Despite Deflating Left-Rear Tire, Georgia Driver Holds Off Lanigan Over Final Five Laps For Third Win Of ‘13

LITTLE ROCK, AR – May 11, 2013 – Shane Clanton knows his third World of Outlaws Late Model Series triumph of 2013 was a product of good fortune.

After capturing Saturday night’s 50-lap A-Main at I-30 Speedway, the 37-year-old driver from Zebulon, Ga., could only shake his head at the unlikely turn of events that made him a winner in the national tour’s first-ever event in the state of Arkansas.

“I got lucky,” admitted Clanton, who was victorious for the second time in the last three WoO LMS events. “It was given to me because (Tim) McCreadie got into the lapped car. He had a better race car.”

Indeed, Clanton appeared resigned to finishing second after being passed for the lead by Watertown, N.Y.’s McCreadie on lap 43. But two circuits later McCreadie spun between turns three and four when he tangled with Robbie Stuart while attempting to lap the DeRidder, La., driver, sending McCreadie to the rear of the field for the ensuing restart and handing the top spot back to Clanton.

Then Clanton – despite running with a deflating left-rear tire on his Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car – held off a furious challenge from Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., over the final five laps to defeat the defending WoO LMS champion by a mere 0.259 of a second.

Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., maintained his WoO LMS points lead with a third-place finish after starting sixth. Outside polesitter Rick Eckert of York, Pa., placed fourth and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., completed the top five.

Normally a very demonstrative Victory Lane personality, Clanton was rather subdued after his latest success. The circumstances of his 19^th career WoO LMS checkered flag left him unwilling to celebrate in his trademark roof-pounding manner.

Clanton started from the pole position and led the race’s first 42 laps, keeping Lanigan at arm’s length for the first half of the A-Main and then battling to hold McCreadie at bay after the 2006 WoO LMS champ passed Lanigan for second on a lap-25 restart. But McCreadie’s ability to keep his Sweeteners Plus Warrior car glued to the inside of the track ultimately proved too much for Clanton, who ceded the lead to McCreadie on lap 43.

McCreadie, 39, immediately pulled away from Clanton, but his bid came to a heartbreaking end on lap 45 when contact with Stuart forced him into the uke tires lining the inside of turns three and four and then into a spin.

Clanton couldn’t believe his eyes when McCreadie went spinning from contention just ahead of him.

“He had a good run on the lapped car, and I felt like the lapped car should’ve given him room and he didn’t,” said Clanton, whose victory moved him within six points of Richards in the WoO LMS standings. “When you’re the last car on the lead lap (and) somebody’s under you, you know it’s the leader so you just move out of the way.

“I feel sorry for McCreadie a little bit, but hey, a win’s a win. You gotta put yourself in them positions to take advantage of it. We had the second-best race car, and we won the race.”

Clanton didn’t cruise to victory after McCreadie’s misfortune. He was dogged every step of the way by Lanigan, who came within inches of leading lap 47 and stayed glued to Clanton’s rear bumper until the final lap when he bobbled slightly attempting a high-side pass rounding turns one and two.

“I was just trying to fend him off the best I could,” Clanton said of Lanigan. “I knew I was leaving the bottom open leaving the corner, but I just had a flat left-rear tire so I was doing all I could. The left-rear tire going flat was killing me down the straightaways.”

Lanigan, 42, settled for his second consecutive runner-up finish on the WoO LMS.

“It was hard to pass,” said Lanigan, who started third in his Rocket mount. “On the last lap I went in (turn one) a little higher to try go through the middle to pass (Clanton), but there was no traction.”

When Clanton parked his No. 25 on the homestretch for the post-race ceremonies, he emerged from the cockpit to see his left-rear tire almost completely devoid of air. He was amazed that he was able to hold on with the handicap.

