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Kevin Kovac
CLEARFIELD, Penn. (July 27) - Don't call Darrell Lanigan the 'Bluegrass Bridesmaid' any longer.
Snapping his unprecedented streak of four consecutive runner-up finishes on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, Lanigan kicked off the national tour's Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek on Tuesday night with a victory in the 'Fear The Bear 40' at Central PA Speedway.
Lanigan, 40, of Union, Ky., advanced from the third starting spot to take the lead from Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., on lap six and never looked back. Racing in front of a standing-room-only crowd that turned out for the first-ever WoO LMS event at Tim Bainey Sr.'s four-tenths-mile oval, the 2008 tour champion survived four caution flags and an early threat from Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., to register his long-awaited second series win of 2010.
Clanton settled for second place in his RSD Enterprises Rocket car, a distant 2.308 seconds behind Lanigan's GottaRace.com Rocket at the finish. Fifth-starter Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., was several car lengths farther back in third at the checkered flag in his Valvoline Rocket, Rick Eckert of York, Pa., placed fourth after running as high as second in his Team Zero by Bloomquist mount and defending WoO LMS champion and current points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., completed the top five with a steady-but-quiet run in his Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket.
"It feels great to get that second-place jinx off us," said Lanigan, who finished second in all four A-Mains contested during the recent 'Wild West Tour.' "Our car's been good, but we just needed a little luck. Maybe things changed a little bit for the better tonight."
Lanigan earned $8,600 for his 14th career WoO LMS victory and first since March 19 at Ocala (Fla.) Speedway. He scored nine runner-up finishes between his two wins this season, including six in the 10 races prior to Tuesday's stop at Central PA.
Lanigan's post-race prizes also included one of the track's trademark three-foot-tall wooden 'Big Bear' carvings and a fresh six-pound cheeseburger from Denny's Beer Barrel Pub, the local restaurant that has earned national attention for its menu featuring out-sized burgers.
Now a winner of two A-Mains in each WoO LMS campaign since 2004, Lanigan felt very comfortable circling Central PA Speedway for the first time in his career.
"This track kind of fit our program pretty good - big track with sweeping, wide corners," Lanigan said of Central PA, which operated with a paved surface for 20 years until being covered by dirt prior to the 2006 season. "The setup we've been running lately works good on a place like this. I could just run through the middle without a problem."
Lanigan was only briefly challenged by Clanton, who needed just six laps to hustle from the ninth starting spot to second. He vaulted from fifth to second in a single lap following a lap-six restart and nearly ran into the rear bumper of Lanigan's car when he charged hard off the outside of turn four on lap 13, but that was as close as he got to the lead.
Clanton, 34, lost second to Eckert on a lap-15 restart. He regained the position on lap 21 and stayed there to the finish, but he couldn't summon the speed to compete with Lanigan.
"He went a little harder on right-rear tire than I did," Clanton said of Lanigan. "I knew where we were starting we had to go at the beginning. I thought I could get (past Lanigan) and then just ride, but I didn't - and then at the end I just had to ride behind him."
Lanigan's victory moved him within 36 points of Richards in the WoO LMS points standings after 29 of a scheduled 47 events. Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., was left 26 points behind Richards in second after settling for a ninth-place finish.
Rookie Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., finished sixth, slipping forward from the 11th starting spot. Frank faded to a seventh-place finish after starting on the pole and leading laps 1-5, while his cousin, Rick 'Boom' Briggs, also of Bear Lake, Pa., was eighth to earn the $500 'Bonus Bucks' cash for being the highest-finishing driver who has never won a WoO LMS A-Main and wasn't among the top 12 in the points standings. McCreadie moved up just one spot to finish ninth and 17th-starter Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., rounded out the top 10.
There were no serious incidents during the race. Cautions were caused by Todd Snook of Mifflin, Pa., who slid off the track on lap six; D.J. Myers of Greencastle, Pa., who stopped in turn two on lap 15; and Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., who lost a wheel on laps 20 and 34.
Richards was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, earning his series-leading fourth fast-time honor of 2010 with a lap of 16.242 seconds.
Heat winners were Richards, Lanigan, Mike Knight of Ripley, N.Y., and Eckert, and the B-Mains were captured by Clint Smith and Satterlee.
The WoO LMS Ohio-Pennsylvania Speedweek continues on Wednesday night (July 28) at Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio. After an off-day on Thursday, the swing visits Attica (Ohio) Raceway Park on Fri., July 30; Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio, on Sat., July 31; and Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa., on Sun., Aug. 1.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series 'Fear The Bear 40' (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (3) Darrell Lanigan/40 $8,600
2. (9) Shane Clanton/40 $4,575
3. (5) Steve Francis/40 $3,300
4. (2) Rick Eckert/40 $2,800
5. (4) Josh Richards/40 $2,650
6. (11) Austin Hubbard/40 $2,350
7. (1) Chub Frank/40 $1,900
8. (7) Rick 'Boom' Briggs/40 $1,800
9. (10) Tim McCreadie/40 $1,800
10. (17) Clint Smith/40 $1,600
11. (14) Robbie Blair/40 $1,000
12. (13) Tim Fuller/40 $1,400
13. (6) Mike Knight/40 $850
14. (12) Russell King/40 $1,300
15. (15) Greg Oakes/40 $750
16. (19) Dylan Yoder/40 $750
17. (22) Brent Robinson/39 $1,160
18. (23) Chris Farrell/39 $640
19. (20) Chris Casner/39 $620
20. (18) Gregg Satterlee/32 $610
21. (8) D.J. Myers/14 $600
22. (21) Todd Snook/5 $600
23. (24) Bump Hedman/1 $600
24. (16) Billy Dickson/1 $625
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 22 Mins., 52.806 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.308 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 6, 15, 20, 34)
Lap Leaders: Frank (1-5); Lanigan (6-40)
Provisional Starters: Chris Farrell, Hedman
Rookie of the Race: Hubbard ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Briggs ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 1- Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.242
2. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.334
3. 9K-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 16.529
4. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.547
5. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.563
6. 99B-Rick 'Boom' Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 16.605
7. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.649
8. 70J-D.J. Myers/Greencastle, PA 16.684
9. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 16.737
10. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.796
11. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.867
12. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 17.015
13. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 17.144
14. won11-Robbie Blair/Titusville, PA 17.244
15. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 17.301
16. 32-Billy Dickson/W. Decatur, PA 17.307
17. 32Y-Dylan Yoder/Selinsgrove, PA 17.320
18. 53-Chris Farrell/Clearfield, PA 17.436
19. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 17.514
20. B22-Bump Hedman/Sugar Grove, PA 17.548
21. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 17.591
22. 23-Todd Snook/Mifflin, PA 17.631
23. 22G-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 17.782
24. c33-Chris Casner/Mifflintown, PA 17.784
25. 1L-Dane Laraway/Irwin, PA 17.836
26. 55-Denny Fenton/Clearfield, PA 17.975
27. 53R-Ray Farrell/Clearfield, PA 18.038
28. 773-Mike Evock/Hope Mills, NC 18.056
29. 82G-Ted Gallaher/Irvona, PA 18.535
30. 27-Bobby Stokes/Milton, PA 18.665
31. 55B-Jeramey Ohl/Jersey Shore, PA 18.947
32. 11-Greg Kent/Morrisdale, PA 19.126
33. 12-Doug Drown/Wooster, OH N/T
34. 8-Craig Vosbergen/Perth, Australia DQ
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Francis, Clanton, Fuller, C. Smith, Yoder, Gallaher, Laraway (DNS) Drown
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, Briggs, McCreadie, Blair, C. Farrell, Snook, Stokes, Vosbergen, Fenton
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Knight, Frank, Hubbard, Oakes, Satterlee, Ohl, R. Farrell, Robinson
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Myers, King, Dickson, Hedman, Casner, Evock, Kent
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): C. Smith, Yoder, Snook, Laraway, Stokes, Fenton, Vosbergen, Gallaher, C. Farrell (DNS) Drown
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Satterlee, Casner, Robinson, Ohl, R. Farrell, Kent, Hedman, Evock
2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 27 - 29 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Josh Richards 3872
2. Tim McCreadie 3846 (-26)
3. Darrell Lanigan 3836 (-36)
4. Steve Francis 3760 (-112)
5. Austin Hubbard 3676 (-196)
6. Shane Clanton 3666 (-206)
7. Rick Eckert 3616 (-256)
8. Tim Fuller 3594 (-278)
9. Chub Frank 3538 (-334)
10. Clint Smith 3446 (-426)
11. Russell King 3260 (-612)
12. Brent Robinson 2912 (-960)
13. Brady Smith 2786 (-1086)
14. Jill George 2126 (-1746)
15. Brian Birkhofer 1566 (-2306)
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