DIRT LATE MODEL: Dennis Erb Tops Moyer At Federated Auto Parts Speedway Pepsi Nationals

PEVELY, MO – Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., pulled off the rarest of feats on the 2012 World of Outlaws Late Model Series in Saturday night’s Pepsi Nationals at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55.

With one of the season’s most memorable drives, Erb outdueled Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., for the lead and survived a frantic last-ditch bid from the national tour’s record-breaking driver to emerge victorious in a raucous A-Main that was extended an extra circuit, to 56 laps, by a late caution flag.

Erb, 39, swapped the top spot four times with Lanigan, 42, during the scheduled 55-lap event, with the last lead change coming on lap 36 when Erb dived low in turn three and surged ahead. But the former DIRTcar Summer Nationals and UMP national champion faced tense restarts on laps 48 and 54 before celebrating his second WoO LMS triumph of 2012 and the fourth of his career.

Lanigan offered the strongest late-race challenge, sliding to the outside of Erb off turn two on lap 50 and pulling ahead down the backstretch of the high-banked, one-third-mile oval. But Lanigan skated a bit too high between turns three and four and momentarily rode the outside wall with the right side of his car, damaging his steering and causing him to immediately fall to fourth.

Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., snuck by the stricken Lanigan to grab second and was desposited on Erb’s back bumper by a lap-54 caution flag, but the legendary veteran didn’t seriously threaten Erb during the ensuing green-white-checkered finish. He crossed the finish line 0.486 of a second behind Erb, duplicating his runner-up effort in the previous night’s WoO LMS A-Main at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill.

Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, finished third, rallying late in the distance after tumbling out of the top 10 from the fifth starting spot. Lanigan held on to place fourth with a ailing car and 20th-starter Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., charged forward to finish fifth after switching to his backup car because his primary machine was sidelined by a broken rear axle tube during heat-race action.

The race became a showdown between Erb and Lanigan by lap three, when the sixth-starting Lanigan reached second place. Erb had started fourth in his Team Zero by Bloomqusit car and vaulted into the lead on the opening lap.

Lanigan pushed into the top spot for the first time on lap nine. Erb went back ahead on lap 12 when Lanigan was slowed by a lapped car, but Lanigan regained command on lap 18 and stayed there until Erb gained control on the 36th circuit.

“I was feeling pretty good at that point,” said Erb, who earned $10,000 for the win. “I broke away there and I didn’t see anybody for a while and I was hoping that we were gonna be able to finish it. But then we had that last caution there at the end.”

Erb was referring to the lap-48 caution period for WoO LMS Kent Robinson of Bloomington, Ind., whose dream night (fast time, heat win) came to a disappointing end when he slapped the backstretch wall while being lapped by the pacesetter. With his two-second-plus edge over Lanigan wiped out, Erb had to withstand a withering attack from the hottest World of Outlaws driver of 2012.

“I seen Darrell up there getting a run on me and we just kind of kept our line,” said Erb, whose previous WoO LMS victory this season came on Feb. 23 at Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla. “I just put it to where the car was working and where I could try to get through the corners as fast as I could.

“The car just performed great tonight. It’s been kind of an up-and-down year for us so hopefully this gives us some momentum for the end of the year. This is a good win here tonight.”

Lanigan’s hopes for pushing his single-season WoO LMS win record to 15 were dashed when he slid into the concrete wall between turns three and four just five laps from the finish – a finish that he actually thought was coming that very circuit. He said he mistakenly believed that there were only two laps remaining when the lap-48 caution flew, so he threw caution to the wind in a bid to overtake Erb in dramatic fashion.

Despite a bent front end from his encounter with the wall, Lanigan managed to nurse his car to his 28th top-five finish in 35 A-Mains. He pushed his points lead to 204 points over defending champion Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who finished a quiet 14th.

Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, Ga., finished sixth, rebounding after his night took a turn for the worse following his heat-race victory. Smoke that wafted from his car late in the prelim was determined to be a result of terminal engine problems, forcing him to pull out his backup Kennedy Motorsports car and start at the tail of the A-Main field. He survived a homestretch spin on lap three to come less than three-tenths of a second from cracking the top five at the checkered flag.

Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., finished seventh; Jesse Stovall of Galena, Mo., settled for eighth after his run from the 13th starting spot to fourth was dulled in the race’s late stages by a crunched rear spoiler on his machine; Randy Korte of Highland, Ill., placed ninth; and Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., rounded out the top 10.

Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., appeared primed to snap out of a slump after winning a heat race and starting from the pole position, but driveline woes eliminated his Sweeteners Plus car on lap three.

Six caution flags slowed the event, including one on lap 15 for Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who relinquished eighth place because his car shut off due to a MSD box problem, and another on lap 54 for Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., whose homestretch spin marred an outing that saw the struggling veteran climb as high as fourth.

Thirty-six cars were signed in for the sixth WoO LMS event since 2005 at I-55.

Robinson was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, earning his first career WoO LMS fast-time honor with a lap of 12.112 seconds. He ripped off the top circuit despite being the last driver to hit the track during qualifying.

Heat winners were Robinson, McCreadie, Clanton and Moyer. The B-Mains were captured by Tim Manville of St. Jacob, Ill., and Michael Long of Quincy, Ill.

The next WoO LMS event will be a history-maker: the Keyser Manufacturing ‘Down & Dirty 100’ presented by NAPA Auto Parts on Sept. 21-22 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., a famed 7/16th-mile asphalt track that has been covered with clay for a single weekend of dirt action. Time trials and heat races will be run on Fri., Sept. 21, with B-Mains and the $20,000-to-win 100-lapper set for Sat., Sept. 22.

Results of WoO Late Model Series Pepsi Nationals at Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (4) Dennis Erb Jr./56 $10,000
2. (7) Billy Moyer/56 $5,250
3. (5) Brian Birkhofer/56 $3,000
4. (6) Darrell Lanigan/56 $3,150
5. (20) Chub Frank/56 $2,600
6. (8) Shane Clanton/56 $2,250
7. (14) Vic Coffey/56 $1,950
8. (13) Jesse Stovall/56 $1,800
9. (16) Randy Korte/56 $1,200
10. (11) Tim Fuller/56 $1,700
11. (19) Brandon Sheppard/56 $1,050
12. (9) Clint Smith/56 $1,550
13. (23) Jack Sullivan/56 $1,250
14. (15) Rick Eckert/56 $1,650
15. (10) Pat Doar/56 $1,650
16. (21) Dewayne Kiefer/56 $1,000
17. (25) Jeff Herzog/54 $1,000
18. (26) Ron McQuerry/54 $1,100
19. (2) Kent Robinson/46 $1,550
20. (17) Tim Manville/43 $1,000
21. (22) Wendell Wallace/41 $1,000
22. (12) Billy Moyer Jr./39 $1,000
23. (3) Bub McCool/14 $1,550
24. (1) Tim McCreadie/3 $1,650
25. (18) Michael Long/3 $1,025
26. (24) Jill George/1 $1,000

NOTE: Shane Clanton was scheduled to start 8th but was penalized to the rear of the field for the start because he switched to a backup car
NOTE: Scheduled 55-lap race went 56 laps due to a caution that caused a green-white-checkered finish

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 31 Mins., 12.002 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.486 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 6 (Laps 2, 3, 4, 15, 48, 54)
Lap Leaders: Erb (1-8); Lanigan (9-11); Erb (12-17); Lanigan (18-34); Erb (35-56)
Provisional Starters: Sullivan, George (WoO); Herzog, McQuerry (track)
Rookie of the Race: Sullivan ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Jesse Stovall ($500)