“When (McCreadie) passed me there on the bottom (for the lead on lap 43) we got together and I guess it cut the left-rear tire down,” said Clanton, who earned $10,550 for a victory that tied him with Lanigan atop the tour’s 2013 win list. “He was running way lower down the straightaway than what I realized. I thought I got by him down the straightaway, but he had a good run and we hit, and it cut the left rear tire down. Luckily we could finish the race.”

McCreadie, meanwhile, was running at the conclusion of the A-Main, but he crossed the finish line in 19^th place. After passing Eckert, Lanigan and Clanton en route to the front from his fourth starting spot, the defeat was a bitter pill for him to swallow.

“It’s frustrating,” said a dejected McCreadie, who was bidding for his second WoO LMS victory of 2013. “I had a run on that lapped car (into turn three) and was completely up underneath him, and he just kept coming down into me. I couldn’t even gas it up to slide up and push him out of the way, so I ended up going around.”

Four caution flags slowed the event. Prior to McCreadie’s incident, Stuart spun in turn four on lap three; Robbie Baker of Bryant, Ark., spun in turn two on lap 12; and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., slowed on lap 25.

Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., finished sixth, matching his best WoO LMS run of the season. Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., recorded a season-best finish of seventh; Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., placed eighth; Kyle Beard of Truman, Ark., was a WoO LMS career-best ninth; and Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., advanced from the 20^th starting spot to complete the top 10.

Twenty-seven cars were signed in for the event, which was originally scheduled for Friday night but was postponed 24 hours due to saturated grounds. The WoO LMS was originally scheduled to race Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss., but that event was canceled on Friday morning due to heavy rain and a dismal Saturday forecast, opening the door for I-30’s move to Saturday.

Lanigan was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, earning his second fast-time honor of 2013 with a lap of 14.172 seconds.

Heat winners were Lanigan, McCreadie and Richards, and Frank captured the B-Main.

The WoO LMS is idle until the Memorial Day holiday weekend when it visits NAPA Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on Fri., May 24, and Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., for the ‘Jackpot 100’ on Sat., May 25 and Sun., May 27.

For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .

Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series at I-30 Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (1) Shane Clanton/50 $10,550

2. (3) Darrell Lanigan/50 $5,650

3. (6) Josh Richards/50 $3,650

4. (2) Rick Eckert/50 $3,200

5. (5) Billy Moyer/50 $2,150

6. (8) Bub McCool/50 $2,300

7. (7) Clint Smith/50 $1,950

8. (9) Wendell Wallace/50 $1,850

9. (16) Kyle Beard/50 $1,300

10. (20) Jack Sullivan/50 $1,150

11. (10) Tim Fuller/50 $1,600

12. (18) Scott James/50 $1,550

13. (21) Robbie Baker/50 $1,050

14. (12) Eric Wells/50 $1,700

15. (13) Morgan Bagley/50 $1,400

16. (17) Chandler Petty/50 $800

17. (22) Tommy Surrett/50 $770

18. (15) Zach McMillan/50 $750

19. (4) Tim McCreadie/50 $1,380

20. (11) Dillon Wood/50 $700

21. (19) Chub Frank/50 $1,250

22. (24) Robbie Stuart/50 $700

23. (23) Odie Green/22 $700

24. (14) Timothy Culp/0 $700

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 24 Mins., 22.901 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 0.259 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 3, 12, 25, 45)

Lap Leaders: Clanton (1-42); McCreadie (43-45); Clanton (46-50)

Provisional Starters: Green, Stuart

Rookie of the Race: Wells ($250)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Wallace ($500)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.172

2. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 14.258

3. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 14.319

4. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 14.334

5. c8-Timothy Culp/W. Monroe, LA 14.352

6. 27s-Tommy Surrett/Little Rock, AR 14.360

7. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 14.363

8. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 14.412

9. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, GA 14.484

10. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 14.507

11. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 14.519

12. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 14.642

13. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.643

14. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 14.664

15. 6M-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 14.724

16. 86-Kyle Beard/Truman, AR 14.728

17. 47-Chandler Petty/Cabot, AR 14.764

18. 15-Odie Green/Texarkana, AR 14.783

19. 17M-Robbie Baker/Bryant, AR 14.856

20. 6R-Robbie Stuart/DeRidder, LA 14.863

21. 1G-Scott James/Bright, IN 14.897

22. 11c-Jeff Chandler/Minden, LA 15.015

23. 1W-Dillon Wood/New Smyrna Beach, FL 15.054

24. 0-Shane Harris/Sheridan, AR 15.107

25. 86x-Gary Beard/Truman, AR 15.127

26. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 15.180

27. 14z-Zach McMillan/Kilgore, TX N/T

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Lanigan, Eckert, C. Smith, Fuller, Bagley, K. Beard, Baker, J. Chandler, G. Beard

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): McCreadie, Moyer, McCool, Wood, Culp, Petty, Sullivan, Frank, Stuart

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Richards, Clanton, Wallace, Wells, McMillan, James, Green, Harris, Surrett

B-Main (12 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Frank, Sullivan, Baker, Surrett, Green, Harris, G. Beard, Chandler, Stuart

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners (awards presented to noted finisher/qualifier or next highest displaying decal:

Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash to fast qualifier): Billy Moyer

Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner): Jack Sullivan

VP Race Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award: (One VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main): Gary Beard

Wrisco Aluminum (3 sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner only): Shane Clanton

Armor All (One case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main): Billy Moyer

Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Shane Clanton

QuarterMaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner, $50 certificate to 5^th-place finish): Shane Clanton/Tommy Surrett

MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Josh Richards

STP ($50 cash to 2^nd-place finisher in A-Main): Darrell Lanigan

XS Power ($50 cash to 3^rd-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert

Roush Yates ($50 cash to 4^th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert

JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5^th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool

Dominator ($50 cash to 6^th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool

American Race Wheels ($50 cash to 7^th-place finisher in A-Main): Kyle Beard

VP Race Fuels ($50 cash to 8^th-place finisher in A-Main): Wendell Wallace

Edelbrock Manifolds ($50 cash to 9^th-finisher in A-Main): Kyle Beard

Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10^th-place finisher in A-Main): Jack Sullivan

XS Power ($60 product certificate to 11^th-place finisher in A-Main): Scott James

Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12^th-place finisher in A-Main): Robbie Baker

JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13^th-place finisher in A-Main): Robbie Baker

Super Flow Dynos ($50 cash to 14^th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells

JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 16^th-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Chandler Petty

Klotz Lubricants ($50 cash to 17^th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie

Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 18^th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank

QuarterMaster ($50 certificate to 19^th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie

Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 certificate to 20^th-place finisher in A-Main): Dillon Wood

JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21^st-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Chub Frank

Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 22^nd-place finisher in A-Main): Robbie Stuart

MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24^th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank

XS Power ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Jack Sullivan

Roush Yates ($25 gift card to driver who leads most laps in the A-Main): Shane Clanton

Reliable Painting Award (one free tire): Darrell Lanigan

2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 11 – 13 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):

1. Josh Richards 1842

2. Shane Clanton 1836 (-6)

3. Darrell Lanigan 1772 (-70)

4. Rick Eckert 1752 (-90)

5. Tim McCreadie 1704 (-138)

6. Tim Fuller 1656 (-186)

7. (tie) Eric Wells 1654 (-188)

7. (tie) Scott James 1654 (-188)

9. Morgan Bagley 1614 (-228)

10. (tie) Chub Frank 1606 (-236)

10. (tie) Bub McCool 1606 (-236)

12. Clint Smith 1528 (-314)

13. Dillon Wood 1426 (-416)

14. Billy Moyer 960 (-882)

15. Brandon Sheppard 942 (-900)

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: American Racing Custom Wheels (Official Custom Wheel), Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), KMC (Official Custom Truck Wheel), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors: Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.