Bloomquist Kicks Off WoO Late Model Series Campaign With Victory

[rebelracewriter]

Bloomquist Kicks Off World of Outlaws Late Model Series Campaign With Victory In DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH

 

 

 

Richards Jumps Cushion While Leading, Falls Short Of Fifth Consecutive Win In World of Outlaws Opener

 

 

 

 

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 17, 2011 – Scott Bloomquist brought an end to Josh Richards’s mastery of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener on Thursday night at Volusia Speedway Park.

 

 

 

 

Racing through gritted teeth on a fast, physical track due to a sore shoulder and ribs, Bloomquist took advantage of Richards’s losing bout with the half-mile oval’s ample cushion to capture the 50-lap A-Main that was part of the 40th annual DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio.

 

 

 

 

Bloomquist, 47, of Mooresburg, Tenn., regained command of the race on lap 42 after Shinnston, W.Va.’s Richards slammed the dirt curb between turns one and two and lost momentum. The 2004 WoO LMS titlist controlled the remainder of the distance to record his 20th victory on the national tour since ’04.

 

 

 

 

Richards, who advanced from the seventh starting spot to take the lead from Bloomquist on lap 29, saw his bid for an unprecedented fifth consecutive win in the WoO LMS lidlifter end when his Rocket Chassis house car’s right-rear wheel broke off exiting turn two on the final circuit as he ran second. The 22-year-old, two-time defending series champion limped around the track on three wheels to cross the finish line in 14th place.

 

 

 

 

Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who drives a Team Zero car built by Bloomquist, finished second after starting 10th. He flashed under the checkered flag 2.970 seconds behind Bloomquist’s Roush-Yates Ford-powered machine.

 

 

 

 

Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., celebrated his 19th birthday – and the start of his sophomore season as a WoO LMS regular – with a solid third-place finish in Dale Beitler’s Rocket car. Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., registered a WoO LMS career-best placing of fourth in NASCAR star Clint Bowyer’s Rocket and 13th-starter Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., completed the top five in Larry Moring’s MasterSbilt mount.

 

 

 

 

Bloomquist, who started from the pole position, felt the effects of the tough conditions after pocketing $10,175 for his first triumph during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH since a WoO LMS event on Feb. 8, 2004.

 

 

 

 

“I’m wore out,” Bloomquist said following a race that was slowed by just two caution flags. “This track’s pretty demanding, and I tore my left shoulder muscle and bruised my ribs in that rough stuff at Ocala (Speedway) on Sunday so there was a little bit of pain involved. When you jump the cushion and you gotta grab a handful of (steering) wheel to give it all you got to get out of there, it hurts.

 

 

 

 

“But when you’re racing, you can overcome that. It’s afterwards when you feel it the most, but it’s all worth it to win the race.”

 

 

 

 

Bloomquist appeared headed to a runner-up finish, however, after Richards made a breathtaking move between him and a lapped car off turn four to take the lead on lap 29. Richards perched his machine in the outside groove and maintained a short edge over Bloomquist as the race wound down.

 

 

 

 

But when Richards hit the cushion working lap 41, Bloomquist seized the moment to grab the lead. Richards was unable to mount another challenge; his impact with the berm was so violent that it bent his car’s right-rear wheel, which eventually broke and flew off.

 

 

 

 

“He got in a little hot, didn’t get the car turned enough and got out in the stuff,” Bloomquist said of the moment that cost Richards. “He always seems to dance with the devil. The problem is, it’s hard to get out of (the cushion) once you get in it, and that’s all it took. He did get it out of it, but not in time.

 

 

 

 

“Once I got the lead back I was pretty sure I wasn’t gonna give it back again. When (Richards) got by us I tried running low and there just wasn’t enough to get up off the corner. The high line was better at that time of the race, but once he made that mistake we were pretty confident we weren’t gonna give it up again.”

 

 

 

 

Smith, who won last year’s WoO LMS finale during the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, slipped by Richards for second on lap 45 but gave the spot back when he scrubbed the homestretch wall on the 48th circuit. The 33-year-old driver avoided Richards – and Richards’s flying wheel – on the last lap to regain second place.

 

 

 

 

“I was driving as hard as I could,” said Smith, who spent much of the race’s second half battling for position with Hubbard. “But if I gotta take second, he’s (Bloomquist) the one I want to take second to. We’re happy and I know we got a helluva chance to get to Victory Lane here the next two nights.”

 

 

 

 

Hubbard, the 2010 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year, ran as high as second early in the distance but couldn’t quite match the leaders’ pace.

 

 

 

 

“We were really good in the beginning but once we got some heat in the tires we started getting tighter,” said Hubbard, who started fourth. “I just couldn’t run that line I was running, sweeping across the bottom of three and four and riding up. We just got up on the cushion and kind of held on.”

 

 

 

 

The race’s only caution flags were produced by cars rolling slowly due to steaming engines – on lap 12 for Eric Jacobsen of Sea Cliff Beach, Calif., lap 29 for Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.

 

 

 

 

Finishing in positions 6-10 was Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., who won Monday night’s DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned feature; 12th-starter Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; outside-polesitter Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky.; WoO LMS regular Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., who started 26 th by virtue of a provisional; and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., who won the previous evening’s UMP A-Main.

 

 

 

 

A sterling field of 69 cars was signed in to begin the 2011 WoO LMS campaign.

 

 

 

 

Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., registered his first career WoO LMS fast-time honor, setting a new track record of 15.783 seconds in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials. A Rookie of the Year hopeful on this year’s tour, the 47-year-old driver surpassed the one-lap Volusia standard of 15.813 seconds established 24 hours earlier by Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind.

 

 

 

 

Heat winners were Landers, Jason Feger of Bloomington, Ill., Bloomquist, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., Hubbard and Wells. The B-Mains were captured by Clint Smith, 15-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., and Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga.

 

 

 

 

Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., captured the 12-lap ‘Bulrush Dash’ that was reserved for 15 of the evening’s non-qualifiers. He earned $300 for his night-ending effort.

 

 

 

 

Surprisingly absent from the evening’s action was 2008 WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who finished second in last year’s points standings. He flew home on Monday afternoon because he wasn’t feeling well and was planning to return for Thursday night’s program, but before he could get on a plane health issues forced him to remain in the Bluegrass State.

 

 

 

 

Two $10,000-to-win dirt Late Model events remain on the 2011 DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH schedule – a 40-lap UMP-sanctioned A-Main on Friday night (Feb. 18) and another 50-lap WoO LMS program on Saturday night (Feb. 19). Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified shows will also be part of both cards.

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH’ Night No. 1 at Volusia Speedway Park (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

 

 

 

 

1. (1) Scott Bloomquist/50 $10,175

 

 

2. (10) Brady Smith/50 $5,000

 

 

3. (4) Austin Hubbard/50 $3,600

 

 

4. (6) Jared Landers/50 $3,000

 

 

5. (15) Don O’Neal/50 $2,000

 

 

6. (9) Billy Moyer/50 $1,800

 

 

7. (12) Earl Pearson Jr./50 $1,400

 

 

8. (2) Eric Wells/50 $1,300

 

 

9. (26) Shane Clanton/50 $1,750

 

 

10. (8) Jimmy Mars/50 $1,100

 

 

11. (3) Jason Feger/50 $1,100

 

 

12. (11) Chris Madden/50 $1,000

 

 

13. (23) Rick Eckert/50 $1,500

 

 

14. (7) Josh Richards/50 $1,550

 

 

15. (30) Chub Frank/50 $650

 

 

16. (25) Tim McCreadie/50 $1,450

 

 

17. (24) Steve Francis/50 $1,320

 

 

18. (27) Dennis Erb Jr./50 $750

 

 

19. (20) Tyler Reddick/49 $730

 

 

20. (22) Pat Doar/49 $1,050

 

 

21. (29) Tim Fuller/39 $550

 

 

22. (5) Jonathan Davenport/30 $700

 

 

23. (16) Tyler Ivey/28 $700

 

 

24. (19) Clint Smith/27 $1,250

 

 

25. (13) Dan Stone/25 $700

 

 

26. (14) Eddie Carrier Jr./23 $700

 

 

27. (21) Casey Roberts/18 $700

 

 

28. (18) Eric Jacobsen/11 $700

 

 

29. (17) Justin Rattliff/1 $700

 

 

30. (28) Ryan Unzicker/1 $800

 

 

 

 

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

 

 

 

 

Time of Race: 20 Mins., 41.082 Secs.

