8/27/2022
Pearson ends streak, wins $50,000 Rumble by the River at Port Royal
Earl Pearson Jr. notched his 40th-career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph with a winning performance on Saturday night during the Rumble by the River at Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway.
He claimed $50,000 for the victory aboard his Lucas Oil / Papich Construction No. 46 Bilstein / Tegeler Wrecking & Racking / Longhorn Chassis / Clements Racing Engine Super Late Model.
While Pearson Jr. led the final 41 circuits of the five-figure finale, he had to fend off a late-race charge from Ricky Thornton Jr. to register his first win of the season.
““What a heckuva show that was. (Ricky) Thornton ran me (hard),” Pearson said in Victory Lane. “But, hey, it was a helluva race. I did all I could there. … Hell, I’m out of breath. I don’t know. It was a heckuva race those last couple laps.
“I knew I had to change my line, go in low, and let it drift up because he’s a master of the slide job. If I didn’t block the line, I knew what he was going to do. He did a heckuva job. I didn’t know if I needed that caution or not like I said. My signal guy was telling me go high, go low, and I was doing everything I could. I was all over the place I think. Anyway, hats off to my crew guys and Jason Papich … everybody involved. Can’t say enough. I like the big racetracks, and it paid off.”
Action with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) picked back up on Friday with the Rumble by the River at Port Royal Speedway (Port Royal, Pa.).
Joining a stout field of 50 cars for a pair of preliminary features, Earl Pearson Jr. followed up the third-fastest lap in his time trial group with a second-place finish in his heat race.
With $5,000 on the line in the prelim, Pearson advanced forward four spots in the 25-lapper to register a second-place finish. He followed Brandon Sheppard across the line with Jimmy Owens rounding out the podium.
Starting on the pole of his heat race on Saturday afternoon, Earl outran Hudson O’Neal to pick up the eight-lap victory. Earning the fourth-starting position for the feature, Pearson tracked down early pacesetter Ricky Thornton Jr. on the ninth circuit to assume command of the lead.
He kept Thornton at bay throughout the closing laps after a late-race caution to secure his first win of the season and 40th-career LOLMDS triumph.
The driver, known as “EPJ,” pocketed $50,000 ahead of Thornton, Gregg Satterlee, Jonathan Davenport, and Daulton Wilson.
Earl now sits fifth in the latest LOLMDS standings.
Full results from the weekend as well as the latest standings are available at www.LucasDirt.com .
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