ROME, GA (October 1, 2017) – Darrell Lanigan swept all activities he participated in Sunday night at Rome Speedway. Lanigan set the overall fastest time of the night in Miller Welders Time Trials, he won his heat race in convincing fashion, and he led all 50 laps on his way to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Rome Showdown in the Bowyer Dirt Motorsports, I-Racing.com, Club 29 entry.

Lanigan’s Bowyer teammate, Don O’Neal finished in the second position for the second night in a row. Tim McCreadie started seventh and charged to third-place finish, which enabled him to take over the season championship point standings. Chris Madden was fourth and 18th-place starter Earl Pearson Jr. drove an impressive race to finish fifth.

Lanigan started on the outside of the front row and was cruising along until Brandon Overton started his charge for the lead. Overton closed to within a car-length on Lanigan, but on lap 20 Overton suddenly slowed in turn four, bringing out the first caution of the race. Overton would pit, but he was never a factor after that.

On the restart, Lanigan pulled away from the field as several competitors took their shot at second place. Don O’Neal finally made it to second as he had to battle McCreadie in the final ten laps to garner his second runner-up finish in two nights.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the second time this season, Lanigan was extremely happy with the performance of his race team. “Last night I jumped the cushion at Dixie and it cost us a good finish. Tonight, the car was just perfect from the time we unloaded it. Brian, Richie, and the entire crew have done a great job all year. We have had bad luck that knocked us out of some more wins. We are here to win,” said the 47-year-old veteran driver.

The winner’s Clint Bowyer-owned team is sponsored by iRacing.com, Peak Antifreeze and Coolant, Cometic Gasket, Penske Shocks, Ditzfeld Transfer, Mobil 1, Clint Bowyer Autoplex and Sunoco Race Fuels. The Club 29 Race Car is powered by a Clements Racing Engine.

O’Neal continues his late season surge in the Peak Antifreeze and Coolant, Club 29. “Thanks to Clint Bowyer and everybody on the team. We have really got a good set-up on this car in the last month. We were running second at Knoxville and had a fan blade come off, and that knocked the water pump off. We were up to second at Brownstown last week and now two podium finishes this weekend. We are looking forward to Pittsburgh next weekend.”

McCreadie will enter the Pittsburgher 100 next weekend as the new series points leader in the Sweeteners Plus, Longhorn. “It feels great to be the point leader, but now we have to close it out strong. This team has worked so hard all year. Now it has come to crunch time. This is what we all work so hard for, a championship.”

Completing the top ten were Scott Bloomquist, Dale McDowell, Donald McIntosh, Devin Gilpin, and Michael Page.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Sunday, October 1st, 2017
Lucas Oil Rome Showdown
Rome Speedway – Rome, GA

Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Donald McIntosh / 14.428 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Darrell Lanigan / 14.299 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Donald McIntosh, TJ Reaid, Dale McDowell, Will Roland, Tyler Bruening, Gregg Satterlee, Boom Briggs, Ryan Crane, Steven Roberts, Jason Jameson, JT Seawright

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Darrell Lanigan, Brandon Overton, Chris Madden, Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson, Jr., Steve Francis, Casey Roberts, Tyler Millwood, Dennis Erb, Jr., Frank Ingram

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Darrell Lanigan, Brandon Overton, Chris Madden, Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson, Jr., Steve Francis, Casey Roberts, Tyler Millwood, Dennis Erb, Jr., Frank Ingram

QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Don O’Neal, Devin Gilpin, Josh Richards, Michael Page, Chris Ferguson, Brent Larson, Hudson O’Neal, Ray Cook, Gary McPherson, Blake Spencer

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Jason Croft, Tyler Bruening, Gregg Satterlee, David Payne, Boom Briggs, Ross Bailes, Aaron Ridley, Jason Jameson, Steven Roberts, JT Seawright, Ryan Crane, Granger Howell, Wayne Echols

Fast Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Earl Pearson, Jr., Steve Francis, Chris Ferguson, Brent Larson, Hudson O’Neal, Casey Roberts, Tyler Millwood, Dennis Erb, Jr., Gary McPherson, Ray Cook, Frank Ingram, Blake Spencer

Feature Finish (50 Laps):

Race Statistics
Entrants: 41
Lap Leaders: Darrell Lanigan (Laps 1 – 50)
Cautions: Brandon Overton (Lap 20); TJ Reaid (Lap 23); Jimmy Owens (Lap 38); Josh Richards (Lap 44)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Dennis Erb Jr., Hudson O’Neal
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: Boom Briggs
Wrisco Feature Winner: Darrell Lanigan
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Earl Pearson Jr. (Started: 18th; Finished: 5th; Advanced 13 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Josh Richards
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Darrell Lanigan
Hot Rod Processing Rookie of the Race: Gregg Satterlee
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Brian Leonberg (Darrell Lanigan)
Fastest Lap of the Race: Brandon Overton (Lap #21 – 13.0950 seconds)
Safecraft Most Laps Led: Darrell Lanigan (50 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Donald McIntosh
Time of Race: 23 minutes 46 seconds

Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

WOODSTOCK, GA (September 30, 2017) – Michael Page scored the biggest win of his career on Saturday night by winning the Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout in front of a packed-grandstand at Dixie Speedway. Page, who has raced most of his career at the 3/8-mile oval, has grown up dreaming of winning this race at his home track. It became a reality as he became the seventeenth different winner this season in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition.

