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.
Marlar pressured Lanigan through the race’s opening laps before taking the lead on lap four. Marlar edged away just after taking the point, but Lanigan picked up his pace and reeled in Marlar by lap 15. After a back-and-forth battle through lapped traffic, Lanigan retook the lead for good on lap 17 and never looked back. He pulled away from runner-up finisher Rick Eckert of York, Pa., on multiple late restarts on his way to his series-leading 67th career WoO LMS victory.
“Once (the track surface) blew off a little bit there our car got really, really good there in the middle to the bottom,” said Lanigan, who drew closer to his third WoO LMS championship in stretching his lead in the series standings to 282 points over Eckert. “It was just unbelievable. You hate to stop when a car’s that good.
“We could go anywhere on the racetrack. This car’s been phenomenal all year. I can’t think everybody enough on this crew. They’re doing a great job.”
Lanigan crossed the finish line 1.646 seconds ahead of Eckert, who once again fell just short of claiming his first WoO LMS victory of the season. Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., charged from his 13th starting spot to finish third with fellow Watertown driver Tim McCreadie fourth and Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., rounding out the top five. Marlar faded during the second half of the race, taking sixth at the finish.
Friday’s race marked the second straight WoO LMS event that Lanigan gave up the lead during early going. But just as he recovered to retake the point from Brady Smith on his way to winning Aug. 23’s event at Merritt Speedway in Lake City, Mich., Lanigan once again maintained his composure after Marlar got by him in Friday’s race and waited for his self-designed Club 29 Race Car to hit its groove.
“You’re always worried when somebody gets the lead like that,” said Lanigan, who logged his 28th top-five finish in 32 WoO LMS A-Mains contested this season. “But I could stay right there with him and pressure him a little bit. I knew once it blew off a little bit we would be really good.”
Eckert and the Rocket Chassis house car team continued their recent improvement with the runner-up performance, but Eckert’s search for victory will continue into the tour’s final six races of the season as the 48-year-old driver looks to avoid going winless on the series for the first time since 2007.
“That guy’s hard to beat when you’re in front of him,” Eckert said of Lanigan. “When he starts in front of you it’s almost impossible. He’s really good. Our team’s been working hard. I think we have something we can race with him now. We’ve been working on it a little bit and I think we’ve got a shot.”
Fuller’s run to the front marked another impressive performance since rejoining the WoO LMS mid-season. His Kennedy Motorsports Rocket Chassis appeared strong enough to contend for a victory as he charged through the field early in the race, but his run mellowed out once he reached the third position just past halfway.
“Starting back so far, it was good to be able to come up through there,” said Fuller, who claimed his best WoO LMS A-Main result since winning the tour’s July 18 event at River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D. “Our strong point was on those restarts. We were pretty much on the bottom.”
Leading series rookie Frank Heckenast Jr. of Frankfort, Ill., continued his solid season with a seventh-place finish, while Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., finished eighth after running as high as third. Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., advanced from 15th to finish ninth, with Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., rounding out the race’s top 10 finishers.
The race was slowed by four cautions. Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., drifted over the banking on lap 18 for the first yellow and later drew another caution when he slowed with a flat tire on lap 24. The third caution appeared when hometown driver John Garvin Jr. spun and collected Alex Ferree of Saxonburg on lap 36, and the fourth and final yellow waved when Dan Angellicchio of Mt. Pleasant, Pa., slowed.
Russell King of Bristolville, Ohio, claimed a $3,000 victory in the Uncle Sam 30, a makeup race for Firecracker 100 non-qualifiers that was rained out at the event in June. King, the 2009 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year, earned his second Uncle Sam 30 victory.
The night’s preliminary action was twice delayed by red flags, both appearing for rollover accidents. Hometown driver Michael Norris went for a wild ride during the fourth heat race when he got over the turn-four cushion, and Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa., also rolled during the second B-Main. Both drivers emerged uninjured from their heavily damaged race cars.
The WoO LMS continues its three-race Labor Day weekend with a move to Selinsgrove (Pa.) Speedway for events on Saturday and Sunday. The half-mile oval hosts the series for the Showdown on Sand Hill Saturday and the National Late Model Open on Sunday.
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 Working Man 50 at Lernerville Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (1) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,650
2. (3) Rick Eckert/50 $5,600
3. (13) Tim Fuller/50 $3,050
4. (6) Tim McCreadie/50 $3,200
5. (5) Eric Wells/50 $2,600
6. (2) Mike Marlar/50 $1,700
7. (4) Frank Heckenast Jr./50 $2,200
8. (7) Shane Clanton/50 $1,850
9. (15) Clint Smith/50 $1,800
10. (8) Vic Coffey/50 $1,700
11. (22) Morgan Bagley/50 $1,600
12. (16) Russell King/50 $1,000
13. (11) Jared Miley/50 $950
14. (9) Chub Frank/50 $1,500
15. (20) Alex Ferree/50 $850
16. (12) Gregg Satterlee/50 $800
17. (18) Mike Benedum/50 $770
18. (19) Garrett Krummert/50 $750
19. (21) Chuck Sarver/49 $730
20. (19) Doug Drown/45 $700
21. (14) Dan Angellicchio/42 $700
22. (25) John Garvin Jr./36 $700
23. (10) Davey Johnson/21 $700
24. (23) Chase Junghans/8 $1,200
25. (24) Boom Briggs/7 $1,200
26. (26) Mike Pegher/2 $725
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 26 Mins. 13 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.646 seconds
Yellow Flags: 4 (laps 18, 24, 36, 45)
Lap Leaders: Lanigan (1-3, 17-50); Marlar (4-16)
Provisional Starters: Junghans (WoO points), Briggs (WoO points), Garvin (track), Pegher (track)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Vic Coffey ($500)
WoO LMS Highest Finishing Rookie: Frank Heckenast Jr. ($250)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/
Group A
1. 1-Rick Eckert, York, Pa., 15.752
2. 39-Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y., 15.828
3. 19-Tim Fuller, Watertown, N.Y., 15.839
4 18-Eric Wells, Hazard, Ky., 15.861
5. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill., 15.893
6. 111-Max Blair, Titusville, Pa., 15.904
7. 1*-Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa., 15.932
8. 1j-Davey Johnson, Greensburg, Pa., 16.081
9. 20d-Doug Drown, Wooster, Ohio, 16.161
10. 14-Dan Angelicchio, Mt. Pleasant, Pa., 16.215
11. 4T8-John Flinner Jr., Zelinople, Pa., 16.291
12. 29k-Garrett Krummert, Butler, Pa., 16.340
13. 88-Chuck Sarver, West Sunbury, Pa., 16.383
14. B22-Bump Hedmon, Sugar Grove, Pa., 16.394
15. 66-Todd Bachman, Natrona Heights, Pa., 16.396
16. 7x-Herman Bertolini, Creighton, Pa., 17.329
17. 21-Tony Musolino, Pittsburgh, Pa., 18.331
— 11-Austin Hubbard, Seaford, Del., no time
— c33-Chris Casner, Mifflintown, Pa., no time
Group B
1. 29-Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky., 15.675
2. 32c-Vic Coffey, Caledonia, N.Y., 15.679
3. 25-Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga., 15.757
4. 22-Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, Pa., 15.827
5. H1-Jared Miley, South Park, Pa., 15.844
6. 157-Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn., 15.848
7. 44-Clint Smith, Senoia, Ga., 15.890
8. 99b-Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa., 15.905
9. 25b-Mike Benedum, Salem, W.Va., 15.931
10. 18c-Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., 15.930
11. 1c-Mike Pegher Jr., Wexford, Pa., 15.971
12. 56-Russell King, Bristolville, Ohio, 15.973
13. 10-Alex Ferree, Saxonburg, Pa., 16.015
14. 14m-Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, 16.090
15. J4-John Garvin Jr., Sarver, Pa., 16.101
16. 72-Michael Norris, Sarver, Pa., 16.116
17. 03-Doug Eck, Corry, Pa., 16.399
18. 29s-Ken Schaltenbrand, Sarver, Pa., 16.436
19. 75-Colton Flinner, Allison Park, Pa., 16.661
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Heckenast, Frank, Fuller, Drown, Flinner Jr., Sarver, Bachman, Casner.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McCreadie, Wells, Johnson, Angellicchio, Hedman, Krummert, Bertolini, Blair. Did not start: Hubbard.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, Clanton, Miley, Smith, Benedum, Pegher, Ferree, Garvin, Eck, Flinner.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Marlar, Coffey, Satterlee, King, Junghans, Bagley, Schaltenbrand, Briggs, Norris.
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Drown, Krummert, Sarver, Bachman, Hedman, Casner, Bertolini, Flinner Jr. Did not start: Blair, Hubbard, Musolino.
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Benedum, Ferree, Bagley, Garvin, Schaltenbrand, Eck, Junghans, Pegher, Briggs, Flinner. Did not start: Norris.
Uncle Sam 30 (makeup Firecracker 100 non-qualifiers race):
1. Russell King/30 $3,000
2. Vic Coffey/30 $1,500
3. Garrett Krummert/30 $800
4. Doug Drown/30 $700
5. Colton Flinner/30 $600
6. Chris Casner/30 $500
7. Dan Angellicchio/30 $400
8. John Flinner Jr./30 $375
9. Herman Bertolini/30 $350
10. Tony Musolino/30 $325
11. Todd Bachman/30 $300
12. Max Blair/14 $270
13. Ken Schaltenbrand/14 $260
14. Chuck Sarver/9 $250
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): Vic Coffey
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Rick Eckert
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Tim Fuller
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
Penske Racing Shocks ($50 to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Roush-Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Mobile 1 ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Frank Heckenast Jr.
American Racing Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Shane Clanton
Edelbrock ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Vic Coffey
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Dan Angelicchio
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Dan Angelicchio
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Dan Angelicchio
Mobil 1 (20% off gift certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Dan Angelicchio
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Dan Angelicchio
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Boom Briggs
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Mike Pegher Jr.
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Vic Coffey
Reliable Painting award (one free tire): Clint Smith
2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Aug. 29 – 32 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 4,554
2. Rick Eckert 4,272 (-282)
3. Tim McCreadie 4,226 (-328)
4. Morgan Bagley 4,046 (-508)
5. Chub Frank 4,002 (-552)
6. Eric Wells 3,988 (-566)
7. Shane Clanton 3,952(-602)
8. Frank Heckenast Jr. 3,896 (-658)
9. Clint Smith 3,786 (-768)
10. Chase Junghans 3,614 (-940)
11. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs 2,476 (-1,078)
12. Tim Fuller 2,808 (-1,746)
Rookie of the Year Standings as of Aug. 14 (27 A-Mains completed; best 25 races counted)
1. Frank Heckenast Jr. 3,312
2. Chase Junghans 3,084 (-228)
3. Boom Briggs 2,988 (-324)
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.