New Yorker Star’s Third Triumph Of 2013 Comes In Caution-Free 50-Lapper
FONDA, NY – June 19, 2013 – Mastering a historic track dear to his Big-Block Modified heart, Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., cruised to victory in Wednesday night’s inaugural 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main at Fonda Speedway.
The 39-year-old Big-Block-turned-Dirt Late Model star dominated the caution-free event in his Sweeteners Plus Warrior car, racing off the pole position to lead from start-to-finish. He was never seriously challenged en route to his third triumph of 2013 on the national tour.
McCreadie’s $10,650 win was the third of his career at the uniquely-shaped half-mile Fonda oval, but his previous two scores came in 2003 and ’04 in Big-Block Modified features. Wednesday night marked his first-ever start at the track in a dirt Late Model.
Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., started on the outside pole and chased McCreadie for the entire distance but never got close enough to mount a bid. He steered his family-owned Rocket machine under the checkered flag 0.994 behind McCreadie.
Big-Block Modified veteran Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y., finished third – nearly six seconds in arrears of McCreadie – in a brand-new Gypsum Racing Rocket car for a career-best WoO LMS placing. Circuit rookie Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., was fourth and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., took fifth, both driving Team Zero by Bloomquist cars.
McCreadie was at his best when it counted. He shook off a frustrating – albeit still effective – heat-race performance to shine in the headliner.
“We weren’t so good early,” said McCreadie, who nevertheless finished second in his heat race to make the redraw for the A-Main’s top-six starting spots. “In the heat I felt bad, but it just made me go to work on my stuff. We made the Warrior car a lot better for the feature than what it was in the heat – and drawing the pole helped too.”
Making a rare start with his father – legendary DIRTcar Big-Block Modified driver ‘Barefoot’ Bob McCreadie, who owns four career special-event victories at Fonda – in attendance, T-Mac surged into the lead at the initial green flag of the 50-lapper and never looked back. He calmly handled several bouts with lapped traffic to keep Stone at arm’s length.
“We were running just trying to be smooth and keep the tires under the car – not wheel-spin ‘em, because when it’s slick like that you can kill your edges,” said McCreadie, who recorded his 23rd career victory on the WoO LMS.
McCreadie enjoyed a Victory Lane family photo with his father and younger brother Jordan and savored a triumph that was well-received by his home-state fans.
“I do really love racing in New York state,” said McCreadie, who moved back past fellow Big-Block Modified transplant Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., for fifth place in the WoO LMS points standings. “When you’re running bad it’s 10 times worse because everybody expects you to be up front, but when you run good it’s a relief as much as it is excitement.
“I’m probably 50-50,” he added. “I’m 50 (percent) excited, and 50 (percent) relieved that we could do it because people expect a lot when you running close to home.”
Stone, 36, kept McCreadie in his sights throughout the race but couldn’t summon enough power to mount a major run at the top spot.
“I think we were pretty even speed-wise,” said Stone, who has two career WoO LMS victories. “There were a couple bounces (holes) in the turns and once in a while (McCreadie would) hit ‘em wrong and he’d get held up and I’d close in, but then I’d get greedy and hit the bumps a little bit wrong (and lose ground).
“I’m not ashamed to lose to Tim in New York. He’s got a few laps around and he’s good in this (slick) condition too.”
Decker, 48, was satisfied with a podium finish in what was his first dirt Late Model appearance of 2013.
“I think the Gypsum Wholesalers car was a little better than I was tonight,” said Decker, who has two career Big-Block Modified wins at Fonda. “I kept missing the line in (turns) one and two. I know when I hit it I was as good as anybody, but I missed it more than I hit it.
“I need to get a little bit better, but all in all I’m tickled to death. I had a lot of fun tonight.”
Finishing in positions 6-10 was Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga.; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who slipped backward at the start from his fifth starting spot; Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss.; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga.; and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who had a quiet night and saw his WoO LMS points lead shrink to 26 points over Clanton.
Eckert topped the evening’s 24-car field in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, turning a lap of 18.784 seconds for his first fast-time honor of 2013.
Heat winners were Eckert, Frank and Stone. No B-Main was run.
Former Fonda Big-Block Modified champion Ronnie Johnson of Duanesburg, N.Y., authored a respectable dirt Late Model debut behind the wheel of Frank’s second car. He timed sixth-fastest – just a tick off Frank’s clocking – and finished fourth in his heat before retiring from the A-Main on lap 10 and being credited with a 21st-place finish.
The WoO LMS swing through the Northeast continues on Thursday night (June 20) with a first-ever visit to Brighton (Ont.) Speedway for the Excel Tower Service 50.
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 Fonda Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Tim McCreadie/50 $10,650
2. (2) Dan Stone/50 $5,000
3. (3) Billy Decker/50 $3,500
4. (4) Eric Wells/50 $3,400
5. (6) Rick Eckert/50 $2,700
6. (7) Shane Clanton/50 $2,200
7. (5) Chub Frank/50 $1,950
8. (8) Bub McCool/50 $1,900
9. (9) Clint Smith/50 $1,750
10. (11) Josh Richards/50 $1,800
11. (13) Morgan Bagley/50 $1,600
12. (14) Tim Fuller/50 $1,550
13. (15) Vic Coffey/50 $1,000
14. (10) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,550
15. (17) Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/49 $900
16. (19) Andy Haus/47 $850
17. (21) John Mason/47 $770
18. (16) Dave Zona/47 $800
19. (23) Jon Rohacevich/45 $730
20. (18) Larry Wight/25 $700
21. (12) Ronnie Johnson/10 $700
22. (22) Greg Oakes/9 $700
23. (24) Alan Sagi/7 $700
24. (20) Gil Tegg Jr./5 $725
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 17 Mins., 37.435 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.994 Secs.
Yellow Flags: None
Lap Leaders: McCreadie (1-50)
Provisional Starters: None
Rookie of the Race: Wells ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Decker ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.784
2. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 19.145
3. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 19.231
4. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 19.511
5. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 19.561
6. 1*J-Ronnie Johnson/Duanesburg, NY 19.566
7. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 19.617
8. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 19.724
9. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 19.725
10. 99z-Dave Zona/Montrose, PA 19.736
11. 99b-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 19.870
12. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 19.941
13. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 19.981
14. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 19.991
15. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 20.039
16. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, GA 20.179
17. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 20.202
18. 72-John Mason/Millersburg, OH 20.207
19. 76-Andy Haus/Hamburg, PA 20.357
20. 24J-Jon Rohacevich/Prattsville, NY 20.954
21. 99L-Larry Wight/Phoenix, NY 20.978
22. 22-Greg Oakes/Franklinville, NY 21.354
23. 22x-Gil Tegg Jr./Rochester, NY 20.065 (DQ – light)
24. 31-Alan Sagi/Hagerstown, MD N/T
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 2 redraw): Eckert, Decker, Clanton, Lanigan, Bagley, Zona, Haus, Oakes
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 2 redraw): Frank, Wells, McCool, Richards, Fuller, Briggs, Tegg, Rohacevich
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 2 redraw): Stone, McCreadie, Smith, Johnson, Coffey, Wight, Mason (DNS) Sagi
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): Rick Eckert
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner): None
VP Race Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award: (One VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main): None
Wrisco Aluminum (3 sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner only): Tim McCreadie
Armor All (One case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main): Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Tim McCreadie
QuarterMaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner, $50 certificate to 5th-place finish): Tim McCreadie/Andy Haus
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Tim McCreadie
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Roush Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
American Race Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
VP Race Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
Edelbrock Manifolds ($50 cash to 9th-finisher in A-Main): Josh Richards
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Josh Richards
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 11th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Vic Coffey
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Andy Haus
Super Flow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 16th-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Andy Haus
Klotz Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher in A-Main): Dave Zona
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Dave Zona
QuarterMaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Larry Wight
Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Larry Wight
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Ronnie Johnson
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Greg Oakes
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Gil Tegg Jr.
XS Power ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Tim McCreadie
Roush Yates ($25 gift card to driver who leads most laps in the A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Reliable Painting Award (free tire): Rick Eckert
2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of June 19 – 19 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Josh Richards 2690
2. Shane Clanton 2664 (-26)
3. Darrell Lanigan 2622 (-68)
4. Rick Eckert 2598 (-92)
5. Tim McCreadie 2462 (-228)
6. Tim Fuller 2456 (-234)
7. Eric Wells 2436 (-254)
8. Chub Frank 2398 (-292)
9. Bub McCool 2394 (-296)
10. Morgan Bagley 2378 (-312)
11. Clint Smith 2270 (-420)
12. Scott James 1958 (-732)
13. Dillon Wood 1426 (-1264)
14. Gregg Satterlee 1248 (-1442)
15. Mike Benedum 994 (-1696)
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.