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"It was almost like déjà vu again from Friday night," said Richards, who started fourth. "Chub was up top, and I was underneath him, underneath him, trying to pass him."
Frank actually didn't feel very confident about his chances of repelling Richards.
"He was faster than I was," Frank said of Richards. "I figured I had a bad car even before they dropped the green. When I was trying to warm the tires up, it didn't feel good.
"I thought (Richards) was just gonna drive around me on the outside of (turns) one and two because I was so slow down there. But everybody was slow down there because it was so slick, so I was better off than I had expected to be."
Richards made several strong bids for the lead, including one run off turn four on lap 30 that saw him fall inches short of nipping Frank at the start/finish line. But Frank had too much momentum off the outside and maintained command.
"The top had a rough spot (in turn four) where you could just gas it up hard and come off the corner hard, but it was a handful to drive," said Frank. "It would shoot the thing up in the air, but it was fast. I just kept it up there and kept my speed up."
"I felt like my car was real maneuverable, but I couldn't quite clear him," said Richards. "One time I thought I had him. I was clear up beside him, and I think if I was just another six inches farther ahead, I could've beat him down into one. But there was just enough room where he could still come down and keep me behind him."
The outcome might have been decided in Frank's favor when the race's second and final caution flag flew on lap 36, for last year's Lincoln WoO LMS winner Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who was running fourth when he terminally damaged his car's nosepiece by clipping an inside marker tire in turns one and two. The slowdown kept Frank out of heavy lapped traffic - and left Richards with a restart he didn't want.
"I knew he was a little bit softer tire on the left-rear (tire) and he fired a little bit better on the restart," said Richards. "I probably would've been better off without it."
Nevertheless, a runner-up finish at the tight, quarter-mile oval put a smile on Richards's face.
"I feel like I won it," said Richards. "A track like this normally isn't my kind of deal. I was just hoping for at least a top 10 tonight."
Frank's first-ever triumph in the state of Illinois didn't come without a dose of controversy. He was involved in an incident on lap 14 that sent Erb spinning into the infield entering turn one.
Erb, who won the UMP DIRTcar Summernationals and Super Late Model national titles as well as two WoO LMS events in 2008, had caught Frank and was making a bid for the lead when the contact occurred. He nosed underneath Frank just past the starter's stand and went sideways a split second later.
A caution flag flew and Erb restarted at the rear of the field. He pulled alongside Frank during the caution period to make known his displeasure with the turn of events.
"I never seen him," Frank said of the tangle with Erb. "He said I should've seen him, but he has to understand a few things: my car was rocking up, plus I was off the edge of the banking. And I wear a head-and-neck restraint, so I'm not real mobile turning my head."
Ironically, Frank's 14th career WoO LMS victory came exactly one year to the day since he captured his first win of the 2007 season, at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich. He went on to win a series-best six A-Mains last season.
Frank also moved into a tie for second in the WoO LMS points standings with Lanigan, just six points behind Francis. He was the runner-up in last year's points race.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was Clanton, who faded from serious contention after sealing up his tires; Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa; Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y.; 19th-starter Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, Mich.; and Wes Steidinger of Fairbury, Ill., who earned the $500 WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' prize for being the highest-finishing driver who hasn't won a tour A-Main and wasn't ranked among the top-12 in the points standings.
Forty-three cars were entered in the event, which was run on a cool, clear spring evening.
Heat winners were Erb, Frank, Francis and Richards. The B-Mains were captured by Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.
Daren Friedman of Forest, Ill., rode out the night's roughest accident, rolling his car once on the homestretch after tangling with Nick Bauman of New Berlin, Ill., during the third heat. He emerged from his car uninjured.
