Owens takes LOLMDS "Reopening Tour" opener at Golden Isles

[NickHolt]

Owens takes LOLMDS "Reopening Tour" opener at Golden Isles

 

WAYNESVILLE, GA (May 19, 2020) - Jimmy Owens picked up his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of 2020 on Tuesday Night at Golden Isles Speedway. The series returned to the race track for the first time since the Georgia-Florida Speedweeks back in February, 100 days ago.

 

The 40-lap main event had three different race leaders, Owens, Brandon Overton, and Josh Richards. Owens took the lead from Brandon Overton on lap 32 and then pulled away for his 65th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win. Mason Zeigler got by Overton on the final lap to finish second. Overton was third followed by Josh Richards and Devin Moran.

 

Overton was looking for a clean sweep of the night after setting the overall fast time amongst the 43 entrants on hand, then ran away to a heat race win, earning the outside front-row starting position alongside Richards in the process. Overton led the pack for the first eight laps of the race until Richards took the lead on lap 9.

 

A lap later Overton regained the top spot. One of the cars on the move was Tim McCreadie.  McCreadie, who won the first race of the season at Golden Isles back in February, climbed to second after a terrific side-by-side battle with Richards for several laps.  McCreadie finally cleared Richards by lap 23 and had his sights set on race leader, Overton. As McCreadie was battling 3-wide in traffic for the lead, he and a lap-car got together, with McCreadie suffering a cut right-rear tire, forcing the caution and him into the pits to change the tire.

 

When the race resumed Overton still held the point in the Wells Motorsports/Longhorn.  Owens began his assault on the leaders and started to flex his muscles. He quickly moved to second around Richards on lap 28 and then with 9 laps remaining he was able to take the lead from Overton.

 

Overton fought back as the two drivers went door-to-door for the race lead. Owens was finally able to shake Overton and go on to become the sixth different winner in the nine events contested so far in 2020. In his last seven starts overall this season Owens has won six of those races.

 

The 48-year-old Tennessee native and 3-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion continued his recent hot streak of victories as he recorded his fourth career win at Golden Isles. "The car was a little bit freer than I wanted it to be. It had a push, so I had to rotate it a lot through the center of the turns a lot more than I wanted to. We made a couple of changes right before the feature and I felt like it really messed us up, but the car is still really, really good right now."

 

Zeigler picked up one of the most exciting wins back in February at East Bay, and tonight came from 9th to pick up the runner-up spot in the JLE Industries/Rocket. "I really needed the top on that restart.  Those two guys [Owens and Overton], went to slide them both, but they both went to the middle. Rubbing is racing sometimes. The car was good, I wish we could have started closer to the front and we are aiming for that tomorrow."

 

Overton led the most laps during the race and held on for third in the end. "In the middle of the race I got into a lapped car and it never drove the same after that, it got really, really tight. All-in-all it has been so good all night and I didn't want to touch much. These guys are the best in the business, Jimmy's been really hot so congratulations to him."

 

The winner's Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and is sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Tommy Pope Construction, Boomtest Well Service, General Tire, Ohlins, Champion, FK Rod Ends, Hypercoil Springs, and Red Line Oil.

 

Completing the top ten were Shane Clanton, Tyler Erb, Rick Eckert, Kyle Bronson, and Tanner English.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
Optima Batteries Golden Isles Nationals - presented by Bilstein
Tuesday, May 19th, 2020
Golden Isles Speedway - Waynesville, GA

Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Josh Richards / 15.006 seconds 
Fast Time Group B: Brandon Overton / 14.779 seconds (overall)

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):  1. 14-Josh Richards[1]; 2. 111B-Max Blair[2]; 3. 25Z-Mason Zeigler[3]; 4. 0E-Rick Eckert[5]; 5. 22F-Chris Ferguson[4]; 6. 5W-Mark Whitener[7]; 7. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[8]; 8. 1B-Ross Bailes[6]; 9. 1V-Vic Hill[9]; 10. 00-Russell Brown Jr[11]; 11. 8-Mike Benedum[10]

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer):  1. 39-Tim McCreadie[1]; 2. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[2]; 3. 1T-Tyler Erb[3]; 4. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[5]; 5. 3S-Brian Shirley[6]; 6. 50-Shanon Buckingham[4]; 7. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[9]; 8. 6S-Blake Spencer[10]; 9. 2W-Pearson Williams[7]; 10. 0R-Ryan Scott[11]; 11. 89-GR Smith[8]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 76-Brandon Overton[1]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[2]; 3. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 4. 111-Steven Roberts[3]; 5. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 6. 72-Michael Norris[6]; 7. 1G-Ryan King[7]; 8. KB0-Kerry King[8]; 9. F15-Jeremy Conaway[9]; 10. (DNS) 71-Hudson O'Neal; 11. (DNS) 91S-Blake Naylor

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[3]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 7F-Jason Fitzgerald[5]; 4. 81E-Tanner English[7]; 5. 25DC-Donnie Chappell[4]; 6. 311-Ken Monahan[9]; 7. 14B-John Baker[10]; 8. 5T-John Tweed[8]; 9. 2S-Stormy Scott[6]; 10. (DNF) 40B-Kyle Bronson[2]

Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 5W-Mark Whitener[3]; 2. 22F-Chris Ferguson[1]; 3. 50-Shanon Buckingham[4]; 4. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[5]; 5. 1B-Ross Bailes[7]; 6. 3S-Brian Shirley[2]; 7. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr[6]; 8. 00-Russell Brown Jr[11]; 9. 0R-Ryan Scott[12]; 10. (DNS) 6S-Blake Spencer; 11. (DNS) 1V-Vic Hill; 12. (DNS) 2W-Pearson Williams; 13. (DNS) 8-Mike Benedum; 14. (DNS) 89-GR Smith

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 2. 72-Michael Norris[3]; 3. 1G-Ryan King[5]; 4. 14B-John Baker[6]; 5. F15-Jeremy Conaway[9]; 6. 91S-Blake Naylor[13]; 7. 311-Ken Monahan[4]; 8. 2S-Stormy Scott[10]; 9. KB0-Kerry King[7]; 10. 71-Hudson O'Neal[11]; 11. (DNS) 5T-John Tweed; 12. (DNS) 25DC-Donnie Chappell; 13. (DNS) 40B-Kyle Bronson

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (40 Laps): 

Pos	Start	Car #	Competitor	Hometown	Pay
1	4	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	$7,000
2	9	25Z	Mason Zeigler	Chalk Hill, PA	$3,500
3	2	76	Brandon Overton	Evans, GA	$2,500
4	1	14	Josh Richards	Shinnston, WV	$2,000
5	8	9	Devin Moran	Dresden, OH	$1,500
6	10	25	Shane Clanton	Zebulon, GA	$1,400
7	11	1T	Tyler Erb	New Waverly, TX	$1,300
8	13	0E	Rick Eckert	York, PA	$1,200
9	23	40B	Kyle Bronson	Brandon, FL	$1,150
10	16	81E	Tanner English	Benton, KY	$1,100
11	18	49	Jonathan Davenport	Blairsville, GA	$1,050
12	3	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	$1,000
13	21	50	Shanon Buckingham	Morristown, TN	$975
14	7	1S	Brandon Sheppard	New Berlin, IL	$950
15	17	5W	Mark Whitener	Middleburg, FL	$925
16	5	111B	Max Blair	Centerville, PA	$900
17	25	28E	Dennis Erb Jr	Carpentersville, IL	$175
18	28	89	G.R. Smith	Statesville, NC	$150
19	14	111	Steven Roberts	Sylvester, GA	$825
20	15	21	Billy Moyer Jr	Batesville, AR	$800
21	6	16	Tyler Bruening	Decorah, IA	$800
22	27	1	Earl Pearson Jr	Jacksonville, FL	$100
23	12	7F	Jason Fitzgerald	Middleburg, FL	$800
24	26	71	Hudson O'Neal	Martinsville, IN	$100
25	20	72	Michael Norris	Sarver, PA	$800
26	22	1G	Ryan King	Seymour, TN	$800
27	19	22F	Chris Ferguson	Mt. Holly, NC	$800
28	24	3S	Brian Shirley	Chatham, IL	$800

Race Statistics
Entrants: 43
Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1 - 8); Josh Richards (Lap 9); Brandon Overton (Laps 10 - 31); Jimmy Owens (Laps 32 - 40)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Jimmy Owens
Margin of Victory: 2.054 seconds
Cautions: Brian Shirley (Lap 9); Tim McCreadie (Lap 23); Michael Norris (Lap 28); Hudson O'Neal (Lap 33)
Series Provisionals: Kyle Bronson; Brian Shirley
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: Dennis Erb Jr., Hudson O'Neal, Earl Pearson Jr., G.R. Smith
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jimmy Owens, Mason Zeigler, Brandon Overton
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Kyle Bronson (Advanced 14 Positions) 
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Brandon Sheppard
Allstar Performance Most Laps Led: Brandon Overton (30 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Jimmy Owens
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: n/a
Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jeff Strope
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Overton (Lap #10 - 15.415 seconds)
Hot Rod Processing Tough Break of the Race: Tim McCreadie
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Josh Richards
Time of Race: 23 minutes 48 seconds

Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

Pos	Car #	Competitor	Hometown	Points	Pay
1	1s	Brandon Sheppard	New Berlin, IL	1350	$38,850
2	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	1320	$30,750
2	9	Devin Moran	Dresden, OH	1320	$21,932
4	49	Jonathan Davenport	Blairsville, GA	1250	$24,150
5	1T	Tyler Erb	New Waverly, TX	1245	$17,175
6	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	1225	$19,300
7	40B	Kyle Bronson	Brandon, FL	1165	$17,175
8	14	Josh Richards	Shinnston, WV	1155	$14,175
9	25	Shane Clanton	Zebulon, GA	1150	$11,850
10	21	Billy Moyer Jr	Batesville, AR	1095	$11,100
11	3s	Brian Shirley	Chatham, IL	1085	$10,100
12	157	Mike Marlar	Winfield, TN	1025	$14,200
13	28E	Dennis Erb Jr	Carpentersville, IL	1005	$5,675
14	71	Hudson O'Neal	Martinsville, IN	975	$6,375
15	16	Tyler Bruening	Decorah, IA	915	$3,575
16	81E	Tanner English	Benton, KY	905	$4,775
17	50	Shanon Buckingham	Morristown, TN	900	$8,900
18	22*	G.R. Smith	Statesville, NC	850	$4,750
19	1	Earl Pearson Jr	Jacksonville, FL	845	$7,250
20	2S	Stormy Scott	Las Cruces, NM	755	$4,950

*Results are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day*