McCreadie’s Resurgence In Full Force After Powerful Victory At Hagerstown Speedway
T-Mac Rolls To Second World of Outlaws Late Model Series Win Of 2012
By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director
HAGERSTOWN, MD – June 16, 2012 – Tim McCreadie is back in a winning frame of mind.
The Watertown, N.Y., star ratified his month-long resurgence on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on Saturday night, rolling to his second victory of the season in the national tour’s 50-lap A-Main at Hagerstown Speedway.
McCreadie, 38, marched forward from the fifth starting spot to grab the lead from veteran Gary Stuhler of Greencastle, Pa., on lap 21 with a restart power move around the outside of the track. He pulled away from the pack following a final restart on lap 43 to defeat Jamie Lathroum of Mechanicsville, Md., by 0.983 of a second.
Stuhler, 57, settled for a third-place finish after starting second and leading laps 1-20 in the Up Front Racing MasterSbilt car. Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., made a late charge to place fourth after starting 15th in his Rocket car and 2010 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., completed the top five in his family-owned Rocket.
McCreadie’s $10,650 triumph was his fifth top-five finish in seven starts since he broke into the WoO LMS win column on May 4 at 311 Motor Speedway in Pine Hall, N.C. He hasn’t finished worse than seventh during the stretch and has improved from eighth to fourth in the points standings.
“It’s been a lot of hard by everyone in the shop,” McCreadie said of his new-found strength in the Sweeteners Plus Warrior Chassis machine. “We’ve worked with this car and got a little bit better, a little bit better, and we did just a couple things at the end of Appalachian (Mountain) Speedweek (June 2-6) and then all of a sudden it was like, ‘Man, this is what I’ve been looking for.'”
McCreadie, who finished second behind Lathroum in the Appalachian Mountain Speedweek opener on June 2 at Hagerstown, turned the tables on the 33-year-old Maryland driver in their return to the half-mile oval. Lathroum, who started 13th, steered his MasterSbilt mount past Stuhler for second on lap 34 and was deposited on McCreadie’s rear bumper by the race’s third and final caution flag, on lap 43, but he was unable to make a serious bid for the lead.
“Last time we were harder than (Lathroum) was on tires,” said McCreadie, who became just the second driver with more than one win on this year’s WoO LMS, joining five-time victor Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky. “Actually, (Lathroum) and his crew guy Huey basically said (prior to Saturday night’s A-Main), ‘This is what we’re gonna put on (for tires),’ and I’m like, ‘I’m doing the same thing, because I’m not getting beat because of tires.’
“I don’t think that’s why we got beat last time anyways. He was just way better and made us go to work.”
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A lap-33 caution period, which was needed to remove debris left from the broken driveshaft Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., suffered while running fifth, allowed Lathroum to overtake Stuhler for second but might have cost him any shot he had at unseating McCreadie.
“When I was in third when the caution come out, I thought I was pretty good,” said Lathroum, who won a WoO LMS A-Main in 2009 at Delaware International Speedway. “But when the caution come out the car never came back like it was. It just got too tight.”
Stuhler’s hopes, meanwhile, were dashed by his car’s handling gradually going away. He still recorded his best WoO LMS finish since placing second on July 24, 2004, also at Hagerstown.
“I just kept getting looser and looser as the race went on,” said Stuhler, who won a WoO LMS A-Main at Hagerstown on May 7, 1989, during the tour’s initial two-year run (1988-89) under late WoO Sprint Car Series founder Ted Johnson. “I started having to search for traction on the bottom. I just didn’t feel like I could run the top that good. Timmy and (Lathroum) were a lot better up there.”
McCreadie’s victory was the 19th of his career on the WoO LMS. Three have come at Hagerstown, including his sweep of a two-day show in July 2005.
The race’s first caution flag came on lap 20 for Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who slowed in turn four and pitted. He returned but pitted twice, during each of the ensuing caution periods, on lap 33 for the cleanup following Smith’s mechanical malfunction and on lap 43 for Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who slowed with a flat left-rear tire after advancing from the 23rd starting spot to 12th.
