TAMPA, FL-February 9, 2011-The “California Kid”, 15-year-old, Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA grabbed the lead from Dan Schlieper of Oak Creek, WI with eight laps remaining and then he went on to win his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on Wednesday Night at East Bay Raceway Park during the 35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow Exhaust. Reddick, who started third, tracked Schlieper for the first 21laps of the 30 lap main event. He grabbed the lead heading into turn number three. Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN finished second followed by Steve Francis of Ashland, KY, Schlieper and Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN.

“I can’t believe this,” said Reddick who will be running for the Quarter Master “Rookie of the Year” for the series in 2011. “I was just so excited there at the end, the car was fast all night, I knew Dan (Schlieper) wasn’t going to give it to us, we were going to have to earn it.” Reddick showed the patience of veteran in becoming the youngest winner in series history and the youngest late model driver to win an event at the famed “Clay by the Bay”.

“I kept looking for Scott (Bloomquist) and Don (O’Neal) out there. They are so tough here and I knew they’d be in the mix at the end, waiting through those cautions was a little unnerving, but I can’t thank my mom and dad enough, they have supported me from the start of my racing career, I have to thank Scott for building a great race car and Gaerte Engines for coming onboard,” said Reddick who also receives sponsorship from Broken Bow Records, America’s Incredible Pizza and Wiles Driveshafts.

Schlieper and Jimmy Owens started on the front row as Schlieper bolted to the lead at the beginning of the $5,000 to win main. Reddick moved into second on lap two and the two the put on a close, competitive race as Reddick was finally able to clear Schlieper with eight laps to go. A heated battle for third between Bloomquist and O’Neal saw those two drivers run wheel-to-wheel over the last half of the race.

Reddick then had to wait through two cautions flags before he was finally able to cross the finish line in first in front of the standing, cheering crowd. Bloomquist, the opening night winner at East Bay finished second in his Base Racing Fuels, Bloomquist race Cars Chevy. Francis, who started ninth made a late race charge to finish third in the Stapleton Motorsports, Barry Wright Race Cars entry. Schlieper was fourth in the Arnie Ranta Motorsports, Bloomquist Race Cars Ford with O’Neal in the Magnaflow Exhaust, MasterSbilt Chevy.

Schlieper topped the 62 car field in Red Buck Cigar Time Trials with a lap of 14.296 seconds. Heat race winners were Schlieper, Tyler Reddick, Brad Neat, Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, and Don O’Neal. The B-mains were taken by Eddie Carrier Jr. and Tim Dohm. Wendell Wallace captured first place in the4 Magnaflow Exhaust Strawberry Dash.

Action continues at East Bay on Thursday Night, February 10th with a $10,000 to win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary

Wednesday Night, February 9th, 2011

35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow

East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL

Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: Dan Schlieper / 14.296 seconds (Group A and Overall)

Chris Wall / 14.333 seconds (Group B)

Wiles Driveshafts First Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Dan Schlieper, David Breazeale, Wayne Chinn, Eddie Carrier Jr., Bub McCool, Tim McCreadie, John Blankenship, Travis Varnadore, Chuck Julien, Keith Nosbisch

Wiles Driveshafts Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Tyler Reddick, Steve Francis, Dale McDowell, Austin Hubbard, Eric Wells, Chad Valone, Donnie Moran, Leon Henderson, Joe Denby, DJ Wells-DNS

Sweet Manufacturing Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Brad Neat, Rick Eckert, Eric Jacobsen, Frank Heckenast Jr., Wendell Wallace, Bobby Pierce, Steve Casebolt, Michael Chilton, James O’Hara, Danny Mitchell

HAWK Brakes Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Jimmy Owens, Josh Richards, Chris Wall, Tim Dohm, Jared Hawkins, Justin Rattliff, Daniel Stone, Jason McBride, Mark Andersen, Skylar Marlar, Robert Geiger

Wiles Driveshafts Fifth Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Mike Marlar, Jared Landers, Earl Pearson Jr., Terry Casey, Billy Moyer Jr., Tim Isenberg, Greg Fore, Doug Blashe, Vic Coffey

Sweet Manufacturing Sixth Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Transfer): Don O’Neal, Ray Cook, Dennis Erb Jr., Ricky Weiss, Dillan White, Chadd Hollenbeck, Russ Adams, Chad Stapleton, Jason Feger, Brandon Thirlby

JRi Shocks First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Austin Hubbard, Donnie Moran, Bub McCool, Eric Wells, Bobby Pierce, Wendell Wallace, John Blankenship, Steve Casebolt, Travis Varnadore, Chad Valone, Keith Nosbisch, Leon Henderson, James O’Hara, Michael Chilton, Frank Heckenast Jr., Tim McCreadie, Joe Denby, Chuck Julien-DNS, DJ Wells-DNS, Danny Mitchell-DNS

Wrisco Aluminum Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Tim Dohm, Terry Casey, Justin Rattliff, Jared Hawkins, Ricky Weiss, Vic Coffey, Doug Blashe, Chad Hollenbeck, Russ Adams, Mark Andersen, Robert Geiger, Earl Pearson Jr., Tim Isenberg, Dillan White, Skylar Marlar, Daniel Stone, Chad Stapleton, Jason McBride, Billy Moyer Jr., Greg Fore, Jason Feger, Brandon Thirlby-DNS

Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Strawberry Dash (Winner Advances): Wendell Wallace, Steve Casebolt, John Blankenship, Tim MCCreadie, Bub McCool, Chad Hollenbeck, Doug Blashe