Lanigan Returns To World of Outlaws Late Model Series Winning Ways With Dominant Victory At Red River Co-op Speedway
Triumph Moves Kentucky Star Within One Checkered Flag Of National Tour’s Single-Season Win Record
By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director
WINNIPEG, MB – July 12, 2012 – Darrell Lanigan put himself at the doorstep of World of Outlaws Late Model Series history with a convincing victory in Thursday night’s 50-lap A-Main at Red River Co-op Speedway.
Roaring back from his first DNF of 2012 two nights earlier, the 42-year-old star from Union, Ky., took advantage of an outside pole starting spot to lead the entire distance. His triumph in the tour’s first-ever visit to the Canadian province of Manitoba was his eighth of the season and moved him within one checkered flag of tying the circuit’s modern-era (2004-present) single-season win record held by Scott Bloomquist and Josh Richards.
“We had a good car (on Tuesday night at Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City, S.D.), but we just had some problems and got a DNF,” said Lanigan, whose 18th-place run at the half-mile oval marked just his third finish outside the top 10 in 24 events. “We knocked a hole in the radiator and had to pull out, but we came back strong tonight. We had a brand-new (Cornett) motor – that thing was awesome.”
Lanigan was briefly challenged early in the distance by polesitter Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., but the tour’s current points leader steered his Rocket machine away from the pack with ease after the race’s lone caution flag flew on lap 13 for the stopped car driven by track regular Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Manitoba. He beat Clanton’s Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car to the finish line by 2.479 seconds.
Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., was on the move late but settled for a third-place finish in his Team Zero by Bloomquist car, less than a half-second behind Clanton at the checkered flag. WoO LMS Rookie of the Year leader Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., placed fourth in his Victory Circle mount and Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., registered a season-best finish of fifth in his Mars car.
Lanigan’s key moment at the four-tenths-mile Red River oval came at the initial green flag. He outgunned Clanton, who won the ‘Wild West Tour’ opener on July 7 at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., with a sweeping outside charge through turns one and two and never looked back.
“I knew that was gonna be the pass for the win there,” said Lanigan, whose $10,650 victory snapped his modest five-race winless stretch and pushed his already commanding points lead to 138 points over ninth-place finisher Rick Eckert of York, Pa. “The bottom was definitely the preferred groove, but I just got in on the top and got around him on the first lap.”
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Clanton, 36, didn’t have quite enough staying power to prevent Lanigan from recording the 34th WoO LMS triumph of his career.
“We still gotta pick it up a little bit to keep pace with Darrell,” said Clanton, who earned his first runner-up finish on the 2012 WoO LMS. “At least we can run with him. I almost had him there for a little bit, but then we got in lapped traffic and he could (the slower cars) a little bit better than I could on the top of one and two.”
Smith, 35, might have been the only driver with a chance to threaten Lanigan had a caution flag been needed late in the distance. He overtook Doar for third on lap 36 and drew close to Clanton without losing any ground to Lanigan.
“I don’t know if we had anything for Darrell, but we did run down Clanton once we finally got to third and I could see Darrell up there ahead of me too,” said Smith. “We were good here all night. Unfortunately, we drew the eight (starting spot) in the redraw. It’s kind of tough to come from back there against these guys.”
Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., started and finished sixth, but he slipped back to seventh at the start and didn’t regain the sixth spot until passing Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., on lap 34. Frank faded to a seventh-place finish after starting third, while Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., fell from the fifth starting spot to an eighth-place finish – just his third placing outside the top five in the last 16 WoO LMS A-Mains. Eckert was a quiet ninth and rookie contender Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., was 10th for his second straight top-10 finish.
Thirty-three cars entered the event, which was spun off in rapid-fire fashion by WoO LMS officials because dark clouds surrounding the track signaled the threat of rain.
Terry Casey of New London, Wis., was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials with a lap of 16.218 seconds. It was his first career WoO LMS fast-time honor.
Heat winners were Clanton, Lanigan, Brady Smith and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y. WoO LMS rookie Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., and Scott Greer of East Saint Paul, Manitoba, topped the B-Mains.
The WoO LMS ‘Wild West Tour’ will continue on Fri., July 13, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., and Sat., July 14, at North Central Speedway in Brainerd, Minn.