Lanigan, the WoO LMS points leader, finished sixth, falling out of the top five late in the race after sitting fourth when the caution flag flew on lap 43. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., slipped from the third starting spot to seventh at the finish; Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa., quietly advanced from the 17th starting position to finish eighth; 16th-starter Steve Shaver of Vienna, Va., was ninth; and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., rounded out the top 10 after taking the final restart in seventh place.
Thirty-six cars were signed in for the event, which brought the tour back to Hagerstown for the first time since May 2010.
Eckert was the quickest qualifier, turning a lap of 18.600 seconds in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials. It was his first WoO LMS fast time of 2012 and the 29th of his career, moving him out of a tie with Josh Richards for the top spot on the tour’s list of fast-timers since 2004.
Heat winners were Clint Smith, Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., Hubbard and McCreadie. The B-Mains were captured by Covert and Frank.
Robinson’s night took a turn for the worse as soon as he crossed the finish line to win the second heat. His car’s engine was struck by terminal engine trouble, forcing him to pull out his backup car and start the A-Main at the rear of the field.
The WoO LMS will complete a weekend doubleheader on Sunday night (June 17) at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws.
Results of WoO Late Model Series at Hagerstown Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (5) Tim McCreadie/50 $10,650
2. (13) Jamie Lathroum/50 $5,000
3. (2) Gary Stuhler/50 $3,600
4. (15) Gregg Satterlee/50 $2,500
5. (4) Austin Hubbard/50 $2,000
6. (9) Darrell Lanigan/50 $2,350
7. (3) Rick Eckert/50 $2,100
8. (17) Jason Covert/50 $1,400
9. (16) Steve Shaver/50 $1,200
10. (6) Tim Fuller/50 $1,650
11. (24) Vic Coffey/50 $1,600
12. (18) Chub Frank/50 $1,550
13. (11) Pat Doar/50 $1,500
14. (23) Shane Clanton/50 $1,450
15. (7) Bub McCool/50 $1,650
16. (8) Kent Robinson/50 $1,350
17. (19) John Lobb/50 $770
18. (25) Jack Sullivan/50 $660
19. (1) Clint Smith/32 $1,280
20. (10) Nick Dickson/27 $700
21. (14) Jeremy Miller/25 $700
22. (21) Roy Deese Jr./19 $700
23. (22) Duane Harbaugh/16 $700
24. (20) Marvin Winters/9 $725
25. (12) Dan Stone/0 $700
NOTE: Kent Robinson started at the rear of the field because he switched to a backup car and Dan Stone was unable to take the green flag due to a dead battery
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 26 Mins., 14.269 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.983 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (Laps 20, 33, 43)
Lap Leaders: Stuhler (1-20); McCreadie (21-50)
Provisional Starters: Clanton, Coffey (WoO points); Sullivan (WoO emergency)
Rookie of the Race: McCool ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Stuhler ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.600
2. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 18.628
3. 22s-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 18.757
4. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 18.890
5. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 18.910
6. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 18.932
7. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 18.937
8. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 18.966
9. 17d-Ronnie DeHaven Jr./Winchester, VA 18.998
10. 70J-D.J. Myers/Greencastle, PA 19.018
11. 46-Marvin Winters/McConnellsburg, PA 19.033
12. 6-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV 19.037
13. 6L-Jamie Lathroum/Mechanicsville, MD 19.070
14. 17-Nick Dickson/Lewistown, PA 19.152
15. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 19.158
16. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 19.177
17. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 19.217
18. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 19.234
19. 23-Gary Stuhler/Greencastle, PA 19.253
20. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 19.259
21. 28-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 19.263
22. 1M-Jeremy Miller/Gettysburg, PA 19.269
23. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 19.325
24. 87-Duane Harbaugh/Hedgesville, WV 19.340
25. 43A-Jason Covert/York Haven, PA 19.394
26. 05-Roy Deese Jr./Laurel, MD 19.514
27. 93-Pancho Lawler/Hanover, MD 19.536
28. 3s-Rusty Sites/Chambersburg, PA 19.540
29. 26-Jerry Bard/Shippensburg, PA 19.627
30. 81-Alan Sagi/Hagerstown, MD 19.769
31. 21M-Matt Murphy/Bel Air, MD 19.821
32. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 19.867
33. 44H-James O’Hara/Moscow, PA 20.588
34. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR N/T
35. 1T-Tim Murphy/Fallston, MD N/T
36. 9-Frankie Plessinger/Big Cove Tannery, PA 19.679 (DQ – light)
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): C. Smith, Eckert, Lanigan, Lathroum, Covert, Lobb, Bard, O’Hara, DeHaven
