HomeKentuckyBluegrass SpeedwayDon O'Neal Cruises to Bluegrass Classic Win

Don O’Neal Cruises to Bluegrass Classic Win

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Lucas Oil Late Model SeriesBARDSTOWN, KY (August 27, 2011) – For the second night in a row Don O’Neal ended up in victory lane. The 47-year-old driver started on the pole and led all 50 laps in winning the 11th Annual Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic at Bluegrass Speedway. O’Neal was driving the MasterSbilt House car, and earned $10,000 for the victory which came on the heels of his win Friday Night at Lawrenceburg. O’Neal’s 17th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series came over Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA; Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN; Steve Francis of Ashland, KY; and Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA.

O’Neal won the race at Bluegrass a year ago made a clean sweep of the night’s activities as he set fast time, won his heat, then got the lead at the start of the race and held on the rest of the way. “We had a good qualifying effort, ran the heat race strong and got out front before it became one-laned, the lapped cars gave us plenty of room, but they started to dice it up, and I didn’t want to make a mistake.”

“If you dared to step up out of groove it was going to cost you. We’ve not been good the last two weeks, but the last three nights we have been real good, Tader, Cody, Randy, Steve and everybody else back at the shop, thanks to Jerry Jones and his wife for their support.” O’Neal sits third in the series points standings. O’Neal’s car is sponsored by Magnaflow Exhaust, Jones Core, Second Chance Livestock Dispatch, VP Fuels, Independence Lumber, Janowski Insurance, Superior Cleaning, Hoosier Tires and his car is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine.

McDowell finished second at Volunteer Speedway on Thursday Night was pleased with his second place run at Bardstown. “With the year we’ve had, to have two second place finishes, just shows you we never quit. Lawrenceburg didn’t go so good, but tonight the car was good, just not good enough to get the win, once Don got in front it was pretty much all she wrote,” said the driver of the Crawford Supply, Clint Bowyer Racing, Rocket Chevrolet.

Bloomquist finished third to close to within 130 points of Jimmy Owens, who finished sixth for the second night in a row. Francis in the Valvoline, Roush-Yates, MasterSbilt Ford came home fourth followed by Birkhofer in the J&J Steel, Pro Power, MB Customs entry.

Completing the top ten were Owens, Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY; Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY; and Bub McCool of Vicksburg, MS.

In preliminary action O’Neal led the Red Buck Cigar Time Trials among the 33 entrants. Heat race winners were O’Neal, Birkhofer, McDowell, and Francis. The B-Mains went to Dan Stone and Frank Heckenast, Jr.

The next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will take place on Labor Day Weekend with two events at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, OH. On Saturday Night, September 3rd will be the Pepsi River Days Rumble paying $10,000 to win. On Sunday Night, September 4th will be the Hillbilly Hundred paying $25,000 to win.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, August 26th, 2011
Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN

Red Buck Cigars Fast Time:
Don O’Neal / 15.185 seconds (Group A and Overall)
Dale McDowell / 15.347 seconds (Group B)

Wiles Driveshafts First Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Don O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Mike Marlar, Scott James, Kent Robinson, Eric Jacobsen, Michael Chilton, Jeff Watson, Justin Rattliff

Wiles Driveshafts Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Brian Birkhofer, Ray Cook, Bub McCool, Earl Pearson Jr., John Blankenship, Daniel Stone, Lee DeVasier, Jared Landers

Sweet Manufacturing Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Dale McDowell, Mike Jewell, Tyler Reddick, Dustin Neat, Eric Wells, Larry Greer, Jeremy Hines, Chad Stapleton
HAWK Brakes Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Steve Francis, Brad Neat, Jimmy Owens, Tim Tungate, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jarryd Holshouser, Dustin Linville, Tim Rivers

JRi Shocks First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Daniel Stone, John Blankenship, Eric Jcobsen, Lee DeVasier, Michael Chilton, Jeff Watson, Kent Robinson, Justin Rattliff, Jared Landers-DNS

Wrisco Aluminum Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Fran Heckenast Jr., Tim Rivers, Eric Wells, Dustin Linville, Jarryd Holshouser, Jeremy Hines, Larry Greer, Chad Stapleton-DNS

