8/26/2006
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Bloomquist Wins Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Bluegrass Classic at Bardstown for the Second Year in a Row
BARDSTOWN, KY (August 26, 2006)- In a spectacularly entertaining Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Saturday Night at the Bluegrass Speedway, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN notched his seventh series win of 2006 as he took home $10,000 for his second straight win in the "Bluegrass Classic."
Bloomquist who started on the pole did not take the lead until lap 47 of the 60 lapper and then pulled away for the victory which puts him over $370,000 in total winnings so far in '06. Bloomquist behind the wheel of his Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet sponsored by Vic Hill Racing Engines/Miller Brothers Coal/Hawkeye Trucking/Allstar Performance/Sweet Mfg/Hoosier Tires/Ohlins/VP Racing Fuels and KB Carburetors picked up his all time series leading ninth win. Darren Miller of Chadwick, IL made a late race charge to finish second in his Greg Greenhill Construction Company Inc./Pro Power Engines/ Rocket Ford Taurus with Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL finishing third in the Bill Moyer Racing/Car City/Racetek Engines/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. Completing the top five were 21st starting Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC in the Arvil Cook Investment Properties/Grover Engines/MasterSbilt Ford Fusion and 19th starting Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN in the Harrod Racing/Central Painting/C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix. A total of 48 cars from 11 states were on hand before a jammed packed crowd at the David and Anita Ferrell promoted facility.
With Bloomquist going from the pole and Shannon Babb starting alongside the 6th Annual Bluegrass Classic was shaping up to be a good one. And in indeed it turned out that way. Babb would get the lead coming off of turn number two on the opening lap with Bloomquist, Earl Pearson, Jr., Brian Birkhofer and Jimmy Mars taking the top five spots. Mars would make the first move for position change in the top five as he passed Birkhofer for fourth on the fourth circuit.
With Babb barely in front by a car length Bloomquist and Pearson would go door to door for second with Pearson edging ahead of Bloomquist on lap six. By the eighth lap Babb and the rest of the challengers for the lead would start to get into some heavy traffic. Babb, Pearson and Bloomquist were all three using different lines around the well groomed 1/2 mile high banked track. Babb would be on the high side, Pearson down low and Bloomquist running right in the middle.
The three wide battle for the lead intensified even further in traffic with Pearson scored the leader on lap 10 a lap later Babb would retake the point. With 11 laps scored Birkhofer who was running fifth would slow with a flat tire bringing out the first caution of the race. On the restart Babb would be on the point with Pearson, Bloomquist, Mars and now 17th starting Don ONeal the top five in the running order.
Brad Neat would slow with a flat on lap 14 as the second caution flag of the race would wave. A wild restart would see Pearson grabbed the lead once more with Mars now in the hunt running in third place as Bloomquist would fall another spot back as O'Neal went around him. Pearson would hold the top spot until lap 18 when Babb roared back by him on the top side. Bloomquist then recovered from falling two spots as he went past both O'Neal and Mars to get back into third place.
The top four cars were putting on quite a show for the huge crowd on hand as Pearson would bring his car to the front again taking the lead on lap 21. This back and forth action was breathtaking as Pearson and Babb were side by side for the lead and Bloomquist and Mars were side by side in the race for third. The third caution of the race for Steve Casebolt on lap 23 would slow to torrid pace once more.
On the restart the race would go green for two more laps until Freddy Smith slowed bringing out the fourth yellow flag of the event. On the restart the heated battle would go on for eight more laps until back to back cautions would bring as halt to the excitement.
With 35 laps in the books Pearson would be scored the leader with Babb in second followed by Bloomquist, O'Neal and Mars. On the 39th lap Babb would take over the lead again from Pearson with Bloomquist going to second. The seventh caution of the race on lap 40 would set up another unbelievable restart with Babb in front. A driver making his way up to put his name in contention was Darren Miller. Miller who had started sixth, but had lost some positions early in the race fought his way back into a top spot on lap 40.
With 20 laps to go Babb, Bloomquist and Pearson were dueling it out three wide at times for the lead of the race. Pearson then started to slow and on lap 44 he would bring out a caution as he had suffered a flat tire. While Pearson pitted for fresh rubber it looked like Babb and Bloomquist would be left to settle it. But Miller would begin to flex his strength as Babb, Bloomquist and Miller exited off of turn number two on the lap 45 restart it would be a replay on early action as they raced three wide for the lead.
On Lap 47 Bloomquist would make his move for the lead on Babb firing a slide job heading into turn four to go by Babb and take the lead for the first time in the race. Then three laps later Miller would get by Babb to take over second place. Bloomquist would at this point begin to pull away from Miller and Babb and for the first time in the entire race someone was leading by more than a car length. Bloomquist built his lead to five car lengths over Miller and Babb with Ray Cook, who started 21st passing O'Neal for fourth on lap 53.
O'Neal was hanging on at this point as Jimmy Owens would start to challenge him for fifth. Up front Bloomquist had set sail and was gaining a bigger advantage over Miller and Babb and he would take it all the way to the checkers for his seventh Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season. Miller finished second followed by Babb, Ray Cook and Owens who passed O'Neal on the final lap was fifth.
After the race in victory lane on the front-stretch, Bloomquist talked about his strategy during the race. "Shannon was good up high; we knew we were faster than him and the other guys running up there." "I saw Darren Miller on the bottom and knew he probably had hard tires on as well, so I thought I better get going and get this thing over with." "I want to thank Bob and Barb Miller, they couldn't be here tonight and I can't say enough about Vic Hill and his motors and for what he has done for our engine program." "We've got our act together."
Completing the top ten were O'Neal, Jimmy Mars, Chris Combs, Matt Miller and Brad Neat.
In preliminary action it was Brian Birkhofer pacing the way in the Comp Cams Time Trials with a 15.023 second lap besting the 48 entrants on hand. The PBM Performance Products Heat Races were won by Brian Birkhofer, Shannon Babb, Earl Pearson, Jr. and Scott Bloomquist. The Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main was won by Don O'Neal and the Penske Shocks Second B-Main went to Davey Johnson. The K&N Engineering "Clean Pass of the Race" went to Scott Bloomquist for his pass to take the lead from Shannon Babb on lap 47. The K&N Engineering "Clean Pass of the Race" is awarded at each Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event and can take place during a heat race, B-main or the feature event.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be action twice this upcoming Labor Day weekend with the $10,000 to win "All American 50" at the Virginia Motor Speedway in Saluda, VA on Friday Night, September 1. The cameras of SPEED Channel will be on hand to tape the action. The next night the series heads to the Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, WV for the running of the "Hillbilly 100" paying $25,000 to win. For more information you can log on to www.lucasdirt.com.
Race SummaryLucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Saturday Night, August 26, 2006 Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY
Com Cams Fast Qualifier: Brian Birkhofer 15.023 seconds
PBM Performance Products First Heat: (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Brian Birkhofer, Jimmy Mars, Matt Miller, Justin Rattliff, Don O'Neal, David Webb, Jimmy Owens, Ray Cook, Greg Lucas, Joey Daniel, Brandon Kinzer
PBM Performance Products Second Heat: (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Shannon Babb, Daren Miller, Brad Neat, Aaron Hatton, Jason Keltner, Mike Marlar, Patrick Sheltra, Jordan Bland, Greg Johnson, Timmy Yeager, Ben Adkins
PBM Performance Products Third Heat: (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Earl Pearson, Jr., Donnie Moran, Scott James, Tim Tungate, Davey Johnson, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Mike Watson, Doug Horton, Steve Casebolt, Terry English, Michael England, John Gill
PBM Performance Products Fourth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Freddy Smith, Dan Schlieper, Whitney McQueary, Jeff Watson, John Mason, Jerry Rutherford, Johnny Wheeler, Chris Combs, Mike Jewell, Rick Combs
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Don O'Neal, Jimmy Owens, Ray Cook, Brandon Kinzer, David Webb, Jason Keltner, Greg Lucas, Ben Adkins, Joey Daniel, Patrick Sheltra, Mike Marlar, Timmy Yeager
Penske Shocks Second B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Davey Johnson, Chris Combs, Jeff Watson, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Doug Horton, Terry English, John Mason, Jerry Rutherford, Mike Watson, Michael England, Steve Casebolt, Johnny Wheeler
6th Annual Bluegrass Classic A-Main: (60 Laps): Scott Bloomquist, Darren Miller, Shannon Babb, Ray Cook, Jimmy Owens, Don O'Neal, Jimmy Mars, Chris Combs, Matt Miller, Brad Neat, Earl Pearson, Jr., Tim Tungate, Michael England, Justin Rattliff, Dan Schlieper, Steve Casebolt, Freddy Smith, Joey Daniel, Jason Keltner, Aaron Hatton, Scott James, Mike Watson, Whitney McQueary, Davey Johnson, Brian Birkhofer, Donnie Moran
Race Statistics:Entries: 48 Caution Flags: 9 Red Flags: 0 Lap Leaders: Shannon Babb 1-9, Earl Pearson, Jr. 10, Babb 11, Pearson 12-17, Babb 18-20, Pearson 21-38, Babb 39-46, Scott Bloomquist 47-60 Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Ray Cook (Started 21st and finished 4th, advanced 17 positions) K&N Engineering Clean Pass of the Race: Scott Bloomquist Hawk Brake Tough Break Award: Earl Pearson, Jr. Quarter Master Move the Race: Shannon Babb On the Edge Graphics Fastest Non Qualifier: Mike Marlar Weld Wheels Award: Justin Rattliff Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Race: Michael England Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Steve Casebolt and Michael England Track Provisionals: Jason Keltner, Mike Watson and Joey Daniel
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields