VERNON,NY (July 29, 2010) - Defending series champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN withstood a one-lap shootout with Ray cook of Brasstown, NC to win his sixth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event of the season. The win took place on Thursday Night at Utica-Rome Speedway. Bloomquist earned $10,000 for the 492nd win of his illustrious career. Cook, last year's series winner at the track, finished second after starting in ninth. Eighteenth starting Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA finished third, followed by Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL and John Blankenship of Williamson, WV.
"Here tonight, the car was about as perfect as it gets," exclaimed the 46-year-old driver, "last year, after the American Racer tires beat us, Hoosier went to work and had a great tire for us tonight. I wasn't really nervous on that last restart, because I knew Ray would run me clean. It would have been a shame to lose the race on the last lap after the night we had".
Bloomquist dominated the field for a majority of the race. He already held nearly a half-a-lap lead over Cook when the caution came out with seven laps to go.
Bloomquist then had to be patient through two more cautions in the final two circuits, setting up a one-lap dash to the finish. As Cook tried valiantly to steal the win from Bloomquist, he was able to outrun the #53 into turn one on the final lap. He went on to score the win and extend his series points lead over Jimmy Owens. The engine erupted in flames after the fuel line came off on lap ten while Owens was running second, ending his night.
"I have to thank Bob and Barb Miller, Miller Brothers Construction, Hawkeye Trucking, of course the Roush-Yates Engine ran superb, and all the crew, Tommy (Hicks) and everybody else," said the winner. "They [crew] do a great job, and with the tough competition on this series you have to be on top of your game night in and night out to stay up front. We gained a lot of points tonight on Jimmy and we look forward to coming back up here. This is a very good race track and the fans treated us just super".
Cook in the D&R Racing owned MasterSbilt captured the win at Utica-Rome a year ago, but could not quite overcome his ninth starting spot as he crossed the line behind Bloomquist. McDowell in the Clint Bowyer Racing, Dollar General sponsored Warrior Impala SS salvaged a credible night after the battery lost power in his car during the heat race. He was relegated to an outside ninth-row starting spot and came home third followed by Pearson in the Bobby Labonte Racing; Lucas Oil Products sponsored MasterSbilt Dodge Charger. Blankenship, in the Don Blankenship, Coal America's Energy Rocket was fifth.
Completing the top ten were Billy Decker of Unadilla, NY; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN; Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN; Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; and Tim Isenberg of Marshfield, WI.
In preliminary action, Bloomquist was the fastest qualifier among the 26 entrants in the Red Buck Cigars Time Trials. Heat race winners were Bloomquist, Pearson, and Blankenship. Dan Schlieper took the B-Main win.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be back in action this Saturday Night, July 31st at Frank Plessinger's Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD. The event will pay $10,000 to win. For more information, go to www.hagerstownspeedway.com.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Tuesday Night, July 29th, 2010
Utica-Rome Speedway - Vernon, NY
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: Scott Bloomquist / 17.809 seconds (Overall and Group B)
John Blankenship / 18.155 seconds (Group A)
Wiles Driveshaft's First Heat (10 Laps- Top 6 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Vic Coffey, Brad Neat, Billy Decker, Don O'Neal, David Zona, Tim Devendorf, Dale Caswell, Justin Wright
AFCO Racing Products Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 6 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, Daniel Stone, Chris Wall, Tim Isenberg, Tyler Reddick, Dan Schlieper, Joseph August, Steve Casebolt-DNS
Allstar Performance Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 6 Advance): John Blankenship, Eric Wells, Ray Cook, Dylan Yoder, Jon Rohacevich, Dale McDowell, James Cornell, Larry Wight
Hawk Brake First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Dan Schlieper, Steve Casebolt, Tim Devendorf, Dale Caswell, James Cornell, Justin Wright, Larry Wight, Joseph August
Feature Finish - 50 Laps
FINISH START CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN
1 1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 9 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
3 18 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA
4 2 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
5 3 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
6 10 91 Billy Decker Unidilla, NY
7 20 c9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN
8 13 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
9 17 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
10 14 9t Tim Isenberg Marshfield, WI
11 7 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
12 12 32 Dylan Yoder Selinsgrove, PA
13 21 2 Tim Devendorf Brewerton, NY
14 19 s9 Dan Schlieper Sullivan, WI
15 4 32c Vic Coffey Caledonia, NY
16 23 47 Joseph August Bridgeport, NY
17 11 71w Chris Wall Grayson, KY
18 8 21d Daniel Stone Thompson, PA
19 22 R19 Dale Caswell Central Square, NY
20 24 13B James Cornell Harpersville, NY
21 15 24J Jon Rohacevich Prattsville, NY
22 5 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
23 16 99z David Zona Montrose, PA
24 6 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY
Race Statistics
Entrants: 26
Lap Leaders: Scott Bloomquist (Laps 1-50)
Caution Flags: Eric Wells, Daniel Stone (Lap 1); Eric Wells (Lap 5); Jimmy Owens (Lap 10); Jon Rohacevic (Lap 13); Daniel Stone (Lap 23); Chris Wall (Lap 41); Joseph August (Lap 48); Vic Coffey (Lap 49)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: NONE
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: NONE
Fast Time Provisionals: Joseph August, James Cornell
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Steve Casebolt (Started 20th; Finished 7th; Advanced 13 positions)
Ohlin's Shocks Performer of the Race: Scott Bloomquist
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Steve Casebolt
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Tim Isenberg
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Roush-Yates Racing Engines
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: Chris Wall
DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Tommy Greco (Dale McDowell)
Time of Race: 47 minutes, 53 seconds
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings
POS CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN POINTS
1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN 4880
2 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 4635
3 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL 4595
4 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC 4340
5 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN 4180
6 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA 4000
7 c9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN 3745
8 71w Chris Wall Springfield, LA 3730
9 s9 Dan Schlieper Sullivan, WI 3600
10 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV 3595
11 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY 3555
12 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY 3440
13 9t Tim Isenberg Marshfield, WI 2995
14 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA 2810
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors
ASI Racewear - "The Official Merchandise Vendor" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Canidae Pet Foods - "The Official Pet Foods" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
DART Machinery - "The Official Engine Components" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
E3 Spark Plugs - "The Official Spark Plug" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Geico Power Sports - "The Official Insurance" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
General Tire - "The Official Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Hoosier Tire - "The Official Race Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
K&N Filters - "The Official Filter" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Products - "The Official Oil" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Magnaflow Exhaust - "The Official Exhaust" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
MavTV - "The Official Men's Network" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
R&L Carrier - "The Official Carrier" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Rockstar Energy Drink - "The Official Drink" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Speedco - "The Official Truck Lube and Tire Center" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Sunoco Race Fuels - "The Official Fuel" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include: AFCO, Allstar Performance, American Racer, ApplianceZone.com, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, Custom Race Engines, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil Springs, JRi Shocks, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Penske Shocks, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Performance Rod & Custom, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Race Engine Design, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Roush Yates Engines, Safety Solutions, SuperFlow, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, WD Enterprises, 5150 Race Trailers.
James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com
"Here tonight, the car was about as perfect as it gets," exclaimed the 46-year-old driver, "last year, after the American Racer tires beat us, Hoosier went to work and had a great tire for us tonight. I wasn't really nervous on that last restart, because I knew Ray would run me clean. It would have been a shame to lose the race on the last lap after the night we had".
Bloomquist dominated the field for a majority of the race. He already held nearly a half-a-lap lead over Cook when the caution came out with seven laps to go.
Bloomquist then had to be patient through two more cautions in the final two circuits, setting up a one-lap dash to the finish. As Cook tried valiantly to steal the win from Bloomquist, he was able to outrun the #53 into turn one on the final lap. He went on to score the win and extend his series points lead over Jimmy Owens. The engine erupted in flames after the fuel line came off on lap ten while Owens was running second, ending his night.
"I have to thank Bob and Barb Miller, Miller Brothers Construction, Hawkeye Trucking, of course the Roush-Yates Engine ran superb, and all the crew, Tommy (Hicks) and everybody else," said the winner. "They [crew] do a great job, and with the tough competition on this series you have to be on top of your game night in and night out to stay up front. We gained a lot of points tonight on Jimmy and we look forward to coming back up here. This is a very good race track and the fans treated us just super".
Cook in the D&R Racing owned MasterSbilt captured the win at Utica-Rome a year ago, but could not quite overcome his ninth starting spot as he crossed the line behind Bloomquist. McDowell in the Clint Bowyer Racing, Dollar General sponsored Warrior Impala SS salvaged a credible night after the battery lost power in his car during the heat race. He was relegated to an outside ninth-row starting spot and came home third followed by Pearson in the Bobby Labonte Racing; Lucas Oil Products sponsored MasterSbilt Dodge Charger. Blankenship, in the Don Blankenship, Coal America's Energy Rocket was fifth.
Completing the top ten were Billy Decker of Unadilla, NY; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN; Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN; Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; and Tim Isenberg of Marshfield, WI.
In preliminary action, Bloomquist was the fastest qualifier among the 26 entrants in the Red Buck Cigars Time Trials. Heat race winners were Bloomquist, Pearson, and Blankenship. Dan Schlieper took the B-Main win.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be back in action this Saturday Night, July 31st at Frank Plessinger's Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD. The event will pay $10,000 to win. For more information, go to www.hagerstownspeedway.com.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Tuesday Night, July 29th, 2010
Utica-Rome Speedway - Vernon, NY
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: Scott Bloomquist / 17.809 seconds (Overall and Group B)
John Blankenship / 18.155 seconds (Group A)
Wiles Driveshaft's First Heat (10 Laps- Top 6 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Vic Coffey, Brad Neat, Billy Decker, Don O'Neal, David Zona, Tim Devendorf, Dale Caswell, Justin Wright
AFCO Racing Products Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 6 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Jimmy Owens, Daniel Stone, Chris Wall, Tim Isenberg, Tyler Reddick, Dan Schlieper, Joseph August, Steve Casebolt-DNS
Allstar Performance Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 6 Advance): John Blankenship, Eric Wells, Ray Cook, Dylan Yoder, Jon Rohacevich, Dale McDowell, James Cornell, Larry Wight
Hawk Brake First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Dan Schlieper, Steve Casebolt, Tim Devendorf, Dale Caswell, James Cornell, Justin Wright, Larry Wight, Joseph August
Feature Finish - 50 Laps
FINISH START CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN
1 1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
2 9 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
3 18 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA
4 2 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
5 3 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
6 10 91 Billy Decker Unidilla, NY
7 20 c9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN
8 13 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN
9 17 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
10 14 9t Tim Isenberg Marshfield, WI
11 7 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
12 12 32 Dylan Yoder Selinsgrove, PA
13 21 2 Tim Devendorf Brewerton, NY
14 19 s9 Dan Schlieper Sullivan, WI
15 4 32c Vic Coffey Caledonia, NY
16 23 47 Joseph August Bridgeport, NY
17 11 71w Chris Wall Grayson, KY
18 8 21d Daniel Stone Thompson, PA
19 22 R19 Dale Caswell Central Square, NY
20 24 13B James Cornell Harpersville, NY
21 15 24J Jon Rohacevich Prattsville, NY
22 5 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
23 16 99z David Zona Montrose, PA
24 6 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY
Race Statistics
Entrants: 26
Lap Leaders: Scott Bloomquist (Laps 1-50)
Caution Flags: Eric Wells, Daniel Stone (Lap 1); Eric Wells (Lap 5); Jimmy Owens (Lap 10); Jon Rohacevic (Lap 13); Daniel Stone (Lap 23); Chris Wall (Lap 41); Joseph August (Lap 48); Vic Coffey (Lap 49)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: NONE
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: NONE
Fast Time Provisionals: Joseph August, James Cornell
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Steve Casebolt (Started 20th; Finished 7th; Advanced 13 positions)
Ohlin's Shocks Performer of the Race: Scott Bloomquist
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Steve Casebolt
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Tim Isenberg
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Roush-Yates Racing Engines
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: Chris Wall
DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Tommy Greco (Dale McDowell)
Time of Race: 47 minutes, 53 seconds
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings
POS CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN POINTS
1 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN 4880
2 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 4635
3 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL 4595
4 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC 4340
5 71 Don O'Neal Martinsville, IN 4180
6 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA 4000
7 c9 Steve Casebolt Richmond, IN 3745
8 71w Chris Wall Springfield, LA 3730
9 s9 Dan Schlieper Sullivan, WI 3600
10 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV 3595
11 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY 3555
12 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY 3440
13 9t Tim Isenberg Marshfield, WI 2995
14 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA 2810
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Sponsors
ASI Racewear - "The Official Merchandise Vendor" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Canidae Pet Foods - "The Official Pet Foods" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
DART Machinery - "The Official Engine Components" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
E3 Spark Plugs - "The Official Spark Plug" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Geico Power Sports - "The Official Insurance" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
General Tire - "The Official Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Hoosier Tire - "The Official Race Tire" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
K&N Filters - "The Official Filter" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lucas Oil Products - "The Official Oil" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Magnaflow Exhaust - "The Official Exhaust" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
MavTV - "The Official Men's Network" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
R&L Carrier - "The Official Carrier" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Rockstar Energy Drink - "The Official Drink" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Speedco - "The Official Truck Lube and Tire Center" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Sunoco Race Fuels - "The Official Fuel" of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
2010 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include: AFCO, Allstar Performance, American Racer, ApplianceZone.com, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, Custom Race Engines, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil Springs, JRi Shocks, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Penske Shocks, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Performance Rod & Custom, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Race Engine Design, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Rocket Chassis, Roush Yates Engines, Safety Solutions, SuperFlow, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, WD Enterprises, 5150 Race Trailers.
James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com
