Jeep VanWormer Jets from 20th to Win Spring 50 at Florence Speedway
UNION, KY (April 11, 2009) – Taking over the lead on lap 37 after starting 20th, Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, MI went on to win the 33rd Annual “Spring 50” on Saturday Night at Florence Speedway earning $5,000 for his first ever win at the historic half-mile facility. VanWormer had an uphill battle all night, suffering a flat tire in his heat race, started 14th in his consy (which he won) and coming from the outside of the tenth row to pass Steve Francis with 13 laps remaining in the race as he pulled away for the win. Francis fought off a side-by-side tussle with Darrell Lanigan to finish second. Lanigan was third followed by early race-leader Randy Weaver and Josh McGuire.
Weaver and Jason Jameson started on the front row of the 50 lap Late Model contest as Weaver took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Jameson, former track champion Audie McWilliams, Lanigan and Steve Casebolt in the top five positions with one lap scored. Lanigan would make a move on McWilliams grabbing the third spot with two laps recorded as Lanigan was on the move early in the contest.
Kevin Claycomb, the two-time and defending winner of the Spring 50 was on the move as well as the Indiana veteran followed Lanigan around Jameson to move into the third slot by the fifth circuit. Lanigan and Claycomb then closed up on Weaver as it looked like just a matter of time before either one of them was going to go by Weaver for the lead.
With ten laps in the books Weaver was still holding his line out in front with Lanigan, Claycomb, Steve Francis and McWilliams breathing down his neck. Weaver then started to pick up the tail end of the field by lap eleven as Lanigan was all over him in the race for the top position.
Lanigan after several laps of trying was able to clear Weaver on lap 12 to take over the lead dropping Weaver to second as Claycomb and Francis went door-to-door for third with Francis gaining the position on lap 13. Lanigan then pushed his lead to three-car lengths over the field as Weaver, Francis and Claycomb were closely bunched together racing for second.
With 15 laps complete the first caution of the race came out for a slowing Justin Rattliff, who was headed to the infield pit. On the restart Lanigan would be out in front for the Delaware double-file restart with Weaver and Francis lined up side-by-side. The race would see one green flag lap of racing until Claycomb; the defending race winner would spin in turn four bringing out caution number two.
With another restart looming Lanigan would again be out in front on the restart and as the green came back out again the drivers would get another complete lap in before Greg Johnson, who was running inside the top ten looped it off of turn number two with 17 laps complete.
The restart to begin lap 18 would again see Lanigan on the point, but Francis made quick work of his fellow Kentuckian as he drove to the front passing Lanigan on lap 19 to take over the lead for the first time in this competitive race. With 19 laps down it was Francis showing the way followed by Lanigan and Weaver. At this point of the race VanWormer who had steadily worked his way through a talented field entered the top five for the first time on lap 19 as he was up to fourth just in front of McWilliams.
VanWormer was really rolling now as he overhauled Weaver for third on lap 20 and then two circuits later he claimed Lanigan as a victim passing him for second using the inside of the race track, but then VanWormer’s trip through the field became a bit tougher as Francis was really hooked up and had built a good-sized lead at the halfway mark of the race.
Francis then started to hit heavy traffic and with 30 laps to go Francis was having to contend with that as VanWormer was starting to track him down. Francis maintained about as three to four car length advantage over VanWormer, but the fourth and final caution came out with 33 laps to go which certainly played into VanWormer’s hands as he and Lanigan would line up side-by-side right directly behind Francis for the final restart of the race.
Once the green came back out VanWormer wasted little time in challenging Francis for the lead. VanWormer would pull alongside of Francis going door-to-door on lap 35 and 36 and the finally was able to clear him to take over the lead on the 37th circuit as the appreciative crowd rose to their feet as VanWormer was making plenty of new fans at Florence on Saturday Night with his hard-charging style of racing.
Over the last 13 laps of the race VanWormer drove them just like he had for the previous 37 laps as he made his way around the half-mile track contending with lapped cars and a marred surface in the corners because of the rains the night before. But VanWormer was not going to be denied on this night as he sped on to collect his first ever win at Florence as he continued his early season success as his win was his second of 2009 with his first coming also in the Bluegrass State back in early March at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway.
Francis and Lanigan had quite a battle fort second the last 13 laps of the race as the two were nearly inseparable racing side-by-side with Francis finally gaining enough of an advantage over Lanigan to beat him out at the finish line.
After the race an excited VanWormer thanked the crowd for coming out on a cold night, but reminded them they saw one heck of a race. “We were just hoping to make the top three in the consy to transfer after the flat in our hear race, the car is just amazingly bad fast right, it feels great to have a car that fast under you and coming from 20th I can’t believe how well we ran,” said the 33-year-old driver who is in his first season of following full-time the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
“We were running down there on the track where really nobody else was racing, I was hoping to get to lapped traffic to catch Francis, but that last yellow really helped, I was hoping to get that jump off the corner on him and the car stuck well coming off the corners and I wanted to pass him clean and we did and then I just held on the rest of way and I was praying that I could keep all four wheels on the car and it worked out great,” commented VanWormer afterwards.
“The Rocket Cars are just amazing, I can’t say enough about them, we’ve run well all year so far and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the year, I think we going to have a great season,” said VanWormer who is currently leading the Quarter Master Rookie of the Year for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and is ninth in the championship points standings.
Francis who led 17 of the 50 laps said afterwards was happy with second place even though he wishes that last caution had not come out. “I knew when he got to second we were a sitting duck at that point, we didn’t need last caution that’s for sure, I believe he started 20th and won so you have to give credit where credit is due and I came over to congratulate him, he drove a heck of a race”
VanWormer’s Iron Motorsports #55 entry is powered by a Cornett Racing Engines and sponsored by Bayline Fire Protection, Globe Technologies, Banshee Graphics, Integra Racing Shocks, Port City Racing, Hoosier Tires and VP Racing Fuels.
Francis of Ashland, KY, who normally drives for Dale Beitler, piloted the Morehead Auto Truck Parts Sales/Russell Baker Racing Engines/ Tim Logan Racing Rocket GTO entry at Florence. Lanigan of Union, KY was third in the Fusion Energy Drink/Cornett Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS.
Weaver from Crossville, TN who led the first eleven laps of the event was fourth in the Glenn’s Auto Parts/Race Engine Design/GTO Corvette with Josh McGuire of Grayson, KY finishing fifth in the DJ’s Kitchen Corner/GCP Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo SS. McGuire looked to be a contender for the win at the halfway mark of the race, but he had to finish the race with a broken lower control arm on his car.
Rounding out the top ten were Greg Johnson, Audie McWilliams, John Blankenship, Kevin Claycomb and Rod Conley. Both Johnson and Claycomb recovered nicely from earlier caution-causing spins to make it back into the top ten at the finish.
In preliminary action Mike Marlar was the fastest qualifier for the 57 entries from seven states with a lap of 16.881 seconds. Heat races win were taken by Randy weaver, Jason Jameson, Audie McWilliams, Steve Casebolt, Darrell Lanigan and Kevin Claycomb. The B-mains went to Eddie Carrier Jr. and JeepVanWormer.
Summary
Florence Speedway-Union, KY
Saturday Night, April 11, 2009
Late Models:
Fast Time: Mike Marlar 16.881 seconds
First Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Randy Weaver, Mike Marlar, Rod Conley, Chad Stapleton, Rick Combs, Tim Prince, David Spille, Jeremy Hines, Matt Pistole, Matt Miller
Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jason Jameson, John Blankenship, Josh McGuire, Eddie Carrier Jr., Brad Neat, Jimmy Crabtree, Bill Blair Jr., Casey Noonan, Kevin Blair
Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Audie McWilliams, Steve Francis, Josh Williams, Eric Wells, Wayne Chinn, Jerry Rice, Tom Sheets, Shannon Thornsberry, Jesse James Lay
Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Steve Casebolt, Michael Chilton, Jason Montgomery, Dustin Linville, Mike Meyers, Steve Landrum, Gary Engle, Duane Chamberlain
Fifth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Darrell Lanigan, Freddy Smith, Davey Johnson, Brandon Green, John Mason, Adrian Nichols, Chris Kirker, Jeep VanWormer
Sixth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Kevin Claycomb, Justin Rattliff, Greg Johnson, Chris Wilson, Robby Hensley, Bill Sheets, Curtis Deisenroth, Adam Dixon, Nick Hodges
First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Rick Combs, Wayne Chinn, Eric Wells, David Spille, Jimmy Crabtree, Tom Sheets, Tim Prince, Casey Noonan, Jeremy Hines, Shannon Thornsberry, Matt Miller, Kevin Blair, Matt Pistole, Chad Stapleton, Brad Neat, Bill Blair Jr.
Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jeep VanWormer, Chris Wilson, Brandon Green, Steve Landrum, John Mason, Curtis Deisenroth, Robby Hensley, Bill Sheets, Mike Meyers, Gary Engle, Adam Dixon, R.J. Conley, Dustin Linville, Adrian Nichols, Nick Hodges, Duane Chamberlain, Chris Kirker, Kenny Christy
33rd Annual “Spring 50” Feature Finish: Jeep VanWormer, Steve Francis, Darrell Lanigan, Randy Weaver, Josh McGuire, Greg Johnson, Audie McWilliams, John Blankenship, Kevin Claycomb, Rod Conley, Eddie Carrier Jr., Wayne Chinn, Jason Jameson, Tim Prince, Brandon Green, Rick Combs, Jason Montgomery, Josh Williams, Chris Wilson, Davey Johnson, Steve Casebolt, Michael Chilton, Freddy Smith, Mike Marlar, Justin Rattliff
Race Statistics:
Entries: 57
Caution Flags: 4
Lap Leaders: Randy Weaver1-11, Darrell Lanigan 12-18, Steve Francis 19-36, Jeep VanWormer 37-50
Hard Charger of the Race: Jeep VanWormer (Started 20th and finished first, advanced 19 positions)
UNION, KY (April 11, 2009) – Taking over the lead on lap 37 after starting 20th, Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning, MI went on to win the 33rd Annual “Spring 50” on Saturday Night at Florence Speedway earning $5,000 for his first ever win at the historic half-mile facility. VanWormer had an uphill battle all night, suffering a flat tire in his heat race, started 14th in his consy (which he won) and coming from the outside of the tenth row to pass Steve Francis with 13 laps remaining in the race as he pulled away for the win. Francis fought off a side-by-side tussle with Darrell Lanigan to finish second. Lanigan was third followed by early race-leader Randy Weaver and Josh McGuire.
Weaver and Jason Jameson started on the front row of the 50 lap Late Model contest as Weaver took the lead at the drop of the green flag with Jameson, former track champion Audie McWilliams, Lanigan and Steve Casebolt in the top five positions with one lap scored. Lanigan would make a move on McWilliams grabbing the third spot with two laps recorded as Lanigan was on the move early in the contest.
Kevin Claycomb, the two-time and defending winner of the Spring 50 was on the move as well as the Indiana veteran followed Lanigan around Jameson to move into the third slot by the fifth circuit. Lanigan and Claycomb then closed up on Weaver as it looked like just a matter of time before either one of them was going to go by Weaver for the lead.
With ten laps in the books Weaver was still holding his line out in front with Lanigan, Claycomb, Steve Francis and McWilliams breathing down his neck. Weaver then started to pick up the tail end of the field by lap eleven as Lanigan was all over him in the race for the top position.
Lanigan after several laps of trying was able to clear Weaver on lap 12 to take over the lead dropping Weaver to second as Claycomb and Francis went door-to-door for third with Francis gaining the position on lap 13. Lanigan then pushed his lead to three-car lengths over the field as Weaver, Francis and Claycomb were closely bunched together racing for second.
With 15 laps complete the first caution of the race came out for a slowing Justin Rattliff, who was headed to the infield pit. On the restart Lanigan would be out in front for the Delaware double-file restart with Weaver and Francis lined up side-by-side. The race would see one green flag lap of racing until Claycomb; the defending race winner would spin in turn four bringing out caution number two.
With another restart looming Lanigan would again be out in front on the restart and as the green came back out again the drivers would get another complete lap in before Greg Johnson, who was running inside the top ten looped it off of turn number two with 17 laps complete.
The restart to begin lap 18 would again see Lanigan on the point, but Francis made quick work of his fellow Kentuckian as he drove to the front passing Lanigan on lap 19 to take over the lead for the first time in this competitive race. With 19 laps down it was Francis showing the way followed by Lanigan and Weaver. At this point of the race VanWormer who had steadily worked his way through a talented field entered the top five for the first time on lap 19 as he was up to fourth just in front of McWilliams.
VanWormer was really rolling now as he overhauled Weaver for third on lap 20 and then two circuits later he claimed Lanigan as a victim passing him for second using the inside of the race track, but then VanWormer’s trip through the field became a bit tougher as Francis was really hooked up and had built a good-sized lead at the halfway mark of the race.
Francis then started to hit heavy traffic and with 30 laps to go Francis was having to contend with that as VanWormer was starting to track him down. Francis maintained about as three to four car length advantage over VanWormer, but the fourth and final caution came out with 33 laps to go which certainly played into VanWormer’s hands as he and Lanigan would line up side-by-side right directly behind Francis for the final restart of the race.
Once the green came back out VanWormer wasted little time in challenging Francis for the lead. VanWormer would pull alongside of Francis going door-to-door on lap 35 and 36 and the finally was able to clear him to take over the lead on the 37th circuit as the appreciative crowd rose to their feet as VanWormer was making plenty of new fans at Florence on Saturday Night with his hard-charging style of racing.
Over the last 13 laps of the race VanWormer drove them just like he had for the previous 37 laps as he made his way around the half-mile track contending with lapped cars and a marred surface in the corners because of the rains the night before. But VanWormer was not going to be denied on this night as he sped on to collect his first ever win at Florence as he continued his early season success as his win was his second of 2009 with his first coming also in the Bluegrass State back in early March at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway.
Francis and Lanigan had quite a battle fort second the last 13 laps of the race as the two were nearly inseparable racing side-by-side with Francis finally gaining enough of an advantage over Lanigan to beat him out at the finish line.
After the race an excited VanWormer thanked the crowd for coming out on a cold night, but reminded them they saw one heck of a race. “We were just hoping to make the top three in the consy to transfer after the flat in our hear race, the car is just amazingly bad fast right, it feels great to have a car that fast under you and coming from 20th I can’t believe how well we ran,” said the 33-year-old driver who is in his first season of following full-time the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
“We were running down there on the track where really nobody else was racing, I was hoping to get to lapped traffic to catch Francis, but that last yellow really helped, I was hoping to get that jump off the corner on him and the car stuck well coming off the corners and I wanted to pass him clean and we did and then I just held on the rest of way and I was praying that I could keep all four wheels on the car and it worked out great,” commented VanWormer afterwards.
“The Rocket Cars are just amazing, I can’t say enough about them, we’ve run well all year so far and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the year, I think we going to have a great season,” said VanWormer who is currently leading the Quarter Master Rookie of the Year for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and is ninth in the championship points standings.
Francis who led 17 of the 50 laps said afterwards was happy with second place even though he wishes that last caution had not come out. “I knew when he got to second we were a sitting duck at that point, we didn’t need last caution that’s for sure, I believe he started 20th and won so you have to give credit where credit is due and I came over to congratulate him, he drove a heck of a race”
VanWormer’s Iron Motorsports #55 entry is powered by a Cornett Racing Engines and sponsored by Bayline Fire Protection, Globe Technologies, Banshee Graphics, Integra Racing Shocks, Port City Racing, Hoosier Tires and VP Racing Fuels.
