EAST SMETHPORT, PA – July 27, 2011 – Josh Richards – and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series – sparkled on Wednesday night at McKean County Raceway.
Racing in front of a standing-room-only crowd that ranked as the biggest in the history of the one-third-mile oval, Shinnston, W.Va.’s Richards overtook Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., for the lead on lap 27 and marched on to victory in the ‘Penn Gold 40.
The two-time defending WoO LMS champion pocketed $8,875 for his fourth win of 2011 on the national tour. It was his 32nd career World of Outlaws triumph – more than any other driver since 2004.
“It’s very special to win the first time here at McKean (for the WoO LMS),” said Richards, a 23-year-old who had never previously competed at McKean County. “With so many people here, it was cool to come out with a win. It was awesome to see such a great crowd show up to see us.”
WoO LMS points leader Rick Eckert of York, Pa., finished second, about a half-straightaway behind Richards at the checkered flag. Eckert grabbed the runner-up spot from Coffey on a lap-29 restart but never made a serious bid for the lead, leaving him a bridesmaid for the second consecutive night after starting from the pole position.
Coffey, who turned 40 on Monday, raced off the outside pole to lead laps 1-26 but settled for a season-high finish of third. He fell short of finally breaking through for his first career win on the WoO LMS in what was his 100th career A-Main start.
Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., inched forward from the seventh starting spot to finish fourth in his BPG Inc. Rocket car, giving him his long-awaited first top-five finish of the 2011 WoO LMS. Nineteen-year-old Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., advanced from the ninth starting position to place fifth in Dale Beitler’s Rocket, helping him erase memories of a frustrating lap-down, 18th-place finish the previous evening at Dog Hollow Speedway in Strongstown, Pa.
Richards, who started fourth, slid into second at the initial green flag and chased Coffey for more than half the distance before finally assuming command. Coffey slipped high in turn two on the 26th lap, allowing Richards to drive his father Mark’s Rocket Chassis house underneath and move in front for good as lap 27 went on the scoreboard.
“Vic was doing a great job,” said Richards, who will make his third NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start for Kyle Busch Motorsports on Friday night at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis. “The track was a little dirty and he got caught up in the dust (to lose traction) and that opened the door for me.
“When he slid up the track and I got by him, I hated that for him. I know Vic’s really hungry for a win and he’s gonna get one here before too long.
“But at the same time, we’re trying to win,” he added. “We’ve had a fast car all year. I feel like we could’ve won six or seven races this year, but we’ve just had some tough breaks. We haven’t stopped working hard, though, and it shows with a night like this.”
Eckert, 45, failed to convert a pole position start into a victory – or even a lap in the lead – for the second straight night. His Team Zero by Bloomquist mount was good but not quite good enough.
“Josh has been running good,” said Eckert, who left McKean County leading the WoO LMS points standings by 50 markers over Richards. “He’s been able to pass in the race. We’ve been good up till the race, then we just miss by a little bit. Hopefully we’ll figure out something here to finish the night off.”
Coffey was the evening’s heartbreak kid, absorbing another tough defeat on the WoO LMS.
“We needed to tighten the car up a little bit more,” said Coffey. “I talked to Josh right before the race and he told me where he was at (with setup). We were pretty close, but he had done a couple adjustments I didn’t do. I was scared that I was already too tight, but then I talked to him and I was like, ‘Man, maybe we need to make some adjustments.’ Then (the WoO LMS officials) blew the (eight-minute) horn and we just decided, ‘Let’s go with what we got.’
“We probably should’ve been a little tighter. We got a little loose at the end.”
Coffey might have been able to salvage a second-place finish had he not made a do-or-die choice following the race’s fourth and final caution flag, on lap 29.
“On that last restart I probably should’ve picked the bottom (lane in the ‘Delaware’ double-file alignment),” said Coffey. “But I honestly thought my only shot to get the lead back was if I took the top and Josh went to the bottom in turn one and I hit it right down there. I guess it was either gonna be first or third. I wasn’t real interested in second.”
Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., finished sixth, matching his career-best WoO LMS finish and earning the $500 ‘Bonus Bucks’ cash for being the highest-finishing driver who hasn’t won a series A-Main and isn’t ranked among the top 12 in the points standings.
Rounding out the top 10 was Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y.; 12th-starter Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who restarted at the rear of the field on lap 11 after bringing out a caution flag when he clipped the homestretch and then slid to a stop between turns one and two while holding fourth place; and Robbie Blair of Titusville, Pa.
McCreadie’s seventh-place finish was a respectable ending to his very rough evening. His troubles began with a broken driveshaft in his Victory Circle car during hot laps, forcing him to hastily pull out his backup Rocket machine for time trials. He returned to the seat of his Victory Circle for heat action after making repairs and qualified, but he relinquished the 17th starting spot in the A-Main and took the green flag from the rear because he had to pit on the pace laps due to power-steering woes.
“I really feel like we had a top-five car,” said McCreadie, who came through the pack one night after an 18th-to-fourth charge at Dog Hollow. “We just had too many cars to pass again.”
