SARVER, PA – June 24, 2011 – Scott Bloomquist is ready for the fifth annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com at Lernerville Speedway.
Driving a self-built Team Zero car he rolled just one week ago, the legendary star from Mooresburg, Tenn., tuned up for his run at a second career win in the crown-jewel World of Outlaws Late Model Series event by capturing the weekend’s second 30-lap preliminary A-Main on Friday night.
Bloomquist, 47, overtook Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., for the lead on lap 14 and repelled the challenges of York, Pa.’s Rick Eckert throughout the race’s second half to pocket a top prize of $6,125. It was his third win in six WoO LMS starts this season and his 22nd triumph since 2004 on the national tour.
With the victory, Bloomquist assured himself a pole starting spot in a heat race for the $30,000-to-win Firecracker 100, which will be run on Saturday night (June 25) at the four-tenths-mile western Pennsylvania oval. He won the inaugural event in 2007 and feels confident about his chances of becoming its first repeat winner.
“We like the way the racetrack gets when you race longer shows – this track especially,” Bloomquist said of Lernerville. “It gets pretty tricky (in the Firecracker 100). It gets really slippery, so you gotta have your car on the money – and I feel like I got a good, balanced car for the race (Saturday). We should be pretty good.”
Eckert, 46, settled for his second runner-up finish in as many nights, crossing the finish line 0.716 of a second behind Bloomquist, who built Eckert’s Team Zero car. The WoO LMS points leader will also start a heat race from the pole position on Saturday night.
Smith, 46, slipped to third at the finish after charging off the outside pole to lead laps 1-13 in his Rocket mount. Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., advanced from the ninth starting spot to place fourth in the Barry Wright house car and sixth-starter Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who won Thursday night’s preliminary A-Main, was fifth in his father Mark’s Rocket Chassis house car.
Bloomquist, who finished fourth in Thursday night’s feature, started inside of Eckert in the second row and was outgunned by his Team Zero mate at the initial green flag. But the 2004 WoO LMS champion gathered himself and marched steadily forward, regaining third from Eckert on lap four, passing Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., for second on lap 11 and then gliding by Smith for the lead with an inside move on lap 14.
Eckert, who followed Bloomquist past Smith, kept Bloomquist from cruising to the checkered flag. But while Eckert managed to draw close to Bloomquist, he couldn’t summon enough speed to make a pass.
“I think we were about dead-even,” said Eckert, who ended the night leading Richards by 14 points in the WoO LMS standings. “Scott just beat me to the front. I got ahead of him at the start, but I pinched myself off over there racing Hubbard and Scott snuck back by.
“I about got to his door a couple times there. I actually about hit him in the door one lap (15) when I hit that slime (on the inside of turn four) and slid across the track. Luckily he heard me. I could hear him mat up and get out of there so we wouldn’t hit.”
Indeed, Bloomquist sensed the impending contact with Eckert.
“He told me that he hit that greasy spot there and thought he was gonna hit me in the door,” said Bloomquist, who has five top-10 finishes in his six WoO LMS starts this season and has earned $42,700. “I looked and I saw him, so I gassed up to cross him to get my door farther away from him so we finished without a scratch.”
Smith, meanwhile, was energized by his second top-five finish of the 2011 WoO LMS campaign but would have preferred to stay ahead of Bloomquist.
“We were rolling around there on the top and it felt good,” said Smith, who snapped a 122-race winless streak on the WoO LMS with a victory last month at Needmore Speedway in Norman Park, Ga. “I could look back and see Scott getting in (turn) one – he was up there where I was at and I had a good distance on him. Then I kind of caught the lapped traffic and I had to check up a little bit, and that let Scott close the gap on me in one lap.
“My crew guy said (Bloomquist) found that bottom (lane) in one corner there and that’s when he drove up even with me. There’s a real fine line on that top (of the racetrack) where you had to hit it, and I just didn’t and Scott and Eckert both got by me.”
The 19-year-old Hubbard started from the pole position but finished 18th. He was battling for fourth on lap 21 when his car’s steering locked up, causing him to slide over the track’s berm in turn three and bring out the race’s only caution flag.
WoO LMS Rookie of the Year points leader Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., finished a tour career-best sixth after dueling for much of the distance with Richards. Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., started and finished seventh; Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., advanced from the 18th starting spot to place eighth; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., was ninth; and Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., fell two spots to finish 10th.
The race’s only serious incident occurred on the opening circuit when a tangle at the back of the pack caused Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., to roll his Team Zero car onto its roof off turn four. He escaped the incident uninjured, but he was eliminated along with Matt Lux of Franklin, Pa., and Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y.
Sixty cars were signed in for the evening’s action, which was plagued by rain. Showers first struck during the afternoon and returned just as hot laps were scheduled to begin on schedule, delaying the start of time trials to nearly 10:15 p.m. The program was then spun off in rapid-fire fashion, ending at exactly 1 a.m.
Bloomquist was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, turning a lap of 15.226 seconds to earn his eighth career fast-time honor on the WoO LMS. It was his first since 2009.
Heat winners were Bloomquist, Richards, Eckert, Clint Smith, Doar and Hubbard. The B-Mains were captured by Jared Hawkins of Fairmont, W.Va., Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., whose backup car was driven by Francis.
The Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com concludes on Saturday (June 25) with a full day of activities. Following an afternoon of pre-race entertainment that includes a driver/fan horseshoes tournament at 12 noon, the Ms. Firecracker pageant at 2 p.m. and a huge driver autograph session at 4 p.m., six heat races – lined up using entrants’ best finish from the two preliminary programs – are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday’s program also includes B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 Non-Qualifiers’ Race and the Firecracker 100.
Details and ticket information on the Firecracker 100 can be obtained by logging on to www.lernerville.com.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series Firecracker 100 Presented by GottaRace.com Preliminary A-Main No. 2 at Lernerville Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (3) Scott Bloomquist/30 $6,125
2. (4) Rick Eckert/30 $3,100
3. (2) Clint Smith/30 $2,050
4. (9) Jonathan Davenport/30 $1,750
5. (6) Josh Richards/30 $1,550
6. (5) Pat Doar/30 $1,550
7. (7) Tim McCreadie/30 $1,250
8. (18) Dale McDowell/30 $1,100
9. (11) Chub Frank/30 $1,100
10. (8) Steve Shaver/30 $1,000
11. (10) Bub McCool/30 $1,400
12. (14) Darrell Lanigan/30 $875
13. (15) Tyler Reddick/30 $800
14. (13) Mike Marlar/30 $725
15. (16) Davey Johnson/30 $700
16. (17) Dan Stone/30 $680
17. (20) Steve Francis/30 $670
18. (1) Austin Hubbard/30 $710
19. (25) Shane Clanton/30 $690
20. (21) Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/29 $620
21. (19) Jared Hawkins/29 $600
22. (27) John Lobb/29 $600
23. (23) Coleby Frye/17 $600
24. (12) Tim Fuller/12 $650
25. (22) Brady Smith/0 $600
26. (24) Matt Lux/0 $600
27. (26) Vic Coffey/0 $650
* Earnings include cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 12 Mins., 52.569 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.716 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 1 (Lap 21)
Red Flags: 1 (opening lap)
Lap Leaders: C. Smith (1-13); Bloomquist (14-30)
Provisional Starters: Clanton, Coffey, Lobb
Rookie of the Race: Doar ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: McCool ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN 15.226
2. 6-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV 15.276
3. 11-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 15.310
4. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.312
5. 11d-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 15.320
6. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 15.395
7. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 15.421
8. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 15.445
9. 18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 15.477
10. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 15.508
11. 99B-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 15.509
12. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 15.516
13. 2J-Mike Johnson/Imperial, PA 15.518
14. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 15.519
15. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.540
16. 47-Davey Johnson/Latrobe, PA 15.581
17. 22s-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 15.608
18. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 15.628
19. 1G-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 15.654
20. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 15.564
21. 49-Jonathan Davenport/Blairsville, Ga 15.670
22. F1-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA 15.675
23. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.695
24. 21L-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 15.710
25. 37H-Jared Hawkins/Fairmont, WV 15.714
26. 21B-Chip Brindle/Chatsworth, GA 15.746
27. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 15.748
28. 99-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 15.764
29. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 15.777
30. 31-Bryan Force/Indiana, PA 15.787
31. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 15.859
32. 20H-Jacob Hawkins/Fairmont, WV 15.866
33. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 15.900
34. 72M-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 15.929
35. 2s-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 15.935
36. J4-John Garvin/Sarver, PA 15.940
37. H1-Jared Miley/South Park, PA 15.941
38. 1L-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 15.942
39. 29K-Garrett Krummert/New Castle, PA 16.030
40. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 16.032
41. 93-Donald Bradsher/Burlington, NC 16.040
42. 44H-Dave Hess Jr./Waterford, PA 16.100
43. 10-Gary Lyle/Hyde Park, PA 16.120
44. 1c-Lynn Geisler/Cranberry Twp., PA 16.136
45. 91-Tommy Beck/Murraysville, PA 16.139
46. 4J-John Mollick/Toronto, OH 16.210
47. 111-Brian Swartzlander/Leechburg, PA 16.228
48. 23T-Tony Burke/Sarver, PA 16.277
49. 22G-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 16.277
50. 27J-Jeff Jones/Zelionople, PA 16.488
51. 29s-Ken Schaltenbrand/Sarver, PA 16.569
52. c33-Chris Casner/Mifflintown, PA 16.645
53. 38R-Nick Reges/Butler, PA 16.672
54. 37-Brian Tavenner/Winchester, VA 17.795
55. 22x-Scott Smith/Utica, OH 18.147
56. 15K-Ray Kroll Sr./Renfrew, PA 18.720
57. 41-Derrick Casner/Mifflintown, PA N/T
58. 28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI N/T
59. 7x-Herman Bertolini/Creighton, PA N/T
60. 55-Chris Schneider/Tarentum, PA N/T
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Bloomquist, McCreadie, Marlar, Jared Hawkins, B. Smith, M. Johnson, Miley, Lyle, Oakes, S. Smith
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Richards, Shaver, Lanigan, Clanton, Brindle, Lobb, Jacob Hawkins, Geisler, Jones, Kroll
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Eckert, Davenport, Reddick, Coffey, King, Beck, Krummert, Wells, Schaltenbrand (DNS) D. Casner
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): C. Smith, McCool, D. Johnson, Francis, Frye, George, Mason, C. Casner, Mollick (DNS) Mars
Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Doar, Frank, Stone, Briggs, Davies, Satterlee, Swartzlander, Bertolini, Bradsher, Reges
Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Hubbard, Fuller, McDowell, Lux, Garvin, Hess, Force, Burke, Tavenner, Schneider
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Jared Hawkins, B. Smith, Clanton, M. Johnson, Jacob Hawkins, Geisler, Miley, Lobb, Oakes, Lyle, Brindle, Jones, S. Smith (DNS) Kroll
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Francis, Frye, King, Coffey, Mason, George, Beck, Mollick (DNS) Krummert, Wells, C. Casner, Schaltenbrand, D. Casner, Mars
B-Main No. 3 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Briggs, Lux, Satterlee, Bradsher, Burke, Tavenner, Schneider, Bertolini, Force, Garvin, Davies, Hess, Reges
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 apparel certificate to 22nd fastest qualifier): Matt Lux
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Steve Shaver
Comp Cams ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Tyler Reddick
Comp Cams (certificate to 11th place in A-Main or next highest w/decal):
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Mike Johnson/Jill George/Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs
JE Pistons ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
JE Pistons (one set of Pro Seal rings to 11th-place or next highest w/decal, redeemable w/next purchase of one complete set of rings):Dan Stone
JE Pistons (one set of Pro Seal rings to 21st-place or next highest w/decal, redeemable w/next purchase of one complete set of rings): John Lobb
MSD Ignition ($75 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Scott Bloomquist
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to last-place in A-Main or next lowest w/decal): Vic Coffey
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash to fast qualifier or next highest w/decal): Scott Bloomquist
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Scott Bloomquist
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate to 5th-place or next highest w/decal): Josh Richards
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate to 15th-place or next highest w/decal): Davey Johnson
R2C Performance ($100 certificate to highest-finishing driver w/decal or $100 cash if race winner is using R2C filter and decal is displayed): Rick Eckert (certificate)
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 7th-place in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to winner of Heat 1 or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (one five-gallon plastic fuel jugs to fastest qualifier who does not make the A-Main or next highest w/decal): Eric Wells
WIX Filters ($50 cash to 13th-place in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Austin Hubbard
Wrisco Aluminum (Three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Scott Bloomquist
2011 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of June 24 – 13 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Rick Eckert 1928
2. Josh Richards 1914 (-14)
3. Darrell Lanigan 1830 (-98)
4. Tim McCreadie 1810 (-118)
5. Austin Hubbard 1784 (-144)
6. Clint Smith 1778 (-150)
7. Chub Frank 1762 (-166)
8. Shane Clanton 1740 (-188)
9. Tim Fuller 1646 (-282)
10. Vic Coffey 1630 (-298)
11. Pat Doar 1586 (-342)
12. Ron Davies 1468 (-460)
13. John Lobb 1422 (-506)
14. Jill George 1352 (-576)
15. Jonathan Davenport 1016 (-912)
FOLLOW THE ACTION ON TWITTER: Fans can keep up-to-date with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series online and through text messages on cell phones via Twitter, the internet’s fast-growing social-networking and micro-blogging website. Updates are provided to Twitter ‘followers’ of the WoO LMS throughout each race night, and fans also receive breaking news and interesting notes from the tour.
Over 4,200 fans are now WoO LMS ‘followers’ on Twitter. To sign-up and receive updates anywhere at anytime, visit http://twitter.com/WoOLateModels.
LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the World of Outlaws Late Model Series, they can experience the excitement of the nation’s premier tour live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.
To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to http://www.dirtvision.com/welcome.php and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.
BLOGGING: WoO LMS fans can now read interesting stories from the road by checking out two blogs –‘Life As An Outlaw’ by series announcer Rick Eshelman and ‘The Scoop With Scoop’ by tour P.R. director Kevin Kovac. Both blogs can be accessed by clicking on the preceding links or the specific ‘Blog’ buttons on the right-hand side of http://www.woolms.com/.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award), McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award), Chizmark Larson Insurance, Factory Value Parts and RacingJunk.com; in addition to contingency sponsors Comp Cams, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, Pro Power Engines, Quartermaster, Rocket Chassis, R2C Performance, Superflow Dynos, Wix Filters and Wrisco Aluminum.