By Bret Emrick
NORMAN, OK - The “meat grinder” continued when the WoO Late Model Series race teams rolled into Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway August 5th and August 6th for a two-day $40,000 to win main event. Dale McDowell of Chickamauga,GA captured the richest to win event on the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule. Starting fourth aboard the Larry Shaw Race Cars/J&J Steel No. 17M DMR Rocket-Shaw/RaceTek Engines Pontiac Grand Prix, “Mac Daddy” tracked down early race leader Billy Moyer in heavy lapped traffic grabbing the lead with a turn four low groove move on lap thirty-six of the sixty lap main event. McDowell then held off Moyer by five car lengths to secure his second trip of the season to victory lane. Steve Francis rode home third with Tim McCreadie fourth and Brian Birkhofer fifth.
A very relieved McDowell was extremely happy with the victory stating, “With everything we have gone through this season this is a real blessing. It really is. Everything went our way tonight. The crew did a great job and my brother and crew chief Shane did an excellent job with his hand signals letting me know which groove to run in. A lot of the credit for this win goes to Shane and the crew. And, to the competitors we race with, work with and travel with. We worked together all week and we came out on top. With the type of season we’ve had and the things that have gone wrong this is really, really special. This win definitely makes it a better year anyway.”
Three nights later the race teams would roll south to Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway in Iowa. The August 9th $10,000 to win show saw Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine,IA protect his home turf. Starting fifth aboard the J&J Steel/Daufeldt Transport/Simon Trucking/McDonalds of the Quad Cities No. 15B Brian Birkhofer MasterSbilt Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Birky” grabbed the lead from pole sitter Clint Smith on lap 2 and never looked back in the caution filled event. Scott Bloomquist drove to a runner-up finish. Billy Moyer finished third, Steve Francis rode home fourth while Chub Frank just nipped Dale McDowell in a photo finish for fifth.
“We were able to run the bottom which is where I wanted to run the car,” said the very happy winner. “Actually the car was maneuverable and I could put it any place I wanted to run it. The set-up we wanted to use was right on. Everything worked out great. I just have to thank my sponsors, my crew, family and fans for sticking by us. It was great to win one here at Dubuque and keep the money in Iowa. It’s great to be able to get a win in your home state against the Outlaws. I love running with these guys.”
Three days of road travel brought the band of travelers back east to Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Four more races in five days and the “meat grinder” would be done. But the pressure of a Championship would still be lurking in everyone’s minds. Steve Francis still held the Championship points lead by twenty-eight points over Billy Moyer entering the August 12th $20,000 to win – 60 lapper. Rick Eckert sat seventy-four points back in third followed by Tim McCreadie and Chub Frank, eighty-four and one hundred fourteen points behind respectively but still in the hunt.
Chub Frank of Bear Lake,PA was the class of the field winning time trials, his heat race, the dash and the main event all before the SPEED Channel cameras. Starting from the pole, “Chubzilla” grabbed the race lead from Darrell Lanigan in turn one while working lap thirty-nine and then pulled away for his second trip of the season to victory lane. Lanigan held on for second with Billy Moyer third, Rick Eckert fourth and Steve Francis fifth.
The pilot of the Lester Buildings/Corry Rubber/All-Star Performance No. 1* Chub Frank Racing Rocket Chassis/Custom Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo when asked if he was looking to pass Lanigan when he pulled alongside of the race leader early in the race related, “No, not really. I was in no hurry I knew what he was gonna do. He was gonna run that cushion. I didn’t want to run that cushion all night because you don’t know whats going to happen. You can get a flat tire and your going to wear yourself out in the car. I was way too tight to be running the cushion anyway, especially in one and two. I figured if I showed the fender to him a couple of times he’d pick the pace up a little bit and pound that cushion a little harder. He was trying to stay off it early and then I showed him the nose and he kept hitting the cushion harder and harder and then harder. I was just waiting for him to run it too hard and he did. He hopped the cushion in three which allowed me to make the move going down the frontchute.”
Traveling downstate the following day to Lincoln Speedway in Pennsylvania a repeat of the 2004 appearance of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series just about happened again. A brief but heavy rain storm threatened the 50 lap - $10,000 to win event but the show did go on. Tim McCreadie of Watertown,NY captured his sixth WoO Late Model Series victory of the season. Starting from the outside pole McCreadie powered past pole sitter Billy Moyer on the start holding off Moyer by less than one second for the win. Clint Smith rode home third with Chub Frank fourth and Jeremy Miller fifth.
McCreadie, piloting the Sweeteners Plus/A&C Speedworld.Texaco-Havoline No. 39 Ann and Carl Myers Rocket Chassis/C.C. Performance Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo, felt fortunate to find himself in victory lane. “I really thought the bottom was going to be better”, said McCreadie. “Billy beat me in the dash and everybody thought it was because our tires gave up. But, I didn’t think that. I just felt he had a better car than us and he knew where the better part of the race track was. We were fortunate we were able to start up front. We made some changes to the car after the dash. In the feature I had to play the lapped traffic a little bit. That one time Billy went to the bottom and pinned me to the middle. We just got lucky that the caution came out. Right now I’d rather be lucky than good. The restarts worked out great for us and whenever I’d run down the lapped traffic and there would be a car up on the cushion the yellow would come out. I really feel lucky.”
Steve Francis lost the Championship point lead after suffering a dismal feature event. Running as high as third early in the event before dropping back to fifth, Francis suffered a flat right rear tire at lap thirty-five returning to the race after repairs but finished 16th. With Francis’ misfortune Moyer regained the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship points lead by a scant four points heading into the August 15th event at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York.
After the $10,000 to win – 50 lap event at Lebanon Valley Speedway one thing was made plainly clear. He can’t be called a “Rookie” anymore. Josh “Kid Rocket” Richards of Shinnston,WV put himself into a WoO Late Model Series victory lane for the very first time. Starting from the outside front row the 17 year-old driver fell behind Scott Bloomquist and Rick Eckert at the end of the first lap. Then things took a wild turn on lap 19 as Bloomquist exploded a transmission and Eckert busted an oil line fitting coming down the front straightaway. Richards was able to miss the transmission fluid and oil handing him the lead. Richards then held off Tim McCreadie to secure his first ever main event victory. Scott Haus rode home third with Clint Smith fourth and Chub Frank fifth.
Richards was virtually speechless on what he had accomplished driving the Seubert Calf Ranches/A-C-E Metal Works/MCB Motorsports No. 1 Mark Richards Racing Enterprises,Inc. Rocket Chassis/Cornett Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo. “I’m confused right now. I don’t know what to think,” said the stunned Richards. “It’s awesome. I can’t describe what it feels like to come across the finish line first. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack the last few laps and when those cautions came out. I just kept telling myself it’s just like a heat race to keep myself calmed down. To do what we did tonight, it’s pretty cool.”
Bad luck continued to plague the Championship hopes of Steve Francis. Francis was running third at lap thirty-seven when a fuel line came undone forcing him to roll to a stop. Quick repairs got Francis back into the battle where he rebounded to a top 10 finish but found himself eight points behind Billy Moyer heading into the August 16th 50 lap - $15,000 to win event at New York’s Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.
The final race of the “meat grinder”. It had been a grueling stretch of races that tested man and machine. But there was one driver that had it mind to make the “meat grinder” finale his own personal “meat grinder”. With the SPEED Channel cameras capturing all the action, Chub Frank of Bear Lake,PA obliterated the field lapping all but the second and third place finishers! Starting tenth aboard the Lester Buildings/Corry Rubber/All Star Performance No. 1* Chub Frank Racing Rocket Chassis/Custom Race Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Chubzilla” roared into the lead on lap 13 and never looked back taking the victory by a whopping 8.636 seconds over Rick Eckert. Fifteenth starting Jim Bernheisel rode home third as the last car on the lead lap but 24.263 seconds behind the high-flying Frank. Pole sitter Steve Francis was fourth with Dale McDowell fifth.
“Chubzilla” was very happy with his third victory of the season and said it was a great week of racing for his team. “This really has been a good week for us. It started out good for us at Lernerville where we got the win and scored a fourth and fifth the last two races and been in the top five. We messed up a little bit in the heat race when we went a little bit hard on tires but the car has been good all night. It took a bunch of laps to get going in the heat race. It was a tire game in the feature. I kept looking at the track and it kept getting slicker and slicker and kept getting shineier and shineier. I just loved putting the same type of Hoosier tires on that we won at Lernerville with. They’re pretty good tires. They’re $35,000 tires!”
The “meat grinder” was now over. But, there was one more race on the schedule in August. Another chance to gain some points and hopefully not lose any points. The August 26th $10,000 to win – 50 lap show at Western Kentucky Speedway never got off the ground when heavy rain and flooding struck the area forcing cancellation of the event.
The chase for the Championship had become much clearer after thirty-one races had been completed. Two months remained on the racing schedule and only a handful of races were scheduled to wind up the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season and Championship. Five drivers remained in the hunt for the Championship. Billy Moyer held the lead once again but by only four points over Steve Francis. Lurking in the shadows were Tim McCreadie only fifty points behind Moyer, Chub Frank sixty-six points back and Rick Eckert one hundred four points back.
This was going to be a chase to the finish.
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Season Recap: August
8/5/05 & 8/6/05 - Cedar Lake Speedway – New Richmond,WI - 60 Lap Feature - $40,000 To Win
1) DALE MCDOWELL; 2) Billy Moyer; 3) Steve Francis; 4) Tim McCreadie; 5) Brian Birkhofer; 6) Rick Eckert; 7) Darren Miller; 8) Scott Bloomquist; 9) Shane Clanton; 10) Brady Smith; 11) Jimmy Mars; 12) Josh Richards; 13) Darrell Lanigan; 14) Clint Smith; 15) Chub Frank; 16) Eric Jacobsen; 17) Kerry Hansen; 18) Trent Follmer; 19) Earl Pearson Jr.; 20) Donnie Moran; 21) John Blankenship; 22) Steve Isenberg; 23) Pat Doar; 24) Dan Schlieper – Fast Qualifier: Jacobsen 13.435 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Richards, Moran, Francis, Eckert; “B” Main Winners: Schlieper, Frank; Dash Winners: Francis, Moyer
8/9/05 - Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway – Dubuque,IA - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) BRIAN BIRKHOFER; 2) Scott Bloomquist; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Chub Frank; 6) Dale McDowell; 7) Rick Eckert; 8) Clint Smith; 9) Tim McCreadie; 10) Josh Richards; 11) Rick Aukland; 12) Shane Clanton; 13) Darrell Lanigan; 14) Steve “Ace” Ihm; 15) John Blankenship; 16) Eric Jacobsen; 17) Gary Webb; 18) Dan Shellam; 19) Ron Barker; 20) Curt Martin; 21) Jeff Larson; 22) Kerry Hansen; 23) Dan Schlieper; 24) Johnny Johnson – Fast Qualifier: Birkhofer 15.227 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Francis, Smith, Frank, Eckert, “B” Main Winners: Schlieper, Bloomquist; Dash Winner: Smith
8/12/05 - Lernerville Speedway – Sarver,PA - 60 Lap Feature - $20,000 To Win
1) CHUB FRANK; 2) Darrell Lanigan; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Steve Francis; 6) Tim McCreadie; 7) Dale McDowell; 8) Mike Balzano; 9) Jeremy Miller; 10) Davey Johnson; 11) Billy Decker; 12) David Scott; 13) John Flinner; 14) Shane Clanton; 15) Josh Richards; 16) Lynn Geisler; 17) Eric Jacobsen; 18) Rob Blair; 19) Dick Barton; 20) Clint Smith; 21) Todd Andrews; 22) Mike Blose; 23) Nick Jones; 24) John Blankenship; 25) Bob Wearing Jr.; 26) Alex Ferree – Fast Qualifier: Frank 15.831 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Frank, Eckert, Moyer, Lanigan; “B” Main Winners: Blose, McDowell; Dash Winner: Frank
8/13/05 - Lincoln Speedway – New Oxford (Abbottstown),PA - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) TIM MCCREADIE; 2) Billy Moyer; 3) Clint Smith; 4) Chub Frank; 5) Jeremy Miller; 6) Todd Andrews; 7) Brent Rhebergen; 8) Josh Richards; 9) Scott Haus; 10) Darrell Lanigan; 11) Dan Stone; 12) Shane Clanton; 13) Dale McDowell; 14) Gary Stuhler; 15) Ricky Elliott; 16) Steve Francis; 17) Jim Yoder; 18) John Blankenship; 19) Tom Myers; 20) Billy Decker; 21) Scott Flickinger; 22) Eric Jacobesn; 23) Nick Dickson; 24) Rick Eckert – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 16.274 secs.; Heat Race Winners: McCreadie, Francis, Rhebergen, Moyer; “B” Main Winners: Stone, Elliott; Dash Winner: Moyer
8/15/05 - Lebanon Valley Speedway – West Lebanon,NY - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) JOSH RICHARDS; 2) Tim McCreadie; 3) Scott Haus; 4) Clint Smith; 5) Chub Frank; 6) Dale McDowell; 7) Shane Clanton; 8) Billy Moyer; 9) Dan Stone; 10) Steve Francis; 11) Tim Fuller; 12) Rusty Schlenk; 13) Matt Hubbard; 14) John Blankenship; 15) Brent Rhebergen; 16) Tony Lombardi; 17) Darrell Lanigan; 18) Rick Eckert; 19) Scott Bloomquist; 20) Jeremy Miller; 21) Eric Jacobsen; 22) Billy Decker; 23) Brett Hearn; 24) Johnny Cloer – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 19.590 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Eckert, McCredie, Richards, Dash Winner: McDowell
8/16/05 - Rolling Wheels Raceway – Elbridge,NY - 50 Lap Feature - $15,000 To Win
1) CHUB FRANK; 2) Rick Eckert; 3) Jim Bernheisel; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Billy Moyer; 7) John Blankenship; 8) Tim McCreadie; 9) Shane Clanton; 10) Josh Richards; 11) Brent Rhebergen; 12) Todd Andrews; 13) Tim Fuller; 14) Scott Haus; 15) Darrell Lanigan; 16) Ed Carley; 17) Clint Smith; 18) Jeremy Miller; 19) Eric Jacobsen; 20) Scott Bloomquist; 21) Brady Wonderling; 22) Vic Coffey; 23) Dave Hess Jr.; 24) Billy Decker – Fast Qualifier: Fuller 20.883 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Fuller, McCreadie, Francis, Clanton; “B” Main Winners: Carley, Rhebergen; Dash Winner: Francis
8/27/05 – Western Kentucky Speedway – Madisonville (Nebo),KY – 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
CANCELED BY RAIN AND FLOODING
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship Standings after 8-27-05
Showing Pos.-Car #-Driver–Residence–Entered-Starts-Wins-Top 5’s-Top 10’s–Earnings–Points-Trail By
1. # 21 Billy Moyer – Batesville,AR: 31-31-4-14-26-$122,900-4,264-0
2. # 15 Steve Francis – Ashland,KY: 31-31-5-19-24-$114,565-4,260-4
3. # 39 Tim McCreadie – Watertown,NY: 31-31-6-15-22-$128,875-4,214-50
4. # 1* Chub Frank – Bear Lake,PA: 31-31-3-14-24-$103,855-4,198-66
5. # 24 Rick Eckert – York,PA: 31-31-1-13-23-$81,160-4,160-104
6. # 17M Dale McDowell – Chickamauga,GA: 31-31-2-12-22-$108,440-4,114-150
7. # 29 Darrell Lanigan – Union,KY: 31-31-2-12-19-$94,195-4,091-173
8. # 1 Josh Richards® - Shinnston,WV: 31-31-1-6-14-$57,260-4,012-252
9. # 44 Clint Smith – Senoia,GA: 31-31-2-6-14-$62,000-3,920-344
10. # 23 John Blankenship – Williamson,WV: 31-28-1-4-9-$44,375-3,685-579
11. # 25 Shane Clanton – Locust Grove,GA: 24-24-0-4-12-$34,975-3,575-689
12. # 9 Dan Schlieper – Sullivan,WI: 27-27-0-1-10-$32,500-3,344-920
13. # 0 Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg,TN: 23-23-2-11-12-$78,700-3,036-1,228
14. # 5WP Eric Jacobsen – Santa Cruz,CA: 17-14-0-1-2-$14,750-1,865-2,399
15. # 91 Billy Decker – Unadilla,NY: 13-10-0-1-1- $10,970-1,397-2,867
® = “Rookie of the Year” Driver
The World Of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to the fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire and SPEED Channel. Promotional Partners include AMB i.t., HUMMERSGONEWILD.COM, Zippo Lighters, and The University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, Wrisco Industries, and Quarter Master.
