2/6/2007
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Earl Pearson, Jr. Breaks Through With First Ever East Bay Winternationals Win
TAMPA, FL (February 6, 2007)- Two-time and defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL scored his first ever win at East Bay Raceway Park on Tuesday Night during the 31st Annual Winternationals for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Pearson’s win was his sixth career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory and his first driving for car owner, Bobby Labonte.
Pearson took the lead at the beginning of the 30 lap $5,000 to win main event and led every lap. The 35 year old racer drove the LifeLong Locks, MOPAR, Lucas Oil Products, Sunoco Race Fuels, Allstar Performance, Dunn-Benson Motorsports, Larry Wallace Racing Engines, MasterSbilt Dodge Charger to victory lane over Steve Francis of Ashland, KY who finished second in his Valvoline/Custom Race Engines/Rocket GTO. Finishing third was Moss, TN’s Ricky Arms in the Tom Herron/Perfect Wall, Inc/MastersBilt GTO with Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN in the Jerry Jones/Jones Core/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL in the Bill Moyer/Car City/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo completing the top five drivers. A total of 92 entries were on hand for the second night of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action at East Bay.
Pearson drew the pole among the eight heat race winners as Terry Casey would line up beside him on the start. The caution came out with one lap scored for Damon Eller and then on the restart several cars were involved in a wreck in turn four. Two straight cautions came on lap three and four as the anxious drivers would see four cautions in the first four laps of the race.
The race then settled for a run of 11 green flag laps with Pearson on the point followed by Francis, Casey, Arms and Don O’Neal. There was no movement in the top five until Dan Schlieper went around O’Neal on lap 11 for fifth. Pearson then started to work lapped traffic by lap 14 and then caution number five came out on lap 15 which would clear Pearson’s path in front of him. O’Neal got back into the top five on lap 16 passing Schlieper for that spot.
The sixth and final caution came out on lap 20 for Casey who gave up a strong run as he slid to a stop in turn three after he had run several laps in that position with left front suspension damage. That moved Arms into third with O’Neal and Shannon Babb up to fourth and fifth with ten laps remaining in the race. On the restart Pearson would again pull away from Francis and set sail to the checkered flag as he would finally breakthrough at East Bay for his first ever win at the track in his home state. Francis finished a solid second followed by another impressive run for Arms who bettered his sixth place finish on opening night with a third place. O’Neal and Babb would round out the top five.
Pearson in victory lane thanked all of sponsors and crew for their outstanding work with his new race team. “I want to thank my crew chief, Jason Fitzgerald, Matt and Regan and everybody else with Bobby Labonte Racing for this opportunity.” “I just wanted to get out in front and with the way the track was I knew it was important to get off to a good start, but then again we got off good last night, but we didn’t win.”
Completing the top ten were Dan Schlieper, Matt Miller, Josh Richards, Anthony White and Donnie Moran.
In preliminary action Billy Drake was the LifeLong Locks Fast Time Award Winner with a qualifying lap of 14.894 seconds. The Hawk Brake and Quarter Master Sponsored Heat Race Winners were Shannon Babb, Terry Casey, Matt Miller, Earl Pearson, Jr., Dan Schlieper, Steve Francis, Don O’Neal and Ricky Arms. The Mason Racin’ Rebel Shock Dyno and Penske Shocks B-Main Sponsored Winners were Josh Richards, Terry English, Steve Shaver and Patrick Sheltra.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series returns to action at East Bay on Wednesday Night, February 7th with a complete show of LifeLong Locks Time Trials, Hawk Brake and Quarter Master sponsored Heat races, Mason Racin’ Rebel Shock Dyno and Penske Shocks sponsored B-Mains Performance Rod and Custom Strawberry Dash and the $5,000 to win A- Main. Catch all of the action of the 31st Annual East Bay Winternationals live on the internet all week long at www.RaceTalkLive.com.
Race Summary
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
East Bay Raceway Park-Tampa, FL
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
LifeLong Locks Fast Time: Billy Drake-14.894
Hawk Brake First Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Shannon Babb, Donnie Moran, Josh Richards, Jimmy Mars, Billy Drake, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jason McBride, Jeff Beyers, John Blankenship, Roger Crouse, Tim Fuller, Frank Shickel Jr.
Hawk Brake Second Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Terry Casey, Anthony White, Jeep VanWormer, Davey Johnson, Mike Mataragas, Justin Rattliff, Rick Rogers, Eric Wells, Sherri Heckenast, Mark Andersen, Mike Marlar, James Prather
Quarter Master Third Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Matt Miller, Steve Casebolt, Bryan Collins, Joe Morris, Wendell Wallace, Tim McCreadie, Bub McCool, Scott Riggs, Joe Denby, Eric Jacobsen, Jordan Bland, (DNS- Shawn Reed)
Quarter Master Fourth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Terry English, Michael England, Scott James, John Mason, Ray Cook, D Jay Miller, Mike Petersak, Jeff Fortner, Rohn Moon
Hawk Brake Fifth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Dan Schlieper, Billy Moyer, Steve Shaver, Tim Dohm, Darrell Lanigan, Freddy Smith, Brad Neat, Kevin Cole, Don Mihelich, Bob Geiger, Wayne Chinn
Hawk Brake Sixth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Steve Francis, Damon Eller, Rick Eckert, Jason Flory, Rick Aukland, Adam Hensel, Ivedent Lloyd, Daniel Stone, Garrett Durrett, Vic Coffey, (DNS-Robert Kleinschmidt)
Hawk Brake Seventh Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Don O’Neal, Josh McGuire, Marshall Austin, Chuck Harper, CJ Rayburn, Randy Korte, Steve Sheppard, Darren Miller, Kristin Flory, Jeff Gress, Brady Smith
Hawk Brake Eighth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Ricky Arms, Dean Carpenter, Doug Horton, Patrick Sheltra, Shane Clanton, Victor Lee, Richard Hedrick, Christian Rayburn, Gerald Davis, DJ Wells, Jackie Boggs, Randy Lucas
Mason Racin’ Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Josh Richards, Jimmy Mars, Billy Drake, Jeep VanWormer, Justin Rattliff, Mike Mataragas, Eddie Carrier Jr., John Blankenship, Frank Shickel Jr., Roger Crouse, Tim Fuller, Jason McBride, Rick Rogers, Mark Andersen, Jeff Beyers, Eric Wells, James Prather, Sherri Heckenast, Davey Johnson, (DNS-Mike Marlar)
Penske Shocks Second B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Terry English, Scott James, Bryan Collins, Wendell Wallace, Joe Morris, Bub McCool, Tim McCreadie, John Mason, Mike Petersak, Eric Jacobsen, Scott Riggs, D Jay Miller, Michael England, Jordan Bland, Ray Cook, (DNS-Joe Denby, Jeff Fortner, Rohn Moon, Shawn Reed)
Mason Racin’ Rebel Shock Dyno Third B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Steve Shaver, Tim Dohm, Darrell Lanigan, Rick Eckert, Daniel Stone, Ivendent Lloyd, Wayne Chinn, Vic Coffey, Don Mihelich, Adam Hensel, Garrett Durrett, Jason Flory, Kevin Cole, Freddy Smith, Brad Neat, Rick Aukland, (DNS-Bob Geiger, Robert Kleinschmidt)
Penske Shocks Fourth B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Patrick Sheltra, Chuck Harper, Shane Clanton, Darren Miller, Doug Horton, Marshall Austin, DJ Wells, Richard Hedrick, CJ Rayburn, Steve Sheppard, Christian Rayburn, Gerald Davis, Victor Lee, Jeff Gress, Kristin Flory, Randy Korte, Randy Lucas, Brady Smith, (DNS-Jackie Boggs)
Strawberry Dash: (9 Laps-Winner Advances): Rick Eckert, Tim McCreadie, Richard Hedrick, Garrett Durrett, Ivendent Lloyd, Justin Rattliff, Mark Anderson, James Prather, Victor Lee
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Feature Finish: (30 laps): Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Francis, Ricky Arms, Don O’Neal, Shannon Babb, Dan Schlieper, Matt Miller, Josh Richards, Anthony White, Donnie Moran, Terry English, Rick Eckert, Josh McGuire, Steve Shaver, Chuck Harper, Patrick Sheltra, Damon Eller, Dean Carpenter, Tim Dohm, Terry Casey, Steve Casebolt, Scott James, Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb Jr., Jimmy Mars
Race Statistics
Entries: 92
Yellow Flags: 6
Red Flags: 1
Lap Leaders: Earl Pearson, Jr. 1-30
Edelbrock Hard Charger Award: Rick Eckert (Started 25th and Finished 12-Advanced 13 Positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Earl Pearson, Jr.
Comp Cams Rookie of the Race: Ricky Arms
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields