5/15/2009
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Dale McDowell Edges Scott Bloomquist at Paducah for First Series Win Since 2006
PADUCAH, KY (May 15, 2009) - In a thrilling finish, Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA beat Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN to the finish line winning by just one car length on Friday Night at Paducah International Raceway to score his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win since 2006 earning $10,000 for himself and his car owner 2008 Nationwide Series Champion, Clint Bowyer. Trailing McDowell and Bloomquist to the line were Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR, 17th starting Chris Wall of Holden, LA and 18th starter, Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL.
Ray Cook and Terry English made up the front row for the 50 lap main event. Cook quickly grabbed the early lead with English, who came into the race as the all-time wins leader at Paducah running in second as Jeff Walston would brought out the first caution with two laps scored. Cook lead the cars on the Delaware double-file restart with English and Jimmy Owens lined up side-by-side behind him. English began to fade as he developed a hole in his radiator as he slowed dramatically a lap into the restart. Owens went to second place with Scott Bloomquist and Jason Feger running side-by-side for the third spot as English exited the race on lap five.
With Cook in the command of the race in the early going, a hotly contested battle for second was getting cranked up with Owens, Bloomquist and Feger dicing it out three-wide around the racy surface, as Feger went to the top groove and passed Bloomquist for third on lap seven. Cook extended his lead lap after lap as he was in complete control of the race extending his lead to ten car lengths over the rest of the field. The race was going along smoothly with battles all over the track behind Cook. With 15 laps scored, Owens was second followed by Feger, Don O'Neal and Bloomquist.
The second caution came out on lap 20 for a slowing Josh McGuire. That caution would hurt Cook as on the restart his car was never the same as it was before. He lost his lead for the first time on the restart to begin lap 21 as he was quickly dropping in the running order, eventually bringing out the third caution as he developed a flat tire on lap 23. Owens was the beneficiary of Cook's tough luck as he took over the lead, but it would only last four laps as he pitted under the caution for Cook. Bloomquist then inherited the top spot with 24 laps scored. Bloomquist lead the field for the halfway mark (25 laps) with Moyer now in second followed by McDowell, Brad Neat and O'Neal. Bloomquist kept the lead and with 20 laps remaining he held a two-car length lead over Moyer as the fourth caution came out for David Breazeale with 31 laps completed. This would set up a classic battle for the lead as on the restart McDowell passed Moyer for second and then he set his sights on Bloomquist.
Bloomquist and McDowell then went tooth and nail running as hard as they could; McDowell used the very upper groove of the track around the wall to pass Bloomquist on lap 38 for the lead. McDowell then went to a quick two car length over Bloomquist with Moyer was starting to lurk in third as Wall, Babb and O'Neal were racing hard for the fourth spot. With five laps to go, McDowell was looking good but the final caution came out with two laps to go for Dan Schlieper lost a wheel; this would set up a green, white and checkered finish. On the restart McDowell would stay up top with Bloomquist running down low as the two cars were side-by-side coming to the white flag it looked like Bloomquist was going to pull off the victory.
The two drivers were door-to-door on the final lap and coming off of turn four heading to the checkers McDowell's line up top would get the job done as he beat Bloomquist by one car length to earn his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory since February 8th, 2006 at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, FL. In the Lucas Oil Victory Lane, McDowell did an interview with Dave Argabright of SPEED Channel who was on hand to tape the event for a one-hour broadcast later in the season.
He was extremely thrilled with his victory as he became the tenth different winner in 12 Lucas Oil Series this season. "I was holding my breath there at the end, I really wasn't praying for Scott to win, I just wanted to get to the finish line first, we had a great finish there with Scott on that last lap the car stuck up there and we'll take this win with all the bad luck we had early in the season, hats off to the track staff here with all the bad weather everyone has had, the track was great and we put on a great show for the fans tonight," said McDowell who will celebrate his 43rd birthday on May 18th.
"We dropped back there at the start a little bit, but once we got it going it was real good up top and that's where we stayed, Scott's car was good anywhere on the track the way it looked, but the momentum there on the top is what paid off for us, Scott and I have raced together for years and we raced each other clean again tonight, and I have to thank Clint Bowyer my car owner this is our first win together and I know he will be happy about that, I want to thank my crew Tommy Grecco and Caleb Baker they did a great job and this Warrior Race Car and Custom Engine it's special to win a Lucas Oil race it's been a long-time and it'll help us with our confidence."
