2/16/2013
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Pearson Powers to Lucas Oil Victory Lane at East Bay
TAMPA, FL (February 16, 2013) – Earl Pearson Jr. rallied from a flat tire to win the $10,000 DART Winternationals finale for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at East Bay Raceway Park. Pearson pitted on lap 37 after suffering a right rear flat and restarted from the tail. He charged through the field, taking the lead from Don O’Neal on lap 52 and led the remainder of the race.
Driving for NASCAR’s Bobby Labonte, Pearson took the Lucas Oil Products and MAVTV sponsored Longhorn Chassis Chevrolet to Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time since July of 2010 at Tri-City (IL) Speedway. “It’s been a longtime, no doubt,” said the 4-time series champion who was all smiles from ear-to-ear. “This deal with Kevin Rumley came together just a few months ago and we have come out of the box running much better! I have to thank Steve Shaver, he was my crew chief this week, and everybody at Lucas Oil and MAVTV for their support! It feels great to be back in victory lane!”
Pearson’s win was the third of his career at East Bay and his 25th on the LOLMDS tour. Scott Bloomquist wound up second followed by O’Neal, Jared Landers, and Steve Francis.
Bloomquist, who was one of the few cars not having to pit, got by O’Neal in the closing laps to take a podium finish in second. “We ran the hardest tires we could; the track was actually pretty good! It was black from top to bottom, but when you start getting some of that sand grit mixed in after a while, that’s why the tires started going away.”
O’Neal, with his third place finish, clinched the DART Winternationals Championship, worth $5,000. “We are really proud to win the DART (Winternationals) Championship! As far as the race was concerned, we tried to conserve the tires the best we could, and I was just hanging on there at the end and I knew those guys that pitted were going to be hard to handle.”
In preliminary action, Vic Coffey set the overall Time (Group B) amongst the 36 entrants, with a lap of 14.417 seconds. Don O’Neal set the fastest time in Group A with a time of 14.547 seconds. Don O’Neal, Austin Hubbard, Dennis Erb Jr., and won their respective Heat Races. Jared Landers and Scott Bloomquist won their respective B-Mains. Devin Moran was the PRC Strawberry Dash Winner.
After the main event, Doug Blashe won the $1,000-to-win Non-Qualifiers Race. Brad Malcuit, Nick Davis, James O’Hara and Bob Geiger rounded out the Top-5.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will return to action on Saturday, March 24th, with the Brian Bowman Chrysler Dodge Jeep Indiana Icebreaker at Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN. The event will pay $10,000-to-win, and will include RedBuck Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and the 50-Lap main event. For more information, log onto www.brownstownspeedway.com.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com and follow the series on www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and www.twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, February 16th, 2013
37th Annual DART Winternationals
East bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL
Red Buck Fast Time Group A: Don O’Neal / 14.547 seconds
Red Buck Fast Time Group B: Vic Coffey / 14.417 seconds
Wiles Drive Shafts Heat Race #1 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Don O'Neal, Jimmy Owens, Ricky Weiss, Todd Frank, Chad Stapleton, Chad Hollenbeck, Jason McBride, Doug Blashe, Scott Phillips
Eibach Springs Heat Race #2 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Austin Hubbard, John Blankenship, Donnie Moran, David Breazeale, Jared Landers, Billy Moyer Jr., Nick Davis, James O'Hara, Bob Geiger
Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Eddie Carrier Jr., Steve Francis, Vic Coffey, Devin Moran, Justin Rattliff, Jerry Lierly, Brad Malcuit, Tyler Reddick
HAWK Performance Heat Race #4 (8 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Earl Pearson Jr., Doug Drown, Bobby Pierce, Eric Jacobsen, Jason Riggs, Scott Bloomquist, Stormy Scott, Braden Mitchell, Leon Henderson
CV Products B-Main #1 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Jared Landers, Billy Moyer Jr., Jason McBride, Chad Stapleton, Doug Blashe, Bob Geiger, James O'Hara, Scott Phillips, Nick Davis, Chad Hollenbeck
Wrisco Aluminum B-Main #2 (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Justin Rattliff, Stormy Scott, Devin Moran, Jerry Lierly, Brad Malcuit, Jason Riggs, Leon Henderson, Braden Mitchell
PRC Strawberry Dash Finish: Devin Moran, Jason Riggs, Doug Blashe, Nick Davis, Brad Malcuit, Scott Phillips, O’Hara Feature Finish (60 Laps):
Non-Qualifiers Race Finish: Doug Blashe, Brad Malcuit, Nick Davis, James O’Hara, Bob Geiger
Race Statistics
Entrants: 36
Lap Leaders: Don O’Neal (Laps 1 – 51); Jimmy Owens (Laps 52 – 60)
Caution Flags: Steve Francis (Lap 35); John Blankenship, Steve Francis (Lap 37); Dennis Erb Jr. (Lap 43); Ricky Weiss (Lap 43); Bobby Pierce (Lap 45); David Breazeale (Lap 47)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Tyler Reddick, Jerry Lierly (Fast Time)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: n/a
DirtonDirt.com Fast Time Provisional: Chad Stapleton
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Scott Bloomquist (Started: 18th, Finished: 2nd, Advanced: 16 positions)
Allstar Performer of the Race: Earl Pearson Jr.
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Earl Pearson Jr.
JRi Shocks/Dunn Benson Ford Rookie of the Race: n/a
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Roush-Yates Race Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Steve Shaver (Earl Pearson Jr.)
HAWK Performance Fastest Lap of the Race: Earl Pearson Jr. (Lap# 52; 15.321 seconds)
Time of Race: 49 minutes 56 seconds
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields