By Bret Emrick
August was now a memory for the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series race teams. Only two more months and a handful of events were left to decide what had been started in February. It had taken thirty-one events to get to this point. And, still nothing was totally decided as to who had the inside track for the Championship. Sure, the field of contenders for that Championship had been culled down to five drivers but in all actuality it was still very uncertain of who of the five would step to the forefront and lay claim to the $120,000 winners share of the $540,000 Championship point fund.
Labor Day week-end began the stretch drive to the Championship. Visiting the Twin Cities Raceway Park in Indiana September 2nd those taking part in the $10,000 to win event knew they had to concentrate on the job at hand but it was tough as thoughts went out to those along the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina just days earlier.
Tim McCreadie of Watertown,NY started third aboard the Sweeteners Plus/A&C Speedworld No. 39 Ann and Carl Myers Rocket Chassis/C&C Performance Pontiac Grand Prix grabbing second on lap five and then set off for race leader Billy Moyer. “T-Mac” pulled alongside of Moyer on the restart racing side by side for a lap until grabbing the lead exiting turn four to become the races new leader. Seven laps later Moyer rolled to a stop with a flat right rear tire. McCreadie held off a hard charge by twelfth starting Chub Frank for his seventh trip of the season to victory lane. Steve Francis rode home third and regained the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship points lead by six points over Moyer. Rick Eckert finished fourth with Dale McDowell fifth.
When asked if he could’ve caught the leader without Moyer having the tire go down McCreadie stated, “Nah. I don’t know. We were a little softer on tires than he was and when we had that long green flag run he got away. That’s probably the story. On a long run he was gonna’ get away and on a short run we could run right with him. I saw his tire starting to go flat and I thought he might pull up but then again I knew he wouldn’t. If the race would’ve stayed green for a long time I think he might’ve been ok. Having those yellows hurt him. I mean, we’re having a flat right now here in victory lane. We’ve just been lucky. Earlier today we were talking that it seems we’ve got a great car and we’ve jelled into a great team. Now the luck is coming our way. You have that combination working for you and it makes you hard to beat. To be able to run as well as we have with these guys, we just consider ourselves very lucky to be able to do what we have this year.”
With a day off for travel the WoO Late Model Series race teams rode north to Pennsylvania’s Tri-City Speedway for another $10,000 to win event and their first ever appearance at the speedway. Played before a packed house, Rick Eckert of York,PA swept the winning every race he competed in. Driving the Raye Vest Excavating/J&J Steel No. 24 Raye Vest Rocket Chassis/Cornett Engines Ford Taurus, “Scrub” topped the field in time trials, won his heat race and the dash race to earn the pole for the main event then led every lap for his second trip of 2005 to victory lane. Steve Francis came home in second extending his Championship points lead over Billy Moyer by 14 points. Chub Frank, who was a guest on SPEED Channel’s WIND TUNNEL with Dave Despain live from the speedway, finished third with Josh Richards fourth and Dale McDowell fifth.
Eckert, who’s only other 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory had happened June 1st , breathed a huge sigh of relief before telling the packed house, “Things have been a struggle for us lately, we’ve been breaking”, said the beaming winner. “We’ve been running good. We just haven’t shown any good finishes for it. Things went our way tonight. We didn’t break anything. Last week we won another race where we broke in the last 10 laps and still won it. This week, we don’t break anything and we win so hopefully things are turning around for us.”
Seven races left in the season. A one week break in the schedule. Then it would be time to get serious once again. The chase for the Championship couldn’t have been any tighter. Steve Francis had fought his way back into the lead. Billy Moyer was now fourteen points behind Francis. But, Tim McCreadie, Chub Frank and Rick Eckert still had a shot and could make things tough if either Francis or Moyer or both had any bad luck in the stretch run.
Rain had fallen over the St. Louis,MO area and had fallen long and hard. Despite all efforts to groom the racing surface into shape at Tri-City Speedway across the Mississippi River in Illinois, the agonizing decision to cancel the September 16th $10,000 to win event was made. One less chance to shake up those Championship points.
Traveling south of St. Louis the following day to the bullring of I-55 Speedway, Billy Moyer of Batesville,AR captured the September 17th $10,000 to win SPEED Channel covered event regaining the 2005 Championship points lead by a scant four points over ninth place finisher Steve Francis. Starting eleventh driving the J&J Steel/Banner Valley Hauling/McCarthy’s One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning/Petroff Towing No. 21 Billy Moyer Racing C.J. Rayburn Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Mr. Smooth” tracked down Shannon Babb trading the lead with Babb for two laps until taking the lead for good on lap forty-two. Moyer held off early race leader Darrell Lanigan for his fifth win of the season. Outside pole sitter Brian Shirley rode home third with Rick Eckert fourth and Babb fifth.
“Shannon was running good at the beginning of the race and his car was definitely better than what mine was”, stated Moyer from the victory lane. “I think everybody out here was too tight but maybe Shannon and Darrell. I know I was way too tight. I think the track threw everybody a curve.”
After an early morning drive September 18th the World of Outlaws Late Model Series race teams rolled into the Illinois State Fairgrounds one-mile speedway as the sun rose in the east. The “Springfield Mile”. A daunting task to say the least. Speeds nearing 160mph on the long straightaways. This is a track where what a driver does elsewhere he doesn’t dare do here. This will be a give and take type of race. No slide jobs here. Do that and things can get real ugly. Very ugly.
With the drivers definitely remembering the pre-race instructions of “give and take” the $12,000 to win event saw Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg,TN capture his third main event leading flag to flag. From the pole Bloomquist kept his Miller Brothers Coal Company/Hawkeye Trucking No. 0 Scott Bloomquist Racing Bloomquist Race Cars/Vic Hill Engines Ford Mustang in front despite an oil leak which caused some visibility problems for the winner. Outside pole sitter Rick Eckert rode home in second a car length behind Bloomquist with Billy Moyer third, Josh Richards fourth and Tim McCreadie fifth.
