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Kevin Kovac
SWAINSBORO, Ga. (May 1) - It was finally Tim McCreadie's turn to celebrate in Victory Lane.
Ratifying his return to championship contender status on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, McCreadie scored his first tour win of 2010 by outdueling Darrell Lanigan in Saturday night's 50-lap A-Main at Swainsboro Raceway.
McCreadie, 36, of Watertown, N.Y., started outside of Lanigan on the race's front row and spent virtually the entire distance battling for the top spot with his fellow former WoO LMS champion. Union, Ky.'s Lanigan grabbed the lead from McCreadie on lap 29, but McCreadie regained command on lap 40 and held on for dear life over the remaining circuits.
A regular on the WoO LMS for the first time since capturing the tour's prestigious title in 2006, McCreadie drove his Sweeteners Plus Rocket car across the finish line 0.428 of a second ahead of Lanigan's Rocket mount. He became the ninth different winner in 10 tour events this season and moved into the points lead.
"It was my day I guess," said McCreadie, who earned $10,675 for his 13th career win on the WoO LMS. "Darrell might have had the better car, but we got lucky enough to get to the lead and get a win."
Rookie of the Year contender Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., who started 12th, finished third in Dale Beitler's Rocket car, more than a second behind McCreadie. It was his second third-place finish in as many nights and fourth overall of 2010.
Defending champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., saw his four-point lead in the WoO LMS standings turn into a four-point deficit despite placing a solid fourth in his father Mark's Rocket house car, and 10th-starter Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., made a late charge to record a career-best WoO LMS finish of fifth.
Finally triumphant after knocking on the door to the Winner's Circle several times this season, McCreadie was jubilant during the post-race ceremonies. He executed several celebratory 360-degree spins in turn four to rile the standing-room-only crowd. He pounded on his car's roof after climbing from the cockpit. And he kissed the unique keepsake he received for winning the WoO LMS portion of the track's 'Pine Tree 100': a wooden replica of a pine tree sitting atop a dirt Late Model that was carved with a chainsaw the previous day by the 'Masters of the Chainsaw' group, top sculptors who conducted an exhibition during the town of Swainsboro's annual Pine Tree Festival.
"It's a relief more than anything," said McCreadie, whose seven top-five finishes in the season's first nine A-Mains included a close second-place run to Richards on Friday night at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway. "I know everybody on this tour works hard, but we're working as hard as we can because I wanna win so bad. Maybe I shouldn't be this way, but (winning) rules my day and rules my night. If you don't win, (racing's) not as fun as it should be."
McCreadie appeared headed toward another disappointing, close-but-no-cigar night when, on lap 29, he relinquished the lead he had held the entire distance to Lanigan. But McCreadie was too hungry to give up and summoned enough speed to move back in front on lap 40.
"I didn't think we'd be able to win after Darrell went back by me," said McCreadie, whose first WoO LMS victory since June 23, 2009, at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Speedway ironically tied him with Lanigan on the tour's win list since 2004. "When he got by me I was sort of fading, but then I saw where he was running and it helped me a little.
"I had to drive as hard as I could, but he left me a half a hole (on lap 40) and I kind of filled it up - maybe with a little bit of door, but like (Lanigan) said, he got into me earlier and he knew it was coming back."
Lanigan offered no excuses for falling short in his bid for a second WoO LMS win in '10.
"He just got me getting into the corner," said Lanigan, who sits third in the points standings behind McCreadie and Richards. "He was better on the top and I was better on the bottom, and I got a little high down there and let him get under me. It's my own fault."
Lanigan made several attempts to regain the lead from McCreadie, including a last-lap bid that saw the two drivers' cars make contact rounding turn four. McCreadie relished the close competition on the three-eighths-mile, red-clay oval.
"It was a tough one," said McCreadie, who made his first-ever start at Swainsboro in what was the track's inaugural WoO LMS program. "We raced hard and banged for the last 10 laps. We traded some paint, which was fun. It's cool - he can take it, I can take it.
"I told Darrell, 'I don't mind racing like that as long as we can have some fun and don't kill each other.'"
Four caution flags slowed the event, including three for WoO LMS regulars. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., was the first Outlaw to run into trouble when he pulled to a stop on the homestretch while battling for fourth on lap 14 because his car's hood flapped up to obstruct his view due to broken pins. Later, on lap 42, Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., spun between turns three and four when he tangled with a lapped car while racing hard with Lanigan for second, and on the ensuing restart Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., slowed because his car's left-rear wheel flew off.
Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., settled for a sixth-place finish after being removed from the top five by Roberts with the checkered flag nearly in sight. Finishing in positions 7-10 was Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga.; 20-year-old Chris Ferguson of Mt. Holly, N.C., who climbed as high as third before fading after a lap-14 restart; 15th-starter Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who lost eighth to Ferguson on the final lap; and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who restarted at the rear of the field after pitting on lap seven to replace his car's lost air cleaner.
Lanigan registered his first fast-time honor of 2010, turning a lap of 14.610 seconds to lead the 29-car field that assembled for Ohlins Shocks Time Trials.