Feature Finish – 50 Laps

FINISH START CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN
1 1 71 Don O’Neal Martinsville, IN
2 2 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA
3 5 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
4 4 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
5 3 15b Brian Birkhofer Muscatine, IA
6 12 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
7 8 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY
8 10 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA
9 14 25n Dustin Neat Dunnville, KY
10 11 57J Bub McCool Vicksburg, MS
11 13 81 Scott James Lawrenceburg, IN
12 9 5b Mike Marlar Winfield, TN
13 18 99jr Frank Heckenast, Jr. Frankfort, IL
14 17 2 Daniel Stone Thompson, PA
15 15 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
16 22 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY
17 19 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV
18 23 777 Jared Landers Batesville, AR
19 26 44w Jeff Watson Campbellsville, KY
20 20 46 Tim Rivers Salem, IN
21 21 5 Eric Jacobsen Watsonville, CA
22 16 18 Tim Tungate Campbellsville, KY
23 25 5x Lee DeVasier Creestwood, KY
24 6 9J Mike Jewell Scottsburg, IN
25 7 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC
26 24 16 Justin Rattliff Campbellsville, KY

Race Statistics
Entrants: 32
Lap Leaders: Don O’Neal (Laps 1 – 50)
Caution Flags: Lee DeVasier (Lap 1); Ray Cook (Lap 11)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jared Landers
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: none
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time Provisional: Justin Rattliff
Lawrenceburg Speedway Track Provisional: Lee DeVasier, Jeff Watson
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Jeff Watson (Started 26th; Finished 19th; Advanced 7 positions)
Allstar Performer of the Race: Dale McDowell
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Frank Heckenast Jr.
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Tyler Reddick
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Jay Dickens Racing Engines
Janowski Insurance Feature Winner: Don O’Neal
Outerwears Challenger of the Race: Frank Heckenast Jr.
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: Ray Cook
DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham (Dale McDowell)
Time of Race: 20 minutes 55 seconds

Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

POS CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN POINTS
1 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN 5480
2 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN 5350
3 71 Don O’Neal Martinsville, IN 4925
4 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY 4590
5 44 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL 4330
6 777 Jared Landers Batesville, AR 4290
7 41n Brad Neat Dunnville, KY 4195
8 23 John Blankenship Williamson, WV 4170
9 53 Ray Cook Brasstown, NC 4120
10 11t Tyler Reddick Corning, CA 4045
11 17m Dale McDowell Chickamauga, GA 3825
12 57J Bub McCool Vicksburg, MS 3665
13 18e Eric Wells Hazard, KY 3610

NETWORK AIR DATE AIR TIME VENUE EVENT NAME LOCATION EVENT DATE
SPEED 9/4/11 11:00 AM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
SPEED 9/17/11 2:00 PM Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN 8/26/11
SPEED 10/2/11 1:00 PM Portsmouth Raceway Park River Days Rumble Portsmouth, OH 9/3/11
SPEED 10/9/11 1:00 PM Virginia Motor Speedway ASi Racewear USA 100 Saluda, VA 9/17/11
SPEED 10/23/11 6:00 PM Brownstown Speedway 32nd Annual Jackson 100 Brownstown, IN 9/24/11
SPEED 10/30/11 3:00 PM Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11
VERSUS 12/18/11 6:00 PM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
MavTV 12/29/11 9:00PM Florence Speedway 29th Annual Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil Florence, KY 8/13/11
SPEED TBA TBA Knoxville Raceway 8th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals Knoxville, IA 10/1/11
MavTV TBA TBA Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11
VERSUS TBA TBA Dixie Speedway Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout Woodstock, GA 10/8/11

2011 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

2011 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Supporters Include:

Allstar Performance, American Racer, Banshee Graphics, Bloomquist Race Cars, COMP Cams, Cornett Racing Engines, Cruise with the Champions, CV Products, DirtonDirt.com, Dominator Race Products, Dyers Top Rods, ECR Race Engines, Eibach Springs, Fast Shafts, Gaerte Engines, GRT Race Cars, Hawk Performance, Hypercoil, Janowski Insurance, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, JE Pistons, JRi Shocks, Keyser MFG, Longhorn Chassis, MasterSbilt Chassis, Öhlins, Outerwears, PBM/Erson Cams, Performance Bodies, Pierce Racecars, Pro Power Racing, Quarter Master, Race Engine Design, Red Buck Cigars, Rhyne Race Engines, Rick Schwallie Photography, Ringers Gloves, Rocket Chassis, Roush Yates Engines, Roush Yates Performance, Safety Solutions, Sweet Manufactuing, Vic Hill Race Engines, Warrior Race Cars, Weld Racing Wheels, Wiles Drive Shafts, Wrisco, 5150 Race Trailers.

James Essex, Public Relations Coordinator, jessex@lucasdirt.com

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