BRUNSWICK, GA (February 5, 2015) – Eddie Carrier Jr. passed Brandon Sheppard on the final lap to win the first night of the Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing at Golden Isles Speedway on Thursday Night. Carrier picked up the $7,000 first place prize for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Edwin Coggins Memorial in his Carl Grover Motorsports, Optima Batteries, Rocket Chassis Ford. Brandon Sheppard led for most of the race but made a costly error on the last lap as he rolled his right front nosepiece under his car on the last turn.
Carrier’s win in the Edwin Coggins Memorial kicks off three straight nights of racing at the 4/10ths refurbished oval. Stormy Scott finished second, followed by Sheppard, Steve Francis, and Scott Bloomquist.
“I am not really sure what happened on that last lap, but I am happy for the win, he [Sheppard] pushed up the track in turn two and then he got up on the berm in turns three and four and couldn’t get out of it. The track workers did a good job with race track tonight; they kept working and working on it. With all the rain they had last night, the track was extremely fast and racy,” said Carrier.
“We worked all winter on our race program. Our last race of 2014 was the Dirt Track World Championship at Portsmouth. To come down here and win the first night out, it’s just a tremendous honor to race against these guys; they are the best in the business! I was hoping for a Rocket 1-2 finish. I have to thank Carl Grover, Optima Batteries, Engines Inc. of Ohio, Grover Racing Engines. I have to thank Josh McGuire for coming down and working with us. He and his wife just had a baby last month. He was going to fly home before East Bay, but maybe I can get him to stay through next week if he can find a babysitter.”
In a wild 30-lap event, Carrier led the first lap before yielding to Sheppard, who roared from his fifth-starting spot to grab the lead. Jonathan Davenport who started on the outside of the front row fell back to third in the early going but picked up the pace as he moved by Sheppard to take the lead on lap seven. Davenport held the top spot until he left the race under caution after ten laps were scored with overheating issues.
Sheppard inherited the top spot as Davenport retired. He was the car to beat for most of the race, but misfortune struck on the last lap as the right front of his nosepiece dug into the track causing him to nearly lose control of his car. As he entered turn three, Sheppard’s car rode the cushion as Carrier slipped by underneath of him to take the win.
Stormy Scott also got by Sheppard on the final lap to take the runner-up finish. “That was a crazy finish. I thought I was going to settle for third and then Brandon jumped the cushion out there and we were able to clear him. Man what a finish for us! I have to thank Bryan Rowland Racing, Widow Wax, and Roadrunner Trucking, and Crane”, stated Scott.
Sheppard showed his disappointment afterwards. “We had a super-strong car tonight. I thought I had a big enough lead out there. I hit that burm in two and it folded the nosepiece back enough to where I couldn’t turn it. You hate to give one away like that. We will try again tomorrow night and give it everything we have again and hopefully get the win.”
Completing the top ten were Gregg Satterlee, Kenny Pettyjohn, Devin Moran, Chris Brown, and Mike Benedum.
In preliminary action, Jonathan Davenport set the overall Miller Welders Fast Time (Group B) amongst the 33 entrants, with a lap of 15.172 seconds. Earl Pearson Jr. set the fastest time in Group A with a time of 15.347 seconds. Earl Pearson Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr., Jonathan Davenport, and Steve Francis won their respective heat races. Chris Brown and Devin Moran won their respective B-Mains.
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Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Thursday, February 5th, 2015
Georgia Boot Super Bowl of Racing
Golden Isles Speedway – Waynesville, GA
Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Earl Pearson Jr. / 15.347 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport / 15.172 seconds
Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Earl Pearson, Jr., Brandon Sheppard, Stormy Scott, Dennis Franklin, Steven Roberts, Donald McIntosh, Dan Schlieper, Doug Sanders
CV Products Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Eddie Carrier, Jr., Gregg Satterlee, Don O’Neal, Mike Benedum, Chris Brown, Russell Brown, Jr., Kelly Guy, Chris Madden
Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Jonathan Davenport, Jimmy Owens, Ross Bailes, Scott Bloomquist, Austin Kirkpatrick, Jay Sessoms, Devin Moran, Mack McCarter, Cale Simons
QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Steve Francis, Billy Moyer, Jr., Kenny PettyJohn, Austin Rettig, Chris Ferguson, Kyle Bronson, Jason Papich, Jared Landers
Fast Shafts B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Chris Brown, Steven Roberts, Russell Brown, Jr., Donald McIntosh, Chris Madden, Kelly Guy, Dan Schlieper, Doug Sanders
Keyser MFG B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Devin Moran, Austin Kirkpatrick, Chris Ferguson-DNS, Jay Sessoms-DNS, Kyle Bronson-DNS, Jason Papich-DNS, Mack McCarter-DNS, Cale Simons-DNS, Jared Landers-DNS
Feature Finish (30 Laps):
FINISH START CAR # DRIVER NAME HOMETOWN
1 3 28 Eddie Carrier, Jr. Salt Rock, WV
2 9 2s Stormy Scott Las Cruses, NM
3 5 B5 Brandon Sheppard New Berlin, IL
4 4 15 Steve Francis Ashland, KY
5 14 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg, TN
6 7 22s Gregg Satterlee Rochester Mills, PA
7 12 38 Kenny PettyJohn Millsboro, DE
8 18 99m Devin Moran Dresden, OH
9 17 21b Chris Brown Spring, TX
10 15 25 Mike Benedum Salem, WV
11 20 11 Austin Kirkpatrick Ocala, FL
12 16 94 Austin Rettig Sikeston, MO
13 1 1 Earl Pearson, Jr. Jacksonville, FL
14 10 5e Ross Bailes Clover, SC
15 22 7 Donald McIntosh Dawsonville, GA
16 11 5 Don O’Neal Martinsville, IN
17 13 2F Dennis Franklin Gaffney, SC
18 19 111 Steven Roberts Jesup, GA
19 2 6 Jonathan Davenport Mount Airy, NC
20 24 44 Chris Madden Gaffney, SC
21 21 00 Russell Brown, Jr. Valdosta, GA
22 8 21jr Billy Moyer, Jr. Batesville, AR
23 6 20 Jimmy Owens Newport, TN
24 23 22 Chris Ferguson Mount Holly, NC
Race Statistics
Entrants: 33
Lap Leaders: Eddie Carrier Jr. (Lap 1); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 2 – 6); Jonathan Davenport (Laps 7 – 10); Brandon Sheppard (Laps 11 – 29); Eddie Carrier Jr. (Lap 30)
Cautions: Bad Start (on Green Flag); Chris Madden (Lap 10); Donald McIntosh (Lap 24); Ross Bailes (Lap 26)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: N/A
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: N/A
Miller Welders Fast Time Provisionals: N/A
Golden Isles Speedway Provisional: N/A
Wrisco Feature Winner: Eddie Carrier Jr.
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Devin Moran (Started: 18th; Finished: 8th; Advanced 10 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Don O’Neal
Allstar Performer of the Race: Stormy Scott
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Eddie Carrier Jr.
Rookie of the Race: N/A
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Grover Race Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Eddie Carrier Sr. (Eddie Carrier Jr.)
FK Rod Ends Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Lap #3 – 15.490 seconds)
Hot Rod Processing Most Laps Led: Brandon Sheppard (24 Laps)
PFC Brakes Tough Break Award: Brandon Sheppard
Time of Race: 19 minutes 23 seconds