UNION, KY (July 23, 2011) – If the King Family, promoters of Florence Speedway wanted to sell more tickets to next month’s Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 then Saturday Night was a golden opportunity as Scott James of Lawrenceburg, In and Darrell Lanigan of Union, KY put on a terrific race-long battle for the lead that came down to the checkered flag with James sliding across the finish line and into the frontstretch retaining wall.

James took the lead for good from Lanigan on lap 45 of the 50 lap event which was billed as a “North-South Tune-up” and as the two exited turn four on the final lap the cars of Rod Conley and Bill Blair Jr. were directly in front of the duo as Lanigan pulled even with James, but James was able to get to the finish line first after contacting the back of Blair’s car which sent James headlong into the wall. James’ car had to be towed from victory lane.

The race-long battle between the two who grew up watching and eventually racing at the famed half-mile oval saw pole sitter Jesse Lay grabbed the lead at the start of the $5,000 to win main event, but Lay would only lead a lap until fellow front row starter James was able to seize the lead.

Lanigan, who was driving his nephew Terry’s Rocket no. 28 moved into second on lap three just ahead of Lay, Mike Jewell and Josh McGuire.

James and Lanigan then got the crowd fired up as the two would go on a race-long pace that was filled with slide jobs, paint-swapping and wall banging that kept everyone’s interest for all 50 circuits.

James and Lanigan would hit traffic by lap 15 which did not slow either one’s attempts at passing each other. As James got trapped behind a car on lap 21 Lanigan went to the inside of James heading into turn three and the two made heavy contact.

Lanigan would gain the lead as it took James a lap or two to make sure his car was going to make it the rest of the way. During this time Jewell would close quickly on James and pressure him for second.

The top three would pull away from the rest of the field and run nose-to-tail with 28 laps scored. Then two laps later James would power to the lead around Lanigan, but a caution flag would negate the pass for the top spot.

On the restart Lanigan would remain on the point and for the rest of the race good hard racing would continue. James would throw a slider on Lanigan twice in the next five circuits after the race went green, but each time Lanigan would fight back and regain the point.

James then stalked Lanigan as James would throw another slide job in turn four on lap 45 on Lanigan and that would end up being the winning pass.

“I didn’t know he was there,” said James of the contact between the two on lap 21. “I was behind (Tim) Prince and I thought I was low enough to pass him, and there comes Darrell, he hit me pretty good, I thought I broke a shock or something, it took me a couple of laps to regain my thoughts,” said the 39-year-old second generation racer.

After the race the two exchanged handshakes at the scales, “he apologized to me afterwards and that’s good enough for me, I think I had a harder left rear tire on, the track was fast up high, I thought when I cleared him that one time, I had him, but then he came back and re-passed me, and with five to go, I thought it was time to go, I had enough patience there to get back by him,” said James.

“My Lucas Oil experience has helped me over the years,” said the winner commenting on the five years he spent racing on the tour, “the Lucas Oil racing and the Summernationals this year you have to learn to be patient, I have to thank Scott Riggs, without him, I wouldn’t be able to race, we are having a pretty good year, to come here in a couple of weeks and win the North/South would be the highlight of my career, no doubt about it.”

Lanigan, who settled for second said it was just some good old hard racing. “I got into him there early on, I had a run down the back stretch, he didn’t know I was there and I came down there and jumped over his left front tire, that wasn’t the way I wanted to pass him, he had a good car, probably the best one out there,” said the 41-year-old driver, who like James will be searching for his first career North/South 100 win in a few weeks.

It was James’ third overall win of 2011 in the Riggs Motorsports, Clearwave Communications, Valken Wheels, VP Fuels, Integra Racing Shocks, Murphy Motorsports, JFRGraphics.com, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, Rocket Chevrolet.

Trailing the two frontrunners were Hoosier-state drivers Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN in the Southern Indiana Rock Drilling, Cornett-powered MasterSbilt and fast qualifier John Gill of Mitchell, IN in the Terry Eaglin-owned RJE Wholesale Fertilizer Rocket Chassis. Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY finished fifth in the Red Buck Cigars, Cornett-powered Longhorn Chassis. Neat was the hard charger of the race passing eleven cars after starting 16th.

Completing the top ten were Josh Williams of West Harrison, IN; Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY; Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, IN; Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV, and Greg Johnson of Bedford, IN.

Florence North-South Tune-up Finish: Scott James, Darrell Lanigan, Mike Jewell, John Gill, Brad Neat, Josh Williams, Dustin Neat, Jason Jameson, Eddie Carrier Jr., Greg Johnson, Steve Casebolt, Chad Smith, Rod Conley, Bill Blair Jr., Jeff Alsip, Jim Price, Kent Robinson, Tim Prince, Jerry Rice, Steve Landrum, David Spille, Josh McGuire, Jesse Lay, Duane Chamberlain, Cody Mahoney