Firecracker 100 Winner Tops Early Battle with Marlar, Pulls Away From Eckert for 14th WoO LMS Victory of the Season

SARVER, Pa. – Aug. 29, 2014 – Series points leader Darrell Lanigan picked up right where he left off at Lernerville Speedway, earning his 14th World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season Friday night when the national tour returned to the western Pennsylvania track for the first time since Lanigan’s $30,000 Firecracker 100 victory in June.

Lanigan, 44, of Union, Ky., swept the program at Lernerville’s inaugural Working Man 50 on Friday, earning $10,650 as he closed to within one victory of matching his WoO LMS record 15-win season of 2012. The triumph also marked the third win in four WoO LMS A-Mains at Lernerville this season for Lanigan, who claimed one of two preliminary races during the Firecracker 100 weekend to go along with his victory in the event’s blockbuster finale.

Lanigan started the evening by earning fast time honors and later won his heat race and drew the pole for 50-lap feature. However, his A-Main victory was far from easy, as outside polesitter Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., tried his best to spoil Lanigan’s party. (more…)

Series Points Leader Pulls Away Late to Earn $10,650 for His First Merritt Speedway Victory

LAKE CITY, Mich. – Aug. 23, 2014 – Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., topped a back-and-forth battle with Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., midway through Saturday’sNAPA Merritt 50 A-Main at Merritt Speedway and pulled away in the closing laps to earn his 13th World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season.

The 44-year-old Lanigan, a two-time series champion and current points leader, earned $10,650 for his series-leading 66th career WoO LMS victory and his first triumph at Merritt’s 3/8-mile oval.

“We went a little different (on tire selection) and I knew we would be better on the long run,” said Lanigan, who moved within two victories of his record 15-win mark set in 2012. “I was just biding my time and once my stuff came in it was like a rocket ship.”

Smith settled for second, fading to 4.925 seconds behind Lanigan at the finish, while home-track driver Dona Marcoullier of Haughton Lake, Mich., made a late charge to finish third. Former WoO LMS champion Rick Eckert or York, Pa., was fourth with Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., who led the first four laps from the outside pole, rounding out the top five in a race slowed by four cautions. (more…)

Michigan Driver Thrills Home-State Crowd in Claiming the NAPA Lake Odessa 50 Presented by Keyser

LAKE ODESSA, Mich. – Aug. 22, 2014 – Curtis Roberts lived his dream Friday night at I-96 Speedway.

A regional racer for more than 20 years, Roberts, 47, of Coleman, Mich., took the lead when Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., suffered a flat right-rear tire on lap 42 of the NAPA Lake Odessa 50 Presented by Keyser A-Main and held off a furious charge by Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., through the race’s finale eight laps to claim his first career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory.

Roberts earned and career-high $10,550 for his breakthrough victory and thrilled a large crowd of his home-state fans as the 3/8-mile oval hosted the national tour first time since 2007.

“I’ve been racing a lot of years and this is definitely my biggest win,” said Roberts, who became the fourth first-time winner on the WoO LMS this season. “To come in here and beat these guys – the best drivers in the country – it’s a dream come true. This is really just unbelievable.” (more…)