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• Lanigan Rebounds From Subpar Night To Dominate At Brighton

062013 BrightonVL

Lanigan Rebounds From Subpar Night With Dominating Victory In Excel Tower Service 50 At Brighton Speedway

Defending Champion Gets New Car Humming To Score Circuit-Leading Fifth Win Of Season

By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director

BRIGHTON, ONT – June 20, 2013 – One bad outing was enough for Darrell Lanigan.

Rebounding from an uncharacteristic subpar performance the previous evening, the defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion drove to a dominating victory in Thursday night’s Excel Tower Series 50 Presented by Dibbits Excavating, Campbellford Chrysler and J.J. Stewart Motors at Brighton Speedway.

Lanigan, 43, of Union, Ky., roared off the outside pole starting spot to grab the lead from front-row mate Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., at the initial green flag and never looked back. His two-race-old Rocket Chassis machine became stronger as the race wore on, propelling him to a convincing 3.187-second margin of victory over Richards.

Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., advanced from the seventh starting spot to finish a season-best third and Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., placed fourth for his second consecutive top-five finish on the WoO LMS. Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., completed the top five after starting 12th.

The $10,650 triumph in Brighton’s first-ever WoO LMS event was Lanigan’s tour-leading fifth of the 2013 season. It came almost exactly 24 hours after he was nearly lapped while struggling to a 14th-place finish in a WoO LMS event at Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway.

“We struggled to death last night, so man, it definitely pays off to work hard,” said Lanigan, whose streak of seven straight top-three finishes ended at Fonda. “Me, (chief mechanic) Jason (Jameson) and (crewman) Adam (Logan) put our heads together and we came up with a pretty good plan. We put some stuff that Jason learned last week on (a car) he drove and it definitely works good.

“I’m telling you – that car there was unbelievable. The car would just go anywhere. It didn’t matter if you were top, bottom – wherever, it was unbelievable.”

Lanigan’s impeccable mount was the same car he debuted so inauspiciously the previous night at Fonda. Everything the car didn’t do in its first racetrack appearance it did flawlessly in Canada.

“I thought we were good (at the start),” said Lanigan, “and then we moved to the bottom and got really good. I could actually run through the corner and not hardly even lift. It was just unreal.”

Richards, 25, stayed within a few car lengths of Lanigan during the race’s first 24 laps, which were slowed by caution flags for Gil Tegg Jr. of Rochester, N.Y. (slowed in turn three on lap six); a turn-two tangle involving seventh-place Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., and the lapped Jon Rohacevich of Prattsville, N.Y. (lap 18); and Larry Wight of Phoenix, N.Y. (slid to a stop high in turn four). But over the final 26 green-flag circuits Lanigan pulled away with ease.

“I knew I had a big lead,” said Lanigan, whose increased his alltime-best WoO LMS win total to 46. “But I could just roll right through the center and be just as good, so I just kept rolling.”

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Richards conceded that Lanigan was the class of the field.

“I knew after we made one corner that we just didn’t tighten up enough (for the feature),” said Richards, who extended his WoO LMS points lead to 32 points over Clanton. “I’m frustrated that we started on the pole and got beat, but Darrell just had the better car and beat us tonight.

“The track had a lot more grip in it earlier and we really didn’t adjust our car enough for later. We just kind of left it alone. It still drove really good, but it just wasn’t quite right for that (slicker) condition in the feature.

“The track had shiny spots and traction spots and as long as I hit the traction spots I was fine,” he added. “The longer the race went on, though, the black (shiny) spots got a lot wider. I was a little too free in those spots, but Darrell could go right through them and maneuver through lapped real good.”

Beyond the top-two finishers, Frank, 51, was story of the race. He enjoyed his best outing of the season, reaching third by lap 20 and holding strong to the show position for the remainder of the distance.

“It was a good run for us,” said Frank. “We were a little tight if we slowed down and loose if we ran in there hard like them (leaders) were, but we’re happy. (Lanigan and Richards) are the two guys that you gotta beat, so I guess finishing behind them is almost like a win – for us anyway right now.”

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who quietly inched forward from the 10th starting spot; WoO LMS rookie Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas, who started third and briefly nosed ahead of Richards for second on two restarts before falling from the top five late after he was forced off the track’s wall-less backstretch; Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who was celebrating his 36th birthday; Andrew Reaume of Blenheim, Ont.; and 17th-starter Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y.

Thirty-six cars were signed in for the evening’s action.

Ohlins Shocks Time Trials were split into ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups, with the first half competing for starting positions in heats one and two and the second half racing against the clock to align heats three and four. Wells’s lap of 13.753 seconds in Group A was the fastest overall time of the night.

Wells earned his second WoO LMS fast-time honor of 2013 in what was his first-ever start at a track in Canada.

Heat winners Richards, McCool, Fuller and Reaume, who became just the second Canadian driver in WoO LMS history to claim a heat. The B-Mains were captured by Decker and Corey Earl of Picton, Ont.

The WoO LMS will be silent for two days before returning to action on Sunday night (June 23) at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway. The 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event brings the tour back to the quarter-mile oval after a one-year absence caused by wet weather in 2012.

Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series Excel Tower Service 50 at Brighton Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (2) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,650
2. (1) Josh Richards/50 $5,650
3. (7) Chub Frank/50 $3,600
4. (5) Dan Stone/50 $2,500
5. (12) Shane Clanton/50 $2,550
6. (10) Rick Eckert/50 $2,400
7. (3) Morgan Bagley/50 $2,250
8. (6) Bub McCool/50 $1,850
9. (4) Andrew Reaume/50 $1,750
10. (17) Billy Decker/50 $1,100
11. (15) Tim McCreadie/50 $1,700
12. (8) Tim Fuller/50 $1,550
13. (9) Eric Wells/50 $1,750
14. (11) Clint Smith/49 $1,450
15. (13) Charlie Sandercock/49 $1,300
16. (18) Corey Earl/49 $850
17. (16) Larry Wight/49 $770
18. (19) John Mason/48 $750
19. (20) Greg Belyea/48 $780
20. (22) Philip Potts/47 $700
21. (14) Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/33 $700
22. (23) Jon Rohacevich/18 $700
23. (21) Greg Oakes/16 $700
24. (24) Gil Tegg Jr./6 $725

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 23 Mins., 08.594 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 3.187 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (laps 6, 18, 24)
Lap Leaders: Lanigan (1-50)
Provisional Starters: Rohacevich, Tegg
Rookie of the Race: Bagley ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Reaume ($500)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

Group ‘A’

1. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 13.753
2. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 13.849
3. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 13.958
4. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.977
5. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 14.020
6. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 14.102
7. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 14.127
8. 99B-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 14.186
9. 72-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 14.452
10. RH21-Gregg Haskell/Chatham, ONT 14.480
11. 24J-Jon Rohacevich/Prattsville, NY 14.492
12. 22-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 14.568
13. 99BX-Charlie Sandercock/Belleville, ONT 14.597
14. 20-Terry Hunt/Caring Place, ONT 14.951
15. 05-Mike Lewis/Wallaceburg, ONT 15.016
16. 09-Matt Vanderlinden/Trenton, ONT 15.089
17. 5-Steve Baldwin/Trenton, ONT 15.243
18. 55-Mark Rayner/Codrington, ONT 15.887

Group ‘B’

1. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 13.899
2. 88-Andrew Reaume/Blenheim, ONT 14.087
3. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 14.092
4. 99L-Larry Wight/Phoenix, NY 14.096
5. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 14.146
6. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.158
7. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 14.227
8. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, GA 14.274
9. 1*x-Greg Belyea/Frankford, ONT 14.709
10. 11-Corey Earl/Picton, ONT 14.916
11. 97-David McDonald/Brighton, ONT 15.006
12. 29P-Philip Potts/Frankford, ONT 15.017
13. 22x-Gil Tegg Jr./Rochester, NY 15.028
14. 7-Brent Colby/Chatham, ONT 15.105
15. 49-Jason McCrory/Caring Place, ONT 15.360
16. 77-Caley Weese/Belleville, ONT 15.364
17. 12-Kyle Sopaz/Brighton, ONT 16.365
18. 92-Adam Turner/Picton, ONT 16.391