Results of WoO Late Model Series at Red River Co-op Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (2) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,650
2. (1) Shane Clanton/50 $5,600
3. (8) Brady Smith/50 $3,000
4. (10) Bub McCool/50 $3,300
5. (4) Pat Doar/50 $2,550
6. (6) Clint Smith/50 $2,250
7. (3) Chub Frank/50 $1,950
8. (5) Tim McCreadie/50 $1,950
9. (11) Rick Eckert/50 $1,850
10. (12) Kent Robinson/50 $1,650
11. (15) Brad Seng/49 $1,550
12. (7) Tim Fuller/49 $1,550
13. (14) Don Shaw/49 $1,000
14. (17) Jack Sullivan/49 $1,450
15. (22) Ward Imrie/48 $850
16. (18) Scott Greer/47 $800
17. (13) Ricky Weiss/22 $870
18. (16) Mike Balcaen/14 $750
19. (19) Kevin Sexton/14 $730
20. (20) Dustin Strand/11 $700
21. (21) Joey Pederson/9 $700
22. (9) Terry Casey/1 $750
23. (23) Jill George/1 $700
24. (24) Shane Edginton/0 $725
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 19 Mins., 8.076 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.479 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 1 (Lap 13)
Lap Leaders: Lanigan (1-50)
Provisional Starters: George, Edginton
Rookie of the Race: McCool($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Seng ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 42-Terry Casey/New London, WI 16.218
2. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.596
3. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.636
4. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.665
5. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, Ga 16.720
6. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.729
7. 12s-Brad Seng/Grand Forks, ND 16.734
8. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 16.752
9. 7-Ricky Weiss/St. Francois Xavier, MAN 16.787
10. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 16.798
11. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.802
12. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 16.803
13. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.945
14. 42s-Don Shaw/Alexandria, MN 16.962
15. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 17.000
16. 10-Mike Balcaen/Winnipeg, MAN 17.048
17. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 17.103
18. 57-Kevin Sexton/Lorette, MAN 17.121
19. 71s-Dustin Strand/Grand Forks, ND 17.189
20. 5E-Shane Edginton/Winnipeg, MAN 17.263
21. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 17.563
22. 7P-Joey Pederson/E. Grand Forks, MN 17.711
23. 10W-Ward Imrie/Winnipeg, MAN 18.304
24. 44s-Cole Schill/W. Fargo, ND 18.492
25. 11s-Troy Schill/Grand Forks, ND 18.522
26. 71-Steffen Snare/Hallock, MN 18.603
27. 5G-Scott Greer/E. Saint Paul, MAN 18.606
28. 2M-Bill Mooney/Selkirk, MAN 18.724
29. 9-Walt Morris/Winnipeg, MAN 18.831
30. 71F-Leo Feeleus/Winnipeg, Man 19.063
31. 11SR-Shawn Holden/Winnipeg, MAN 19.154
32. 77x-Mike McCaughan/St. Francis, MAN 19.251
33. 9A-Steve Anderson/Grand Forks, ND 19.387
Heat No. 1 (8 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Frank, Casey, Weiss, Sullivan, George, Anderson, Morris (DNS) T. Schill
Heat No. 2 (8 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, C. Smith, McCool, Shaw, Sexton, Pederson, Snare, Feeleus
Heat No. 3 (8 laps – Top 4 Transfer): B. Smith, McCreadie, Eckert, Seng, Strand, Greer, Imrie, Holden
Heat No. 4 (8 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Fuller, Doar, Robinson, Balcaen, Edginton, C. Schill, McCaughan, Mooney
B-Main No.1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Sullivan, Sexton, Pederson, Snare, Morris, Anderson, George, Feeleus (DNS) T. Schill
B-Main No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Greer, Strand, Imrie, Holden, McCaughan, C. Schill, Mooney, Edginton
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:
Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 product certificate to 23rd-place finisher I n A-Main or next highest w/decal): Ward Imrie
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Brad Seng
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim Fuller
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Kent Robinson
Comp Cams ($50 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Jack Sullivan/Dustin Strand
Gravely ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Chub Frank
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 16th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Ricky Weiss
JE Pistons (one compete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 11th-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Tim Fuller
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Joey Pederson
Klotz Synthetic Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher or next highest finisher): Ricky Weiss
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Shane Edginton
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash to fast qualifier or next highest w/decal): Terry Casey
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate to 5th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Scott Greer
Roush-Yates Performance Products ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Roush-Yates Performance Products (carburetor repair kit to 18th-place finish in A-Main or next highest w/decal – $100 value): Joey Pederson
Roush-Yates Lap Leader Award (one pair of Wiley X Sunglasses to driver who leads most laps in A-Main): Darrell Lanigan
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
SuperFlow ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Jack Sullivan
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Kent Robinson
VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (one VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main or next highest with decal – $30 value): Cole Schill
WIX Filters ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Don Shaw
Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner if decal displayed – $200 value): Darrell Lanigan
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Bub McCool
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 8th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Kent Robinson
XS ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Brady Smith
2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 12 – 25 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 3538
2. Rick Eckert 3400 (-138)
3. Tim McCreadie 3368 (-170)
4. Chub Frank 3286 (-252)
5. Shane Clanton 3284 (-254)
6. Bub McCool 3156 (-382)
7. Clint Smith 3088 (-450)
8. Vic Coffey 3038 (-500)
9. Pat Doar 2950 (-588)
10. Tim Fuller 2918 (-620)
11. Kent Robinson 2844 (-694)
12. Jack Sullivan 2746 (-792)
13. John Lobb 2300 (-1238)
14. Mike Marlar 1906 (-1632)
15. Jill George 1678 (-1860)
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Gravely Tractors (Official Lawn Equipment), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gaskets, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wix Filter, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Longacre, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.
LIVE UPDATES 7/12: World of Outlaws Late Model Series At Red River Co-op Speedway
WINNIPEG, MAN – July 12, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Wild West Tour’ crosses the border tonight for a first-ever visit to Red River Co-op Speedway, a four-tenths-mile oval just south of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
A 50-lap A-Main paying $10,000 to win — the richest dirt Late Model event in the history of Red River Co-op Speedway — will top tonight’s agenda.
For live updates of all the news, pit notes and results from tonight’s action, click the ‘Full Story’ link below. Be sure to refresh your browser throughout the night to see the latest information.
Record in sight
10:15 p.m. CT – Several WoO LMS teams are already packed up and headed out the gates of Red River Co-op Speedway following the completion of the 50-lap A-Main, which saw Darrell Lanigan return to his winning ways with a dominant performance. The current points leader led every lap of the event en route to his eighth victory of 2012, leaving him just one checkered flag away from tying the tour’s modern-era (2004-present) single-season win record of nine held by Scott Bloomquist and Josh Richards.
Lanigan wasn’t challenged after the race’s lone caution flag flew on lap 13. He beat Shane Clanton to the finish line by 2.479 seconds.
A-Main Finish: 1. Darrell Lanigan, 2. Shane Clanton, 3. Brady Smith, 4. Bub McCool, 5. Pat Doar, 6. Clint Smith, 7. Chub Frank, 8. Tim McCreadie, 9. Rick Eckert, 10. Kent Robinson, 11. Brad Seng, 12. Tim Fuller, 13. Don Shaw, 14. Jack Sullivan, 15. Ward Imrey, 16. Scott Greer, 17. Ricky Weiss, 18. Mike Balcaen, 19. Kevin Sexton, 20. Dustin Strand, 21. Joey Pederson, 22. Terry Casey, 23. Jill George, 24. Shane Edginton
Almost halfway
9:25 p.m. CT – The A-Main’s first caution flag flew on lap 16 for Mike Balcaen’s stopped car. Darrell Lanigan has led from the start of the race, but Shane Clanton has ducked underneath the pacesetter several times — and just before the caution, Pat Doar made a power move on the outside off turn two to briefly grab second.
Feature time
9:10 p.m. CT – The program is racing along with those menacing black clouds still looming beyond the cornfields behind the speedway. Shane Clanton, Darrell Lanigan, Brady Smith and Tim Fuller captured the heats, and Jack Sullivan and Scott Greer won the 10-lap B-Mains.
The field for the 50-lap A-Main is now rolling onto the track.
