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Kevin Kovac
CONCORD, N.C. (November 5) - Former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champions Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., shined on Thursday night, sharing fast-time honors in the two rounds of time trials that kicked off the third annual World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway.
A massive field of 80 dirt Late Models jammed the pit area for the blockbuster doubleheader, which also attracted 57 machines for the companion World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series meet. It was a record two-division total for the fall event.
Lanigan, 39, earned the pole position for the first heat race on Friday night by registering the fastest lap in the first round of Ohlins Shocks Time Trials. His clocking of 16.185 seconds just nipped Bloomquist, who led a group of his Team Zero by Bloomquist chassis mates in taking four of the top-five spots in the opening round of qualifying.
The fast-time award was Lanigan's fifth of the 2009 WoO LMS season behind the wheel of his Rocket car.
Bloomquist, who turns 46 on Nov. 14, roared back in the second round of time trials, touring the four-tenths-mile oval in 15.912 seconds to register the fastest overall lap of the evening. The 2004 WoO LMS titlist's performance earned him the pole starting spot in Saturday night's first heat race as he seeks to win a World Finals A-Main for the third consecutive year.
Thursday's first round of time trials set the lineups for Friday night's heats, while the second round of qualifying was used to align Saturday night's heats.
Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. - the main combatants in this weekend's battle for the $100,000 WoO LMS championship - were separated by less than a tenth of a second in both qualifying rounds. Francis timed seventh and 22nd, while Richards was 13th and 20th on the time-trial charts.
Francis enters the pair of 50-lap World Finals A-Mains holding a narrow four-point lead over Richards. Lanigan is 92 points behind Francis in third place and remains mathematically alive in the title hunt, but he will need Francis and Richards to experience bad luck in both races to repeat as champion.
Ironically, the top-three drivers in the WoO LMS points standings will start from the first three starting spots in Friday night's first heat race. Lanigan and Francis will share the front row with Richards starting third.
The World Finals continue on Friday and Saturday, with hot laps scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. and racing set to take the green flag at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday night's World Finals program will be televised live by the SPEED cable network from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.
For more information, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com or www.lowesmotorspeedway.com.
Round 1 Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results For Fri., Nov. 6 Heat Races (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.185
2. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 16.214
3. s9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.309
4. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.340
5. 44M-Chris Madden/Gaffney, SC 16.344
6. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.358
7. 19-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.359
8. 44H-Adam Hensel/Barron, WI 16.369
9. 3d-Austin Dillon/Welcome, NC 16.380
10. 18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 16.398
11. 44p-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 16.399
12. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 16.407
13. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.417
14. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 16.466
15. 55-Jeep VanWormer/Pinconning, MI 16.480
16. 18b-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 16.482
17. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.488
18. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.497
19. 24M-Jeremy Miller/Gettysburg, PA 16.504
20. 9k-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 16.507
21. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.508
22. 17T-Tim Dohm/Cross Lanes, WV 16.541
23. 30-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV 16.542
24. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.556
25. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.577
26. 4T-Tommy Kerr/Maryville, TN 16.582
27. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.594
28. 41-Brad Neat/Dunnville, KY 16.597
29. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.604
30. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 16.618
31. 15B-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 16.624
32. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.633
33. 00K-Randy Korte/Highland, IL 16.634
34. 1W-Ricky Weeks/Rutherfordton, NC 16.636
35. 49R-Brian Ruhlman/Clarklake, MI 16.637
36. 22F-Chris Ferguson/Mount Holly, NC 16.644
37. 6-Randle Chupp/Troutman, NC 16.649
38. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 16.679
39. 17-Mike Gault/Gaffney, SC 16.691
40. 5-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA 16.697
41. 21L-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 16.717
42. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.728
43. 88-Ricky Elliott/Seaford, DE 16.766
44. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 16.772
45. 777-Jared Landers/Batesville, AR 16.782
46. 11J-Jerry Rice/Verona, KY 16.784
47. 12F-Devin Friese/St. Thomas, PA 16.786
48. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 16.796
49. 99-Donnie Moran/Dresden, OH 16.799
50. 09-Johnny Pursley/Clover, SC 16.804
51. 2J-Jeff Rine/Danville, PA 16.815
52. 00F-Bo Feathers/Winchester, VA 16.819
53. 53-Ray Cook/Brasstown, NC 16.820
54. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 16.828
55. 9s-Ken Schrader/Concord, NC 16.835
56. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.838
57. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 16.843
58. 00b-Booper Bare/Rock Bridge Baths, VA 16.871
59. 2F-Dennis Franklin/Gaffney, SC 16.889
60. 87-Walker Arthur/Forest, VA 16.909
61. 20R-Chad Ruhlman/Bemus Point, NY 16.916
62. 75-Cruz Pedregon/Brownsburg, IN 16.926
63. 32-Larry Blankenship/Mooresville, NC 16.965
64. 4-Jeremy Faircloth/Swainsboro, GA 17.037
65. 27-Jim Yoder/Selinsgrove, PA 17.041
66. 75H-Petey Ivey/Shelby, NC 17.072
67. 99B-Rick 'Boom' Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 17.137
68. 27-Ben Faircloth/Swainsboro, GA 17.159
69. 31-Bob Gordon/Keyser, WV 17.254
70. d8-Dustin Mitchell/Princeton, NC 17.262
71. 1G-Doug Horton/Bruceton Mills, WV 17.272
72. 1M-Trey Martin/Charleston, WV 17.320
73. 44L-Justin Labonte/Trinity, NC 17.369
74. 00H-Chuck Harper/Beverly, WV 17.402
75. 11W-D.J. Wells/Wooton, KY 17.588
76. 18L-Spencer Liggon/Lexington, NC 17.707
77. 4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 17.887
78. 215-Al Shawver Jr./Hampstead, MD 18.038
79. 17J-John Winge/Ringgold, GA 18.068
80. 18H-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND N/T
NOTE: 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA - N/T (WoO LMS regular - injured, unable to compete; receives 75 hardship points for Friday event)
Round 2 Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results For Sat., Nov. 7 Heat Races (Position/No./Driver//Best Lap):
1. Scott Bloomquist 15.912
2. Rick Eckert 16.185
3. Gregg Satterlee 16.231
4. Chris Ferguson 16.317
5. Darrell Lanigan 16.335
6. Shane Clanton 16.363
7. Tim McCreadie 16.365
8. Jimmy Owens 16.368
9. Clint Smith 16.385
10. Earl Pearson Jr. 16.398
11. Dan Schlieper 16.423
12. Shannon Babb 16.470
13. Chris Madden 16.478
14. Eric Wells 16.479
15. Jeremy Faircloth 16.483
16. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr. 16.493
17. Dale McDowell 16.498
18. Tommy Kerr 16.500
19. Eric Jacobsen 16.501
20. Josh Richards 16.502
21. Brady Smith 16.519
22. Steve Francis 16.525
23. Tim Fuller 16.537
24. Steve Shaver 16.562
25. Tyler Reddick 16.577
26. Jordan Bland 16.578
27. John Blankenship 16.610
28. Rick 'Boom' Briggs 16.638
29. Johnny Pursley 16.647
30. Mike Knight 16.660
31. Dennis Franklin 16.676
32. Vic Coffey 16.678
33. Jeep VanWormer 16.700
34. Matt Lux 16.715
35. Russell King 16.718
36. Brad Neat 16.725
37. Austin Dillon 16.727
38. Jeremy Miller 16.754
39. Dan Stone 16.760
40. Petey Ivey 16.783
41. Brian Birkhofer 16.803
42. Jason Feger 16.815
43. Randle Chupp 16.816
44. Mike Gault 16.818
45. Austin Hubbard 16.833
46. Ricky Weeks 16.841
47. Randy Korte 16.860
48. Will Vaught 16.869
49. Tim Dohm 16.889
50. Ken Schrader 16.895
51. D.J. Wells 16.895
52. Booper Bare 16.903
53. Ray Cook 16.917
54. Jared Landers 16.917
55. Jerry Rice 16.921
56. Larry Blankenship 16.941
57. Donnie Moran 16.957
58. Brent Robinson 16.960
59. Devin Friese 16.989
60. Chad Ruhlman 17.036
61. Justin Labonte 17.048
62. Ben Faircloth 17.055
63. Ricky Elliott 17.062
64. Brian Ruhlman 17.080
65. Jeff Rine 17.086
66. Adam Hensel 17.090
67. Bo Feathers 17.168
68. Doug Horton 17.266
69. Chuck Harper 17.272
70. Jim Yoder 17.308
71. Bob Gordon 17.312
72. Walker Arthur 17.349
73. Al Shawver Jr. 17.422
74. Spencer Liggon 17.571
75. Dustin Mitchell 17.657
76. Cruz Pedregon 17.792
77. Trey Martin 17.876
78. Chad Hollenbeck 17.991
79. John Winge 18.284
80. 18H-Dustin Hapka N/T
NOTE: 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA - N/T (WoO LMS regular - injured, unable to compete; receives 75 hardship points for Saturday event)
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