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Robinson, Fuller, Dickson, Miller, Sullivan, Myers, Deese, Sagi, Clanton
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Hubbard, Stuhler, Doar, Satterlee, Winters, Lawler, M. Murphy, T. Murphy, Coffey
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McCreadie, McCool, Stone, Shaver, Frank, Sites, Harbaugh, Plessinger, George
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Covert, Lobb, Deese, Clanton, Bard, Sagi, Sullivan, O’Hara, Myers (DNS) DeHaven
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Frank, Winters, Harbaugh, Plessinger, Lawler, M. Murphy, T. Murphy (DNS) Sites, Coffey, George
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): Vic Coffey
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Gary Stuhler
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Chub Frank
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Vic Coffey
Comp Cams ($50 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Jason Covert
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Pancho Lawler/Marvin Winters
Gravely ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 16th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Kent Robinson
JE Pistons (one compete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 11th-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Vic Coffey
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Roy Deese Jr.
Klotz Synthetic Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher or next highest finisher): Jack Sullivan
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Marvin Winters
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash to fast qualifier or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate to 5th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Austin Hubbard
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Bub McCool
Roush-Yates Performance Products ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Jason Covert
Roush-Yates Performance Products (carburetor repair kit to 18th-place finish in A-Main or next highest w/decal – $100 value): Nick Dickson
Roush-Yates Lap Leader Award (one pair of Wiley X Sunglasses to driver who leads most laps in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Gary Stuhler
SuperFlow ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim Fuller
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): Ronnie DeHaven Jr.
WIX Filters ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner if decal displayed – $200 value): Tim McCreadie
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Gary Stuhler
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 8th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Jason Covert
XS ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Tim McCreadie
2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of June 16 – 16 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 2290
2. Rick Eckert 2180 (-110)
3. Chub Frank 2108 (-182)
4. Tim McCreadie 2076 (-214)
5. Shane Clanton 2058 (-232)
6. Vic Coffey 2020 (-270)
7. Clint Smith 1976 (-314)
8. Bub McCool 1940 (-350)
9. Pat Doar 1856 (-434)
10. Kent Robinson 1804 (-486)
11. Tim Fuller 1788 (-502)
12. Jack Sullivan 1700 (-590)
13. John Lobb 1684 (-606)
14. Mike Marlar 1498 (-792)
15. Greg Johnson 1390 (-900)
16. Jill George 1168 (-1122)
17. Steve Shaver 1066 (-1224)
18. Brandon Sheppard 1046 (-1244)
19. Gregg Satterlee 1004 (-1286)
20. Josh Richards 974 (-1316)
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 6/16: World of Outlaws Late Model Series At Hagerstown Speedway
HAGERSTOWN, MD – June 16, 2012 – The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is back at Hagerstown Speedway tonight for the first time since 2010 to contest a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win event.
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.
T-Mac Attack
Tim McCreadie continued his resurgence on the WoO LMS, capturing the 50-lap A-Main for his second win of the season. He passed Gary Stuhler for the lead on lap 21 and never looked back.
Jamie Lathroum moved into second place on lap 34 and was put on McCreadie’s rear bumper by a caution flag on lap 43, but the Maryland driver was unable to mount a challenge. He settled for a second-place finish, 0.983 of a second behind McCreadie.
A-Main Finish: 1. Tim McCreadie, 2. Jamie Lathroum, 3. Gary Stuhler, 4. Gregg Satterlee, 5. Austin Hubbard, 6. Darrell Lanigan, 7. Rick Eckert, 8. Jason Covert, 9. Steve Shaver, 10. Tim Fuller, 11. Vic Coffey, 12. Chub Frank, 13. Pat Doar, 14. Shane Clanton, 15. Bub McCool, 16. Kent Robinson, 17. John Lobb, 18. Jack Sullivan, 19. Clint Smith, 20. Nick Dickson, 21. Jeremy Miller, 22. Roy Deese Jr., 23. Duane Harbaugh, 24. Marvin Winters, 25. Dan Stone
Hi, Dale
9:30 p.m. – Dale Beitler, who spent the last four years fielding a fulltime WoO LMS team, is spectating tonight at Hagerstown.
Actually, the Maryland resident has been on the Hagerstown Speedway grounds since last night. He no longer has a dirt Late Model (though he did give one of his cars to Tim Fuller before the start of the season), but he is here as a car owner: for his 6-year-old grandson, Blake Davis, who spent Friday night and Saturday afternoon competing in USAC-sanctioned Quarter-Midget races at the adjacent Little Hagerstown Speedway.
Was Beitler wrenching for his grandson, who fell two spots short of transferring to the main event in his Junior Honda class? “I just watch,” laughed Beitler.
Feature time
9:25 p.m. – After Jason Covert and Chub Frank scored victories in the twin 12-lap B-Mains, teams are now preparing for the 50-lap A-Main. The WoO LMS provisionals go to Shane Clanton, who fell one spot short of transferring after starting at the tail, and Vic Coffey.
A-Main Lineup:
Row 1: Clint Smith/Gary Stuhler
Row 2: Rick Eckert/Austin Hubbard
Row 3: Tim McCreadie/Tim Fuller
Row 4: Bub McCool/Kent Robinson
Row 5: Darrell Lanigan/Nick Dickson
Row 6: Pat Doar/Dan Stone
Row 7: Jamie Lathroum/Jeremy Miller
Row 8: Gregg Satterlee/Steve Shaver
Row 9: Jason Covert/Chub Frank
Row 10: John Lobb/Marvin Winters
Row 11: Roy Deese Jr./Duane Harbaugh
Row 12: Shane Clanton/Vic Coffey
Happy Cat
9:05 p.m. – Clint Smith is smiling after drawing the pole position for the A-Main — well, after a 3-year-old boy picked the top spot for him. Smith lifted the youngster up in his arms after seeing that the kid had pulled out the No. 1 pill and told the boy’s mother to stop at his hauler following the race to get a free t-shirt.
Gary Stuhler will start second, followed by Rick Eckert, Austin Hubbard, Tim McCreadie, Tim Fuller and Bub McCool. Kent Robinson is slated to occupy the eighth starting spot, but he’ll have to drop to the rear of the field because he’s running a backup car after his heat-race woes.
The first of two B-Mains is now on the racetrack…
Opposite fortunes
8:40 p.m. – Tim McCreadie rolled to victory in the fourth race heat race, easily outdistancing Bub McCool. But while the triumph leaves McCreadie feeling good about his evening, his Sweeteners Plus teammate, Vic Coffey, is downtrodden. Coffey’s heat-three effort was stopped before he could complete a lap by a broken rearend, forcing him to a backup car for the remainder of the night.
Austin Hubbard, the 2010 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year, won the third heat race over Hagerstown veteran Gary Stuhler.
Updating other heat news, Clanton retired from the second prelim due to a broken fuel pump. He’s fixed the offending piece and is ready for the B-Main.
For full heat results, click here.
Bad luck for Clanton, Robinson
8:20 p.m. – Promising evenings have quickly turned sour for WoO LMS regulars Shane Clanton and Kent Robinson, both of whom suffered major mechanical trouble during the second heat race.
Clanton was leading the prelim by a half-straightaway on lap five when his car suddenly lost power, forcing him to retire to the pits. His chief mechanic, Jonathan Owenby, is currently underneath the car attempting to diagnose the problem.
Robinson, meanwhile, moved in front after Clanton’s departure and went on to win the heat race, but disaster struck as he crossed the finish. An ugly sound belched from his car and he needed to be pushed back to the pits, prompting the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender to bluntly state, “We blew up.”
Robinson’s crew is now scrambling to pull out their backup car. He’s in the top-eight redraw, but he’ll have to start the A-Main from the tail.
In the first heat race of the night, Clint Smith overtook Rick Eckert to win his first heat race of 2012.
Alltime speedster
8:00 p.m. – Defending WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials with a lap of 18.600 seconds, besting last week’s $100,000 Dream winner at Eldora Speedway, Shane Clanton (18.628 seconds), for his first fast-time honor of 2012.
The fast-time honor was historic for Eckert, whose 29th career WoO LMS fast time put him atop the category on the WoO LMS since 2004. He entered the evening’s action tied with Josh Richards.
Heat races are now beginning. Four 10-lap qualifiers will be run, with the top-four finishers from each advancing to the A-Main and the top-two in the final order redrawing for feature starting spots.
Full results from time trials can be found here.
Shaver speedy
7:30 p.m. – Vienna, W.Va.’s Steve Shaver was the fastest in hot laps, turning a lap of 18.600 seconds. He was followed by Jeremy Miller (a WoO LMS winner in 2008 at Virginia Motor Speedway), Dan Stone (WoO LMS winner in ’07 at Tri-City Speedway), Chub Frank (top WoO regular in practice) and Jamie Lathroum (WoO LMS victor in ’09 at Delaware International Speedway).
Lathroum is a driver to watch tonight. The Mechanicsville, Md., standout won the Appalachian Mountain Speedweek A-Main at Hagerstown just two weeks ago with a car so strong, runner-up Tim McCreadie said he “could’ve started further back than he did and won the race.”
Time trials are now underway…
Ready to go
7:00 p.m. – A field of 36 cars is signed in for competition, led by 14 WoO LMS travelers. The Outlaws’ challengers include Jason Covert, Gregg Satterlee, Jeremy Miller, Steve Shaver, Dan Stone, Jamie Lathroum, Austin Hubbard, D.J. Myers, Gary Stuhler, Roy Deese Jr., Ronnie DeHaven Jr., Frankie Plessinger and Alan Sagi.
Cars will begin rolling onto the half-mile oval for hot laps in a few minutes.
She’s back
Three weeks after riding out a wicked crash at Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., and missing the next two WoO LMS events, Jill George is returning to action tonight. Just a few minutes ago she watched a DVD of the accident for the first time in her hauler and was amazed by the ferocity of the impact, which ripped off everything from the firewall forward on her car, including the engine, wheels, frame rails and suspension pieces.
“I don’t really remember it, so I’m glad I got to finally see it,” said George, who suffered a deep gash on her left shin in the accident (it’s still very visible today). “I was trying to beat Kris (Southern) to the finish line (in the heat), my throttle stuck, and the next thing I knew I was sitting there saying, ‘What the hell just happened?'”
George’s husband, Rick Hartzell, said the only salvageable pieces from the wrecked car were the rearend, battery, fuel cell, weight clamps, gauges and a couple shocks. Thankfully, the engine, despite ending up sitting in the middle of the track in a smoldering mess, was repaired and is in the car George will be driving tonight.
“We took it to AEM in Waterloo, Iowa, and they fixed it up,” said Hartzell. “We finished putting it in the car last night at 9 o’clock and then got on the road to come here.”
George, who turned 34 on June 10, is “excited to be back,” but she understandably will have to get over some nervousness when she climbs into the car for the first time since the crash.
“Once I get back in the car,” said George, “I guess I’ll see how I feel.”
The accident sent George to the hospital for the second time this season (she also was shaken up in a February tangle at Florida’s Bubba Raceway Park), but she’s committed to continuing her career behind the wheel.
“Everybody in my family wants me to quit racing, but I’m not doing that,” said George. “This is what we do, this is our outlet in life. Rick and I never wavered in our thought process. We want to keep racing.”
Chamber of Commerce weather
4:20 p.m. – It’s an absolutely gorgeous day here at Hagerstown Speedway, with temperatures in the low 80s and partly cloudly skies. Haulers are lined up in the parking lot and team members are now emerging to sign in at the pit gate, which opens in 10 minutes.
Tonight’s program is the first for the WoO LMS at Hagerstown since May 15, 2010, when Josh Richards emerged victorious. Richards won’t be in tonight’s field — marking the first time he’s missed a WoO LMS show at Hagerstown — because he’s racing in a NASCAR Nationwide Series event at Michigan International Speedway as this is typed.