Blair was quickest of the 28 drivers who participated in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, turning a lap of 14.666 seconds. It was his fifth career fast-time honor on the WoO LMS.
Heat winners were Eckert, Richards and Coffey. Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., won the B-Main, but the WoO LMS Rookie of the Year points leader was an early retiree from the headliner.
The WoO LMS completes its three-race swing through western Pennsylvania on Sunday evening (July 31) with a 50-lap, $10,000-to-win A-Main at Eriez Speedway in Hammett. It will mark the fifth consecutive year that the tour has visited the one-third-mile oval.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Penn Gold 40’ at McKean County Raceway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Josh Richards/40 $8,875
2. (1) Rick Eckert/40 $4,600
3. (2) Vic Coffey/40 $3,250
4. (7) Tim Fuller/40 $2,850
5. (9) Austin Hubbard/40 $2,550
6. (5) Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/40 $2,100
7. (17) Tim McCreadie/40 $2,050
8. (12) Clint Smith/40 $1,850
9. (6) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,850
10. (10) Robbie Blair/40 $1,150
11. (15) Mike Knight/40 $1,000
12. (8) Jason Dupont/40 $900
13. (13) Dick Barton/40 $850
14. (16) Ron Davies/40 $1,600
15. (18) Chub Frank/40 $1,300
16. (20) John Lobb/39 $700
17. (21) Shane Clanton/39 $1,210
18. (24) Paul Grigsby/33 $640
19. (23) Greg Oakes/29 $620
20. (22) Dutch Davies/29 $610
21. (11) Gregg Satterlee/25 $600
22. (19) Pat Doar/17 $1,150
23. (14) Chad Valone/17 $600
24. (3) Bump Hedman/3 $625
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 3, 8, 11, 29)
Lap Leaders: Coffey (1-26); Richards (27-40)
Provisional Starters: Oakes, Grigsby
Rookie of the Race: Davies ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Briggs ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. won11-Robbie Blair/Titusville, PA 14.666
2. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 14.674
3. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 14.683
4. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 14.761
5. B22-Bump Hedman/Sugar Grove, PA 14.807
6. 99B-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 14.858
7. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.914
8. N07-Jason Dupont/Cyclone, PA 14.942
9. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 14.957
10. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.965
11. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 14.966
12. 24G-Paul Grigsby/Springville, NY 15.062
13. 14B-Dick Barton/Ashville, NY 15.083
14. 2v-Chad Valone/Jamestown, NY 15.084
15. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.139
16. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 15.153
17. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 15.271
18. 26G-Dutch Davies/Warren, PA 15.273
19. 1L-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY 15.290
20. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 15.291
21. 9K-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 15.323
22. 32-Jeff Hoffman/Clarendon, PA 15.370
23. 55-Denny Fenton/Clearfield, PA 15.395
24. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.397
25. 22G-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 15.472
26. 16*-Dereck Frank/Jamestown, NY 15.487
27. 12B-Andy Boozel/Clymer, NY 15.681
28. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 16.565
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Eckert, Lanigan, Fuller, Blair, Barton, R. Davies, Doar, Lobb, Oakes, Hoffman
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Richards, Hedman, Dupont, Satterlee, Valone, McCreadie, Clanton, Fenton, D. Frank
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Coffey, Briggs, Hubbard, C. Smith, Knight, C. Frank, D. Davies, Boozel, Grigsby
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Doar, Lobb, Clanton, D. Davies, Boozel, Oakes, Hoffman, Grigsby, Fenton, D. Frank
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 apparel certificate to 22nd fastest qualifier): Greg Oakes
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main w/decal): Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs
Comp Cams ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Josh Richards
Comp Cams (certificate to 10th place in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Robbie Blair
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
JE Pistons ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Josh Richards
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): Jason Dupont
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): Pat Doar
MSD Ignition ($75 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Josh Richards
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to last-place in A-Main or next lowest w/decal): Bump Hedman
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash to fast qualifier or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate to 5th-place or next highest w/decal): Tim McCreadie
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate to 15th-place or next highest w/decal): John Lobb
R2C Performance ($100 certificate to highest-finishing driver w/decal or $100 cash if race winner is using R2C filter and decal is displayed): Josh Richards (cash)
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): Robbie Blair
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): Dereck Frank
WIX Filters ($50 cash to 13th-place in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Ron Davies
Wrisco Aluminum (Three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner w/decal): Josh Richards
2011 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 27 – 20 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Rick Eckert 2918
2. Josh Richards 2868 (-50)
3. Tim McCreadie 2804 (-114)
4. Darrell Lanigan 2776 (-142)
5. Austin Hubbard 2686 (-232)
6. Chub Frank 2666 (-252)
7. (tie) Shane Clanton 2656 (-262)
7. (tie) Clint Smith 2656 (-262)
9. Tim Fuller 2562 (-356)
10. Vic Coffey 2498 (-420)
11. Pat Doar 2446 (-472)
12. Ron Davies 2316 (-602)
13. John Lobb 2214 (-704)
14. Jill George 1648 (-1270)
15. Jonathan Davenport 1288 (-1630)
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.
Nearly 4,600 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