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Kevin Kovac
CANANDAIGUA, N.Y. (June 23) - Tim McCreadie is back.
The sensational driver from Watertown, N.Y., quickly validated his return from a back injury that had sidelined him since January, winning Tuesday night's 40-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series 'Great Northern Tour' A-Main at Canandaigua Speedway.
It was an emotional triumph for McCreadie, who thrilled the partisan crowd that packed the stands of the half-mile oval he called home during much of his DIRTcar big-block Modified career. The 2006 WoO LMS champion was swamped in Victory Lane by a horde of happy well-wishers, including his father, legendary DIRTcar big-block Modified driver 'Barefoot' Bob McCreadie.
McCreadie's victory came in just his fourth start since returning from the fractured vertebra he suffered on Jan. 15 in a wild crash during qualifying for the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, Okla.
"This is just amazing," said McCreadie, who pocketed $7,200 for his 12th career WoO LMS win. "To win here, in front of these people at one of my hometracks, and with my dad here - it's such a cool feeling.
"It's just so great to be back racing. Like I've told a lot of people - it's been six months (on the sidelines), but it feels like it's been 10 years."
McCreadie broke through after finishing second the previous two nights in Great Northern Tour events at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway and Can-Am Motorsports Park in LaFargeville, N.Y., a track just north of his hometown.
"I wanted (to win) last night (at Can-Am) real bad, but we finished second because (Rick) Eckert out-drove us and had a better car," said McCreadie. "That was disappointing, but tonight I think we did the same."
Indeed, McCreadie, 35, was the class of the field at Canandaigua. After inheriting the lead when another former DIRTcar big-block regular, polesitter Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., retired with a broken driveshaft during a lap-four caution period, McCreadie was untouchable over the final 36 circuits of non-stop racing.
Former WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., briefly nosed his Beitler Motorsports Rocket inside McCreadie's Sweeteners Plus Rocket on lap 14, but McCreadie proceeded to build a commanding edge. McCreadie crossed the finish line 6.182 seconds - more than a full straightaway - ahead of Francis.
Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., finished third in his Team Zero by Bloomquist mount, right on Francis's rear bumper at the checkered flag. York, Pa.'s Eckert settled for fourth place with a tight-handling Team Zero by Bloomquist car after starting from the outside pole, and former Canandaigua big-block Modified regular Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., held on to finish fifth despite battling brake issues with his Sweeteners Plus Rocket.
Defending WoO LMS titlist Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and 14th-starter Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., finished sixth and seventh, respectively - the last drivers on the lead lap at the finish.
McCreadie kept his machine snug to the inside of the track throughout the distance, running a line perfected by several big-block Modified stars who have dominated at the track known as the 'Land of Legends.'
"I think I spent seven years watching guys like Bob McCreadie and Alan Johnson get in that hub, get in that hub," said McCreadie, who won 14 DIRTcar big-block Mod features at Canandaigua from 1999-2002, "and damn if I didn't do it one time right."
McCreadie said those words in Victory Lane and then walked over to hug his father, who hasn't raced since suffering a broken leg and other injuries in a 2005 motorcycle accident. Moments later 'Barefoot' Bob brought down the house when WoO LMS announcer Rick Eshelman mentioned the fact that the leader McCreadie's career win total at Canandaigua stands at 99.
"Well, it's 100 (wins) now," said Bob McCreadie, beaming after watching his son win a WoO LMS A-Main in person for the first time.
The feel-good nature of the race was not lost on the drivers who futilely chased McCreadie.
"If I have to run second, I couldn't find a better place to do it than here tonight," said Francis, who asserted that he "had nothing" for McCreadie. "Coming back and winning this race is a special deal for Timmy. He's a close personal friend of mine and I'm happy to see him back racing."
The 32-year-old Smith, meanwhile, was in awe of the post-race scene.
"I think it's so cool to see him win here in front of all his fans," said Smith, a first-year WoO LMS regular who made his first-ever start at Canandaigua. "Timmy's a great guy, and I'm glad to see him back in a race car and doing what he loves."
Finishing one lap down in positions 8-10 was 13th-starter Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga., who scored a top-10 finish at Canandaigua for the second consecutive year; Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, N.Y., who registered his second straight top-10 run on the Great Northern Tour; and 16th-starter Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who entered the night leading the WoO LMS points standings, experienced a tough outing, bringing out two of the race's three caution flags. He slowed on lap three with what he thought was a flat tire, then slowed again on lap four when his car's left-rear tire did go flat. The 21-year-old rallied to salvage an 11th-place finish.
The evening ended with Francis and Lanigan tied for the WoO LMS points lead. Richards slipped to third (-6 points) and Eckert sits fourth (-10 points) in the hotly-contested battle through 18 events.
A field of 33 dirt Late Models was signed in for the evening's program, which marked the second consecutive year that the WoO LMS has invaded Canandaigua.
Coffey turned a lap of 17.599 seconds in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials to register his second career fast-time honor on the WoO LMS. He pocketed a $50 bonus for his first quick-time since July 13, 2008, at North Dakota's Williston Basin Speedway.
Heat winners were Coffey, Francis and Fuller, and Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., captured the B-Main.
The WoO LMS 'Great Northern Tour' continues on Wednesday night (June 24) at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa., before heading to Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., for a spectacular three-day finale. The postponed 'Showdown in Sarvertown' (a B-Main and 50-lap A-Main held-over from May 5) will be completed on Thurs., June 25, and the $30,000-to-win Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com will take center stage on June 26-27.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series at Canandaigua Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (3) Tim McCreadie/40 $7,200
2. (4) Steve Francis/40 $3,650
3. (5) Brady Smith/40 $2,500
4. (2) Rick Eckert/40 $2,200
5. (6) Vic Coffey/40 $2,050
6. (8) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,900
7. (14) Chub Frank/40 $1,700
8. (13) Tony Knowles/39 $1,100
9. (9) Gregg Satterlee/39 $1,000
10. (16) Clint Smith/39 $1,500
11. (10) Josh Richards/39 $1,350
12. (17) Dan Stone/39 $800
13. (19) Shane Clanton/39 $1,250
14. (11) Billy Decker/39 $740
15. (12) Matt Lux/39 $710
16. (23) Jordan Bland/38 $1,430
17. (18) Mike Knight/38 $650
18. (20) Russell King/ $1,130
19. (21) Brent Robinson/38 $1,120
20. (22) Larry Wight/38 $610
21. (24) Dustin Hapka/38 $600
22. (15) Rick Briggs/18 $600
23. (1) Tim Fuller/4 $1,100
24. (7) Austin Hubbard/4 $600
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 20 Mins., 34.212 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 6.182 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 0, 5)
Lap Leaders: Fuller (1-4); McCreadie (5-40)
Provisional Starters: Bland, Hapka
Rookie of the Race: Bland ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Coffey ($500)
Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Johnny Coco (Coffey)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 17.599
2. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 17.942
3. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 17.971
4. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 18.009
5. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 18.074
6. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 18.081
7. 07R-Brent Rhebergen/Clymer, NY 18.150
8. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.158
9. 22s-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 18.287
10. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 18.291
11. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 18.340
12. 99B-Rick Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 18.436
13. 26-Tony Knowles/Tyrone, GA 18.437
14. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 18.511
15. 21-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 18.602
16. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 18.608
17. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 18.641
18. 9K-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 18.689
19. 1F-Adam Ferri/Port Colbourne, ONT 18.738
20. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 18.769
21. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 18.832
22. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 18.877
23. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 18.905
24. 99L-Larry Wight/Baldwinsville, NY 19.030
25. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 19.118
26. 22G-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 19.130
27. 1M-Peter Mantha Jr./Gatineau, QUE 19.146
28. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 19.210
29. R19-Dale Caswell/Central Square, NY 19.424
30. 14-April Farmer/Livingston, TN 19.704
31. 13b-James Cornell/Harpersville, NY 19.863
32. 18-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND 19.910
33. 16-Aaron Jacobs/Frankfort, NY N/T
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 6 Transfer): Coffey, B. Smith, Hubbard, Richards, Knowles, C. Smith, Rhebergen, Robinson, Ferri, Bland, Cornell
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 6 Transfer): Francis, Eckert, Lanigan, Decker, Frank, Stone, Clanton, King, Oakes, Caswell, Hapka
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 6 Transfer): Fuller, McCreadie, Satterlee, Lux, Briggs, Knight, Wight, Mantha, Reddick, Farmer (DNS) Jacobs
B-Main (12 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, King, Robinson, Wight, Oakes, Mantha, Farmer, Bland, Cornell, Caswell, Ferri, Hapka, Reddick, Jacobs, Rhebergen
2009 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of June 23 - 18 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. (tie) Darrell Lanigan 2391 (-0)
1. (tie) Steve Francis 2391 (-0)
3. Josh Richards 2385 (-6)
4. Rick Eckert 2381 (-10)
5. Shane Clanton 2311 (-80)
6. Brady Smith 2288 (-103)
7. Tim Fuller 2281 (-110)
8. Chub Frank 2267 (-124)
9. Clint Smith 2183 (-208)
10. Jordan Bland 1877 (-514)
11. Russell King 1846 (-545)
12. Vic Coffey 1802 (-589)
13. Brent Robinson 1776 (-615)
14. Dustin Hapka 1689 (-702)
15. Tyler Reddick 1490 (-901)
16. Shannon Babb 1395 (-996)
17. Austin Hubbard 1215 (-1176)
18. Matt Lux 788 (-1603)
19. Dan Stone 768 (-1623)
20. Dale McDowell 717 (-1674)
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