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

1. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 12.112
2. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 12.176
3. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 12.230
4. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 12.265
5. 6-Jesse Stovall/Galena, MO 12.280
6. 15B-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 12.295
7. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 12.322
8. 21Jr-Billy Moyer Jr./Batesville, AR 12.329
9. 1-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 12.332
10. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 12.336
11. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 12.346
12. 28e-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 12.354
13. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 12.422
14. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 12.436
15. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 12.443
16. 00-Randy Korte/Highland, IL 12.454
17. 6K-Michael Kloos/Trenton, IL 12.473
18. 33M-Tim Manville/St. Jacob, IL 12.505
19. 33L-Michael Long/Quincy, IL 12.510
20. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 12.541
21. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 12.554
22. 11H-Jeff Herzog/St. Genevieve, MO 12.615
23. 88-Scott Weber/Festus, MO 12.643
24. 1s-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 12.678
25. 0-Dewayne Kiefer/St. Genevieve, MO 12.727
26. 1HR-Ron McQuerry/St. Albans, MO 12.915
27. 23-Paul Roider/Columbia, IL 12.927
28. 30-Mark Voigt/Marine, IL 12.953
29. 50-Ed Dixon/Washington, MO 12.960
30. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA 13.005
31. 1A-Byron Allison/Marshal, MO 13.005
32. 76-Butch Kruckeberg/Edwardsville, IL 13.357
33. 5A-Paul Schrempf/St. Louis, MO 14.268
34. 26-Randy Estes/Pacific, MO 15.618
35. 33-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR N/T
36. 55-Duane Treadwell/LaGrange, GA N/T

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Robinson, McCool, C. Smith, Stovall, Kloos, Sheppard, Dixon, Schrempf, Kiefer

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McCreadie, Birkhofer, Doar, Coffey, Manville, Herzog, McQuerry, George, Estes

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Lanigan, Fuller, Eckert, Long, Weber, Allison, Wallace, Roider

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Moyer, Erb, Moyer Jr., Korte, Sullivan, Frank, Voigt, Kruckeberg (DNS) Treadwell

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Manville, Sheppard, Kiefer, Kloos, Herzog, Dixon, George, Estes, McQuerry (DNS) Schrempf

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Long, Frank, Wallace, Weber, Allison, Sullivan, Roider, Kruckeberg (DNS) Voigt, Treadwell

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners:

Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 product certificate to 23rd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Ron McQuerry
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Billy Moyer
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim Fuller
Comp Cams ($50 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Billy Moyer
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Tim Manville/Michael Long
Gravely ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Vic Coffey
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 16th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Ron McQuerry
JE Pistons (one compete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 11th-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Brandon Sheppard
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher or next highest w/decal – $285 value): Tim Manville
Klotz Synthetic Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher or next highest finisher): Ron McQuerry
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Billy Moyer
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Michael Long
Ohlins Pole Award ($50 cash to fast qualifier or next highest w/decal): Billy Moyer
Quartermaster ($100 product certificate to A-Main winner or next highest w/decal): Chub Frank
Quartermaster ($50 product certificate to 5th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Shane Clanton
Quartermaster ($25 product certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
Roush-Yates Performance Products ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Chub Frank
Roush-Yates Performance Products (carburetor repair kit to 18th-place finish in A-Main or next highest w/decal – $100 value): Ron McQuerry
Roush-Yates Lap Leader Award (one pair of Wiley X Sunglasses to driver who leads most laps in A-Main): Dennis Erb Jr.
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Billy Moyer
SuperFlow ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Pat Doar
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Tim Fuller
VP Racing Fuels ‘Nice Jugs Award’ (one VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main or next highest with decal – $30 value): Mark Voigt
WIX Filters ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Rick Eckert
Wrisco Aluminum (three sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner if decal displayed – $200 value): Billy Moyer
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Chub Frank
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 8th-place finisher in A-Main or next highest w/decal): Ron McQuerry
XS ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Shane Clanton