CONCORD, NC – Nov. 1, 2012 – Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. – the only two-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champions since 2004 – shared fast-time honors during Thursday night’s Kellogg’s Qualifying Night at the PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals Presented by NAPA Auto Parts at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Friendly rivals who two years ago battled for the WoO LMS title at The Dirt Track, Lanigan and Richards topped a massive field of 72 dirt Late Models that were signed in for two rounds of Ohlins Shocks Time Trials. The qualifying program kicked off a blockbuster tripleheader that also attracted 50 winged machines for the companion World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series meet and 40 entries for the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modified action.
Kellogg’s Qualifying Night featured two rounds of WoO LMS time trials – the first to line up Friday night’s heat races and the second to align Saturday night’s preliminaries.
On an evening that saw him clinch his second career WoO LMS points crown simply by entering the competition, Lanigan, 42, blistered the four-tenths-mile oval in 15.155 seconds during the first round of time trials. It was his sixth fast time of 2012, giving him sole possession of first place in the category ahead of York, Pa.’s Rick Eckert.
Lanigan went on to time fifth-fastest in the second round of qualifying, leaving him just short of becoming the third driver in history to sweep both legs of WoO LMS time trials during the PEAK World Finals Presented by NAPA. His circuit of 15.522 seconds was just a hair off Richards’s quick lap of 15.425 seconds – even though Lanigan went on the track next to last in the qualifying order.
“We had a real good car,” Lanigan said of his Cornett-powered Rocket. “We missed out on a chance to sweep (the fast times) because the track definitely slowed down by the time we went out in the second round, but we’ll take two top-five qualifying runs. We know we’ll be on the pole for two heats.”
Lanigan, who previously registered a PEAK World Finals Presented by NAPA fast-time award in the first round of qualifying in 2009, will start from the pole position in the first heat on Friday night and the fifth heat on Saturday night.
Richards, 24, steered his father’s Rocket Chassis house car to his fourth WoO LMS fast time of 2012 despite running an abbreviated schedule while pursuing a pavement career on the NASCAR Nationwide Series. It marked the second straight year that he set fast time in one round of qualifying during the PEAK World Finals Presented by NAPA.
While Richards will start Saturday night’s first heat from the pole position, his seventh-fastest lap in Round 1 of time trials handed him the outside pole for Friday night’s first preliminary.
Lanigan was one of four drivers to time inside the top six in both rounds to secure a pair of pole-position starts, joining 2011 WoO LMS champion Eckert, Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., and Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind.
Other pole position winners for Friday’s program were Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., while Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., will start a Saturday heat from the inside of Row 1.
The PEAK World Finals Presented by NAPA continue on Friday and Saturday (Nov. 2-3), with gates opening at 3 p.m. and hot laps scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. each day. Each card will include a 50-lap A-Main for the WoO LMS, a 30-lap A-Main for the WoO Sprint Car Series and a 40-lap headliner for the Super DIRTcar Series big-block Modifieds.
Saturday night’s World Finals program will be televised by the SPEED cable network from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight ET.
For more information, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com or www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.
Results of Kellogg’s Qualifying Night at the PEAK Motor Oil World of Outlaws World Finals Presented by NAPA Auto Parts:
Round 1 Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results For Fri., Nov. 2 Heat Races (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.155
2. 18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 15.242
3. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.252
4. 44M-Chris Madden/Gray Court, SC 15.294
5. K71-Don O’Neal/Martinsville, IN 15.372
6. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 15.388
7. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.407
8. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 15.470
9. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 15.477
10. 87-Walker Arthur/Forest, VA 15.507
11. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 15.514
12. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.553
13. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 15.570
14. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 15.590
15. 17-Zack Dohm/Cross Lanes, WV 15.605
16. 17-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA 15.619
17. 37c-Dennis Franklin/Gaffney, SC 15.637
18. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 15.653
19. 6-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV 15.669
20. 1b-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 15.673
21. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 15.675
22. 15d-Jonathan Davenport/Blairsville, GA 15.713
23. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.734
24. 11H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 15.751
25. 28c-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 15.760
26. 28-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 15.766
27. 71c-R.J. Conley/Wheelersburg, OH 15.769
28. 44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 15.784
29. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 15.791
30. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 15.794
31. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 15.798
32. 53-Ray Cook/Brasstown, NC 15.804
33. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.832
34. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 15.860
35. 7L-Jerry Lierly/Quincy, IL 15.871
36. 71-B.J. Robinson/Shreveport, LA 15.930
37. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 15.938
38. 88-Andrew Reaume/Blenheim, ONT 15.969
39. 00-Jay Sessoms/Stanley, NC 15.998
40. 41-Josh McGuire/Grayson, KY 16.033
41. 5-Jared Landers/Batesville, AR 16.034
42. 18c-Ross Camponovo/Clarksdale, MS 16.046
43. 20c-Duane Chamberlain/Richmond, IN 16.070
44. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 16.073
45. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 16.174
46. 72-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 16.197
47. 71R-Rod Conley/Wheelersburg, OH 16.214
48. 22F-Chris Ferguson/Mt. Holly, NC 16.217
49. 20JB-Jerry Bowersock/Wapakoneta, OH 16.218
50. 24M-Kenny Moreland/Charlotte Hall, MD 16.438
51. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, pA 16.444
52. KB-Kerry King Sr./Delmar, DE 16.512
53. 31-Brian Force/Indiana, PA 16.586
54. 0H-Dale Hollidge/Mechanicsville, MD
55. 4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 16.620
56. 47-Brett Miller/Greenville, TN 16.647
57. C8-Anthony Culp/W. Monroe, LA 16.668
58. 31G-Bob Gordon/Keyser, WV 16.688
59. 2-Joe Ramey/Haverhill, OH 16.699
60. 93-Pancho Lawler/Hanover, MD 16.740
61. 555-Justin Coulter/Leamington, ONT 16.835
62. 77x-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA 16.882
63. 8-Matthew Sponaugle/Wileyford, WV 16.916
64. 10-Corey Weaver/Imler, PA 16.943
65. 21b-Rich Bell/Sheffield, IL 17.153
66. d8-Dustin Mitchell/Pine Level, NC 17.196
67. 53F-Chris Farrell/Clearfield, PA 17.259
68. 07-Brian Ledbetter/Dallas, NC 17.301
69. 55-Denny Fenton/Clearfield, PA 17.573
70. 00s-Randy Sterling/Morrisdale, PA 17.605
71. 33-Don Gordon/Chatham, ONT 17.832
72. 1G-Jacob Hawkins/Fairmont, WV 17.922
Round 2 Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results For Sat., Nov. 3 Heat Races (Position/Driver/Best Lap):
1. Josh Richards 15.425
2. Don O’Neal 15.433
3. Chris Madden 15.510
4. Rick Eckert 15.512
5. Darrell Lanigan 15.522
6. Dale McDowell 15.549
7. Jimmy Owens 15.559
8. R.J. Conley 15.619
9. Brandon Sheppard 15.627
10. Clint Smith 15.635
11. Steve Shaver 15.650
12. Jason Feger 15.654
13. Walker Arthur 15.660
14. Gregg Satterlee 15.751
15. Tim McCreadie 15.760
16. Steve Francis 15.763
17. Kenny Moreland 15.804
18. Billy Decker 15.827
19. Earl Pearson Jr. 15.830
20. Ron Davies 15.842
21. Eric Wells 15.848
22. Vic Coffey 15.880
23. Scott Bloomquist 15.932
24. Kent Robinson 15.952
25. B.J. Robinson 15.962
26. John Mason 15.979
27. Tim Fuller 15.986
28. Ray Cook 16.011
29. Morgan Bagley 16.050
30. Austin Hubbard 16.050
31. Dennis Erb Jr. 16.078
32. Andrew Reaume 16.114
33. Eddie Carrier Jr. 16.132
34. Josh McGuire 16.137
35. Jared Landers 16.143
36. Bub McCool 16.172
37. Duane Chamberlain 16.184
38. Rod Conleyt 16.212
39. Zack Dohm 16.238
40. Pat Doar 16.261
41. Ross Camponovo 16.303
42. Dan Stone 16.316
43. Pancho Lawler 16.338
44. Jonathan Davenport 16.358
45. Dennis Franklin 16.363
46. Jerry Lierly 16.394
47. Brian Force 16.410
48. Jerry Bowersock 16.459
49. Chub Frank 16.464
50. Chad Hollenbeck 16.471
51. Chris Ferguson 16.562
52. Coleby Frye 16.634
53. Jay Sessoms 16.659
54. Kerry King Sr. 16.698
55. Justin Coulter 16.749
56. Dale Hollidge 16.886
57. Corey Weaver 16.906
58. Eric Jacobsen 16.912
59. Jacob Hawkins 16.973
60. Denny Fenton 17.125
61. Matthew Sponaugle 17.206
62. Anthony Culp 17.224
63. Brett Miller 17.262
64. Joe Ramey 17.270
65. Bob Gordon 17.292
66. Dustin Mitchell 17.432
67. Rich Bell 17.477
68. Don Gordon 17.688
69. Randy Sterling 17.714
70. Brian Ledbetter 17.816
71. Chris Farrell 17.927
72. Shane Clanton N/T
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 Gasket, 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.