McDowell's Warrior Impala SS is sponsored by Chevrolet, Scheck Industries, Cometic Gasket and Sunoco Race Fuels. Bloomquist finished second in his Miller Brothers Coal/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS with Moyer placing third in his Banner Valley Hauling/Clements Racing Engines/Moyer Victory CircleM1 Chassis Monte Carlo SS.
Completing the top five were Chris Wall, who had an impressive finish in his first visit to Paducah coming home fourth in his C&M Gator Farm/Wall2Wall Performance Engines/MasterSbilt by Stuckey Monte Carlo SS with Shannon Babb taking fifth in his Petroff Towing/Dargie Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS.
Completing the top ten were Don O'Neal, Dennis Erb Jr., Jason Feger, Jeep VanWormer and John Blankenship. VanWormer was the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race after starting 24th and finishing ninth.
In preliminary action Jimmy Owens won the PRC Fast Time Award as he outqualified the 48-car field in time trials. Heat race winners were Ray Cook, Terry English, Jason Feger and Dale McDowell. The B-mains went to Chris Wall and Shannon Babb.
To find out more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday Night, May 15, 2009
Paducah International Raceway - Paducah, KY
PRC Fast Time: Jimmy Owens /15.442 seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Ray Cook, Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, Brad Neat, Jeep VanWormer, John Blankenship, Justin Rattliff, Bill Frye, Bryan White, Eric Turner, Derek Chandler
Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Jason Feger, Don O'Neal, Josh McGuire, David Breazeale, Freddy Smith, Chris Wall, Billy James, Dane Dacus, Tyler Reddick, Tanner English, Brett Wyatt, Jason McBride
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Terry English, Scott James, Eric Jacobsen, Earl Pearson, Jr., Shannon Babb, Steve Casebolt, Kevin Cole, Chris Shelton, Allen Christy, Terry Casey, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Lee Thomason
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Dale McDowell, Billy Moyer, Jeff Walston, Dennis Erb, Jr., Randy Korte, Dan Schlieper, Kevin Claycomb, Jason Riggs, Michael Walker, Tony Vancil, William Simmons, Dylan Thompson, Jarryd Holshouser
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Chris Wall, John Blankenship, Justin Rattliff, Dane Dacus, Tyler Reddick, Jeep VanWormer, Freddy Smith, Bill Frye, Derek Chandler, Eric Turner, Billy James, Tanner English, Jason McBride, Bryan White (DNS), Brett Wyatt (DNS)
Wiles Drive Shafts Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Shannon Babb, Randy Korte, Kevin Cole, Steve Casebolt, Kevin Claycomb, Dan Schlieper, Lee Thomason, Dylan Thompson, Tony Vancil, Jarryd Holshouser, Chris Shelton, Allen Christy, Michael Walker, William Simmons, Jason Riggs (DNS), Terry Casey (DNS), Eddie Carrier, Jr. (DNS)
Paducah International Raceway Feature Finish (50 Laps): Dale McDowell, Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Chris Wall, Shannon Babb, Don O'Neal, Dennis Erb, Jr., Jason Feger, Jeep VanWormer, John Blankenship, Ray Cook, Josh McGuire, Scott James, Brad Neat, Jimmy Owens, Steve Casebolt, Eric Jacobsen, Dan Schlieper, Randy Korte, David Breazeale, Earl Pearson, Jr., Justin Rattliff, Kevin Cole, Jeff Walston, Terry English
Race Statistics
Entries: 48
Caution Flags: 6
Lap Leaders: Ray Cook (1-20); Jimmy Owens (21-24); Scott Bloomquist (25-37); Dale McDowell (38-50)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Steve Casebolt, Jeep VanWormer, Dan Schlieper (Emergency Provisional)
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Jeep VanWormer (Started 24 and finished 9 - advanced 15 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Dale McDowell
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Brad Neat
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Jeep VanWormer
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Custom Racing Engines
Time of the Race: 41 minutes
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields
