Richards Two-For-Two In DIRTcar UMP Super Late Model Action During UNOH DIRTcar Nationals By Summit
Red-Hot West Virginian Rolls Forward From 11th Starting Spot To Capture Tuesday’s $7,000 Top Prize
By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director
BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 19, 2013 – There appears to be no stopping Josh Richards during the 42nd UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment.
With another spectacular charge forward – this time from the 11th starting spot – Richards captured Tuesday night’s 30-lap DIRTcar UMP Super Late Model feature for his second victory in as many evenings at Volusia Speedway Park.
Richards, 24, of Shinnston, W.Va., powered his Valvoline-sponsored Rocket Chassis house car to second place on lap 16, putting himself in position to inherit the lead when Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., pulled to the infield with mechanical trouble during a lap-19 caution period. The two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion dominated the remainder of the distance to pocket a $7,000 top prize.
WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., grabbed second from his chassis builder, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., on lap 20 and stayed there to the finish. The 24-year-old, who sat out Monday night’s DIRTcar UMP Late Model opener, crossed the finish line 2.709 seconds behind Richards to cap a career-best performance at the half-mile oval.
Stormy Scott, 23, of Las Cruces, N.M., placed third in the Bryan Rowland Motorsports Team Zero by Bloomquist car, cracking the podium in just his second week of dirt Late Model racing. A standout in the open-wheel Modified division who is transitioning to dirt Late Model racing this season, Scott, who started 13th, overtook Bloomquist for the show position on lap 22.
Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., also passed Bloomquist late in the distance, grabbing fourth on lap 25 and finishing there in his Victory Circle machine. Bloomquist, who started from the outside pole, faded to a fifth-place run in his self-built car.
In a competitive race that featured four different leaders, Richards proved to be the last man standing up front for the second consecutive night at Volusia. But his march to the lead wasn’t quite as smooth as on Monday evening, when he sailed around the outside of the track in advancing from the 10th starting spot to the lead in 18 circuits.
Richards actually surprised himself with his quick ascension through the field. He cracked the top five in three laps and reached second by lap nine, though he swapped the runner-up spot once with Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., before gaining control on lap 16.
“I knew everybody gambled on tires a little bit,” said Richards. “We just went with a softer compound and tried to stay slow and not wear anything out, and try to get one at a time as we could. I didn’t expect to get up through there like we did, but I think everybody just kind of got bound up and slid and we were able to get quite a few cars early.”
Richards’s move to grab second from Lanigan on lap 16 might have been the critical point of the race. After Richards dived to the inside of turns three and four and slid in front of Lanigan, contact between the two friendly rivals in turn four damaged the nosepiece of Lanigan’s car. Three laps later Lanigan skated into the turn-three guardrail due to a left-front tire that was cut by his bent bodywork, bringing out the race’s only caution flag.
“We were going down the backstraightaway and I just drove straight down to the bottom and Darrell went to the top,” Richards said of the scrape with Lanigan. “Well, he got turned and came straight back down to the bottom and ran into our left rear.
“I think there was a little bit of heat over that. I don’t think he knew exactly what happened. I think he just thought I drove in there after he turned, but we were just racing. It’s unfortunate that he got a car tore up, but I don’t feel like we did anything wrong.”
Lanigan, who started from the pole position and led the first circuit and laps 6-10, limped into the infield and retired after the caution flag flew on lap 19. He declined to comment on the situation with Richards.
Moments after Lanigan left the track, O’Neal, who started fifth and passed Lanigan for the lead on lap 11, also drove into the infield. A line of moisture began to trail behind his Larry Moring-owned car during the caution period; it was later determined to be fuel from a busted fuel pump.
“It’s unfortunate that O’Neal broke,” said Richards, who led laps 20-30 without receiving a single challenge. “I feel like we could’ve gotten him anyway, but everything’s been going our way. We’ll take it.”
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Richards’s victory was his third in as many days – he started the streak with a $20,000-plus triumph in Sunday’s 75-lap WoO LMS event at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. – and the seventh of his career during the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit at Volusia. He moved into a tie for fourth on the alltime DIRTcar Nationals win list with veterans O’Neal, Bloomquist and Rick Eckert of York, Pa.
In addition, according to records compiled by racing historian Bob Markos, Richards became the sixth driver in the 42-year history of the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit to open the dirt Late Model portion of the meet with back-to-back wins. He joins a list that includes Moyer (1997, 2008), O’Neal (2002, ’03), Larry Moore (1981), Morgan Shepherd (1977) and Wayne Shugart (1973, ’78).
The A-Main’s other leader was Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who surged forward from the fourth starting spot to pass Lanigan for the top spot on lap two. McCreadie was in front on lap five when he jumped the cushion in turn two and slapped the outside wall, inflicting damage to his Warrior machine that forced him to cede the lead to Lanigan on lap six and pull off that circuit.
Finishing in positions 6-10 were Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who started 23rd; Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who didn’t compete in Monday’s program; 20-year-old Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., who recorded a career-best finish at Volusia; and 16-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill.
Forty-seven cars were entered in the program, which utilized group qualifying to set the starting lineups for six heat races.
Richards registered the fastest overall qualifying lap at 15.752 seconds. Other group fast-timers were Lanigan (15.952), Ron Davies of Warren, Pa. (16.065), Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. (16.072), Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn. (16.416) and Moyer (16.930).
Heat winners were O’Neal, Zeigler, Bloomquist, Lanigan, McCreadie and Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark. The B-Mains were captured by Kenny Pettyjohn of Millsboro, Del., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and Davies, and Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., topped the 5-lap Bulrush Dash for non-qualifiers.
The DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit continues on Wednesday night (Feb. 20) with the 40-lap UMP Late Model finale that offers a $10,000 top prize. The Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds will also be on hand for the division’s first of four straight race nights. Race time is 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, log on to www.DIRTcarNationals.com.
DIRTcar UMP Late Model 30-Lap A-Main Finish (Finish Pos./Start Pos./Driver/Laps Completed):
1. (11) Josh Richards/30
2. (9) Eric Wells/30
3. (13) Stormy Scott/30
4. (7) Billy Moyer/30
5. (2) Scott Bloomquist/30
6. (10) Tim Fuller/30
7. (23) Brady Smith/30
8. (17) Bub McCool/30
9. (6) Mason Zeigler/30
10. (8) Bobby Pierce/30
11. (15) Earl Pearson Jr./30
12. (22) Stacy Boles/30
13. (20) Jimmy Mars/30
14. (14) Donnie Moran/29
15. (26) Brandon Sheppard/29
16. (16) Morgan Bagley/29
17. (18) Ricky Weiss/29
18. (24) Michael Norris/28
19. (21) Ron Davies/20
20. (5) Don O’Neal/19
21. (1) Darrell Lanigan/19
22. (12) Steve Francis/18
23. (19) Kenny Pettyjohn/18
24. (3) Billy Moyer Jr./9
25. (4) Tim McCreadie/6
26. (25) Eddie Carrier Jr./2
Heat No. 1 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Don O’Neal, 2. Billy Moyer, 3. Stormy Scott, 4. Kenny Pettyjohn, 5. Dennis Erb Jr., 6. Vic Coffey, 7. Jason McBride, 8. Chuck Julien
Heat No. 2 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Mason Zeigler, 2. Bobby Pierce, 3. Donnie Moran, 4. Stacy Boles, 5. Billy Ogle Jr., 6. Kent Robinson, 7. Dan Stone, 8. Clint Smith
Heat No. 3 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Scott Bloomquist, 2. Eric Wells, 3. Earl Pearson Jr., 4. Jimmy Mars, 5. Jared Landers, 6. Chad Hollenbeck, 7. Eddie Carrier Jr., 8. Jerry Lierly
Heat No. 4 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Darrell Lanigan, 2. Tim Fuller, 3. Morgan Bagley, 4. Brady Smith, 5. Chub Frank, 6. Brandon Sheppard, 7. Joey Coulter, 8. Todd Frank
Heat No. 5 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Tim McCreadie, 2. Josh Richards, 3. Bub McCool, 4. Eric Jacobsen, 5. Casey Roberts, 6. Mike Benedum, 7. Gregg Satterlee, 8. Justin Rattliff
Heat No. 6 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Billy Moyer Jr., 2. Steve Francis, 3. Ricky Weiss, 4. Ron Davies, 5. Mike Norris, 6. Michael Walker, 7. Mike Hammerle
B-Main No. 1 (10 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Kenny Pettyjohn, 2. Stacy Boles, 3. Billy Ogle Jr., 4. Dennis Erb Jr., 5. Vic Coffey, 6. Dan Stone, 7. Kent Robinson, 8. Clint Smith, 9. Jason McBride, 10. Chuck Julien
B-Main No. 2 (10 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Jimmy Mars, 2. Brady Smith, 3. Chub Frank, 4. Brandon Sheppard, 5. Joey Coulter, 6. Jared Landers, 7. Chad Hollenbeck, 8. Todd Frank (DNS) Eddie Carrier Jr., Jerry Lierly
B-Main No. 3 (10 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Ron Davies, 2. Michael Norris, 3. Casey Roberts, 4. Eric Jacobsen, 5. Gregg Satterlee, 6. Mike Benedum, 7. Justin Rattliff, 8. Michael Walker, 9. Mike Hammerle
LIVE UPDATES 2/18: UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit UMP Late Models Night 1 At Volusia Speedway Park
BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 19, 2013 – The second of three straight evenings of DIRTcar UMP Late Model action during the 42nd UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment at Volusia Speedway Park rolls off tonight, setting the stage for the three World of Outlaws Late Model Series programs that close the meet from Feb. 21-23.