A-Main Lineup:
Row 1: Shane Clanton/Darrell Lanigan
Row 2: Chub Frank/Pat Doar
Row 3: Tim McCreadie/Clint Smith
Row 4: Tim Fuller/Brady Smith
Row 5: Terry Casey/Bub McCool
Row 6: Rick Eckert/Kent Robinson
Row 7: Ricky Weiss/Don Shaw
Row 8: Brad Seng/Mike Balcaen
Row 9: Jack Sullivan/Scott Greer
Row 10: Kevin Sexton/Dustin Strand
Row 11: Joey Pederson/Ward Imrey
Row 12: Jill George/Shane Edginton
Terry tops time trials
8:15 p.m. CT – Wisconsin’s Terry Casey was fastest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials with a lap of 16.218 seconds. He bested Clint Smith, Brady Smith, TIm Fuller and Shane Clanton.
The first of four heats is already on the racetrack. With dark clouds closing in on the speedway, officials are pushing the show along in hopes of beating Mother Nature. In that vein, heat races have been shortened to eight laps.
Ready to go
7:20 p.m. CT – A total of 33 cars are signed in for tonight’s action. Hot laps will begin shortly.
Outlaw helping an Outlaw
7:15 p.m. CT – Tim Fuller was officially announced today as the newest member of the Kennedy Motorsports team, replacing John Lobb as Shane Clanton’s teammate (see story on front page of website). But his first WoO LMS start in a Kennedy Motorsports mount isn’t scheduled until Aug. 1 at Shawano (Wis.) Speedway, so he’s still in his own equipment for the ‘Wild West Tour’ — and after hurting his only engine during Tuesday night’s A-Maina at Black Hills Speedway, he’s out of stock in the powerplant department.
Clanton doesn’t have an extra engine along to lone Fuller, but the New Yorker is racing tonight thanks to some help from Sweeteners Plus driver Vic Coffey. Coffey told Fuller that he had a recently-refreshed ProPower engine that Fuller could borrow for the final three events of the ‘Wild West Tour,’ so Fuller and Coffey met up on Wednesday night at the Grand Forks, N.D., shop of dirt Late Model veteran Brad Seng and installed the engine in Fuller’s car.
Unfortunately, Coffey is not in the pit area for tonight’s action. Issues at the border have prevented him from entering Canada and it’s uncertain if he will be able to make it to Red River Co-op Speedway tonight.
Winnipeg winner
6:15 p.m. CT – Just one WoO LMS regular has previously raced at Red River Co-op Speedway: Pat Doar. The 2011 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year at the ripe age of 47, Doar was victorious in his last appearance at the track, winning the 2010 Gerald Balcaen Memorial event for WISSOTA Late Models.
Hot off a sixth-place finish on Tuesday night at South Dakota’s Black Hills Speedway that was his strongest outing on the tour since February, Doar is hoping to continue the momentum tonight. Perhaps he’ll get some help from his wife Nancy, who reported that she was Pat’s lone crewman when Doar won at Red River two years ago.
In his backyard
6:05 p.m. CT – More than two-dozen cars are unloaded in the Red River Co-op pit area so far, including veteran dirt Late Model driver Mike Balcaen (below), who is all smiles to see the WoO LMS finally visit his hometown track.
“We’re really glad everybody with the Outlaws has made the effort to come up here,” said Balcaen, a 47-year-old who lives in Winnipeg just minutes from the track. “It’s nice to have a chance to run an Outlaw show close to home like this.”
Balcaen has been racing on a track that sits on the site of the current Red River Co-op Speedway since 1984. He’s won 11 Late Model championships here, including titles on the old half-mile layout (when it was called Winnipeg Speedway and Victory Lane Speedway) and the current smaller oval that swung into action during the late ’90s. He’s also captured two of the four WISSOTA Late Model features run this season at Red River, including a sweep of the June 21 double-feature program that gave him the 200th and 201st main-even wins of his career.
Balcaen said there’s a big buzz about tonight’s program in the local racing community and is hopeful that entertaining competition will break out on the bullring, which sports an interesting shape.
“The turns are a little different at both ends,” Balcaen said of Red River Co-op’s shape. “Most of your passing tends to happen down in three and four.”
Balcaen will enter two Late Models in tonight’s program. Winnipeg’s Ward Imrey, customer of Balcaen’s from the open-wheel Modified division, will be behind the wheel of Balcaen’s WISSOTA Late Model.