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Stone, Wells, Sandercock, Decker, Mason, Rohacevich, Baldwin, Lewis

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McCool, Frank, Eckert, Briggs, Oakes, Vanderlinden, Haskell, Hunt, Rayner

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Fuller, Bagley, Smith, McCreadie, Belyea, Tegg, Sopaz, McDonald, McCrory

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Reaume, Lanigan, Clanton, Wight, Earl, Potts, Weese, Turner, Colby

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Decker, Mason, Oakes, Baldwin, Hunt, Rayner, Lewis, Haskell, Rohacevich, Vanderlinden

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Earl, Belyea, Potts, Sopaz, McCrory, Weese, Turner, Colby, McDonald (DQ – light) Tegg

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners (awards presented to noted finisher/qualifier or next highest displaying decal:

Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash to fast qualifier): Eric Wells
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner): Greg Oakes/Corey Earl
VP Race Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award: (One VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main): Gregg Haskell
Wrisco Aluminum (3 sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner only): Darrell Lanigan
Armor All (One case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main): Andrew Reaume
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
QuarterMaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner, $50 certificate to 5th-place finish): Chub Frank/Corey Earl
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Josh Richards
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Roush Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
American Race Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
VP Race Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
Edelbrock Manifolds ($50 cash to 9th-finisher in A-Main): Andrew Reaume
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 11th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Corey Earl
Super Flow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 16th-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Corey Earl
Klotz Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher in A-Main): Greg Belyea
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): John Mason
QuarterMaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Greg Belyea
Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Greg Oakes
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Jon Rohacevich
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Gil Tegg Jr.
XS Power ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Darrell Lanigan
Roush Yates ($25 gift card to driver who leads most laps in the A-Main): Darrell Lanigan
Reliable Painting Award (free tire): Chub Frank

2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of June 20 – 20 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):

1. Josh Richards 2836
2. Shane Clanton 2804 (-32)
3. Darrell Lanigan 2772 (-64)
4. Rick Eckert 2736 (-100)
5. Tim McCreadie 2590 (-246)
6. Tim Fuller 2582 (-254)
7. Eric Wells 2560 (-276)
8. Chub Frank 2542 (-294)
9. Bub McCool 2528 (-308)
10. Morgan Bagley 2514 (-322)
11. Clint Smith 2392 (-444)
12. Scott James 1958 (-878)
13. Dillon Wood 1426 (-1410)
14. Gregg Satterlee 1248 (-1588)
15. Dan Stone 1018 (-1818)

062013 BrightonLive

LIVE UPDATES 6/20: World of Outlaws Late Model Series Excel Service 50 At Brighton Speedway

BRIGHTON, ONT – June 20, 2013 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is north of the border tonight making its first-ever visit to Brighton Speedway for the Excel Tower Service 50.

A one-third-mile oval that sits just under two hours southwest of the Thousand Islands Bridge above Watertown, N.Y., Brighton features crate Late Model racing on a regular basis. Tonight’s $10,000-to-win A-Main will represent the richest event in the track’s history.

For live blog-style updates including news, notes and results from tonight’s action, click the ‘Read More’ button below. Be sure to refresh your browser throughout the night to read the latest information.

Darrell’s Day

11 p.m. – Following a lengthy Victory Lane ceremony that included a fireworks display, Darrell Lanigan is back at his trailer enjoying his circuit-leading fifth win of 2013.

Lanigan outgunned fellow front-row starter Josh Richards for the lead at the initial green flag and never looked back in the Excel Tower Service 50. He got stronger as the race wore on, defeating Richards by a commanding 3.187 seconds.

Chub Frank finished a season-best third, Dan Stone was fourth for his second straight top-five finish and Shane Clanton placed fifth.

A-Main Finish: 1. Darrell Lanigan, 2. Josh Richards, 3. Chub Frank, 4. Dan Stone, 5. Shane Clanton, 6. Rick Eckert, 7. Morgan Bagley, 8. Bub McCool, 9. Andrew Reaume, 10. Billy Decker, 11. Tim McCreadie, 12. Tim Fuller, 13. Eric Wells, 14. Clint Smith, 15. Charlie Sandercock, 16. Corey Earl, 17. Larry Wight, 18. John Mason, 19. Greg Belyea, 20. Philip Potts, 21. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs, 22. Jon Rohacevich, 23. Greg Oakes, 24. Gil Tegg Jr.

Getting ready

9:50 p.m. – The eight-minute horn to line up the A-Main has been blown as the open-wheel Modified feature winds down. The 24-car WoO LMS field will soon take to the track for driver introductions and then the Excel Tower Service 50.

Feature set

9:25 p.m. – The twin 12-lap B-Mains were completed a short time ago, setting the stage for the Excel Tower Service 50. Billy Decker and Canadian Corey Earl captured the last-chance events; John Mason and Greg Oakes also transferred through the first B-Main, and Greg Belyea and Philip Potts moved on through the second B-Main.

The points provisional starters are Jon Rohacevich and Gil Tegg Jr., who actually was the runner-up in the second B-Main but was disqualified for weighing in light post-race. It marked the second consecutive night that Tegg came up light at the scales in Oakes’s second car; last night at Fonda he lost his time-trial lap.

The open-wheel Modified feature is now rolling on the racetrack, with the WoO LMS headliner to follow.

A-Main Lineup:

Row 1: Josh Richards/Darrell Lanigan
Row 2: Morgan Bagley/Andrew Reaume
Row 3: Dan Stone/Bub McCool
Row 4: Chub Frank/Tim Fuller
Row 5: Eric Wells/Rick Eckert
Row 6: Clint Smith/Shane Clanton
Row 7: Charlie Sandercock/Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs
Row 8: Tim McCreadie/Larry Wight
Row 9: Billy Decker/Corey Earl
Row 10: John Mason/Greg Belyea
Row 11: Greg Oakes/Philip Potts
Row 12: Jon Rohacevich/Gil Tegg Jr.

 

Showdown brewing?

8:45 p.m. – The race to turn one at the start of the Excel Tower Service 50 will be an interesting one after traveling buddies and racing rivals Josh Richards and Darrell Lanigan picked the top-two spots in the feature redraw. Richards (three wins this season) will go off from the pole and Lanigan (four wins) will start second.

Rookie Morgan Bagley drew the third starting slot, with Andrew Reaume fourth, Dan Stone fifth, Bub McCool sixth, Chub Frank seventh and Tim Fuller eighth.

At the conclusion of the feature redraw, WoO LMS announcer called McCool back up on the mobile stage and asked the crowd to shout out, “Happy birthday Bub!” McCool, who is celebrating his 36th birthday today, gave the fans a sheepish grin.

The first of two B-Mains (qualifying three from each) is now on the track….

Heat-Race Notes

8:10 p.m. – Josh Richards, Bub McCool, Tim Fuller and Andrew Reaume were victorious in the four 10-lap heats, which transferred the top-four finishers from each to the Excel Tower Service 50. The top-two finishers in each heat will redraw for feature starting spots 1-8…. Fast-timer Eric Wells was penalized two spots after officials deemed he started Heat 1 too early. He didn’t recover, running third for the entire distance…. Richards held off a strong Dan Stone to win the first heat. Stone actually turned the fastest lap of the prelims (14.135 seconds)…. Fuller’s triumph in the third heat was his sixth of the season, tying him with Shane Clanton for the third-most on this year’s tour…. Reaume, a rising DIRTcar UMP Late Model driver who made the four-hour tow up from his home near South Buxton (Ont.) Speedway, looked very impressive in winning the fourth heat over Darrell Lanigan. Ironically, Reaume has developed a friendship with Lanigan in recent years, even traveling with the WoO LMS star to several events last year to get a first-hand education… With his victory, Reaume became the second Canadian in WoO LMS history to win a heat race. Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Manitoba, was the first, taking a heat on July 10, 2009, at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D….

For complete finishes from the heats, click here.

The rook’s quick

7:30 p.m. – WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Eric Wells was the fastest overall qualifier in the split Ohlins Shock Time Trials, turning a lap of 13.753 seconds in the first qualifying group to earn his second fast-time honor of the season.

Tim Fuller was fastest in the second qualifying group with a lap of 13.899 seconds. The New Yorker is off to a good start as he bids to end a WoO LMS winless streak that now exceeds three years; his last triumph came on Canadian soil on June 17, 2010, at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ont.

For complete results from time trials, click here.

Off-track excursion

6:30 p.m. – A unique feature at Brighton Speedway is the creek that runs between the pit area and wall-less backstretch, necessitating drivers to cross a short bridge to reach the racing surface.

According to Brighton promoter Mark Rinaldi, a race car has never ended up in the creek after sliding off the track. But during tonight’s second hot-lap session, the feat was nearly achieved by New Yorker Jon Rohacevich, who spun on the backstretch and came to rest with his back wheels at the edge of the hill leading to the water.

The spot where Rohacevich’s machine stopped – and the bridge leading to the backstretch – is pictured below.

062013 BrightonBridge

 

First laps

6:25 p.m. – Hot laps have just begun for the 36 cars signed in for tonight’s racing program. 

Road trip

5:45 p.m. – Dirt Late Model veteran John Mason of Millersburg, Ohio, has been a stalwart entrant in Canadian WoO LMS events since the tour began crossing the border in 2007.

Why has Mason been such a big supporter of the Canadian shows? It’s a chance for Mason to simultaneously go racing and visit his longtime buddy Bert Robideux, who operates the well-known Bert Transmission business based in Montreal, Que.

This year Mason is extending his swing with the WoO LMS, sandwiching the Canadian events tonight and Sunday at Cornwall Motor Speedway with starts at Fonda Speedway last night and Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park on June 25. There isn’t a race in Robideux’s home province of Quebec this year, but Mason will hook up with his pal at Cornwall.

Mason is running these races with a minimum of assistance. His crew consists of….his daughter Kerry.

It’s a father-daughter trip, but don’t call it a vacation even though the WoO LMS has off days on Friday, Saturday and Monday.

“I hope this isn’t my vacation for the year,” Kerry quipped with a smile – and then added, “I think I’m along so he can get some sleep while I drive the truck.”

061913 FondaMason

 

Postcard-perfect

4:45 p.m. – The WoO LMS is enjoying a second straight day of absolutely spectacular weather as sunny skies with temperatures in the 70s are prevailing today at Brighton Speedway.

Nineteen drivers who competed in last night’s World of Outlaws show at Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway are in the Brighton pit area after making the five-hour overnight, border-crossing haul. That group includes 11 WoO LMS regulars plus Gypsum Racing teammates Billy Decker and Larry Wight; Dan Stone, who finished second last night at Fonda; Pennsylvanian Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs; New Yorkers Greg Oakes, Gil Tegg Jr. (driving a second Oakes car) and Jon Rohacevich; and Ohio veteran John Mason.

A strong contingent of Canadian entrants is also on hand, including former Brighton crate Late Model champion Greg Belyea, who is driving Chub Frank’s second car; Charlie Sandercock, who will be behind the wheel of Briggs’s second machine; and Andrew Reaume, a DIRTcar UMP Late Model standout at South Buxton (Ont.) Speedway.

With still over an hour before the scheduled start of tonight’s drivers’ meeting, the dirt Late Model car count is approaching the 40 mark.

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