CORONA, California — The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will have two weekends off before heading out East to race at Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA on Friday Night, April 24th and Saturday Night, April 25th visit to Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD with both shows paying $10,000 to win and will be the next stop on the Sunoco Race Fuels Road to Wheatland.
Looking back at Screven Motor Speedway; it was Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN for the second year in a row picking up the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, GA. It was his sixth career series victory in a thrilling finish; James and Dennis "Rambo" Franklin put on quite a show for the fans as they diced back and forth in the late stages with James crossing the finish line first to earn the $7,000 top prize. Franklin finished second followed by Jimmy Owens, Josh McGuire and Tyler Ivey. There were 45 cars signed in for the race program. Saturday Night's event scheduled for Swainsboro (GA) Raceway was postponed early in the day due to water pumping up from underneath the track that created an unsafe racing surface. The Swainsboro race will be held on Thursday Night, June 18 right before the shows at Cherokee and Fayetteville.
Screven winner Scott James had his hands full not only with Dennis Franklin, but an overheating problem that developed in the last few laps of the 40 lap race as well. "The water pump belt came off with about three laps to go, it was getting hot, I let it cool down a little there, I also picked up a vibration on the right rear, we were lucky to make it to the finish, I hope I didn't hurt the motor," said the winner in the Lucas Oil Victory Lane. James' crew, which includes his brother Shane and his Crew Chief, Kenny Kenneda, inspected the motor in the early morning hours of Saturday and it appeared to be fine. James told the crowd that Eldora was his favorite, but he has to add Screven up there because of his back-to-back wins. He came from the 12th starting spot to vault into Victory Lane this past Friday Night.
While Gaffney, SC veteran Dennis "Rambo" Franklin is an infrequent visitor to LOLMDS events; he proved he can run with the series regulars as he nearly pulled off the win at Screven. In a hard-fought battle with winner, Scott James, Franklin had his Barry Wright tuned perfectly from the beginning of the night as he set fast time in the PRC Time Trials, being one of only two drivers under 14 seconds in qualifying. Franklin's runner-up finish was his best ever in LOLMDS competition, topping a career-best fourth place during a 2006 visit to his home track, Cherokee Super Speedway.
Many media observers feel that Jimmy Owens is one of the drivers who have the best chance to unseat Earl Pearson Jr. from his perch atop the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship in 2009. Owens had another strong finish at Screven, finishing third after coming from 17th starting spot. It looked for a while that Owens would take over the points lead when Pearson struggled for most of the race. It was a late race surge that allowed Pearson to keep his points lead over Owens. Owens has never led the LOLMDS point's standings during his career and his current status in second is the closest he has come to the top.
Josh McGuire of Grayson, KY is now third in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings. McGuire came out 14th of the 44 cars that qualified and setting a blistering pace at 14.022 seconds, McGuire's second lap appeared to be faster but the car got too high in turn four and hit the concrete retaining wall, causing damage to the right front of his car. His crew, which includes 2008 KC Raceway Late Model Track Champion, Ben Adkins worked on the car to get it ready for the first heat race which McGuire ran away with.
Billy Moyer came into the race second in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Points Standings and it looked like he was poised to take over the lead with the solid run he had going. Moyer took the lead from Josh McGuire on lap two and was in front until lap 18, as he was trying to lap a slower competitor, he checked-up and his brakes causing him to spin out. Moyer then restarted on the tail; his night ended on lap 24 when the right rear axle assembly of his car suffered damage, causing him to stop on the frontstretch. Moyer dropped to sixth in points; however he is only 60 behinds points leader Earl Pearson Jr. after the event at Screven Motor Speedway.
Just when it looked like 4-time series champion Earl Pearson Jr. was going to drop from the top of the Points, he recovered late in the race to keep the lead, a mere 25 points ahead of Jimmy Owens. Pearson brought out the fourth caution on lap three as he spun in turn one. Pearson was mired in the back, but with 14 cautions throughout the race and some attrition, he was able to cross the finish line in ninth. The week was not all bad for Pearson; on the Sunday prior to the event at Screven, he won the biggest race of his career, the "Colossal 100" at the Dirt Track at Lowe's in Concord, NC worth $50,000 and his car owner 2000 NASCAR Cup Champion. It was a great week not only for Pearson, but his car owner as well, as Bobby Labonte was inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on April 1.
The two-time runner-up in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Standings, Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN unveiled a new team at Screven. O'Neal is back in a MasterSbilt Race Cars Chassis. The Crothersville, IN chassis builder has partnered up with Indianapolis based marketing company Racing United Marketing. In a deal that was finalized just before the team headed to Georgia saw O'Neal behind the wheel of the new team. The RUM team will be debuting a new MasterSbilt Chassis in a few weeks as they are working closely with Ray Cook, who started the '09 season with three wins in independent events and is currently eighth in the LOLMDS Championship Points Standings. The team currently has backing from Buddy and Jeff Massengill of MasterSbilt South and Superior Cleaning of Independence, IA.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, in coordination with Dave Dusick of RaceCeiver debuted a new scoring and timing system for the series. The use of transponders, run off a loop placed in the track, along with a computerized system used in the scoring tower, those in the pit area will also be able to keep track of their driver as lineups and live timing and scoring will be viewed from rear section panels converted to house monitors that will be installed on the LOLMDS 5150 Race Trailer at each series event.
After only one (Jeep VanWormer) of the four competitors for the Quarter Master Rookie of the Year made the series event at Brownstown in March, there were three of them that made the starting grid at Screven. VanWormer, John Blankenship and David Breazeale cracked the tough lineup with only Michael Walker falling short of making the race. Walker was in contention for the final transfer spot in his B-main but a brush with the frontstretch wall ended his hopes of making the race.
The next Lucas Oil Motorsports Hour will be on Tuesday Night, April 21st, previewing the next series events at Bedford and Hagerstown. The show, hosted by LOLMDS announcer James Essex, airs on www.DirtCast.com at 8:00 PM Eastern/7:00 PM Central.
2009 Championship Points Standings
1) Earl Pearson Jr. 630
2) Jimmy Owens 605
3) Josh McGuire 585
4) Dale McDowell 580
5) Scott Bloomquist 575
6) Billy Moyer 570
7) Scott James 550
8) Ray Cook 530
9) Jeep Van Wormer 525
10) Steve Casebolt 520
2009 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1) Jeep Van Wormer 525
2) John Blankenship 420
3) David Breazeale 360
4) Michael Walker 330
