The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Duck River Raceway Park saw lead change after lead change
Tonight the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour stopped in Shelbyville, TN. View the full Duck River Raceway Park results sheet below. This is a spoiler free race report.
The track is billed as a 1/4-Mile, Semi-Banked Oval. However, I guess it’s only considered semi-banked in the state of Tennessee. Anywhere else, this is a high banked bullring. It’s a fantastic race track!
Click here to view the Duck River Raceway Park LOLMDS photo album
Don O’Neal started his night off on the right foot. Which he usually does. Though, in 2017, more often than not Don O’Neal and Clint Bowyer Racing have been hit with bad luck in the feature.
Tonight, Don O’Neal set quick time. A lap at 12.515 seconds, your polesitter.
The #5 dirt late model carried the fast setup into the heat race. He started on pole, led every lap. He held off his teammate, Darrell Lanigan. Timothy Culp won heat race number 2. Dennis Erb Jr won heat 3, he held off Bloomquist to take the heat win.
Josh Richards started 3rd in heat number 1. He fell backwards, finishing 7th of 9. He will be sent to the B Main. He was the LOLMDS point leader heading into the weekend. He was now starting at the front of the B-Main. He lead flag-to-flag, no contestants. He easily transferred into the main.
The LOLMDS field was now set. Drivers were set to whip around the bullring, chasing a $10,000 check. 50 Laps of dirt late model racing.
Green Flag. Don O’Neal and Dennis Erb Jr lead the field into turn 1 in front of a packed house at the dirt track. He runs the middle and drives it in hard, Timothy Culp on the high-side. Don O’Neal clears Culp in the middle of turn 2.
Caution. Restart, Don O’Neal went to the bottom. Culp picks the middle. This time, Culp takes the lead. Timmothy Culp is the new leader. The track is racier every lap!
As the lead changes hands a new face is here. Tonight, Tanner English made his first start in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on the season. He started 7th and is now challenging Bloomquist for 4th. He’s clicking laps around the bottom.
Meanwhile, Dennis Erb Jr and Don O’Neal run side-by-side for 2nd. They are hurting eachothers lap times, Culp is pulling away from the field. Caution.
Don O’Neal will get another shot at Culp. He’s running now racing for the lead as Dennis Erb falls backwards on the restart. He defaults back to the low-line and slides passed Culp. Culp is now defending 2nd, Tanner English pressures for 2nd. O’Neal disappears into the distance. Caution.
Restart. O’Neal, English and Bloomquist. O’Neal leads the field out of turn 2. Scott Bloomquist drives through the middle, taking the runner up spot. Bloomquist is now searching for the leader.
He finds him and dives to the bottom, taking the bottom. Don O’Neal and Scott Blooquist race side-by-side lap after lap for the lead. Bloomquist clears O’Neal, barely. He continues to leave room for O’Neal. Clean racing at the front.
However, the very next corner, O’Neal throws it in a bit harder on corner entry. The high-side momentum carried him to the outside of Bloomquist. A head of steam on corner exit, back to the lead, on the outside.
O’Neal takes the lead back for about the 5th time in a single event. Bloomquist liked what he saw. He moves to the top, inches from the wall, searching for the cushion. O’Neal besides he’s had enough at the top, he’s back to the bottom. Bloomquist isn’t going to have enough.
Don O’Neal runs un-contested in the final 5 laps. He pulls a gap on the field. Don O’Neal is going to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Duck River Raceway Park!
After the way his season has gone, he decides to run an extra lap under power, just to make sure that was the checkered flag he saw waving in the air, it was.
Scott Bloomquist takes the runner up position. Tanner English runs 3rd in the throwback dirt late model paint scheme. Brandon Overton comes in 4th and Dennis Erb Jr holds on to complete the top 5.
Don O’Neal climbs from his dirt late model, fists in the air. His son Hudson O’Neal comes over on the 4-wheeler to congratulate him.
Josh Richards finished 14th tonight. Scott Bloomquist leaves Duck River Raceway Park was a 100 point lead over Richards.
“The crew has worked so hard on this car, people don’t realize how much work goes into these cars. Anthony Burroughs and “Big Snack,” they don’t get any days off it seems. Last night at East Alabama was the first time we ran this car. I never thought he [Bloomquist] would get around me on the outside and then he went to the bottom. When he did that I thought, I could do that as well and it worked out.”
The Lucas Oil Dirt Series Duck River Raceway Park winner closes, “I have had so much bad luck recently, it feels great to get back to victory lane again.”
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is is off until next Friday. On April 7th the national dirt late model tour will enter Batesville Motor Speedway. The following night, they will re-re-rack ’em and do it all over at the Batesville, AR dirt track.
View full Duck River Raceway Park Lucas Oil Late Model results below.
Author: Shane Walters
Don O’Neal – Duck River Raceway Park Photos
QUALIFYING
Duck River Raceway Park
April 2, 2017
Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Don O’Neal / 12.515 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Dale McDowell / 12.917 seconds
HEAT 1
Duck River Raceway Park
April 2, 2017
Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): Don O’Neal, Darrell Lanigan, Tanner English, Ricky Weiss, Hudson O’Neal, David Breazeale, Josh Richards, Carder Miller, Kayne Hickman
HEAT 2
Duck River Raceway Park
April 2, 2017
FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): Timothy Culp, Eric Hickerson, Brandon Overton, Jimmy Owens, Jonathan Davenport, Earl Pearson, Jr., Boom Briggs, Billy Franklin, Colton Flinner
HEAT 3
Duck River Raceway Park
April 2, 2017
Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 6 Transfer): Dennis Erb, Jr., Scott Bloomquist, Steve Francis, Tim McCreadie, Dale McDowell, Gregg Satterlee, Caleb Ashby, David Seibers, Austin Arnold
B-Main
Duck River Raceway Park
April 2, 2017
Penske Racing Shocks B-Main Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Josh Richards, Caleb Ashby, Boom Briggs, Billy Franklin, Kayne Hickman, David Seibers, Colton Flinner, Carder Miller, Austin Arnold
A-MAIN
Duck River Raceway Park
April 2, 2017
Feature Finish (50 Laps):
FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | EARNINGS |
1 | 1 | 5 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $11,000 |
2 | 6 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | $6,500 |
3 | 7 | 96 | Tanner English | Benton, KY | $3,500 |
4 | 8 | 116 | Brandon Overton | Evans, GA | $2,750 |
5 | 3 | 28E | Dennis Erb, Jr. | Carpentersville, IL | $2,950 |
6 | 2 | C8 | Timothy Culp | Prattsville, AR | $1,800 |
7 | 9 | 15 | Steve Francis | Bowling Green, KY | $2,200 |
8 | 4 | 14 | Darrell Lanigan | Union, KY | $2,000 |
9 | 15 | 17m | Dale McDowell | Chickamauga, GA | $1,200 |
10 | 13 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $1,800 |
11 | 14 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Williamson, SC | $1,875 |
12 | 10 | 7w | Ricky Weiss | Headingley, MB | $1,050 |
13 | 16 | 54 | David Breazeale | Starkville, MS | $1,025 |
14 | 19 | 1R | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $1,700 |
15 | 17 | 1 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | $1,750 |
16 | 11 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $1,725 |
17 | 22 | 17 | Billy Franklin | Calera, AL | $900 |
18 | 24 | 18S | David Seibers | Chapel Hill, TN | $875 |
19 | 18 | 22 | Gregg Satterlee | Rochester Mills, PA | $850 |
20 | 21 | 99B | Boom Briggs | Bear Lake, PA | $1,525 |
21 | 23 | 75 | Colton Flinner | Allison Park, PA | $800 |
22 | 20 | 61 | Caleb Ashby | Cunningham, TN | $800 |
23 | 12 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $1,500 |
24 | 5 | 98 | Eric Hickerson | Linden, TN | $800 |
Race Statistics
Entrants: 27
Lap Leaders: Don O’Neal (Laps 1 – 6); Timothy Culp (Laps 7 – 18); Don O’Neal (Laps 19 – 35); Scott Bloomquist (Laps 36 – 37); Don O’Neal (Laps 38 – 50)
Cautions: Colton Flinner (Lap 5); Eric Hickerson (Lap 8); Tim McCreadie (Lap 9); Jonathan Davenport (Lap 15); Caleb Ashby (Lap 16); Gregg Satterlee (Lap 31)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Colton Flinner
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Miller Welders Fast Time Provisionals: David Seibers
Wrisco Feature Winner: Don O’Neal
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Dale McDowell (Started: 15th; Finished: 9th; Advanced 6 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Scott Bloomquist
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Jonathan Davenport
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Don O’Neal
Hot Rod Processing Rookie of the Race: n/a
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Club 29 Race Cars
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Anthony Burroughs (Don O’Neal)
Fastest Lap of the Race: Don O’Neal (Lap #2 – 13.9431 seconds)
Safecraft Most Laps Led: Don O’Neal (36 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Don O’Neal
Time of Race: 34 minutes 47 seconds
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:
POS | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | POINTS | EARNINGS |
1 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | 1535 | $48,700 |
2 | 1R | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | 1435 | $40,725 |
3 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Williamson, SC | 1370 | $18,575 |
3 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | 1370 | $29,800 |
5 | 1 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | 1345 | $30,400 |
6 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | 1315 | $24,475 |
7 | 5 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | 1245 | $27,225 |
8 | 28E | Dennis Erb, Jr. | Carpentersville, IL | 1230 | $17,750 |
9 | 14 | Darrell Lanigan | Union, KY | 1215 | $14,500 |
10 | 15 | Steve Francis | Bowling Green, KY | 1160 | $13,850 |
11 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | 1060 | $9,975 |
12 | 99B | Boom Briggs | Bear Lake, PA | 1030 | $8,325 |
13 | C8 | Timothy Culp | Prattsville, AR | 955 | $5,150 |
14 | 22 | Gregg Satterlee | Rochester Mills, PA | 935 | $7,500 |
15 | 75 | Colton Flinner | Allison Park, PA | 905 | $7,025 |
*Points are unofficial until Close of Business on the Tuesday following Race Day*
MORE LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT
2017 Schedule/Results | Lucas Oil Dirt Section
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