Another 30-lap A-Main paying $7,000 to win is on tap this evening. Fans can watch all the action live by purchasing a DIRTcar Nationals video subscription at www.DIRTVision.com.
For live updates of 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.
Two-for-two
10:25 p.m. – There’s no stopping Josh Richards, who rolled forward from the 11th starting spot to score his second consecutive UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit victory in the 30-lap UMP Super Late Model A-Main.
Richards inherited the lead during a lap-19 caution period when Don O’Neal retired to the infield due to a leak that developed in his Moring Motorsports machine, but he worked hard to get in position to capitalize on O’Neal’s misfortune. He reached second place on lap 16 when he slid by Darrell Lanigan, whose nosepiece ended up crushed by contact with Richards’s rearend during the exchange. Lanigan slid into the turn-three wall on lap 19 to bring out the race’s only caution flag — and set up Richards’s ascension to the lead moments later.
The wildly competitive race featured four lead changes among four drivers. Lanigan led lap one; Tim McCreadie paced laps 2-5 before relinquishing the spot when he slapped the turn-two wall and pulled off with damage; Lanigan regained command for laps 6-10; and O’Neal paced laps 11-19.
A-Main Finish: 1. Josh Richards, 2. Eric Wells, 3. Stormy Scott, 4. Billy Moyer, 5. Scott Bloomquist, 6. Tim Fuller, 7. Brady Smith, 8. Bub McCool, 9. Mason Zeigler, 10. Bobby Pierce, 11. Earl Pearson Jr., 12. Stacy Boles, 13. Jimmy Mars, 14. Donnie Moran, 15. Brandon Sheppard, 16. Morgan Bagley, 17. Ricky Weiss, 18. Michael Norris, 19. Ron Davies, 20. Don O’Neal, 21. Darrell Lanigan, 22. Steve Francis, 23. Kenny Pettyjohn, 24. Billy Moyer Jr., 25. Tim McCreadie, 26. Eddie Carrier Jr.
Feature time
9:45 p.m. – Anticipation is building for the 30-lap A-Main, which will see Darrell Lanigan start from the pole position and Scott Bloomquist take the green flag from the outside pole.
Interestingly, the winner and second-place finisher in last night’s A-Main, Josh Richards and Steve Francis, will start side-by-side in the sixth row.
Receiving provisional starting spots were Eddie Carrier Jr. (2012 DCN points) and Brandon Sheppard (’12 UMP national points).
A-Main Lineup:
Row 1: Darrell Lanigan/Scott Bloomquist
Row 2: Billy Moyer Jr./Tim McCreadie
Row 3: Don O’Neal/Mason Zeigler
Row 4: Billy Moyer/Bobby Pierce
Row 5: Eric Wells/Tim Fuller
Row 6: Josh Richards/Steve Francis
Row 7: Stormy Scott/Donnie Moran
Row 8: Earl Pearson Jr./Morgan Bagley
Row 9: Bub McCool/Ricky Weiss
Row 10: Kenny Pettyjohn/Jimmy Mars
Row 11: Ron Davies/Stacy Boles
Row 12: Brady Smith/Mike Norris
Row 13: Eddie Carrier Jr./Brandon Sheppard
Qualifying done
9:30 p.m. – Qualifying ended after Kenny Pettyjohn, Jimmy Mars and Ron Davies scored B-Main triumphs. Stacy Boles, Brady Smith and Michael Norris also transferred to the A-Main with runner-up finishes in each of the last-chance events.
B-Main results are below….
B-Main No. 1 (10 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Kenny Pettyjohn, 2. Stacy Boles, 3. Billy Ogle Jr., 4. Dennis Erb Jr., 5. Vic Coffey, 6. Dan Stone, 7. Kent Robinson, 8. Clint Smith, 9. Jason McBride, 10. Chuck Julien
B-Main No. 2 (10 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Jimmy Mars, 2. Brady Smith, 3. Chub Frank, 4. Brandon Sheppard, 5. Joey Coulter, 6. Jared Landers, 7. Chad Hollenbeck, 8. Todd Frank (DNS) Eddie Carrier Jr., Jerry Lierly
B-Main No. 3 (10 laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. Ron Davies, 2. Michael Norris, 3. Casey Roberts, 4. Eric Jacobsen, 5. Gregg Satterlee, 6. Mike Benedum, 7. Justin Rattliff, 8. Michael Walker, 9. Mike Hammerle
Heat-race notes
8:40 p.m. – Jason McBride slid through the cushion between turns one and two and ended up with the right side of his car on the guardrail on lap three of the first heat, necessitating a caution flag. It appeared he would have to be towed off, but he drove away and continued racing after safety crews pulled his machine off the wall… Clint Smith’s run in the second heat came to a quick end because he ran out of helmet tearoffs, leaving him unable to see clearly through his mud-caked shield. Smith had a Go-Pro camera inside his cockpit for the heat, so his very muddy run was captured for posterity. You’ll want to check the World of Outlaws Facebook page in a few hours to watch the uploaded video… Good outing for youngsters Mason Zeigler, 20, and Bobby Pierce, 16, who finished one-two in the third heat. Their combined ages fall far short of the third-place finisher in the event, 50-year-old dirt Late Model legend Donnie Moran… Seven of the 10 WoO LMS regulars made the cut through a heat, leaving only Smith, Chub Frank and Brandon Sheppard to run B-Mains. Darrell Lanigan, Tim Fuller and Morgan Bagley swept the transfer spots in the fourth heat and Tim McCreadie, Josh Richards and Bub McCool did the same in the fifth heat…
Heats complete
8:25 p.m. – WoO LMS regulars Darrell Lanigan and Tim McCreadie and second-generation racer Billy Moyer Jr. were victorious in heats 4-6, respectively, capping the first round of preliminary qualifying racing.
The first of the three 20-lap, 14-car UMP Modified features is now rolling onto the track. The three UMP Late Model B-Mains will follow the checkered flag of the UMP Modified event.
Results of heats 4-6 are below:
Heat No. 4 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Darrell Lanigan, 2. Tim Fuller, 3. Morgan Bagley, 4. Brady Smith, 5. Chub Frank, 6. Brandon Sheppard, 7. Joey Coulter, 8. Todd Frank
Heat No. 5 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Tim McCreadie, 2. Josh Richards, 3. Bub McCool, 4. Eric Jacobsen, 5. Casey Roberts, 6. Mike Benedum, 7. Gregg Satterlee, 8. Justin Rattliff
Heat No. 6 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Billy Moyer Jr., 2. Steve Francis, 3. Ricky Weiss, 4. Ron Davies, 5. Mike Norris, 6. Michael Walker, 7. Mike Hammerle
Halfway through heats
7:55 p.m. – The first three eight-lap UMP Super Late Model heats were spun off in rapid fashion with victories going to Don O’Neal, Mason Zeigler and Scott Bloomquist.
The final three prelims will be contested after the DIRTcar Northeast Big-Block Modifieds — with a strong 36-car field on hand — get their first practice laps of the week. The Big-Blockers will race in 30-lap features on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and a 50-lap finale on Saturday.
Tim Fuller will represent the Late Model division in this week’s Big-Block Modified action. The driver who starred in the open-wheel division before becoming a full-fender regular will shake down the J&S Racing No. 74 Modified he runs in selected events.
Results from the first three heat races are below…
Heat No. 1 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Don O’Neal, 2. Billy Moyer, 3. Stormy Scott, 4. Kenny Pettyjohn, 5. Dennis Erb Jr., 6. Vic Coffey, 7. Jason McBride, 8. Chuck Julien
Heat No. 2 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Mason Zeigler, 2. Bobby Pierce, 3. Donnie Moran, 4. Stacy Boles, 5. Billy Ogle Jr., 6. Kent Robinson, 7. Dan Stone, 8. Clint Smith
Heat No. 3 (8 laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. Scott Bloomquist, 2. Eric Wells, 3. Earl Pearson Jr., 4. Jimmy Mars, 5. Jared Landers, 6. Chad Hollenbeck, 7. Eddie Carrier Jr., 8. Jerry Lierly
Josh still fast
7:10 p.m. – Josh Richards continued to flash some serious speed on the half-mile Volusia oval, registering the fastest overall time of 15.752 seconds during the hot lap/group qualifying sessions. Other group fast-timers were Darrell Lanigan (15.752), Ron Davies (16.065), Earl Pearson Jr. (16.072), Billy Ogle Jr. (16.416) and Billy Moyer (16.930).
Opening ceremonies are now underway. The six eight-lap DIRTcar UMP Late Model heats (four fastest qualifiers inverted, top three finishers transfer) will begin at about 7:30 p.m.
Thinking of Mrs. Eckert
6:40 p.m. – Conspicuously absent from the Volusia pit area so far this week is 2011 WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert, who flew home to York, Pa., after Sunday night’s Bubba Army Late Model Winter Nationals finale at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla., to be with his ailing mother Charlotte.
Mrs. Eckert and her husband, Junior, have been UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit fixtures for years, annually trekking south with other family members to watch their son in action. Health problems, however, prevented her from making the trip this year and assuming her usual position in Volusia’s frontstretch grandstand, so Rick decided to skip this week’s DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned events to visit with her.
Eckert’s hauler and crew remain in Florida and he plans to fly back on Thursday to compete in the three WoO LMS events that close the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit. He sits fourth in the tour points standings after five events.
The field
6:30 p.m. – Hot laps/group qualifying for the six groups of DIRTcar UMP Late Models have begun. Drivers will qualify among only the competitors they will race against in their heats.
Ten World of Outlaws Late Model Series regulars are in action tonight. The list includes four who sat out last night’s action — defending champion Darrell Lanigan, Bub McCool, Morgan Bagley and Eric Wells — plus Monday winner Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie, Clint Smith, Chub Frank, Tim Fuller and Brandon Sheppard.
Tonight’s 47-driver roster:
0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN
1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV
1-Don O’Neal/Martinsville, IN
1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA
2-Joey Coulter/Miami Springs, FL
2-Stormy Scott/Las Cruces, NM
2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI
4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA
5-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA
5-Jared Landers/Batesville, AR
b5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL
7-Jerry Lierly/Quincy, IL
7-Ricky Weiss/Winnipeg, MAN
7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN
11b-Stacy Boles/Clinton, TN
14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX
15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY
16-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY
16H-Mike Hammerle/St. Charles, MO
18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY
19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY
21-Todd Frank/Ashland, WI
21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR
21Jr-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR
21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA
22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA
25-Mike Benedum/Salem, WV
25z-Mason Ziegler/Chalk Hill, PA
28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV
28-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL
28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI
29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY
32-Bobby Pierce/Oakwood, IL
32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY
38-Kenny Pettyjohn/Millsboro, DE
39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY
44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA
44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL
57-Chuck Julien/Apopka, FL
57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS
64-Michael Walker/Franklin, TN
71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA
72-Mike Norris/Sarver, PA
77-Jason McBride/Carbondale, IL
99-Donnie Moran/Dresden, OH
101-Casey Roberts/Toccoa, GA
201-Billy Ogle Jr./Knoxville, TN
Feels like Florida
6:05 p.m. – Finally, after several days of unseasonably cool — sometimes even frigid — conditions at Volusia Speedway, the weather has turned much more to everyone’s liking. Temperatures have risen into the upper 70s and the sun has been shining all day, providing a boost of adrenalin to all at the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit.
Forty-seven Super Late Models are signed in for tonight’s DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned card, which will begin in a few minutes with hot laps. The program will also include the week’s UMP Modified finale featuring three 20-lap feature races, with the drivers divided into events by their standings in the points.
