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.
Dropping back to second on the start, the polesitting Lanigan pressured Clint Smith through the first three laps before pulling ahead on lap four. Lanigan pulled away on three early restarts before 10th-starting Brady Smith reeled him just before lap 15.
Smith first took a look to the outside of Lanigan on the 15th lap, and was alongside the leader the following circuit. The two cars battle side by side over the next four laps before Smith pulled ahead just before the final caution waved with 19 laps complete.
Smith eased away from Lanigan after the restart, but Lanigan was soon making his bid to retake the point. Lanigan took advantage when Smith attempted to drive around a slower car on lap 30, dropping to the inside lane to make a three-wide pass for the lead on the back straightaway.
Once back in command, Lanigan’s Club 29 Race Car drove away from Smith and had only to avoid trouble in traffic to secure the victory. That was no simple task, however, as slower cars ran two and three wide ahead of him. But he skillfully handled the congestion, passing cars two at time on more than one occasion.
“There was a couple times I snuck in there and was like ‘Oh my God this is gonna get tight,’ ” Lanigan said of his run through traffic during the final 20 laps. “But we got enough room to get through and had an unbelievable car.”
Recovering from mechanical issues that forced him out after just one lap of Friday’sWoO LMS A-Main at I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa, Mich., Brady Smith settled for the runner-up finish in his Big Red Motorsports Rocket Chassis. The solid result marked the 37-year-old standout’s fifth top-five finish in 15 WoO LMS A-Main starts this season.
“He had a little different tire selection than we did,” said Smith, whose highlights in part-time WoO LMS competition this season include a victory during Florida Speedweeks action in February. “Ours was good early, but his was good at the end.
“I was trying to pace myself. We started 10th and I knew we went soft on (right-rear tire). I was trying not to murder the thing early, but I was pretty much the only car running the top of guys in front of me. I just went for it and tried to hold on.”
Up next for the WoO LMS is a Labor Day weekend tripleheader at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa., and Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway. Lernerville, the 4/10-mile oval that hosts the Firecracker 100 earlier in the summer, welcomes the tour for a second time this season for the inaugural Working Man 50 Friday, Aug. 29.
WoO LMS competitors move to Selinsgrove the remainder of the holiday weekend for the half-mile oval’s Showdown on Sand Hill on Saturday, Aug. 30 and the Late Model National Open on Sunday, Aug. 31.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com. Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook atFacebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series NAPA Merritt 50 at Merritt Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,650
2. (10) Brady Smith/50 $5,050
3. (4) Dona Marcoullier/50 $3,500
4. (3) Rick Eckert/50 $3,150
5. (2) Clint Smith/50 $2,600
6. (8) Tim McCreadie/50 $2,300
7. (11) Shane Clanton/50 $1,950
8. (15) Tim Fuller/50 $1,400
9. (7) Morgan Bagley/50 $1,750
10. (9) Ryan VanderVeen/50 $1,200
11. (5) Kris Patterson Jr./49 $1,050
12. (16) Eric Wells/49 $1,550
13. (6) Jeep Van Wormer/49 $950
14. (17) Eric Spangler/49 $1,000
15. (14) Mike Spatola/49 $900
16. (24) Kevin Juusole/49 $800
17. (18) Chub Frank/49 $1,320
18. (13) Chase Junghans/49 $1,500
19. (12) Boom Briggs/49 $1,280
20. (23) Herb Reich/47 $700
21. (22) Jordan Erickson/32 $700
22. (20) Curtis Roberts/22 $700
23. (21) Josh Knoll/19 $700
24. (19) Frank Heckenast Jr./9 $1,250
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 24 Mins. 30 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 4.925 seconds
Yellow Flags: 4 (laps 6, 9, 14, 19)
Lap Leaders: C. Smith (1-4); Lanigan (5-18, 30-50); B. Smith (19-29)
Provisional Starters: Reich, Juusole
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Dona Marcoullier ($500)
WoO LMS Highest Finishing Rookie: Chase Junghans ($250)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/
Group A
1. 29-Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky., 13.510
2. 1-Rick Eckert, York, Pa., 13.605
3. 39-Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y., 13.615
4. 89-Mike Spatola, Manhattan, Ill., 13.628
5. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill., 13.677
6. 44-Clint Smith, Senoia, Ga., 13.686
7. 18c-Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., 13.866