 

 

Margin of Victory: 2.581 Secs.

 

 

Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 12, 29)

 

 

Lap Leaders: Bloomquist (1-28); Richards (29-41); Bloomquist (42-50)

 

 

Provisional Starters: McCreadie, Clanton, Fuller, Frank (WoO); Erb (DCN); Unzicker (UMP)

 

 

Rookie of the Race: Doar ($250)

 

 

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Landers ($500)

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

1. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 15.783

 

2. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 15.902

 

 

3. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 15.912

 

 

4. 49-Jonathan Davenport/Blairsville, GA 16.030

 

 

5. 44M-Chris Madden/Gray Court, SC 16.091

 

 

6. 18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 16.134

 

 

7. 777-Jared Landers/Batesville, AR 16.158

 

 

8. 28M-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 16.204

 

 

9. 71d-Don O’Neal/Martinsville, IN 16.210

 

 

10. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.218

 

 

11. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.219

 

 

12. 44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 16.230

 

 

13. 1R-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.241

 

 

14. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 16.248

 

 

15. 21M-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 16.255

 

 

16. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.267

 

 

17. 16R-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY 16.268

 

 

18. 101-Casey Roberts/Toccoa, GA 16.286

 

 

19. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.310

 

 

20. 25c-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 16.346

 

 

21. 24E-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.347

 

 

22. 47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL 16.365

 

 

23. 16b-Tyler Bruening/Decorah, IA 16.394

 

 

24. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 16.398

 

 

25. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.413

 

 

26. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.415

 

 

27. 54-Dillan White/Hopkinsville, KY 16.418

 

 

28. 1JL-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 16.429

 

 

29. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.440

 

 

30. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 16.456

 

 

31. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 16.457

 

 

32. 28c-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 16.462

 

 

33. 9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.466

 

 

34. 36-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 16.467

 

 

35. 15F-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.476

 

 

36. 5J-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA 16.497

 

 

37. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.521

 

 

38. 18d-Danny Mitchell/Clarksburg, WV 16.524

 

 

39. M14-Brandon Thirlby/Traverse City, MI 16.544

 

 

40. 201-Billy Ogle Jr./Knoxville, TN 16.570

 

 

41. 21Jr.-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR 16.597

 

 

42. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.604

 

 

43. J4-John Garvin Jr./Sarver, PA 16.607

 

 

44. 7-Ricky Weiss/St. Francis Xavier, MAN 16.607

 

 

45. 24U-Ryan Unzicker/El Paso, IL 16.674

 

 

46. 4T-Tommy Kerr/Maryville, TN 16.683

 

 

47. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 16.720

 

 

48. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.732

 

 

49. 99B-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 16.733

 

 

50. 25z-Mason Zeigler/Chalk Hill, PA 16.755

 

 

51. 19F-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.759

 

 

52. 11R-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 16.812

 

 

53. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 16.847

 

 

54. 9s-Ken Schrader/Concord, NC 16.850

 

 

55. 15H-Jon Henry/Ada, OH 16.850

 

 

56. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.856

 

 

57. 99L-Larry Wight/Phoenix, NY 16.863

 

 

58. 72M-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 16.880

 

 

59. 911-Freddie Carpenter/Parkersburg, WV 16.974

 

 

60. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 17.228

 

 

61. 33-Brian Reese/Sharpsburg, GA 17.273

 

 

62. 4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 17.419

 

 

63. 77-Jason McBride/Carbondale, IL 17.459

 

 

64. b5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 17.910

 

 

65. 40-Joel Callahan/Dubuque, IA 18.026

 

 

66. 2x-John Henderson/Aiken, SC 18.255

 

 

67. 16H-Mike Hammerle/St. Charles, MO 18.430

 

 

68. 56J-Chuck Julien/Apopka, FL 18.743

 

 

69. 11-D.J. Wells/Wooton, KY N/T

 

 

 

 

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Landers, Richards, Stone, Doar, Vaught, Briggs, Reese, Garvin, Henry, Hammerle, McDowell, Owens

 

 

 

 

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Feger, Mars, Carrier, C. Smith, Clanton, Coffey, Zeigler, Hollenbeck, Julien, Weiss, Mitchell, Sullivan

 

 

 

 

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Bloomquist, Moyer, O’Neal, Eckert, Schlieper, Wight, D. White, Fuller, Thirlby, McBride, Unzicker (DNS) D.J. Wells

 

 

 

 

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Davenport, B. Smith, Ivey, Reddick, Lobb, Sheppard, Kerr, Ogle, Mason, McCreadie, Marlar

 

 

 

 

Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Hubbard, Madden, Rattliff, Francis, Bruening, Frank, Davies, K. Robinson, Carpenter, Callahan, Moyer Jr.

 

 

 

 

Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): E. Wells, Pearson, Jacobsen, Roberts, B. Robinson, Erb, King, Blankenship, Schrader, George, Henderson

 

 

 

 

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): C. Smith, Doar, Vaught, Coffey, Briggs, Reese, Hollenbeck, Zeigler, Garvin, Henry, Clanton, Sullivan, Hammerle (DNS) Julien, Weiss, McDowell, Mitchell, Owens

 

 

 

 

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Reddick, Eckert, Schlieper, Kerr, Wight, White, Lobb, Thirlby, Sheppard, Mason, Fuller, Ogle, McCreadie, Unzicker (DNS) McBride, Marlar, D.J. Wells

 

 

 

 

B-Main No. 3 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Roberts, Francis, Erb, King, Frank, Blankenship, B. Robinson, K. Robinson, Davies, Bruening, Schrader, Henderson, George, Callahan, Carpenter (DNS) Moyer Jr.

 

 

 

 

‘Bulrush Dash’ (12 laps): 1. Dan Schlieper, 2. Vic Coffey, 3. Tommy Kerr, 4. Will Vaught, 5. Brandon Sheppard, 6. Kent Robinson, 7. Brian Reese, 8. John Lobb, 9. Brandon Thirlby, 10. Ken Schrader, 11. Dillan White, 12. John Garvin, 13. John Henderson, 14. Chad Hollenbeck, 15. Larry Wight (DNS) Russell King, John Blankenship, Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs, Ron Davies, Tyler Bruening, Mason Zeigler

 

 

 

 

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

 

 

 

 

Ohlins Shocks Fast Time ($50 cash to fastest qualifier w/decal): Pat Doar

 

 

Arizona Sports Shirts 22nd Fastest Qualifier ($100 apparel certificate): Clint Smith

 

 

Eibach Springs (one free spring to B-Main drivers): Pat Doar/John Lobb/Brent Robinson

 

 

VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (one five-gallon plastic fuel jugs to fastest qualifier w/decal who does not make the A-Main): Jack Sullivan

 

 

VP Racing Fuels Heat 1 ($50 cash): Pat Doar

 

 

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

 

 

MSD Ignition ($75 cash): Scott Bloomquist

 

 

MSD Ignition ($25 certificate): Justin Rattliff

 

 

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

 

 

JE Pistons ($50 cash to top A-Main finisher w/decal): Austin Hubbard

 

 

JE Pistons (set of piston rings to A-Main driver): Rick Eckert

 

 

JE Pistons (set of piston rings to A-Main driver): Clint Smith

 

 

Quartermaster ($100 product certificate): Austin Hubbard

 

 

Quartermaster ($50 product certificate): Jimmy Mars

 

 

Quartermaster ($25 product certificate): Chub Frank

 

 

STP ($50 cash): Austin Hubbard

 

 

Super-Flow ($50 cash): Jason Feger

 

 

Comp Cams ($50 cash): Rick Eckert

 

 

Racing Junk Hard Luck Award ($100 cash): Ryan Unzicker

 

 

 

 

FOLLOW THE ACTION ON TWITTER: Fans can keep up-to-date with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series online and through text messages on cell phones via Twitter, the internet’s fast-growing social-networking and micro-blogging website. Updates are provided to Twitter ‘followers’ of the WoO LMS throughout each race night, and fans also receive breaking news and interesting notes from the tour.

 

 

 

 

More than 3,000 fans are now WoO LMS ‘followers’ on Twitter. To sign-up and receive updates anywhere at anytime, visit http://twitter.com/WoOLateModels.

 

 

 

 

LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.

 

 

 

 

To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.