Owens Shows The Way In 'My Old Kentucky Home Shootout'

[rebelracewriter]

Owens Shows The Way In 'My Old Kentucky Home Shootout' At Bluegrass Speedway

 

BARDSTOWN, KY - May 8, 2010 - Jimmy Owens joined the ever-growing list of 2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series winners on Saturday night, rolling to victory in the 50-lap 'My Old Kentucky Home Shootout' at Bluegrass Speedway.

 

Owens, 38, of Newport, Tenn., grabbed the lead from Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., on lap two and never looked back in the national tour's inaugural visit to the high-banked, half-mile oval. He survived a stern mid-race challenge from another Kentuckian, Darrell Lanigan of Union, to become the 11th different victor in 12 WoO LMS events this season.

 

It was the third career triumph on the WoO LMS for Owens, who has won three times and hasn't finished worse than third in the five starts he's made since late-March. His successful early-season run in the Reece Monuments Team Zero by Bloomquist car includes a second-place finish in the WoO LMS 'Commonwealth 100' on April 17 at Virginia Motor Speedway.

 

"It's been a great month for us," said Owens, a four-time DIRTcar UMP Modified national champion and two-time winner of the prestigious UMP-sanctioned World 100. "It takes a team to do this, and right now we're clicking pretty well."

 

Francis, who started from the pole position but fell back to fifth after a lap-two restart rallied to finish second in his Valvoline Rocket car. He snatched the runner-up spot from Lanigan on lap 43 but never challenged Owens, crossing the finish line 1.725 seconds behind at a track that's promoted by his in-laws David and Anita Ferrell.

 

Lanigan settled for third place after a lap-21 scrape with Owens damaged the front end of his car, effectively ending his hopes of completing an impressive charge from the 11th starting spot to the lead. Outside polesitter Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., finished fourth in the MasterSbilt house car – and earned the $500 WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' cash for being the highest-finishing driver who hasn't won a tour A-Main and isn't ranked among the top 12 in series points – and 12th-starter Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., completed the top five in the Sheltra Construction Rocket.

 

The race's most important moment was the contact between Owens and Lanigan as they raced for the lead on lap 21. Lanigan hugged the bottom of the track to pull alongside Owens through turns one and two, but exiting the corner Owens came down the track and touched the right-front of Lanigan's car, causing the 2008 WoO LMS champion to get out of shape and fall to third.

 

Lanigan regained second from O'Neal on a lap-25 restart and briefly threatened Owens after the A-Main's fourth and final caution flag on lap 33, but his car wouldn't allow him to ascend into the lead.

 

"I don't know if he didn't see me or what, but when I got together with Owens it messed up the front end a little bit," said Lanigan. "It knocked the toe out on the right front and we weren't as good as we had been. We went a little softer on tires too, so when the track kind of went away at the end we were holding on."

 

Owens directed his apologies for the incident toward Lanigan.

 

"I was touching the cushion on the high side," said Owens, who earned $10,000 for his fourth career win at Bluegrass. "I rolled off (turn two) and seen Lanigan there (on the inside) about the same time I was done committed to the brown to get around the lapped car. I kind of misjudged – I didn't think Darrell would throw it out as far as he did and we just bumped a little bit.

 

"It was just a racing deal. I hope he feels the same way."

 

Francis, meanwhile, was satisfied with his second-place finish. It was a marked improvement over his disappointing 10th-place run in the previous night's WoO LMS event at Lincoln (Ill.) Speedway.

 

"I couldn't run with Owens," said Francis, who married the Bluegrass Speedway promoters' daughter, Amanda, on Feb. 27. "But I can't complain about a second. At one point I thought I was gonna be about a 10th place car, so we were fortunate to get back to second."

 

Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., finished sixth, fading during the race's second half after moving from the 13th starting spot to fourth by lap 20. WoO LMS points leader Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., placed a quiet seventh, followed by Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., 17th-starter Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., and 16th-starter Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis.

 

Defending WoO LMS champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who entered the event tied for the points lead with McCreadie, finished 12th after pitting to change a cut right-rear tire on lap 25 while running inside the top 10. He left Bluegrass trailing McCreadie by 10 points.

 

Other caution flags were caused by Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, Ky., who stopped in turn four with engine problems on lap one; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who started sixth but fell to the back of the pack after a scramble sent him against the wall between turns one and two on the second lap; and Dustin Neat of Dunnville, Ky., who slid across the track in turn four on lap 33.

 

Forty cars were entered in the event, but only 39 competed after Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, scratched for the night before hot laps.

 

O'Neal set a new track record in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, blazing around the track in 14.563 seconds (123.601 mph). It was his first career fast-time honor in WoO LMS competition.

 

Heat winners were O'Neal, Justin Rattliff of Campellsville, Ky., Richards and Owens. The B-Mains were captured by Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., and Brad Neat of Dunnville, Ky.

 

The WoO LMS now heads east for a doubleheader, visiting Delaware International Speedway in Delmar on Thurs., May 13, and Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway on Sat., May 15. Both events will feature 50-lap A-Mains paying $10,000 to win.