Despite taking the win Bloomquist felt that his day wasn’t the best stating, “After the rough night we had last night….actually the rough night everyone had with the track conditions at Pevely, we just wanted to keep our car the best we could last night because we only had the one car and it had to be ready for the mile. Today we just kept working on it every chance we could and got it a little better each time. Then we developed that oil leak. That happened at the end of the heat race and we worked on it for the dash. That only lasted for about three laps. We worked on it again after that and it lasted for maybe six to eight laps in the feature then it progressively got worse. I ran out of tear-offs pretty quick and it was a good thing I had gloves. I used those to wipe the oil off my shield and then it started to get on the right rear tire. I mean, I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of passing out there so we just made all the right moves and it worked out.”
With the long week-end behind them the teams now regrouped and a week later headed for Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway. A record number of flat tires, nearly sixty throughout the course of the event, made the September 23rd $10,000 to win affair a survival of the fittest type of race. Dale McDowell of Chickamauga,GA scored his third main event of the season and was the only driver in the feature field not to pit for service to the car. Starting eighth aboard the J&J Steel/Larry Shaw Race Cars/New Vision Graphics No. 17M DMR Rocket-Shaw/Racetek Pontiac Grand Prix, “Mac Daddy” broke into the top five at the end of the first lap and then worked his way past Brian Shirley while working lap thirty-three to take the lead. McDowell held off Rick Eckert by a car length for the win. Billy Moyer rode home third with Steve Francis fourth and Shane Clanton fifth.
When asked in a post-race interview if he felt “Lady Luck” was on his side McDowell stated, “I think it was and I think that’s the biggest reason we won the race. But, I was concerned because all of those guys still running had fresh tires. We went a little soft on the tires and mine were just about worn out at the end. I didn’t know if they’d drive back by me or not but we had good position. Luck was definitely on our side as we were the only ones that didn’t have to pit for tires or something. Luck’s been on our side the past couple of weeks. So maybe we can keep that luck going for awhile.”
Only eighteen points now separated Billy Moyer and second place Steve Francis in the Championship chase. Tim McCreadie still had a shot sitting only eighty points out and Rick Eckert was still alive as well, only eighty-eight points from the top rung. Mathematically, Chub Frank was not yet eliminated sitting one hundered ten points behind Moyer when the Series traveled to Clarksville Speedway at the Clarksville Racing Complex in Tennessee for a September 24th event. Tim McCreadie of Watertown,NY scored his eighth victory of the season pocketing $10,000 to win. From the outside pole aboard the Sweeteners Plus/A&C Speedworld No. 39 Ann and Carl Myers owned Rocket Chassis/C&C Performance Pontiac Grand Prix, “T-Mac” grabbed the lead from pole sitter Clint Smith at lap three before fending off the challenges of Billy Moyer while racing in heavy lapped traffic. Caution at lap 37 cleared the track for McCreadie while Moyer headed pitside with a flat left rear tire. McCreadie then pulled away from Smith over the final circuits. Rick Eckert came home third with Steve Francis fourth and Chub Frank fifth.
McCreadie was very happy with his performance despite having some worries at the beginning of the evening stating, “This track raced a lot better than I thought it would. When we got here I was little nervous because it’s so narrow. But, once it slicked off and it didn’t have one groove better than the other it raced great. I was amazed! I don’t know how we would have done if we started farther back. We raced all over this place. I saw Billy poking under me a couple of times and I got nervous. Racing in all that lapped traffic you can’t take a break because a good guy like Billy and all these guys we race against we’ll get you in a heartbeat.”
With Francis finishing fourth and Moyer finishing eighth at Clarksville, Francis was able to close to within ten points of Moyer for the Championship points lead. McCreadie had pulled to within sixty-four points of Moyer with Eckert now seventy-eight behind and Frank one hundred four points down. Two races left in the season to decided the Championship and five drivers still with a chance. Realistically, it was a two driver race. Moyer and Francis.
Moyer had been at the top all season long save for a few times when he slipped to second place. Francis had come out of the gate far from where he had wanted and had fought his way back into contention. Two races left in the season. Two drivers with a chance. Only one would be the Champion. But, there would be a waiting period.
It would be nearly one month before the final two events of the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season would happen and the chase to the Championship would be over. Georgia’s Golden Isles Speedway set the stage for the next to last event of the 2005 season offering $10,000 to the winner of the October 26th race. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove,GA captured his first World of Outlaws Stacker 2® Late Model Series victory of the season. Starting third aboard the RSD Enterprises/SAE Parts No. 25 Ronnie Dobbins owned Rocket Chassis/Custom Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Coconut” blasted from third to first after a lap seventeen restart snaring the lead from Tim McCreadie and racing away to the win by a wide margin. McCreadie held on for second with Darrell Lanigan third, Steve Francis fourth and Dale McDowell fifth.
Clanton, who suffered an injured shoulder that required surgery in late April and missed nearly two months of the season, was very happy with his second career WoO victory. “Man, does this feel real good”, stated Clanton. “My hats off to my crew, Gary Winger. I mean he stuck with me all year. And it’s been a tough one. I knew that we’d been running good once I got back and whether we would get one of these I just didn’t know. We’ve been racing against the best drivers in the country all year. My hat is off to those guys.”
With Francis’ fourth place finish coupled with Moyer’s tenth place finish at G.I.S., Francis had regained the Championship points lead entering the final race of the 2005 season at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida with a scant two point margin! Who would have thought after a season that started in February and would end at the same venue the Championship would all boil down to one event to determine if either Steve Francis or Billy Moyer would wear the crown as the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion?