Francis of Ashland, KY, who normally drives for Dale Beitler, piloted the Morehead Auto Truck Parts Sales/Russell Baker Racing Engines/ Tim Logan Racing Rocket GTO entry at Florence. Lanigan of Union, KY was third in the Fusion Energy Drink/Cornett Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS.
Weaver from Crossville, TN who led the first eleven laps of the event was fourth in the Glenn’s Auto Parts/Race Engine Design/GTO Corvette with Josh McGuire of Grayson, KY finishing fifth in the DJ’s Kitchen Corner/GCP Racing Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo SS. McGuire looked to be a contender for the win at the halfway mark of the race, but he had to finish the race with a broken lower control arm on his car.
Rounding out the top ten were Greg Johnson, Audie McWilliams, John Blankenship, Kevin Claycomb and Rod Conley. Both Johnson and Claycomb recovered nicely from earlier caution-causing spins to make it back into the top ten at the finish.
In preliminary action Mike Marlar was the fastest qualifier for the 57 entries from seven states with a lap of 16.881 seconds. Heat races win were taken by Randy weaver, Jason Jameson, Audie McWilliams, Steve Casebolt, Darrell Lanigan and Kevin Claycomb. The B-mains went to Eddie Carrier Jr. and JeepVanWormer.
Summary
Florence Speedway-Union, KY
Saturday Night, April 11, 2009
Late Models:
Fast Time: Mike Marlar 16.881 seconds
First Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Randy Weaver, Mike Marlar, Rod Conley, Chad Stapleton, Rick Combs, Tim Prince, David Spille, Jeremy Hines, Matt Pistole, Matt Miller
Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jason Jameson, John Blankenship, Josh McGuire, Eddie Carrier Jr., Brad Neat, Jimmy Crabtree, Bill Blair Jr., Casey Noonan, Kevin Blair
Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Audie McWilliams, Steve Francis, Josh Williams, Eric Wells, Wayne Chinn, Jerry Rice, Tom Sheets, Shannon Thornsberry, Jesse James Lay
Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Steve Casebolt, Michael Chilton, Jason Montgomery, Dustin Linville, Mike Meyers, Steve Landrum, Gary Engle, Duane Chamberlain
Fifth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Darrell Lanigan, Freddy Smith, Davey Johnson, Brandon Green, John Mason, Adrian Nichols, Chris Kirker, Jeep VanWormer
Sixth Heat (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Kevin Claycomb, Justin Rattliff, Greg Johnson, Chris Wilson, Robby Hensley, Bill Sheets, Curtis Deisenroth, Adam Dixon, Nick Hodges
First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Rick Combs, Wayne Chinn, Eric Wells, David Spille, Jimmy Crabtree, Tom Sheets, Tim Prince, Casey Noonan, Jeremy Hines, Shannon Thornsberry, Matt Miller, Kevin Blair, Matt Pistole, Chad Stapleton, Brad Neat, Bill Blair Jr.
Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jeep VanWormer, Chris Wilson, Brandon Green, Steve Landrum, John Mason, Curtis Deisenroth, Robby Hensley, Bill Sheets, Mike Meyers, Gary Engle, Adam Dixon, R.J. Conley, Dustin Linville, Adrian Nichols, Nick Hodges, Duane Chamberlain, Chris Kirker, Kenny Christy
33rd Annual “Spring 50” Feature Finish: Jeep VanWormer, Steve Francis, Darrell Lanigan, Randy Weaver, Josh McGuire, Greg Johnson, Audie McWilliams, John Blankenship, Kevin Claycomb, Rod Conley, Eddie Carrier Jr., Wayne Chinn, Jason Jameson, Tim Prince, Brandon Green, Rick Combs, Jason Montgomery, Josh Williams, Chris Wilson, Davey Johnson, Steve Casebolt, Michael Chilton, Freddy Smith, Mike Marlar, Justin Rattliff
Race Statistics:
Entries: 57
Caution Flags: 4
Lap Leaders: Randy Weaver1-11, Darrell Lanigan 12-18, Steve Francis 19-36, Jeep VanWormer 37-50
Hard Charger of the Race: Jeep VanWormer (Started 20th and finished first, advanced 19 positions)