 

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

 

Results of WoO Late Model Series at Bluegrass Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

 

1. (3) Jimmy Owens/50 $10,000

2. (1) Steve Francis/50 $5,600

3. (11) Darrell Lanigan/50 $3,600

4. (2) Don O'Neal/50 $3,050

5. (12) Shannon Babb/50 $2,000

6. (13) Tim Fuller/50 $2,275

7. (4) Tim McCreadie/50 $2,000

8. (8) Shane Clanton/50 $1,800

9. (17) Eric Wells/50 $1,200

10. (16) Dan Schlieper/50 $1,100

11. (23) Chub Frank/50 $1,550

12. (5) Josh Richards/50 $1,600

13. (9) Russell King/50 $1,450

14. (10) Austin Hubbard/50 $1,650

15. (19) Rick Eckert/50 $1,400

16. (18) Brad Neat/50 $800

17. (20) Tanner English/50 $770

18. (24) Clint Smith/50 $1,250

19. (7) Justin Rattliff/50 $730

20. (22) Dillan White/50 $700

21. (6) Brady Smith/49 $1,225

22. (25) Dustin Neat/45 $700

23. (21) Matt Lux/39 $700

24. (15) Aaron Hatton/23 $700

25. (26) Lee DeVasier/15 $700

26. (14) Jordan Bland/0 $700

 

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

 

Time of Race: 27 Mins., 03.981 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 1.725 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 1, 2, 25, 33)

Lap Leaders: Francis (1); Owens (2-50)

Provisional Starters: Frank, C. Smith (WoO); D. Neat, DeVasier (track)

Rookie of the Race: Hubbard ($250)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: O'Neal ($500)

 

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

 

1. 71-Don O'Neal/Martinsville, IN 14.563 (NTR)

2. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 14.613

3. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 14.637

4. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 14.640

5. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 14.763

6. 71W-Chris Wall/Holden, LA 14.797

7. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 14.876

8. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 14.879

9. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 14.909

10. 16-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY 14.929

11. 33-Aaron Hatton/Mt. Sterling, KY 14.964

12. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 14.964

13. 18w-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 14.993

14. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 14.996

15. 18T-Tim Tungate/Campbellsville, KY 15.025

16. s9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 15.074

17. 21L-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 15.078

18. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.083

19. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.090

20. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.118

21. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 15.137

22. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 15.191

23. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.205

24. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 15.232

25. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.250

26. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 15.350

27. 54-Dillan White/Hopkinsville, KY 15.419

28. D8-Dustin Linville/Bryantsville, KY 15.424

29. 25N-Dusin Neat/Dunnville, KY 15.426

30. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 15.496

31. 41-Brad Neat/Dunnville, KY 15.500

32. 5-Lee DeVasier/Crestwood, KY 15.531

33. 24c-Rick Combs/Bethel, KY 15.707

34. 157-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 15.711

35. s44-Scott James/Lawrenceburg, IN 15.839

36. 96-Tanner English/Benton, KY 15.886

37. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 15.924

38. 41J-Jarry Holshouser/Boaz, KY 15.981

39. 13w-David Webb/Nicholasville, KY 27.998

40. 7M-Matt Miller/Waterville, OH N/T

 

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): O'Neal, Clanton, King, Fuller, Wells, D. Neat, Reddick, Lux, Combs, George

 

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Rattliff, B. Smith, Hubbard, Bland, Feger, Eckert, Marlar, Robinson, Holshouser, Wall

 

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Francis, Lanigan, Hatton, B. Neat, Webb, C. Smith, White, Tungate (DNS) James

 

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Owens, McCreadie, Babb, Schlieper, English, Coffey, Frank, DeVasier, Linville

 

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Wells, Eckert, Lux, Wall, Marlar, Reddick, Combs, Feger, Holshouser, George, Robinson, D. Neat

 

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): B. Neat, English, White, C. Smith, Frank, Webb, DeVasier, Coffey, Tungate, Linville (DNS) Miller, James

 

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

 

Arizona Sports Shirts ($50 product certificate): Rick Eckert/Clint Smith

Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Jimmy Owens

Eibach Springs (one free spring): Brent Robinson

MSD Ignition ($75 cash award): Tim Fuller

MSD Ignition ($25 cash award): Brady Smith

Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash award to fastest qualifier w/decal): Don O'Neal

Pink Carburetors ($100 product certificate): Rick Eckert

Quartermaster ($100 product certificate): Jimmy Owens

Quartermaster ($50 product certificate): Shannon Babb

Quartermaster ($25 product certificate): Rick Eckert

R2C Performance: Jimmy Owens

STP ($50 cash award): Rick Eckert

VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (two five-gallon plastic fuel jugs to fastest qualifier who does not make the A-Main if decal is displayed): Tyler Reddick

Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Steve Francis

 

2010 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 8 – 12 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):

 

1. Tim McCreadie 1688 (-0)

2. Josh Richards 1678 (-10)

3. Darrell Lanigan 1642 (-46)

4. (tie) Tim Fuller 1570 (-118)

4. (tie) Steve Francis 1570 (-118)

6. Austin Hubbard 1562 (-126)

7. Rick Eckert 1518 (-170)

8. Brady Smith 1516 (-172)

9. Chub Frank 1502 (-186)

10. Shane Clanton 1488 (-200)

11. Clint Smith 1466 (-222)

12. Russell King 1344 (-344)

13. Brent Robinson 1256 (-432)

14. Brian Birkhofer 830 (-858)

15. Jill George 790 (-898)

16. Billy Moyer 696 (-992)

17. Shannon Babb 682 (-1006)

18. Dan Schlieper 660 (-1028)

19. Tony Knowles 638 (-1050)

20. Jordan Bland 630 (-1058)