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Kevin Kovac
CONCORD, N.C. (October 13) - Advantage, Josh Richards.
The 22-year-old sensation from Shinnston, W.Va., vaulted back on top of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series points standings on Wednesday night, holding off Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., to capture the 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Richards turned a two-point deficit to Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., into a 22-point lead in the event that kicked off Bank of America 500 week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. As Richards raced off the outside pole starting spot to pace the entire distance of the A-Main, Lanigan was slowed by a right-front flat tire on lap 13 and managed only a 12th-place finish after restarting at the rear of the field.
The $100,000 WoO LMS championship prize will be determined with the season-ending pair of features during the World Finals on Nov. 4-6 at The Dirt Track, which boasted a fast, smooth surface on Wednesday night.
"It's unfortunate that Lanigan had some bad luck tonight, but there's still a long way to go," said Richards, who earned $10,675 for his series-leading eighth triumph of 2010. "We gotta come back here for the Finals and race hard. You can lose a lot of points in one night, so we just gotta try to stay consistent and stay focused."
Richards was on his game in the Showdown, keeping his Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car in front of McCreadie to win the Showdown for the second straight year and score his third career triumph at the four-tenths-mile oval. It was his 28th career victory on the WoO LMS - tying him with Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., as the national tour's winningest driver since 2004 - and moved him closer to a second consecutive Outlaw title.
McCreadie, 36, settled for second place in the Sweeteners Plus Rocket, crossing the finish line one car length behind Richards. Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., scored a career-best WoO LMS finish of third after starting seventh in Sanford Goddard's Warrior house car, while sixth-starter Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., was fourth in the Bobby Labonte Motorsports MastersSbilt and Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., charged forward from the 21st starting spot to place fifth in the K&L Rumley Rocket.
Richards put himself in position for his critical victory with a dramatic heat-race performance. He came on after a mid-race restart to win the second heat by inches with a last-turn pass of Dallas, N.C.'s Jeff Smith.
"We struggled in qualifying with some carburetor issues," said Richards. "We got that fixed, though, and in the heat race the car was phenomenal. The Cornett power really worked well for us in the heat - we were able to stick around that bottom and get by those guys.
"I think that was the key to winning tonight - getting in the redraw and getting a good spot. We drew the outside pole and I knew it was pretty much our race to lose. We've run well here in the past, so I knew if we could get out front and get rolling we'd be in good shape."
Richards had to withstand some serious pressure from McCreadie, whose advance from the ninth starting spot reached second place when he swept around the outside of both Marlar and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., on a lap-13 restart. McCreadie had several high-groove bids to grab the lead thwarted by Richards, who built a 10 car-length edge on McCreadie following a restart on lap 22 but maintained a more modest edge after the race's fifth and final caution flag flew on lap 42.
"It's good to be leading, but you don't know where anybody's running," said Richards, who has an opportunity to tie or beat the WoO LMS single-season win record of nine set in 2004 by Scott Bloomquist. "I kept watching the scoreboard, and once I saw McCreadie was second and I could kind of hear him on the outside I moved up (on the track).
"I ran the top of one and two and the bottom of three and four, just trying to keep my momentum up. I know (McCreadie) wasn't very happy about it - he thought I was racing him dirty - but when you're on a track like this and you're running the bottom you don't stay on the bottom because you gotta keep your momentum up.
"I knew he was there but I didn't know how close, so I just tried to take his line away. It's called racing."
McCreadie drew close to Richards's rear bumper during the final circuits but fell short. He was disappointed after absorbing his seventh runner-up finish of 2010.
"I gave it all I had," said McCreadie. "At least we made that 1 car have to get wide the last 20 laps to hold on."
Richards, meanwhile, wore a big smile after his triumph, which he credited to his well-oiled team.
"Everybody did an awesome job - my dad, Matt (Barnes), Jimmy (Frye)," said Richards. "Even (NASCAR star Tony) Stewart - he was in the pits scraping mud before the race and I guess he put the magic touch on it for us."
Richards dedicated his win to the memory of the late Larry Daugherty, the 60-year-old father of Integra Racing Shocks rep Brian Daugherty. The elder Daugherty passed away unexpectedly last Friday morning.
Rick Eckert of York, Pa., advanced from the 11th starting spot to finish sixth. NASCAR Truck Series star Austin Dillon of Welcome, N.C. - the grandson of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress - placed seventh and McDowell slipped back to eighth after hitting a tractor tire lining the inside of turn four. Provisional starters Francis (25th) and Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga. (26th) rounded out the top 10.
Pearson was quickest in the 43-car Ohlins Shocks Time Trials session, turning a lap of 14.714 seconds for his second fast-time honor of 2010 on the WoO LMS.
Heat winners were Marlar, Richards, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., and Lanigan. Shaver and Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn., captured the B-Mains.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Showdown (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Josh Richards/50 $10,675
2. (9) Tim McCreadie/50 $5,600
3. (7) Mike Marlar/50 $3,500
4. (6) Earl Pearson Jr./50 $2,500
5. (21) Steve Shaver/50 $2,000
6. (11) Rick Eckert/50 $2,200
7. (10) Austin Dillon/50 $1,400
8. (5) Dale McDowell/50 $1,300
9. (26) Steve Francis/50 $1,800
10. (26) Shane Clanton/50 $1,600
11. (19) Chub Frank/50 $1,550
12. (8) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,600
13. (23) Johnny Pursley/50 $1,000
14. (17) Clint Smith/50 $1,400
15. (15) Chris Madden/50 $900
16. (16) Tommy Kerr/50 $800
17. (1) Jonathan Davenport/42 $770
18. (13) Austin Hubbard/41 $1,500
19. (24) Luke Roffers/40 $730
20. (22) Randy Weaver/24 $700
21. (20) Ross Bailes/22 $700
22. (18) Russell King/21 $1,200
23. (27) Robbie Bailey/18 $700
24. (14) Chris Ferguson/13 $700
25. (4) Eddie Carrier Jr./13 $700
26. (3) Jeff Smith/6 $725
27. (12) Tim Fuller/5 $1,200
DNS: Kenny Compton Jr.
NOTE: Jonathan Davenport, Austin Hubbard and Chris Madden were penalized to starting spots at the rear of the field for failing a pre-race technical inspection of their car's rear quarter-panel height
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Yellow Flags: 5 (Laps 5, 11, 13, 22, 42)
Lap Leaders: Richards (1-50)
Provisional Starters: Francis
Rookie of the Race: Hubbard ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Marlar ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 44-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 14.714
2. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 14.764
3. 49-Jonathan Davenport/Blairsville, GA 14.777
4. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.841
5. 1G-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 14.907
6. 18M-Jeff Smith/Dallas, NC 14.926
7. 44M-Chris Madden/Grey Court, SC 14.975
8. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 14.997
9. 6-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV 15.022
10. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.034
11. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 15.049
12. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 15.056
13. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.086
14. 3-Austin Dillon/Welcome, NC 15.097
15. 116-Randy Weaver/Crossville, TN 15.119
16. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 15.181
17. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 15.185
18. 22F-Chris Ferguson/Mt. Holly, NC 15.188
19. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.191
20. 87-Ross Bailes/Blacksburg, SC 15.211
21. 09-Johnny Pursley/Clover, SC 15.250
22. 10-Kenny Compton Jr./Bland, VA 15.261
23. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.283
24. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.305
25. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 15.328
26. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 15.475
27. 3C-Mike Collins/Carter Lake, IA 15.515
28. 21-Luke Roffers/Concord, NC 15.516
29. 93-Donald Bradsher/Burlington, NC 15.546
30. 17-Tim Allen/Kannapolis, NC 15.547
31. 92-Stephen Evans/Tyner, NC 15.550
32. 4T-Tommy Kerr/Maryville, TN 15.589
33. 00-Jay Sessoms/Stanley, NC 15.635
34. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 15.768
35. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 15.815
36. 2G-Jon Gunther/Fayetteville, NC 15.829
37. 21b-Chris Brown/Cleveland, TX 16.021
38. 07-Brian Ledbetter/Dallas, NC 16.494
39. 29P-Kyle Pierce/Statesville, NC 16.539
40. 72-Robbie Bailey/Mooresville, NC 16.548
41. 773-Mike Evock/Hope Mills, NC 16.909
42. 1s-Chuck Smith/Sanford, NC 17.128
43. B4-Travis Leake/Enoree, SC 17.493
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 5 Transfer): Marlar, Pearson, McCreadie, Hubbard, Clint Smith, Shaver, Shaver, Pursley, Brown, Evock, Bradsher, Sessoms
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 5 Transfer): Richards, J. Smith, Dillon, Ferguson, King, Francis, B. Smith, Compton, Ledbetter, Allen, Chuck Smith
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 5 Transfer): Davenport, McDowell, Madden, Eckert, Weaver, Frank, Collins, George, Leake, Pierce, Evans
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 5 Transfer): Lanigan, Carrier, Fuller, Kerr, Bailes, Bailey, Roffers, Gunther, Clanton, Coffey
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): Shaver, Pursley, B. Smith, Francis, Ledbetter, Brown, Evock, Allen (DNS) Compton, Bradsher, Sessoms, Chuck Smith
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 2 Transfer): Weaver, Roffers, Collins, George, Pierce, Bailey, Gunther, Evans, Leake, Coffey, Clanton
2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Oct. 13 - 42 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Josh Richards 5640
2. Darrell Lanigan 5618 (-22)
3. Tim McCreadie 5546 (-94)
4. Steve Francis 5406 (-234)
5. Shane Clanton 5308 (-332)
6. Rick Eckert 5306 (-334)
7. Austin Hubbard 5228 (-412)
8. Tim Fuller 5146 (-494)
9. Chub Frank 5096 (-544)
10. Clint Smith 5062 (-578)
11. Russell King 4678 (-962)
12. Brent Robinson 3470 (-2170)
13. Jill George 3436 (-2204)
14. Brady Smith 3226 (-2414)
15. Rick 'Boom' Briggs 1820 (-3820)
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