By James Essex
When Don O’Neal rolls through the gates of Florence Speedway in Union, KY this Saturday Night for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned 24th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial he will be riding his hopes for a victory based on his past performances at the half-mile facility
In his last five visits to the famed oval the 45-year-old Martinsville, IN native has come home with two wins and three second place finishes, among those an excruciating loss on the last lap of last year’s North/South 100 where a $50,000 payday look certain until Jimmy Mars passed him coming off of turn number four to deny O’Neal his first crown jewel win.
O’Neal heads into this week’s series events at Tazewell (TN) on Friday Night and Florence on Saturday Night, fourth in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings and this past weekend he finished second in the DART Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO even though he lead the most laps.
This year O’Neal has visited Florence twice winning the “Spring 50” back on March 20 and has a second place to fellow Lucas Oil Series regular Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN in an event on April 3.
O’Neal and the rest of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers will have a tough battle on their hands this Saturday at Florence against arguably some of the best weekly racers in the country. Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, IN, who finished seventh in last year’s Ralph Latham Memorial Race comes in the event holding the track’s points lead and he has recorded four feature wins at Florence in 2010 including the last two.
O’Neal who won the final night of the 2010 DART Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in February earning $12,000 for his victory had his best series finish since then with this past weekend’s runner-up finish to fellow MasterSbilt House Car Driver, Ray Cook. O’Neal went through a stretch of series events were he uncharacteristically had problems qualifying, but in the last three events he has qualified better and his results has shown that.
“This series is so tough, there’s a bunch of good drivers and if you qualify poor, you get behind the eight ball and you really have no chance of a good finish,” said O’Neal who started driving again last March for Tader Masters of MasterSbilt Race Cars.
“We’ve made some changes on the car in recent weeks and it has really paid off, the car was real good at 34, we started on the pole and after a while we started to fade a bit,, we pitted for new tires with about 24 laps to go and worked our way back up to tenth at the finish,” said O’Neal who has 13 career wins on the Lucas Oil Series tour and has finished runner-up twice in the championship points standings.
O’Neal gives credit to his crew for his improvement including fellow racer, Cody Mahoney who has been helping the team for a few months now after parking his car. “I am sure he’s learned a lot, he’s a good kid and a good driver, he’s been down on his luck this year so he’s been going with us to the races and giving us a helping hand,” says O’Neal of the 2008 Brownstown Speedway track champion who hopes to get back into a race car before seasons end.
The last five Ralph Latham Memorial races at Florence have all been won by a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regulars dating back to O’Neal’s win in 2005. Reigning series champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN won in ’06, followed by Steve Casebolt in ’07 and the last years have seen Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN victorious in the $10,000 to win event.
When Don O’Neal rolls through the gates of Florence Speedway in Union, KY this Saturday Night for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned 24th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial he will be riding his hopes for a victory based on his past performances at the half-mile facility
In his last five visits to the famed oval the 45-year-old Martinsville, IN native has come home with two wins and three second place finishes, among those an excruciating loss on the last lap of last year’s North/South 100 where a $50,000 payday look certain until Jimmy Mars passed him coming off of turn number four to deny O’Neal his first crown jewel win.
O’Neal heads into this week’s series events at Tazewell (TN) on Friday Night and Florence on Saturday Night, fourth in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings and this past weekend he finished second in the DART Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO even though he lead the most laps.
This year O’Neal has visited Florence twice winning the “Spring 50” back on March 20 and has a second place to fellow Lucas Oil Series regular Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN in an event on April 3.
O’Neal and the rest of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series drivers will have a tough battle on their hands this Saturday at Florence against arguably some of the best weekly racers in the country. Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, IN, who finished seventh in last year’s Ralph Latham Memorial Race comes in the event holding the track’s points lead and he has recorded four feature wins at Florence in 2010 including the last two.
O’Neal who won the final night of the 2010 DART Winternationals at East Bay Raceway Park in February earning $12,000 for his victory had his best series finish since then with this past weekend’s runner-up finish to fellow MasterSbilt House Car Driver, Ray Cook. O’Neal went through a stretch of series events were he uncharacteristically had problems qualifying, but in the last three events he has qualified better and his results has shown that.
“This series is so tough, there’s a bunch of good drivers and if you qualify poor, you get behind the eight ball and you really have no chance of a good finish,” said O’Neal who started driving again last March for Tader Masters of MasterSbilt Race Cars.
“We’ve made some changes on the car in recent weeks and it has really paid off, the car was real good at 34, we started on the pole and after a while we started to fade a bit,, we pitted for new tires with about 24 laps to go and worked our way back up to tenth at the finish,” said O’Neal who has 13 career wins on the Lucas Oil Series tour and has finished runner-up twice in the championship points standings.
O’Neal gives credit to his crew for his improvement including fellow racer, Cody Mahoney who has been helping the team for a few months now after parking his car. “I am sure he’s learned a lot, he’s a good kid and a good driver, he’s been down on his luck this year so he’s been going with us to the races and giving us a helping hand,” says O’Neal of the 2008 Brownstown Speedway track champion who hopes to get back into a race car before seasons end.
The last five Ralph Latham Memorial races at Florence have all been won by a Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regulars dating back to O’Neal’s win in 2005. Reigning series champion, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN won in ’06, followed by Steve Casebolt in ’07 and the last years have seen Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN victorious in the $10,000 to win event.