For Francis to claim the crown it was really pretty simple. Finish one spot better than Moyer in the $30,000 to win – 100 lap event and the Championship title would be his.
For Moyer, finish two spots better than Francis and Championship would be his by a scant two points. Or, win the final race and see Francis finish second and the Championship title would still be his again by only two points. Finish one spot better than Francis and then there would be a tie.
If that happened then the first tie-breaker would be number of wins in the season. Both Moyer and Francis each had won five races entering the final event. If either of them won the race then the first tie-breaker would be a moot point. But, if a second tie-breaker of most second place finishes in the season had to be used then advantage Moyer.
One event to determine the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship. Just the way it should be. Hollywood couldn’t have scripted a better finish.
Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg,TN captured the October 28th and 29th two-day season ending event jumping to the lead from his outside front row starting position leading all the way for his fourth victory of the season as the SPEED Channel cameras captured the action. Moyer worked his way past Francis with one lap remaining in the main event to secure the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship. Moyer and Francis actually tied for the Championship in the final points but Moyer won the tie-breaker of having more second place finishes than Francis during the season, five to two, to secure the Championship title. Rick Eckert rode home fourth with Tim McCreadie fifth.
Bloomquist was very happy with the victory stating it was a good way to end the season driving the Miller Bros. Coal/Hawkeye Trucking No. 0 Scott Bloomquist Racing Bloomquist Chassis/Vic Hill Racing Engines Ford Taurus. “Yeah, this is a good way to wrap up the season”, stated Bloomquist. “It was a rough year for us. We went through a lot of engine trouble and Vic Hill is doing our engines now and I can’t say enough for them. That’s turned us around more than anything. It’s nice to come on strong at the end of the year. Nobody remembers the ones at the first of the year. But, if you end up the season the way we have it gives us something to think about over the winter.”
Moyer was ecstatic with his Championship and when asked what he thought about getting past Francis with only one lap to go the Batesville,AR veteran chuckled and then stated, “It’s funny it turned out that way. I tell ya’, it just seemed like the other guys were fading at the end of the race and our stuff came to us. I’m really at a loss for words. I just need to thank my guys and sponsors for standing behind us. They would do anything I asked them to do.”
The driver of the J&J Steel/Banner Valley Hauling/McCarthy’s One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning/Petroff Towing No. 21 Billy Moyer Racing C.J. Rayburn Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was very gracious with his comments for Steve Francis. “I really need to congratulate Steve”, said Moyer. “He did everything you could possibly do to try and win the Championship. Probably being in the position he was in knowing he was ahead of me the entire race had to have been harder on him than it was for me. After our heat race I thought the race track stayed racy but didn’t know what it was going to do for the feature. Really no one did. If it would have rubbered up I would’ve been in real trouble where we were starting at. I thought it’s probably good that I could sit back and watch him throughout the race. Then at the end here we were right together again. Steve drove a great race and his guys worked real hard too. It’s kinda’ funny we started the season here and end the season here and it ended so close in the points. I’m just relieved we were able to get the job done.”
Francis was obviously disappointed with the outcome but was still proud of the job his MOPAR Performance Parts/Valvoline/Freeport Recycling No. 15 Steve Francis Racing Rocket Chassis/Stanton Racing Engines Dodge Intrepid R/T team did. “Yeah, I’m disappointed we lost the Championship on a tie-breaker. But, I’m proud of MOPAR and Valvoline and everybody associated with our team. At least we’ve been here in the hunt two years in a row. I mean we lost the tie-breaker but we tied for the Championship. I’m sure Billy would’ve rather have won it out right and I wish we would’ve won it outright had it been a tie-breaker the other way. He’s going to get the bigger point find check tomorrow. But, when you go to the off-season trade shows, yeah, he can say he was the Champion but I can say we tied. That’s about all you can say about it. Actually we had a good year.”
The 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season can be summed up in one word. Thrilling.
Who could have dreamed that a season that began in February and would end in October would come down to a tie-breaker to decide the Championship? It was an act that not even best script writers could have conjured up. One can only dream of what is in store for the 2006 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season. Hopefully, it’s just as thrilling as 2005.
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Season Recap: September – October
9/2/05 - Twin Cities Raceway Park – North Vernon,IN - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) TIM MCCREADIE; 2) Chub Frank; 3) Steve Francis; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Clint Smith; 7) Shane Clanton; 8) Billy Moyer; 9) Josh Richards; 10) Brian Shirley; 11) Shawn Negangard; 12) Billy Decker; 13) Zach Carney; 14) John Blankenship; 15) Eric Jacobsen; 16) Mike Marlar; 17) Tim Prince; 18) Greg Johnson; 19) Steve Casebolt; 20) Scott James; 21) Jeff Wilson; 22) Steve Barnett; 23) Darrell Lanigan; 24) Don O’Neal – Fast Qualifier: Clanton 14.837 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Clanton, Moyer, Johnson, McCreadie; “B” Main Winner: Decker; Dash Winner: Moyer
9/4/05 - Tri-City Speedway – Franklin,PA - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) RICK ECKERT; 2) Steve Francis; 3) Chub Frank; 4) Josh Richards; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Billy Moyer; 7) Darrell Lanigan; 8) Tim McCreadie; 9) Keith Barbara; 10) Shane Clanton; 11) Keith Berner; 12) Clint Smith; 13) John Blankenship; 14) Eric Jacobsen; 15) Matt Urban; 16) Matt Lux; 17) Chad Ruhlman; 18) Ryan Markham; 19) Brent Rhebergen; 20) Billy Henry; 21) Ken Schaltenbrand; 22) John Flinner; 23) Darrell Bossard; 24) Rick Briggs; 25) Todd Andrews; 26) Davey Johnson – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 18.578 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Eckert, Richards, Francis, McDowell; “B” Main Winner: Lanigan; Dash Winner: Eckert
9/16/05 – Tri-City Speedway – Pontoon Beach,IL – 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
CANCELED DUE TO WET GROUNDS
9/17/05 - I-55 Raceway – Pevely,MO - 55 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) BILLY MOYER; 2) Darrell Lanigan; 3) Brian Shirley; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Shannon Babb; 6) Dan Schlieper; 7) Brian Birkhofer; 8) Jimmy Mars; 9) Steve Francis; 10) Scott Bloomquist; 11) Chub Frank; 12) Tim McCreadie; 13) Eric Jacobsen; 14) Josh Richards; 15) Shane Clanton; 16) Clint Smith; 17) Brady Smith; 18) Randy Korte; 19) Mark Oller; 20) Darren Miller; 21) John Blankenship; 22) Dale McDowell; 23) Ed Dixon; 24) Matt Taylor; 25) Billy Faust – Fast Qualifier: Korte 12.853 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Babb, Lanigan, Frank, Shirley; “B” Main Winners: Bloomquist, Birkhofer; Dash Winner: Lanigan
9/18/05 - Illinois State Fairgrounds – Springfield,IL - 30 Lap Feature - $12,000 To Win
1) SCOTT BLOOMQUIST; 2) Rick Eckert; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Josh Richards; 5) Tim McCreadie; 6) Brian Birkhofer; 7) Dale McDowell; 8) Shane Clanton; 9) Steve Francis; 10) Mark Voigt; 11) Roger Brickler; 12) Clint Smith; 13) John Blankenship; 14) Mike Fannin; 15) Kyle Steffens; 16) Justin Allgaier; 17) Gary Webb; 18) Chub Frank; 19) Steve Sheppard Jr.; 20) Audie Swartz; 21) Eric Jacobsen; 22) Dennis Erb Jr.; 23) Darren Miller; 24) Tim Lance; 25) Joe Ross Jr. – Fast Qualifer: Darrell Lanigan 27.932 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Miller, Richards, Bloomquist, Eckert; “B” Main Winners: Voigt, Smith; Dash Winner: Bloomquist
9/23/05 - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway – Calvert City,KY - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) DALE MCDOWELL; 2) Rick Eckert; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Shane Clanton; 6) Shannon Babb; 7) Brian Shirley; 8) Chub Frank; 9) Mike Marlar; 10) Tim McCreadie; 11) Josh Richards; 12) Darrell Lanigan; 13) Jamie Elam; 14) John Tindal; 15) Terry English; 16) Richie Hedrick; 17) Clint Smith; 18) Ray Cook; 19) Brad Neat; 20) Tait Davenport; 21) Rod Reed; 22) Jeremy Williams; 23) John Blankenship; 24) Eric Jacobsen – Fast Qualifier: Lanigan 14.262 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Eckert, Francis, Smith, Moyer; “B” Main Winners: Cook, Babb; Dash Winner: Smith
9/24/05 - Clarksville Speedway – Clarksville,TN - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) TIM MCCREADIE; 2) Clint Smith; 3) Rick Eckert; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Chub Frank; 6) Ray Cook; 7) Dale McDowell; 8) Billy Moyer; 9) Darrell Lanigan; 10) Terry English; 11) Shane Clanton; 12) Eric Jacobsen; 13) Josh Richards; 14) Jay Brinkley; 15) Tony Albright; 16) John Blankenship; 17) Gary Johnson; 18) Brett Wyatt; 19) Perry Delaney; 20) Mike Chandler; 21) Tait Davenport; 22) Gary Frost; 23) Tommy Lawwell; 24) Tony Morris – Fast Qualifier: Moyer 13.086 secs.; Heat raceWinners: Moyer, Smith, McCreadie, Eckert; “B” Main Winners: Albright, Delaney; Dash Winner: Smith
10/26/05 - Golden Isles Speedway – Brunswick (Waynesville,GA) - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) SHANE CLANTON; 2) Tim McCreadie; 3) Darrell Lanigan; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Josh Richards; 7) Rick Eckert; 8) Scott Bloomquist; 9) Clint Smith; 10) Billy Moyer; 11) Michael Lloyd; 12) Dan Schlieper; 13) Chub Frank; 14) Eric Jacobsen; 15) Bodine Massengill; 16) John Kellum; 17) Billy Decker; 18) John Blankenship; 19) Tim Fuller; 20) Jason Fitzgerald; 21) Patrick Sheltra; 22) Johnny Collins; 23) Johnny Cloer; 24) Brian Nuttal – Fast Qualifier: McCreadie 17.620 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Moyer, Lanigan, Frank; Dash Winner: Lanigan
10/27/05 & 10/28/05 - Volusia Raceway Park – Barberville,FL - 100 Lap Feature - $30,000 To Win
1) SCOTT BLOOMQUIST; 2) Billy Moyer; 3) Steve Francis; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Tim McCreadie; 6) Chub Frank; 7) Darrell Lanigan; 8) Clint Smith; 9) Dale McDowell; 10) Dan Schlieper; 11) Shane Clanton; 12) John Blankenship; 13) Billy Decker; 14) Michael Lloyd; 15) Patrick Sheltra; 16) Homer Leonard; 17) Johnny Collins; 18) Tim Fuller; 19) Josh Richards; 20) Eric Jacobsen; 21) Johnny Cloer; 22) Chris Madden; 23) Aaron Hatton; 24) Steve Lade – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 16.793 secs.; Heat RaceWinners: Eckert, Lanigan, Clanton; “B” Main Winner: Collins; Dash Winner: Frank
August was now a memory for the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series race teams. Only two more months and a handful of events were left to decide what had been started in February. It had taken thirty-one events to get to this point. And, still nothing was totally decided as to who had the inside track for the Championship. Sure, the field of contenders for that Championship had been culled down to five drivers but in all actuality it was still very uncertain of who of the five would step to the forefront and lay claim to the $120,000 winners share of the $540,000 Championship point fund.
Labor Day week-end began the stretch drive to the Championship. Visiting the Twin Cities Raceway Park in Indiana September 2nd those taking part in the $10,000 to win event knew they had to concentrate on the job at hand but it was tough as thoughts went out to those along the Gulf Coast affected by Hurricane Katrina just days earlier.
Tim McCreadie of Watertown,NY started third aboard the Sweeteners Plus/A&C Speedworld No. 39 Ann and Carl Myers Rocket Chassis/C&C Performance Pontiac Grand Prix grabbing second on lap five and then set off for race leader Billy Moyer. “T-Mac” pulled alongside of Moyer on the restart racing side by side for a lap until grabbing the lead exiting turn four to become the races new leader. Seven laps later Moyer rolled to a stop with a flat right rear tire. McCreadie held off a hard charge by twelfth starting Chub Frank for his seventh trip of the season to victory lane. Steve Francis rode home third and regained the World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship points lead by six points over Moyer. Rick Eckert finished fourth with Dale McDowell fifth.
When asked if he could’ve caught the leader without Moyer having the tire go down McCreadie stated, “Nah. I don’t know. We were a little softer on tires than he was and when we had that long green flag run he got away. That’s probably the story. On a long run he was gonna’ get away and on a short run we could run right with him. I saw his tire starting to go flat and I thought he might pull up but then again I knew he wouldn’t. If the race would’ve stayed green for a long time I think he might’ve been ok. Having those yellows hurt him. I mean, we’re having a flat right now here in victory lane. We’ve just been lucky. Earlier today we were talking that it seems we’ve got a great car and we’ve jelled into a great team. Now the luck is coming our way. You have that combination working for you and it makes you hard to beat. To be able to run as well as we have with these guys, we just consider ourselves very lucky to be able to do what we have this year.”
With a day off for travel the WoO Late Model Series race teams rode north to Pennsylvania’s Tri-City Speedway for another $10,000 to win event and their first ever appearance at the speedway. Played before a packed house, Rick Eckert of York,PA swept the winning every race he competed in. Driving the Raye Vest Excavating/J&J Steel No. 24 Raye Vest Rocket Chassis/Cornett Engines Ford Taurus, “Scrub” topped the field in time trials, won his heat race and the dash race to earn the pole for the main event then led every lap for his second trip of 2005 to victory lane. Steve Francis came home in second extending his Championship points lead over Billy Moyer by 14 points. Chub Frank, who was a guest on SPEED Channel’s WIND TUNNEL with Dave Despain live from the speedway, finished third with Josh Richards fourth and Dale McDowell fifth.
Eckert, who’s only other 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory had happened June 1st , breathed a huge sigh of relief before telling the packed house, “Things have been a struggle for us lately, we’ve been breaking”, said the beaming winner. “We’ve been running good. We just haven’t shown any good finishes for it. Things went our way tonight. We didn’t break anything. Last week we won another race where we broke in the last 10 laps and still won it. This week, we don’t break anything and we win so hopefully things are turning around for us.”
Seven races left in the season. A one week break in the schedule. Then it would be time to get serious once again. The chase for the Championship couldn’t have been any tighter. Steve Francis had fought his way back into the lead. Billy Moyer was now fourteen points behind Francis. But, Tim McCreadie, Chub Frank and Rick Eckert still had a shot and could make things tough if either Francis or Moyer or both had any bad luck in the stretch run.
Rain had fallen over the St. Louis,MO area and had fallen long and hard. Despite all efforts to groom the racing surface into shape at Tri-City Speedway across the Mississippi River in Illinois, the agonizing decision to cancel the September 16th $10,000 to win event was made. One less chance to shake up those Championship points.
Traveling south of St. Louis the following day to the bullring of I-55 Speedway, Billy Moyer of Batesville,AR captured the September 17th $10,000 to win SPEED Channel covered event regaining the 2005 Championship points lead by a scant four points over ninth place finisher Steve Francis. Starting eleventh driving the J&J Steel/Banner Valley Hauling/McCarthy’s One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning/Petroff Towing No. 21 Billy Moyer Racing C.J. Rayburn Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Mr. Smooth” tracked down Shannon Babb trading the lead with Babb for two laps until taking the lead for good on lap forty-two. Moyer held off early race leader Darrell Lanigan for his fifth win of the season. Outside pole sitter Brian Shirley rode home third with Rick Eckert fourth and Babb fifth.
“Shannon was running good at the beginning of the race and his car was definitely better than what mine was”, stated Moyer from the victory lane. “I think everybody out here was too tight but maybe Shannon and Darrell. I know I was way too tight. I think the track threw everybody a curve.”
After an early morning drive September 18th the World of Outlaws Late Model Series race teams rolled into the Illinois State Fairgrounds one-mile speedway as the sun rose in the east. The “Springfield Mile”. A daunting task to say the least. Speeds nearing 160mph on the long straightaways. This is a track where what a driver does elsewhere he doesn’t dare do here. This will be a give and take type of race. No slide jobs here. Do that and things can get real ugly. Very ugly.
With the drivers definitely remembering the pre-race instructions of “give and take” the $12,000 to win event saw Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg,TN capture his third main event leading flag to flag. From the pole Bloomquist kept his Miller Brothers Coal Company/Hawkeye Trucking No. 0 Scott Bloomquist Racing Bloomquist Race Cars/Vic Hill Engines Ford Mustang in front despite an oil leak which caused some visibility problems for the winner. Outside pole sitter Rick Eckert rode home in second a car length behind Bloomquist with Billy Moyer third, Josh Richards fourth and Tim McCreadie fifth.
Despite taking the win Bloomquist felt that his day wasn’t the best stating, “After the rough night we had last night….actually the rough night everyone had with the track conditions at Pevely, we just wanted to keep our car the best we could last night because we only had the one car and it had to be ready for the mile. Today we just kept working on it every chance we could and got it a little better each time. Then we developed that oil leak. That happened at the end of the heat race and we worked on it for the dash. That only lasted for about three laps. We worked on it again after that and it lasted for maybe six to eight laps in the feature then it progressively got worse. I ran out of tear-offs pretty quick and it was a good thing I had gloves. I used those to wipe the oil off my shield and then it started to get on the right rear tire. I mean, I knew there wasn’t going to be a lot of passing out there so we just made all the right moves and it worked out.”
With the long week-end behind them the teams now regrouped and a week later headed for Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway. A record number of flat tires, nearly sixty throughout the course of the event, made the September 23rd $10,000 to win affair a survival of the fittest type of race. Dale McDowell of Chickamauga,GA scored his third main event of the season and was the only driver in the feature field not to pit for service to the car. Starting eighth aboard the J&J Steel/Larry Shaw Race Cars/New Vision Graphics No. 17M DMR Rocket-Shaw/Racetek Pontiac Grand Prix, “Mac Daddy” broke into the top five at the end of the first lap and then worked his way past Brian Shirley while working lap thirty-three to take the lead. McDowell held off Rick Eckert by a car length for the win. Billy Moyer rode home third with Steve Francis fourth and Shane Clanton fifth.
When asked in a post-race interview if he felt “Lady Luck” was on his side McDowell stated, “I think it was and I think that’s the biggest reason we won the race. But, I was concerned because all of those guys still running had fresh tires. We went a little soft on the tires and mine were just about worn out at the end. I didn’t know if they’d drive back by me or not but we had good position. Luck was definitely on our side as we were the only ones that didn’t have to pit for tires or something. Luck’s been on our side the past couple of weeks. So maybe we can keep that luck going for awhile.”
Only eighteen points now separated Billy Moyer and second place Steve Francis in the Championship chase. Tim McCreadie still had a shot sitting only eighty points out and Rick Eckert was still alive as well, only eighty-eight points from the top rung. Mathematically, Chub Frank was not yet eliminated sitting one hundered ten points behind Moyer when the Series traveled to Clarksville Speedway at the Clarksville Racing Complex in Tennessee for a September 24th event. Tim McCreadie of Watertown,NY scored his eighth victory of the season pocketing $10,000 to win. From the outside pole aboard the Sweeteners Plus/A&C Speedworld No. 39 Ann and Carl Myers owned Rocket Chassis/C&C Performance Pontiac Grand Prix, “T-Mac” grabbed the lead from pole sitter Clint Smith at lap three before fending off the challenges of Billy Moyer while racing in heavy lapped traffic. Caution at lap 37 cleared the track for McCreadie while Moyer headed pitside with a flat left rear tire. McCreadie then pulled away from Smith over the final circuits. Rick Eckert came home third with Steve Francis fourth and Chub Frank fifth.
McCreadie was very happy with his performance despite having some worries at the beginning of the evening stating, “This track raced a lot better than I thought it would. When we got here I was little nervous because it’s so narrow. But, once it slicked off and it didn’t have one groove better than the other it raced great. I was amazed! I don’t know how we would have done if we started farther back. We raced all over this place. I saw Billy poking under me a couple of times and I got nervous. Racing in all that lapped traffic you can’t take a break because a good guy like Billy and all these guys we race against we’ll get you in a heartbeat.”
With Francis finishing fourth and Moyer finishing eighth at Clarksville, Francis was able to close to within ten points of Moyer for the Championship points lead. McCreadie had pulled to within sixty-four points of Moyer with Eckert now seventy-eight behind and Frank one hundred four points down. Two races left in the season to decided the Championship and five drivers still with a chance. Realistically, it was a two driver race. Moyer and Francis.
Moyer had been at the top all season long save for a few times when he slipped to second place. Francis had come out of the gate far from where he had wanted and had fought his way back into contention. Two races left in the season. Two drivers with a chance. Only one would be the Champion. But, there would be a waiting period.
It would be nearly one month before the final two events of the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season would happen and the chase to the Championship would be over. Georgia’s Golden Isles Speedway set the stage for the next to last event of the 2005 season offering $10,000 to the winner of the October 26th race. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove,GA captured his first World of Outlaws Stacker 2® Late Model Series victory of the season. Starting third aboard the RSD Enterprises/SAE Parts No. 25 Ronnie Dobbins owned Rocket Chassis/Custom Racing Engines Chevrolet Monte Carlo, “Coconut” blasted from third to first after a lap seventeen restart snaring the lead from Tim McCreadie and racing away to the win by a wide margin. McCreadie held on for second with Darrell Lanigan third, Steve Francis fourth and Dale McDowell fifth.
Clanton, who suffered an injured shoulder that required surgery in late April and missed nearly two months of the season, was very happy with his second career WoO victory. “Man, does this feel real good”, stated Clanton. “My hats off to my crew, Gary Winger. I mean he stuck with me all year. And it’s been a tough one. I knew that we’d been running good once I got back and whether we would get one of these I just didn’t know. We’ve been racing against the best drivers in the country all year. My hat is off to those guys.”
With Francis’ fourth place finish coupled with Moyer’s tenth place finish at G.I.S., Francis had regained the Championship points lead entering the final race of the 2005 season at Volusia Speedway Park in Florida with a scant two point margin! Who would have thought after a season that started in February and would end at the same venue the Championship would all boil down to one event to determine if either Steve Francis or Billy Moyer would wear the crown as the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion?
For Francis to claim the crown it was really pretty simple. Finish one spot better than Moyer in the $30,000 to win – 100 lap event and the Championship title would be his.
For Moyer, finish two spots better than Francis and Championship would be his by a scant two points. Or, win the final race and see Francis finish second and the Championship title would still be his again by only two points. Finish one spot better than Francis and then there would be a tie.
If that happened then the first tie-breaker would be number of wins in the season. Both Moyer and Francis each had won five races entering the final event. If either of them won the race then the first tie-breaker would be a moot point. But, if a second tie-breaker of most second place finishes in the season had to be used then advantage Moyer.
One event to determine the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship. Just the way it should be. Hollywood couldn’t have scripted a better finish.
Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg,TN captured the October 28th and 29th two-day season ending event jumping to the lead from his outside front row starting position leading all the way for his fourth victory of the season as the SPEED Channel cameras captured the action. Moyer worked his way past Francis with one lap remaining in the main event to secure the 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Championship. Moyer and Francis actually tied for the Championship in the final points but Moyer won the tie-breaker of having more second place finishes than Francis during the season, five to two, to secure the Championship title. Rick Eckert rode home fourth with Tim McCreadie fifth.
Bloomquist was very happy with the victory stating it was a good way to end the season driving the Miller Bros. Coal/Hawkeye Trucking No. 0 Scott Bloomquist Racing Bloomquist Chassis/Vic Hill Racing Engines Ford Taurus. “Yeah, this is a good way to wrap up the season”, stated Bloomquist. “It was a rough year for us. We went through a lot of engine trouble and Vic Hill is doing our engines now and I can’t say enough for them. That’s turned us around more than anything. It’s nice to come on strong at the end of the year. Nobody remembers the ones at the first of the year. But, if you end up the season the way we have it gives us something to think about over the winter.”
Moyer was ecstatic with his Championship and when asked what he thought about getting past Francis with only one lap to go the Batesville,AR veteran chuckled and then stated, “It’s funny it turned out that way. I tell ya’, it just seemed like the other guys were fading at the end of the race and our stuff came to us. I’m really at a loss for words. I just need to thank my guys and sponsors for standing behind us. They would do anything I asked them to do.”
The driver of the J&J Steel/Banner Valley Hauling/McCarthy’s One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning/Petroff Towing No. 21 Billy Moyer Racing C.J. Rayburn Race Cars/Pro Power Racing Chevrolet Monte Carlo was very gracious with his comments for Steve Francis. “I really need to congratulate Steve”, said Moyer. “He did everything you could possibly do to try and win the Championship. Probably being in the position he was in knowing he was ahead of me the entire race had to have been harder on him than it was for me. After our heat race I thought the race track stayed racy but didn’t know what it was going to do for the feature. Really no one did. If it would have rubbered up I would’ve been in real trouble where we were starting at. I thought it’s probably good that I could sit back and watch him throughout the race. Then at the end here we were right together again. Steve drove a great race and his guys worked real hard too. It’s kinda’ funny we started the season here and end the season here and it ended so close in the points. I’m just relieved we were able to get the job done.”
Francis was obviously disappointed with the outcome but was still proud of the job his MOPAR Performance Parts/Valvoline/Freeport Recycling No. 15 Steve Francis Racing Rocket Chassis/Stanton Racing Engines Dodge Intrepid R/T team did. “Yeah, I’m disappointed we lost the Championship on a tie-breaker. But, I’m proud of MOPAR and Valvoline and everybody associated with our team. At least we’ve been here in the hunt two years in a row. I mean we lost the tie-breaker but we tied for the Championship. I’m sure Billy would’ve rather have won it out right and I wish we would’ve won it outright had it been a tie-breaker the other way. He’s going to get the bigger point find check tomorrow. But, when you go to the off-season trade shows, yeah, he can say he was the Champion but I can say we tied. That’s about all you can say about it. Actually we had a good year.”
The 2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season can be summed up in one word. Thrilling.
Who could have dreamed that a season that began in February and would end in October would come down to a tie-breaker to decide the Championship? It was an act that not even best script writers could have conjured up. One can only dream of what is in store for the 2006 World of Outlaws Late Model Series season. Hopefully, it’s just as thrilling as 2005.
2005 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Season Recap: September – October
9/2/05 - Twin Cities Raceway Park – North Vernon,IN - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) TIM MCCREADIE; 2) Chub Frank; 3) Steve Francis; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Clint Smith; 7) Shane Clanton; 8) Billy Moyer; 9) Josh Richards; 10) Brian Shirley; 11) Shawn Negangard; 12) Billy Decker; 13) Zach Carney; 14) John Blankenship; 15) Eric Jacobsen; 16) Mike Marlar; 17) Tim Prince; 18) Greg Johnson; 19) Steve Casebolt; 20) Scott James; 21) Jeff Wilson; 22) Steve Barnett; 23) Darrell Lanigan; 24) Don O’Neal – Fast Qualifier: Clanton 14.837 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Clanton, Moyer, Johnson, McCreadie; “B” Main Winner: Decker; Dash Winner: Moyer
9/4/05 - Tri-City Speedway – Franklin,PA - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) RICK ECKERT; 2) Steve Francis; 3) Chub Frank; 4) Josh Richards; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Billy Moyer; 7) Darrell Lanigan; 8) Tim McCreadie; 9) Keith Barbara; 10) Shane Clanton; 11) Keith Berner; 12) Clint Smith; 13) John Blankenship; 14) Eric Jacobsen; 15) Matt Urban; 16) Matt Lux; 17) Chad Ruhlman; 18) Ryan Markham; 19) Brent Rhebergen; 20) Billy Henry; 21) Ken Schaltenbrand; 22) John Flinner; 23) Darrell Bossard; 24) Rick Briggs; 25) Todd Andrews; 26) Davey Johnson – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 18.578 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Eckert, Richards, Francis, McDowell; “B” Main Winner: Lanigan; Dash Winner: Eckert
9/16/05 – Tri-City Speedway – Pontoon Beach,IL – 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
CANCELED DUE TO WET GROUNDS
9/17/05 - I-55 Raceway – Pevely,MO - 55 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) BILLY MOYER; 2) Darrell Lanigan; 3) Brian Shirley; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Shannon Babb; 6) Dan Schlieper; 7) Brian Birkhofer; 8) Jimmy Mars; 9) Steve Francis; 10) Scott Bloomquist; 11) Chub Frank; 12) Tim McCreadie; 13) Eric Jacobsen; 14) Josh Richards; 15) Shane Clanton; 16) Clint Smith; 17) Brady Smith; 18) Randy Korte; 19) Mark Oller; 20) Darren Miller; 21) John Blankenship; 22) Dale McDowell; 23) Ed Dixon; 24) Matt Taylor; 25) Billy Faust – Fast Qualifier: Korte 12.853 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Babb, Lanigan, Frank, Shirley; “B” Main Winners: Bloomquist, Birkhofer; Dash Winner: Lanigan
9/18/05 - Illinois State Fairgrounds – Springfield,IL - 30 Lap Feature - $12,000 To Win
1) SCOTT BLOOMQUIST; 2) Rick Eckert; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Josh Richards; 5) Tim McCreadie; 6) Brian Birkhofer; 7) Dale McDowell; 8) Shane Clanton; 9) Steve Francis; 10) Mark Voigt; 11) Roger Brickler; 12) Clint Smith; 13) John Blankenship; 14) Mike Fannin; 15) Kyle Steffens; 16) Justin Allgaier; 17) Gary Webb; 18) Chub Frank; 19) Steve Sheppard Jr.; 20) Audie Swartz; 21) Eric Jacobsen; 22) Dennis Erb Jr.; 23) Darren Miller; 24) Tim Lance; 25) Joe Ross Jr. – Fast Qualifer: Darrell Lanigan 27.932 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Miller, Richards, Bloomquist, Eckert; “B” Main Winners: Voigt, Smith; Dash Winner: Bloomquist
9/23/05 - Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway – Calvert City,KY - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) DALE MCDOWELL; 2) Rick Eckert; 3) Billy Moyer; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Shane Clanton; 6) Shannon Babb; 7) Brian Shirley; 8) Chub Frank; 9) Mike Marlar; 10) Tim McCreadie; 11) Josh Richards; 12) Darrell Lanigan; 13) Jamie Elam; 14) John Tindal; 15) Terry English; 16) Richie Hedrick; 17) Clint Smith; 18) Ray Cook; 19) Brad Neat; 20) Tait Davenport; 21) Rod Reed; 22) Jeremy Williams; 23) John Blankenship; 24) Eric Jacobsen – Fast Qualifier: Lanigan 14.262 secs.; Heat Race Winners: Eckert, Francis, Smith, Moyer; “B” Main Winners: Cook, Babb; Dash Winner: Smith
9/24/05 - Clarksville Speedway – Clarksville,TN - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) TIM MCCREADIE; 2) Clint Smith; 3) Rick Eckert; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Chub Frank; 6) Ray Cook; 7) Dale McDowell; 8) Billy Moyer; 9) Darrell Lanigan; 10) Terry English; 11) Shane Clanton; 12) Eric Jacobsen; 13) Josh Richards; 14) Jay Brinkley; 15) Tony Albright; 16) John Blankenship; 17) Gary Johnson; 18) Brett Wyatt; 19) Perry Delaney; 20) Mike Chandler; 21) Tait Davenport; 22) Gary Frost; 23) Tommy Lawwell; 24) Tony Morris – Fast Qualifier: Moyer 13.086 secs.; Heat raceWinners: Moyer, Smith, McCreadie, Eckert; “B” Main Winners: Albright, Delaney; Dash Winner: Smith
10/26/05 - Golden Isles Speedway – Brunswick (Waynesville,GA) - 50 Lap Feature - $10,000 To Win
1) SHANE CLANTON; 2) Tim McCreadie; 3) Darrell Lanigan; 4) Steve Francis; 5) Dale McDowell; 6) Josh Richards; 7) Rick Eckert; 8) Scott Bloomquist; 9) Clint Smith; 10) Billy Moyer; 11) Michael Lloyd; 12) Dan Schlieper; 13) Chub Frank; 14) Eric Jacobsen; 15) Bodine Massengill; 16) John Kellum; 17) Billy Decker; 18) John Blankenship; 19) Tim Fuller; 20) Jason Fitzgerald; 21) Patrick Sheltra; 22) Johnny Collins; 23) Johnny Cloer; 24) Brian Nuttal – Fast Qualifier: McCreadie 17.620 secs. (New Track Record); Heat Race Winners: Moyer, Lanigan, Frank; Dash Winner: Lanigan
10/27/05 & 10/28/05 - Volusia Raceway Park – Barberville,FL - 100 Lap Feature - $30,000 To Win
1) SCOTT BLOOMQUIST; 2) Billy Moyer; 3) Steve Francis; 4) Rick Eckert; 5) Tim McCreadie; 6) Chub Frank; 7) Darrell Lanigan; 8) Clint Smith; 9) Dale McDowell; 10) Dan Schlieper; 11) Shane Clanton; 12) John Blankenship; 13) Billy Decker; 14) Michael Lloyd; 15) Patrick Sheltra; 16) Homer Leonard; 17) Johnny Collins; 18) Tim Fuller; 19) Josh Richards; 20) Eric Jacobsen; 21) Johnny Cloer; 22) Chris Madden; 23) Aaron Hatton; 24) Steve Lade – Fast Qualifier: Eckert 16.793 secs.; Heat RaceWinners: Eckert, Lanigan, Clanton; “B” Main Winner: Collins; Dash Winner: Frank