8. 2-Brady Smith, Solon Springs, Wis., 13.902
9. 23v-Ryan VanderVeen, Six Lakes, Mich., 13.928
10. 27-Eric Spangler, Lake City, Mich., 14.035
11. 25b-Chris Brendley, West Branch, Mich., 14.085
12. 34-Herb Reich, Ann Arbor, Mich., 14.137
13. 7-Adam Erickson, Mesick, Mich., 14.251
14. 18m-Merv Hudson, Alger, Mich., 15.030
15. 87-Josh Knoll, Lake, Mich., 28.169
16. 21-Bob Hammer, Boon, Mich., disqualified
Group B
1. 6m-Dona Marcoullier, Houghton Lake, Mich., 13.839
2. 0-Kris Patterson Jr., St. John, Mich., 13.850
3. 55-Jeep Van Wormer, Pinconning, Mich., 13.856
4. 14m-Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, 13.880
5. 25-Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga., 13.888
6. 99b-Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa., 13.958
7. 19-Tim Fuller, Watertown, N.Y., 13.979
8. 18-Eric Wells, Hazard, Ky., 14.016
9. 1*-Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa., 14.016
10. 027-Jordan Erickson, Traverse City, Mich., 14.047
11. 9r-Curtis Roberts, Coleman, Mich., 14.080
12. 1G-Greg Gokey, Buckley, Mich., 14.131
13. 22-Kevin Juusola, Muskegon, Mich., 14.151
14. 50-Scott Phillips, Marlette, Mich., 14.270
15. 3-Jeremy Tulick, Cadillac, Mich., 14.530
16. 33-Dave Bowen, Sterling, Mich., 14.562
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, McCreadie, VanderVeen, Junghans, Heckenast, A. Erickson, Knoll, Brindley, Green.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, C. Smith, B. Smith Spatola, Spangler, Reich, Hammer, Hudson.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Marcoullier, Van Wormer, Clanton, Fuller, Frank, Roberts, Tulick, Juusole.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Bagley, Patterson, Briggs, Wells, J. Erickson, Gokey, Phillips, Bowen.
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Spangler, Heckenast, Knoll, A. Erickson, Reich, Brindley, Hammer, Hudson, Green.
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Frank, Roberts, J.Erickson, Gokey, Juusole, Phillips, Tulick, Bowen.
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners (awards presented to noted finisher/qualifier or next highest displaying decal):
Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash to fast qualifier): Mike Spatola
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Brady Smith
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Brady Smith
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Brady Smith
Penske Racing Shocks ($50 to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Ryan VanderVeen
Roush-Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
Mobile 1 ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
American Racing Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
Edelbrock ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Ryan VanderVeen
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Spangler
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Spangler
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Mike Spatola
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Boom Briggs
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Boom Briggs
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Herb Reich
Mobil 1 (20% off gift certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Herb Reich
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Curtis Roberts
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Curtis Roberts
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Frank Heckenast Jr.
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Brady Smith
Reliable Painting award (one free tire): Eric Wells
2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Aug. 23 – 31 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 4,404
2. Rick Eckert 4,126 (-278)
3. Tim McCreadie 4,084 (-320)
4. Morgan Bagley 3,918 (-486)
5. Chub Frank 3,880 (-524)
6. Eric Wells 3,848 (-556)
7. Shane Clanton 3,818 (-586)
8. Frank Heckenast Jr. 3,760 (-644)
9. Clint Smith 3,654 (-750)
10. Chase Junghans 3,512 (-892)
11. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs 3,376 (-1,028)
12. Tim Fuller 2,664 (-1,740)
Rookie of the Year Standings as of Aug. 23 (31 A-Mains completed; best 25 races counted)
1. Frank Heckenast Jr. 3,286
2. Chase Junghans 3,074 (-212)
3. Boom Briggs 2,978 (308)
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: American Racing Custom Wheels (Official Custom Wheel), Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Lincoln Welder (Official Welder), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors: Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Mobil 1, MSD, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Penske Shocks, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, and TNT Rescue.