NORMAN, OK - The “meat grinder” continued when the WoO Late Model Series race teams rolled into Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway August 5th and August 6th for a two-day $40,000 to win main event. Dale McDowell of Chickamauga,GA captured the richest to win event on the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series schedule. Starting fourth aboard the Larry Shaw Race Cars/J&J Steel No. 17M DMR Rocket-Shaw/RaceTek Engines Pontiac Grand Prix, “Mac Daddy” tracked down early race leader Billy Moyer in heavy lapped traffic grabbing the lead with a turn four low groove move on lap thirty-six of the sixty lap main event. McDowell then held off Moyer by five car lengths to secure his second trip of the season to victory lane. Steve Francis rode home third with Tim McCreadie fourth and Brian Birkhofer fifth.
A very relieved McDowell was extremely happy with the victory stating, “With everything we have gone through this season this is a real blessing. It really is. Everything went our way tonight. The crew did a great job and my brother and crew chief Shane did an excellent job with his hand signals letting me know which groove to run in. A lot of the credit for this win goes to Shane and the crew. And, to the competitors we race with, work with and travel with. We worked together all week and we came out on top. With the type of season we’ve had and the things that have gone wrong this is really, really special. This win definitely makes it a better year anyway.”
Three nights later the race teams would roll south to Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway in Iowa. The August 9th $10,000 to win show saw Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine,IA protect his home turf. Starting fifth aboard the J&J Steel/Daufeldt Transport/Simon Trucking/McDonalds of the Quad Cities No. 15B Brian Birkhofer MasterSbilt Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Birky” grabbed the lead from pole sitter Clint Smith on lap 2 and never looked back in the caution filled event. Scott Bloomquist drove to a runner-up finish. Billy Moyer finished third, Steve Francis rode home fourth while Chub Frank just nipped Dale McDowell in a photo finish for fifth.
“We were able to run the bottom which is where I wanted to run the car,” said the very happy winner. “Actually the car was maneuverable and I could put it any place I wanted to run it. The set-up we wanted to use was right on. Everything worked out great. I just have to thank my sponsors, my crew, family and fans for sticking by us. It was great to win one here at Dubuque and keep the money in Iowa. It’s great to be able to get a win in your home state against the Outlaws. I love running with these guys.”
Three days of road travel brought the band of travelers back east to Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway. Four more races in five days and the “meat grinder” would be done. But the pressure of a Championship would still be lurking in everyone’s minds. Steve Francis still held the Championship points lead by twenty-eight points over Billy Moyer entering the August 12th $20,000 to win – 60 lapper. Rick Eckert sat seventy-four points back in third followed by Tim McCreadie and Chub Frank, eighty-four and one hundred fourteen points behind respectively but still in the hunt.
Chub Frank of Bear Lake,PA was the class of the field winning time trials, his heat race, the dash and the main event all before the SPEED Channel cameras. Starting from the pole, “Chubzilla” grabbed the race lead from Darrell Lanigan in turn one while working lap thirty-nine and then pulled away for his second trip of the season to victory lane. Lanigan held on for second with Billy Moyer third, Rick Eckert fourth and Steve Francis fifth.
The pilot of the Lester Buildings/Corry Rubber/All-Star Performance No. 1* Chub Frank Racing Rocket Chassis/Custom Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo when asked if he was looking to pass Lanigan when he pulled alongside of the race leader early in the race related, “No, not really. I was in no hurry I knew what he was gonna do. He was gonna run that cushion. I didn’t want to run that cushion all night because you don’t know whats going to happen. You can get a flat tire and your going to wear yourself out in the car. I was way too tight to be running the cushion anyway, especially in one and two. I figured if I showed the fender to him a couple of times he’d pick the pace up a little bit and pound that cushion a little harder. He was trying to stay off it early and then I showed him the nose and he kept hitting the cushion harder and harder and then harder. I was just waiting for him to run it too hard and he did. He hopped the cushion in three which allowed me to make the move going down the frontchute.”
Traveling downstate the following day to Lincoln Speedway in Pennsylvania a repeat of the 2004 appearance of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series just about happened again. A brief but heavy rain storm threatened the 50 lap - $10,000 to win event but the show did go on. Tim McCreadie of Watertown,NY captured his sixth WoO Late Model Series victory of the season. Starting from the outside pole McCreadie powered past pole sitter Billy Moyer on the start holding off Moyer by less than one second for the win. Clint Smith rode home third with Chub Frank fourth and Jeremy Miller fifth.
McCreadie, piloting the Sweeteners Plus/A&C Speedworld.Texaco-Havoline No. 39 Ann and Carl Myers Rocket Chassis/C.C. Performance Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo, felt fortunate to find himself in victory lane. “I really thought the bottom was going to be better”, said McCreadie. “Billy beat me in the dash and everybody thought it was because our tires gave up. But, I didn’t think that. I just felt he had a better car than us and he knew where the better part of the race track was. We were fortunate we were able to start up front. We made some changes to the car after the dash. In the feature I had to play the lapped traffic a little bit. That one time Billy went to the bottom and pinned me to the middle. We just got lucky that the caution came out. Right now I’d rather be lucky than good. The restarts worked out great for us and whenever I’d run down the lapped traffic and there would be a car up on the cushion the yellow would come out. I really feel lucky.”
Steve Francis lost the Championship point lead after suffering a dismal feature event. Running as high as third early in the event before dropping back to fifth, Francis suffered a flat right rear tire at lap thirty-five returning to the race after repairs but finished 16th. With Francis’ misfortune Moyer regained the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship points lead by a scant four points heading into the August 15th event at Lebanon Valley Speedway in New York.
After the $10,000 to win – 50 lap event at Lebanon Valley Speedway one thing was made plainly clear. He can’t be called a “Rookie” anymore. Josh “Kid Rocket” Richards of Shinnston,WV put himself into a WoO Late Model Series victory lane for the very first time. Starting from the outside front row the 17 year-old driver fell behind Scott Bloomquist and Rick Eckert at the end of the first lap. Then things took a wild turn on lap 19 as Bloomquist exploded a transmission and Eckert busted an oil line fitting coming down the front straightaway. Richards was able to miss the transmission fluid and oil handing him the lead. Richards then held off Tim McCreadie to secure his first ever main event victory. Scott Haus rode home third with Clint Smith fourth and Chub Frank fifth.
Richards was virtually speechless on what he had accomplished driving the Seubert Calf Ranches/A-C-E Metal Works/MCB Motorsports No. 1 Mark Richards Racing Enterprises,Inc. Rocket Chassis/Cornett Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo. “I’m confused right now. I don’t know what to think,” said the stunned Richards. “It’s awesome. I can’t describe what it feels like to come across the finish line first. I thought I was gonna have a heart attack the last few laps and when those cautions came out. I just kept telling myself it’s just like a heat race to keep myself calmed down. To do what we did tonight, it’s pretty cool.”
Bad luck continued to plague the Championship hopes of Steve Francis. Francis was running third at lap thirty-seven when a fuel line came undone forcing him to roll to a stop. Quick repairs got Francis back into the battle where he rebounded to a top 10 finish but found himself eight points behind Billy Moyer heading into the August 16th 50 lap - $15,000 to win event at New York’s Rolling Wheels Raceway Park.
The final race of the “meat grinder”. It had been a grueling stretch of races that tested man and machine. But there was one driver that had it mind to make the “meat grinder” finale his own personal “meat grinder”. With the SPEED Channel cameras capturing all the action, Chub Frank of Bear Lake,PA obliterated the field lapping all but the second and third place finishers! Starting tenth aboard the Lester Buildings/Corry Rubber/All Star Performance No. 1* Chub Frank Racing Rocket Chassis/Custom Race Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Chubzilla” roared into the lead on lap 13 and never looked back taking the victory by a whopping 8.636 seconds over Rick Eckert. Fifteenth starting Jim Bernheisel rode home third as the last car on the lead lap but 24.263 seconds behind the high-flying Frank. Pole sitter Steve Francis was fourth with Dale McDowell fifth.
“Chubzilla” was very happy with his third victory of the season and said it was a great week of racing for his team. “This really has been a good week for us. It started out good for us at Lernerville where we got the win and scored a fourth and fifth the last two races and been in the top five. We messed up a little bit in the heat race when we went a little bit hard on tires but the car has been good all night. It took a bunch of laps to get going in the heat race. It was a tire game in the feature. I kept looking at the track and it kept getting slicker and slicker and kept getting shineier and shineier. I just loved putting the same type of Hoosier tires on that we won at Lernerville with. They’re pretty good tires. They’re $35,000 tires!”
The “meat grinder” was now over. But, there was one more race on the schedule in August. Another chance to gain some points and hopefully not lose any points. The August 26th $10,000 to win – 50 lap show at Western Kentucky Speedway never got off the ground when heavy rain and flooding struck the area forcing cancellation of the event.
The chase for the Championship had become much clearer after thirty-one races had been completed. Two months remained on the racing schedule and only a handful of races were scheduled to wind up the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season and Championship. Five drivers remained in the hunt for the Championship. Billy Moyer held the lead once again but by only four points over Steve Francis. Lurking in the shadows were Tim McCreadie only fifty points behind Moyer, Chub Frank sixty-six points back and Rick Eckert one hundred four points back.
This was going to be a chase to the finish.
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Season Recap: August
8/5/05 & 8/6/05 - Cedar Lake Speedway – New Richmond,WI - 60 Lap Feature - $40,000 To Win
1) DALE MCDOWELL; 2) Billy Moyer; 3) Steve Francis; 4) Tim McCreadie; 5) Brian Birkhofer; 6) Rick Eckert; 7) Darren Miller; 8) Scott Bloomquist; 9) Shane Clanton; 10) Brady Smith; 11) Jimmy Mars; 12) Josh Richards; 13) Darrell Lanigan; 14) Clint Smith; 15) Chub Frank; 16) Eric Jacobsen; 17) Kerry Hansen; 18) Trent Follmer; 19) Earl Pearson Jr.; 20) Donnie Moran; 21) John Blankenship; 22) Steve Isenberg; 23) Pat Doar; 24) Dan Schlieper – Fast Qualifier: Jacobsen 13.435 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Richards, Moran, Francis, Eckert; “B” Main Winners: Schlieper, Frank; Dash Winners: Francis, Moyer
8/9/05 - Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway – Dubuque,IA - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) BRIAN BIRKHOFER; 2) Scott Bloomquist; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Chub Frank; 6) Dale McDowell; 7) Rick Eckert; 8) Clint Smith; 9) Tim McCreadie; 10) Josh Richards; 11) Rick Aukland; 12) Shane Clanton; 13) Darrell Lanigan; 14) Steve “Ace” Ihm; 15) John Blankenship; 16) Eric Jacobsen; 17) Gary Webb; 18) Dan Shellam; 19) Ron Barker; 20) Curt Martin; 21) Jeff Larson; 22) Kerry Hansen; 23) Dan Schlieper; 24) Johnny Johnson – Fast Qualifier: Birkhofer 15.227 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Francis, Smith, Frank, Eckert, “B” Main Winners: Schlieper, Bloomquist; Dash Winner: Smith
8/12/05 - Lernerville Speedway – Sarver,PA - 60 Lap Feature - $20,000 To Win
1) CHUB FRANK; 2) Darrell Lanigan; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Steve Francis; 6) Tim McCreadie; 7) Dale McDowell; 8) Mike Balzano; 9) Jeremy Miller; 10) Davey Johnson; 11) Billy Decker; 12) David Scott; 13) John Flinner; 14) Shane Clanton; 15) Josh Richards; 16) Lynn Geisler; 17) Eric Jacobsen; 18) Rob Blair; 19) Dick Barton; 20) Clint Smith; 21) Todd Andrews; 22) Mike Blose; 23) Nick Jones; 24) John Blankenship; 25) Bob Wearing Jr.; 26) Alex Ferree – Fast Qualifier: Frank 15.831 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Frank, Eckert, Moyer, Lanigan; “B” Main Winners: Blose, McDowell; Dash Winner: Frank
8/13/05 - Lincoln Speedway – New Oxford (Abbottstown),PA - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) TIM MCCREADIE; 2) Billy Moyer; 3) Clint Smith; 4) Chub Frank; 5) Jeremy Miller; 6) Todd Andrews; 7) Brent Rhebergen; 8) Josh Richards; 9) Scott Haus; 10) Darrell Lanigan; 11) Dan Stone; 12) Shane Clanton; 13) Dale McDowell; 14) Gary Stuhler; 15) Ricky Elliott; 16) Steve Francis; 17) Jim Yoder; 18) John Blankenship; 19) Tom Myers; 20) Billy Decker; 21) Scott Flickinger; 22) Eric Jacobesn; 23) Nick Dickson; 24) Rick Eckert – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 16.274 secs.; Heat Race Winners: McCreadie, Francis, Rhebergen, Moyer; “B” Main Winners: Stone, Elliott; Dash Winner: Moyer
8/15/05 - Lebanon Valley Speedway – West Lebanon,NY - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) JOSH RICHARDS; 2) Tim McCreadie; 3) Scott Haus; 4) Clint Smith; 5) Chub Frank; 6) Dale McDowell; 7) Shane Clanton; 8) Billy Moyer; 9) Dan Stone; 10) Steve Francis; 11) Tim Fuller; 12) Rusty Schlenk; 13) Matt Hubbard; 14) John Blankenship; 15) Brent Rhebergen; 16) Tony Lombardi; 17) Darrell Lanigan; 18) Rick Eckert; 19) Scott Bloomquist; 20) Jeremy Miller; 21) Eric Jacobsen; 22) Billy Decker; 23) Brett Hearn; 24) Johnny Cloer – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 19.590 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Eckert, McCredie, Richards, Dash Winner: McDowell
8/16/05 - Rolling Wheels Raceway – Elbridge,NY - 50 Lap Feature - $15,000 To Win
1) CHUB FRANK; 2) Rick Eckert; 3) Jim Bernheisel; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Billy Moyer; 7) John Blankenship; 8) Tim McCreadie; 9) Shane Clanton; 10) Josh Richards; 11) Brent Rhebergen; 12) Todd Andrews; 13) Tim Fuller; 14) Scott Haus; 15) Darrell Lanigan; 16) Ed Carley; 17) Clint Smith; 18) Jeremy Miller; 19) Eric Jacobsen; 20) Scott Bloomquist; 21) Brady Wonderling; 22) Vic Coffey; 23) Dave Hess Jr.; 24) Billy Decker – Fast Qualifier: Fuller 20.883 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Fuller, McCreadie, Francis, Clanton; “B” Main Winners: Carley, Rhebergen; Dash Winner: Francis
8/27/05 – Western Kentucky Speedway – Madisonville (Nebo),KY – 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
CANCELED BY RAIN AND FLOODING
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship Standings after 8-27-05
Showing Pos.-Car #-Driver–Residence–Entered-Starts-Wins-Top 5’s-Top 10’s–Earnings–Points-Trail By
1. # 21 Billy Moyer – Batesville,AR: 31-31-4-14-26-$122,900-4,264-0
2. # 15 Steve Francis – Ashland,KY: 31-31-5-19-24-$114,565-4,260-4
3. # 39 Tim McCreadie – Watertown,NY: 31-31-6-15-22-$128,875-4,214-50
4. # 1* Chub Frank – Bear Lake,PA: 31-31-3-14-24-$103,855-4,198-66
5. # 24 Rick Eckert – York,PA: 31-31-1-13-23-$81,160-4,160-104
6. # 17M Dale McDowell – Chickamauga,GA: 31-31-2-12-22-$108,440-4,114-150
7. # 29 Darrell Lanigan – Union,KY: 31-31-2-12-19-$94,195-4,091-173
8. # 1 Josh Richards® - Shinnston,WV: 31-31-1-6-14-$57,260-4,012-252
9. # 44 Clint Smith – Senoia,GA: 31-31-2-6-14-$62,000-3,920-344
10. # 23 John Blankenship – Williamson,WV: 31-28-1-4-9-$44,375-3,685-579
11. # 25 Shane Clanton – Locust Grove,GA: 24-24-0-4-12-$34,975-3,575-689
12. # 9 Dan Schlieper – Sullivan,WI: 27-27-0-1-10-$32,500-3,344-920
13. # 0 Scott Bloomquist – Mooresburg,TN: 23-23-2-11-12-$78,700-3,036-1,228
14. # 5WP Eric Jacobsen – Santa Cruz,CA: 17-14-0-1-2-$14,750-1,865-2,399
15. # 91 Billy Decker – Unadilla,NY: 13-10-0-1-1- $10,970-1,397-2,867
® = “Rookie of the Year” Driver
The World Of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to the fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Hoosier Racing Tire and SPEED Channel. Promotional Partners include AMB i.t., HUMMERSGONEWILD.COM, Zippo Lighters, and The University of Northwestern Ohio. Contingency sponsors include DART Machinery, MSD Ignitions, Wrisco Industries, and Quarter Master.