The WoO LMS will have the Memorial Day holiday weekend off and then return to action with an East Coast doubleheader on Thurs., May 29, at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, Del., and Sat., May 31, at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway. For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series 'Land of Lincoln 40' (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Chub Frank/40 $7,150
2. (4) Josh Richards/40 $3,600
3. (6) Steve Francis/40 $2,000
4. (14) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,700
5. (5) Rick Eckert/40 $1,500
6. (1) Shane Clanton/40 $1,300
7. (13) Brian Birkhofer/40 $1,200
8. (15) Tim McCreadie/40 $1,100
9. (19) Jeep VanWormer/40 $1,000
10. (8) Wes Steidinger/40 $1,400
11. (12) Shannon Babb/40 $850
12. (24) John Blankenship/40 $800
13. (23) Clint Smith/40 $750
14. (20) Jason Feger/40 $740
15. (21) Vic Coffey/40 $960
16. (22) Michael Kloos/40 $680
17. (7) Matt Taylor/40 $650
18. (18) Tim Fuller/40 $630
19. (3) Dennis Erb Jr./40 $620
20. (25) Donny Walden/40 $610
21. (11) Brian Shirley/36 $600
22. (10) Tim Lance/25 $600
23. (16) Terry Casey/22 $600
24. (9) Eric Smith/3 $600
25. (17) Brady Smith/0 $600
Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 14, 36)
Lap Leaders: Frank (1-40)
Provisional Starters: C. Smith, Blankenship (WoO); Walden (track)
Rookie of the Race: Vic Coffey ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Wes Steidinger ($500)
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race ($50): Brad Baum (Frank)
Chick Hawk Racing Hot Lap Award (half-off tire warmers): Frank
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Erb, Clanton, E. Smith, Birkhofer, VanWormer, B. Smith, B. Sheppard, C. Smith, Isabell, Tomlin, S. Sheppard
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Frank, Steidinger, Lance, Lanigan, Coffey, Blankenship, D. Johnson, Little, Beardsley, Zidar, Diveley
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Francis, Eckert, Shirley, McCreadie, Kloos, Bull, Dick, Chandler, Friedman, Bauman (DNS) Unzicker
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Taylor, Babb, Casey, Fuller, Feger, Heckenast, Beadles, Walden, Dehm
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): B. Smith, VanWormer, Coffey, S. Sheppard, Blankenship, Diveley, C. Smith, D. Johnson, Little, Zidar, Isabell, B. Sheppard, Beardsley, Tomlin
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Fuller, Feger, Kloos, Dick, Heckenast, Bull, Chandler, Walden, Beadles, Dehm (DNS) Friedman, Bauman, Unzicker
Time Trial Results
1. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 13.498 2. J1-Wes Steidinger/Fairbury, IL 13.594 3. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 13.707 4. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 13.741 5. 28-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 13.764 6. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 13.778 7. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.796 8. 3L-Matt Taylor/Springfield, IL 13.817 9. 9-Eric Smith/Bloomington, IL 13.890 10. 75-Tim Lance/Peoria, IL 13.918 11. 83-Scott Bull/Fairbury, IL 13.963 12. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 14.022 13. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 14.124 14. 9z-Jayme Zidar/Greenfield, WI 14.145 15. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 14.185 16. 99Jr.-Frank Heckenast Jr./Orland Park, IL 14.202 17. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 14.209 18. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 14.223 19. 89-Daren Friedman/Forest, IL 14.244 20. 1W-Donny Walden/Towanda, IL 14.258 21. 5s-Steve Sheppard Jr./New Berlin, IL 14.371 22. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.394 23. 35-Derek Chandler/Pontiac, IL 14.436 24. 42-Terry Casey/New London, WI 14.539 25. 55-Jeep VanWormer/Pinconning, MI 14.591 26. 11d-Brian Diveley/Springfield, IL 14.592 27. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 14.605 28. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.643 29. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 14.705 30. 32c-Vic Coffey/Leicester, NY 14.716 31. 6K-Michael Kloos/Trenton, IL 14.723 32. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 14.824 33. 18T-Shane Tomlin/Virden, IL 14.970 34. 27J-Danny Johnson/Phelps, NY 15.062 35. 22-Chris Dick/Deland, IL 15.122 36. 99J-Jimmy Dehm/Lexington, IL 15.159 37. 6J-Joe Isabell/Pennellville, NY 15.281 38. 18s-Sean Beardsley/Central Square, NY 15.331 39. B1-Nick Bauman/New Berlin, IL 15.512 40. 17B-Matt Beadles/Clinton, IL 16.197 41. B5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL N/T 42. 38L-Ryan Little/Springfield, IL N/T 43. 24U-Ryan Unzicker/El Paso, IL N/T
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