Heat winners were Lanigan, McCreadie and Ferguson. The B-Main was captured by Chesley Dixon of Swainsboro, Ga., who became the A-Main's first retiree after he stopped to bring out a caution flag on lap seven.
The WoO LMS will head to the Midwest next weekend, visiting Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway on Fri., May 7, and Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, Ky., on Sat., May 8. Both events will feature 50-lap A-Mains paying $10,000 to win.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series at Swainsboro Raceway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Tim McCreadie/50 $10,675
2. (1) Darrell Lanigan/50 $5,650
3. (12) Austin Hubbard/50 $3,750
4. (7) Josh Richards/50 $3,100
5. (10) Casey Roberts/50 $2,500
6. (8) Steve Francis/50 $2,300
7. (11) Dale McDowell/50 $1,400
8. (5) Chris Ferguson/50 $1,300
9. (15) Chub Frank/50 $1,700
10. (9) Rick Eckert/50 $1,600
11. (17) Russell King/50 $1,550
12. (14) Ray Cook/50 $1,000
13. (23) Tim Fuller/50 $1,450
14. (4) Shane Clanton/50 $1,400
15. (3) Brady Smith/50 $1,350
16. (18) Brent Robinson/50 $800
17. (24) Clint Smith/50 $1,270
18. (16) John Henderson/49 $750
19. (20) Scott Shirey/49 $730
20. (22) Lamar Haygood/48 $700
21. (21) Henry Carter/42 $700
22. (6) Jeremy Faircloth/38 $700
23. (13) Jonathan Davenport/35 $700
24. (19) Chesley Dixon/6 $775
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 28 Mins., 58.492 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.428 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 7, 14, 42, 42)
Lap Leaders: McCreadie (1-28); Lanigan (29-39); McCreadie (40-50)
Provisional Starters: Fuller, C. Smith
Rookie of the Race: Hubbard ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Roberts ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.610
2. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 14.727
3. 22F-Chris Ferguson/Mt. Holly, NC 14.802
4. 19T-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.811
5. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 14.853
6. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 14.864
7. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 14.936
8. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 14.996
9. 4-Jeremy Faircloth/Swainsboro, GA 15.036
10. 101-Casey Roberts/Toccoa, GA 15.049
11. 53-Ray Cook/Brasstown, NC 15.086
12. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.112
13. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.131
14. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 15.181
15. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 15.248
16. 22x-John Henderson/Aiken, SC 15.251
17. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 15.285
18. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 15.289
19. 93-Donald Bradsher/Burlington, NC 15.357
20. 20-Henry Carter/Waycross, GA 15.365
21. 3d-Chesley Dixon/Swainsboro, GA 15.394
22. 49-Jonathan Davenport/Blairsville, GA 15.394
23. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 15.442
24. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.618
25. 27-Ben Faircloth/Swainsboro, GA 15.649
26. 17H-Lamar Haygood/Douglasville, GA 15.706
27. 98-Casey Barrow/Savannah, GA 15.750
28. 10-Scott Shirey/Swansea, GA 16.198
29. 16-Brian Nuttal Jr./Claxton, GA 16.375
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 6 Transfer): Lanigan, B. Smith, Richards, Roberts, Davenport, Henderson, Shirey, Fuller, Bradsher, B. Faircloth
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 6 Transfer): McCreadie, Clanton, Francis, McDowell, Cook, King, Blankenship, Nuttal, Carter, Haygood
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 6 Transfer): Ferguson, J. Faircloth, Eckert, Hubbard, Frank, Robinson, Dixon, Barrow, C. Smith
B-Main (12 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Dixon, Shirey, Carter, Haygood, Blankenship, Barrow, C. Smith, Nuttal (DNS) Fuller, Bradsher, B. Faircloth
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:
Arizona Sports Shirts ($50 product certificate): Casey Barrow
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Casey Roberts
Eibach Springs (one free spring): Scott Shirey
MSD Ignition ($75 cash award): Tim McCreadie
MSD Ignition ($25 cash award): Chesley Dixon
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash award to fastest qualifier w/decal): Darrell Lanigan
Pink Carburetors ($100 product certificate): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate): Tim McCreadie
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate): Shane Clanton
R2C Performance: Tim McCreadie
STP ($50 cash award): Chesley Dixon
VP Racing Fuels 'Nice Jugs Award' (two five-gallon plastic fuel jugs to fastest qualifier who does not make the A-Main if decal is displayed): Ben Faircloth
Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Tim McCreadie
2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 1 - 10 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Tim McCreadie 1410 (-0)
2. Josh Richards 1406 (-4)
3. Darrell Lanigan 1360 (-50)
4. Austin Hubbard 1308 (-102)
5. Tim Fuller 1296 (-114)
6. Steve Francis 1294 (-116)
7. Brady Smith 1280 (-130)
8. Rick Eckert 1276 (-134)
9. Chub Frank 1254 (-156)
10. Clint Smith 1228 (-182)
11. Shane Clanton 1204 (-206)
12. Russell King 1112 (-298)
13. Brent Robinson 1068 (-342)
14. Billy Moyer 696 (-714)
15. Brian Birkhofer 686 (-724)
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