carrier was moving fast on the bottom of the track.
The second caution came out with 19 laps scored as Jimmy Owens and Terry Casey came to a halt in turn four. Owens, who entered the race second in the Lucas Oil Series points pitted and returned to the lineup on the tail. The restart would see VanWormer maintain his lead with Miller riding his bumper around the top of the track.
James would slow on lap 36 with a vibration as he went pitside giving up his third spot the same time Ray Cook left with a broken driveshaft. The last restart of the race would see Birkhofer work the inside of the track to perfection as he passed Miller for second on lap 41. Birkhofer then set his sights on VanWormer who had a three car length lead with five to go, but Birkhofer chopped into VanWormer's lead.
Birkhofer then edged ahead of VanWormer with two laps to go and as the two took the white flag they were even at the flagstand. VanWormer then jumped the cushion in turn two as his hopes for his first career series win went by the wayside as Birkhofer headed home to the checkered flag for his fourth series win of 2009 in his MB Customs Chassis/Pro Power Engines #15B.
VanWormer finished a disappointing second followed by Miller, Bloomquist, who now holds a 235 point lead over Owens who finished eighth. Carrier was fifth followed by Earl Pearson Jr., Dale McDowell, Owens, Don O'Neal and Brad Neat.
In Lucas Oil victory lane Birkhofer said running the bottom obviously made the different in his win. "I am not really use to running up the cushion as much as Jeep and Matt were, our car ran better on the bottom, there was enough moisture down there and we got good traction and I didn't think we could catch Jeep, but with two to go I was able to get pull even with him, man I can't thank the crew enough for their help and thanks to the fans for coming out tonight."
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
Friday Night, August 28th, 2009
Lawrenceburg Speedway - Lawrenceburg, IN
PRC Fast Time: Brad Neat / 14.098 seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Matt Miller, Earl Pearson Jr., Brad Neat, Terry Casey, Shannon Babb, Mike Marlar, John Mason, Freddy Smith, Jason Jameson, Justin Rattliff, Shon Flanary
Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jimmy Owens, Ricky Arms, Josh McGuire, Ray Cook, John Gill, Donnie Moran, Joe Janowski, Dan Schlieper, Jerry Bowersock
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Jeep VanWormer, Zack Dohm, Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer, Dale McDowell, Steve Casebolt, Dustin Neat, D.J. Wells, Eric Jacobsen, Michael Howard, Jason Smith
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott James, Brian Birkhofer, Brandon Kinzer, John Blankenship, Dillan White, Duane Chamberlain, Eric Wells, David Webb, Darrell Herbert, Robby Hensley, Cruz Pedregon
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Shannon Babb, Mike Marlar, Donnie Moran, John Mason, John Gill, Joe Janowski, Shon Flanary, Freddy Smith, Dan Schlieper, Jason Jameson, Ray Cook, Josh McGuire, Justin Rattliff-DNS, Jerry Bowersock-DNS
Wiles Drive Shafts Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dale McDowell, Steve Casebolt, Eric Jacobsen, Duane Chamberlain, Dillan White, Jason Smith, Michael Howard, D.J. Wells, Robby Hensley, David Webb-DNS, Darrell Herbert-DNS, Cruz Pedregon-DNS
Feature Finish (50 Laps): Brian Birkhofer, Jeep VanWormer, Matt Miller, Scott Bloomquist, Eddie Carrier Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., Dale McDowell, Jimmy Owens, Don O'Neal, Brad Neat, John Blankenship, Eric Jacobsen, Donnie Moran, Zack Dohm, Billy Moyer, Ray Cook, Scott James, Brandon Kinzer, Shannon Babb, Terry Casey, Dan Schlieper, Mike Marlar, Steve Casebolt, Ricky Arms
Finish (Start) Car Number Driver Name
1. (8) #15B Brian Birkhofer
2. (2) #55 Jeep VanWormer
3. (1) #7 Matt Miller
4. (3) #0 Scott Bloomquist
5. (7) #28 Eddie Carrier Jr.
6. (5) #44 Earl Pearson Jr.
7. (18) #17M Dale McDowell
8. (11) #20 Jimmy Owens
9. (10) #71 Don O'Neal
10. (9) #41N Brad Neat
11. (16) #23 John Blankenship
12. (22) #5 Eric Jacobsen
13. (21) #99 Donnie Moran
14. (6) #17T Zack Dohm
15. (14) #21 Billy Moyer
16. (23) #53 Ray Cook
17. (4) #83 Scott James
18. (12) #18K Brandon Kinzer
19. (17) #18 Shannon Babb
20. (13) #42t Terry Casey
21. (24) #s9 Dan Schlieper
22. (19) #157 Mike Marlar
23. (20) #c9 Steve Casebolt
24. (15) #4A Ricky Arms
Race Statistics
Entrants: 44
Lap Leaders: Laps 1-48 (Jeep Van Wormer); Laps 49-50 (Brian Birkhofer)
Caution Flags: La 1 (Steve Casebolt); Lap 19 (Terry Casey and Jimmy Owens); Lap 34 (Eric Jacobsen; Lap 35 (Scott James); Lap 36 (Ray Cook)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Ray Cook and Dan Schlieper
Emergency Provisional: none
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Dale McDowell
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Eddie Carrier Jr.
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Brian Birkhofer
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Jeep VanWormer
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Time of the Race: 31 minutes 10 seconds
2009 Championship Points Standings
1. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) 6095
2. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) 5860
3. Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) 5710
4. Dale McDowell (Chickamauga, GA) 5630
5. Don O'Neal (Martinsville, IN) 5530
6. Ray Cook (Brasstown, NC) 5250
7. Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 5035
8. Brad Neat (Dunnville, KY) 4930
9. Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 4640
10. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 4525
11. Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 4280
12. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 3880
13. Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 3540
14. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 2860
2009 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 4525
2. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 3880
3. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 2860
4. Jeep VanWormer (Pinnconning, MI) 1915
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