HomeDirt Late Model News$50,000 Payday: Consider It Don

$50,000 Payday: Consider It Don

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Don O’Neal wins 30th annual USA Nationals

NEW RICHMOND, WI- Aug. 5, 2017-  The 30th annual USA Nationals presented the largest payout for a World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series event for the 2017 season. The crown jewel brought 42 Late Models to the Cedar Lake Speedway stage, all of whom were trying to claim a piece of a near $200,000 purse for the three-day show.

For the 100-lap finale, Don O’Neal worked his way from a fourth position start to claim the checkers on Saturday night. He pulled out of the 3/8-mile with the coveted eagle trophy and $50,000 richer.

“Man, I did [have to earn this one],” said O’Neal. “This place is so demanding. It starts off fast early and then it slicks off middle way through the race and then you have to finesse it. 100 laps are hard here… I’m just glad to get this Peak car in Victory Lane. It’s been a long time coming.”

O’Neal joined the Outlaws for every race of the Series Wisconsin swing. Of the four races, he landed on the podium three nights claiming a second at Oshkosh SpeedZone Raceway, a third at Shawano Speedway before wheeling his was to a win at Cedar Lake Speedway.

O’Neal led 47 laps of the 100-lap main event after passing pole-sitter Mike Marlar on lap 54. He then defended his lead from a four-car battle boiling behind him between Marlar, Jimmy Owens, Brian Shirley and Shannon Babb. Marlar was able to regain the lead for two additional laps before surrendering to O’Neal on lap 58 for good.

“It means a lot to get this win,” said O’Neal. “We have had good race cars here in the past but we haven’t been here in a couple of years. They decided to let us come again this year and hopefully we will be back next year. I’m just tickled to death. Hell yea!”

Despite his best efforts to reel back in the “Real Deal”, the Winfield, TN native settled for second by the time the checkers fell as he finished 1.691 seconds behind O’Neal.

“I’m blessed to be up here [in Victory Lane] and to be able to come up here [to Wisconsin],” said Marlar. “Man, we were close there but there was just a guy out there causing havoc. He messed me up bad… I had to slam on my breaks and that let Don get by me. Don really raced me hard there. It was a fun race.”

Bobby Pierce passed an impressive 13 cars to find his way to the podium from a 16th position start. Things began to click between Pierce and the Wisconsin oval late in the race but he made up the ground quickly. With 10 laps to go, Pierce sat seventh on the track but was able to weave through traffic to find his way to the front but unfortunately he ran out of laps to work on the race leaders O’Neal and Marlar.

“I fell way back on the start I think to like 20th and with about 75 to go I finally started picking off a guy about every five or 10 laps,” said Pierce. “With about 40 to go I think I just started coming on really strong. I didn’t even look up at the scoreboard until about 10 to… This thing was really digging there at the end. If it was a 120 lap race, I would’ve liked to see that outcome. I have a second here, and third here, and a fourth here. I just really want that win one of these days.”

After a busy five days, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series has an off week from racing  to regroup and repair. The Series next event is on Aug. 17 at Georgetown Speedway in Georgetown, Delaware for the Fulton Bank 40.

Cedar Lake Speedway Results:

Craftsman Club Feature: 1. 5- Don O’Neal[2]; 2. 157- Mike Marlar[1]; 3. 32P- Bobby Pierce[16]; 4. 1- Brandon Sheppard[12]; 5. 20- Jimmy Owens[2]; 6. 28e- Dennis Erb Jr[11]; 7. 0- Scott Bloomquist[18]; 8. 99jr- Frank Heckenast Jr[3]; 9. 18b- Shannon Babb[9]; 10. 3s- Brian Shirley[5]; 11. 25- Shane Clanton[7]; 12. 9- Devin Moran[21]; 13. 32- Chris Simpson[20]; 14. 25F- Jason Feger[22]; 15. 17M- Dale McDowell[27]; 16. 1P- Earl Pearson Jr10]; 17. 14m- Morgan Bagley[26]; 18. 51- Matthew Furman[13]; 19. 7R- Kent Robinson[6]; 20. 18- Eric Wells[8]; 21. 44- Chris Madden[15]; 22. B1- Brent Larson[23]; 23. 14- Darrell Lanigan[14]; 24. 91- Tyler Erb[19]; 25. 40B- Kyle Bronson[17]; 26. 1*- Chub Frank[25]; 27. 7- Rick Eckert[24]; 28. 21- Billy Moyer[28]

Last Chance Qualifiers: 1. B1- Brent Larson[1]; 2. 7- Rick Eckert[2]; 3. 18c -Chase Junghans[6]; 4. 28- Jimmy Mars[7]; 5. 17M- Dale McDowell[13]; 6. 7W- Ricky Weiss[4]; 7. 77- Jordan Yaggy[5]; 8. 90- Lance Matthees[8]; 9. 16- Tyler Bruening[9]; 10. 58- A.J. Diemel[12]; 11. 27- Michael Lake[14]; 12. 1*- Chub Frank[3]; 13. 15D- Justin Duty[10]; 14. 6m- Jeff Massingill[11]

Last Chance Showdown 1: 1. 40B- Kyle Bronson[1]; 2. 91- Tyler Erb[2]; 3. 9- Devin Moran[4]; 4. B1- Brent Larson[6]; 5. 1*- Chub Frank[8]; 6. 77- Jordan Yaggy[5]; 7. 28- Jimmy Mars[3]; 8. 21- Billy Moyer[12]; 9. 6m- Jeff Massingill[10]; 10. 17M- Dale McDowell[7]; 11. 14m- Morgan Bagley[11]; 12. 16- Tyler Bruening[9]; DNS. 37- Scott Ward

Last Chance Showdown 2: 1. 0- Scott Bloomquist[1]; 2. 32- Chris Simpson[2]; 3. 25F- Jason Feger[4]; 4. 7- Rick Eckert[5]; 5. 7W- Ricky Weiss[3]; 6. 18c- Chase Junghans[7]; 7. 90- Lance Matthees[6]; 8. 15D- Justin Duty[10]; 9. 58- A.J. Diemel[11]; 10. 27- Michael Lake[9]; 11. 7D- Austin Theiss[8];12. 15- Nick Anvelink[12]

CONTINGENCY WINNERS: Craftsman/Sears ($200 Cash): Brandon Sheppard, Frank Heckenast Jr, Shane Clanton, Devin Moran, Morgan Bagley; Craftsman/Sears ($100 Cash): Don O’Neal; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Bobby Pierce; MSD Ignition ($50 Cash): Bobby Pierce; Quarter Master ($100 Product Certificate): Brandon Sheppard; Wrisco (Three Sheets of aluminum): Bobby Pierce;  Penske Racing Shocks ($50 Product Certificate): Frank Heckenast Jr.; JE Pistons ($50 Cash): Shannon Babb; VP Racing Fuels ($50 Cash): Brian Shirley; Edelbrock ($50 Cash): Shane Clanton; Comp Cams ($50 Cash): Brian Shirley; Extended Stay America ($50 Cash):Shane Clanton; Cometic ($50 Cash): Dale McDowell; JRI Shocks ($50 Cash): Matthew Furman; Superflow Dyno’s ($50 Cash): Jason Feger; Quartermaster ($25 Product Certificate): Matthew Furman; JE Pistons (One set of piston rings): Morgan Bagley; Quartermaster ($50 Product Certificate): Chris Madden; Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 Product Certificate): Chris Madden; JE Pistons (One set of piston rings): Chris Madden; MSD Ignition ($25 Cash): Tyler Erb; QA-1 ($50 Cash): Shane Clanton

SEASON WINNERS:

Brandon Sheppard- 11 (Whynot Motorsports Park on March 24, Farmer City Raceway on April 1, Fayetteville Motor Speedway on May 6, Wayne County Speedway on May 27, Senoia Raceway on June 3, Lernerville Speedway on June 25, Federated Auto Part Raceway at I-55 on July 1, Hibbing Raceway on July 13, Fayette County Speedway on July 26, Fairbury American Legion Speedway on July 30)

Shane Clanton- 4 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 24, Cherokee Speedway on May 6, Tazewell Speedway on June 3, River Cities Speedway on June 14)

Chris Madden– 4 (Screven Motorsports Complex on Feb. 18, Deer Creek Speedway on July 8, Ogilvie Raceway on July 12, Cedar Lake Speedway on Aug. 5)

Brandon Overton- 2 (Smoky Mountain Speedway on May 13, Lernerville Speedway on June 24)

Rick Eckert– 2 (Screven Motorsports Complex on Feb. 17, Shawano Speedway on Aug. 2)

Don O’Neal- 2 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 25, Cedar Lake Speedway on Aug. 6)

Timothy Culp- 1 (LoneStar Speedway on March 26)

Brian Shirley-1 (Farmer City Raceway on April 2)

Mike Marlar- 1 (Duck River Raceway Park on May 14)

Devin Moran-1 (Atomic Speedway on May 26)

Max Blair- 1 (McKean County Raceway on June 20)

Unofficial World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series Championship Standings:

Pos. Car # Driver Points Trail By
1 1 Brandon Sheppard 4230 0
2 44 Chris Madden 3978 252
3 25 Shane Clanton 3936 294
4 91 Tyler Erb 3898 332
5 9 Devin Moran 3872 358
6 7 Rick Eckert 3852 378
7 18 Eric Wells 3776 454
8 1* Chub Frank 3720 510
9 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr. 3700 530
10 14M Morgan Bagley 3666 564
11 2C Joey Coulter 2856 1374
12 3S Brian Shirley 2464 1766
13 18C Chase Junghans 2230 2000
14 157 Mike Marlar 1930 2300
15 93 Donald Bradsher 1486 2744
16 40B Kyle Bronson 1456 2774
17 32 Bobby Pierce 1218 3012
18 21JR Billy Moyer Jr. 1124 3106
19 116 Brandon Overton 1110 3120
20 5 Don O’Neal 1078 3152
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