Page pocketed $12,000 for his first career LOLMDS victory. Don O’Neal led the first 22-laps of the race and finished second. Scott Bloomquist came home in third. Completing the top five were Chris Madden and Jimmy Owens.

O’Neal was in control of the event in the early going, before Page tracked him down in lapped traffic. On the restart after the final caution of the race on lap 46, Page saw O’Neal pull alongside him and threaten to retake the lead, but Page held off every challenge that O’Neal had for him to take the win.

“I figured if I was ever going to win it, tonight was it. It has been an up-and-down season and I am about wore out. I do what I can with a little team here,” said the emotional winner, who was surrounded in Lucas Oil Victory Lane with dozens of well-wishers. “When these Lucas Oil guys come here, you have to do something and tonight we did it.”

“I really didn’t want to move up on that last restart. I wasn’t worried about the right rear like I was the right front here. I just wasn’t pushing it too early. I was hoping he [O’Neal] would burn his stuff up and I think it worked out. I had a very good car here tonight. I want to thank Troy Baird and Stinger Race Cars. I am the only one here with one. It is a good race car. Thanks to all my help, my team, my mom and dad. Thanks to all of the fans here tonight and to those that believed in me, this one’s for you.”

The winners Andy Durham-powered, Stinger Race Cars Chassis is sponsored by Baird Truck and Trailer, Elite Concrete, T&T Trucking, Baird Towing, Mac Trailer, National Transportation, and Schaeffer’s Racing Oil.

O’Neal’s Peak Antifreeze and Coolant, Club 29 for Clint Bowyer was seeking his first Dixie Shootout win in 14 years. “I thought I had a shot to get back around him on that last restart. He did what he had to do he moved up there and blocked me. We were just two free getting into the turns. It was good run for us and hats off to him [Page] for the win.

Bloomquist moved to second in championship points with his podium finish. “It was a great points night for us. Hopefully we can get the lead at Rome and extend it out over these last three races. The car was good all night. I thought I could get by Don [O’Neal]. He was running the same line I was wanting to run. It killed our momentum there at the end. I want to thank Mike Reece, he was out here tonight and all my other great sponsors, we look forward to heading to Rome tomorrow night.

Completing the top ten were Shane Clanton, Devin Gilpin, Casey Roberts, Steve Francis, and Dale McDowell.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday, September 30th, 2017
Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout
Dixie Speedway – Woodstock, GA

Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Don O’Neal / 14.113 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Chris Madden / 14.385 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Don O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Shane Clanton, Chris Ferguson, Jason Croft, Dennis Erb, Jr., Josh Richards, Hudson O’Neal, Eric Granger, Kayne Hickman

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Devin Gilpin, Earl Pearson, Jr., Dale McDowell, Donald McIntosh, Steve Francis, Tim McCreadie, Gary McPherson, Ray Cook, Will Roland, Justin Shipley

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Chris Madden, Darrell Lanigan, Casey Roberts, Tyler Millwood, Gregg Satterlee, Mike McConnell, Shane Tankersley, Ryan Crane, Matt Bishop, Aaron Ridley

QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Michael Page, TJ Reaid, Ross Bailes, Tyler Bruening, David Payne, Austin Tyler Smith, Boom Briggs, Steven Roberts, Blake Spencer, Granger Howell

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Chris Ferguson, Tim McCreadie, Steve Francis, Jason Croft, Dennis Erb, Jr., Will Roland, Gary McPherson, Josh Richards, Eric Granger, Ray Cook, Justin Shipley, Hudson O’Neal, Kayne Hickman

Fast Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): David Payne, Boom Briggs, Mike McConnell, Austin Tyler Smith, Shane Tankersley, Blake Spencer, Granger Howell, Steven Roberts, Matt Bishop, Ryan Crane, Gregg Satterlee, Aaron Ridley

Feature Finish (60 Laps):

Race Statistics
Entrants: 41
Lap Leaders: Don O’Neal (Laps 1 – 22); Michael Page (Laps 23 – 60)
Cautions: TJ Reaid (Lap 2); Earl Pearson Jr. (Lap 3); Gregg Satterlee (Lap 46)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Josh Richards, Dennis Erb Jr.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: Hudson O’Neal, Gregg Satterlee
Wrisco Feature Winner: Michael Page
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Steve Francis (Started: 21st; Finished: 9th; Advanced 12 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Josh Richards
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Donald McIntosh
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Don O’Neal
Hot Rod Processing Rookie of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Brian Leonberg (Don O’Neal)
Fastest Lap of the Race: Don O’Neal (Lap #1 – 15.5507 seconds)
Safecraft Most Laps Led: Michael Page (38 Laps)
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Don O’Neal
Time of Race: 25 minutes 49 seconds

Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings: