TAMPA, FL (February 12, 2011) – Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN has won at East Bay Raceway Park before in an open wheel modified and crate late model, but Saturday Afternoon the 39-year-old scored his first ever Super Late Model win at the “Clay by the Bay” as he captured the 40-lap, $10,000 to win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event. Owens held a sizable lead at the finish line to win over a hard-charging Bub McCool of Vicksburg, MS and pole-sitter Austin Hubbard of Seaford, DE. Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV was fourth followed by Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL

In Lucas Oil victory for the 22nd time in his career, Owens became the fifth different winner in five races during the 35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow Exhaust. “I have to thank Mike Reece and Reece Monuments for all of his support, the team has done a great job all winter getting these cars prepared for the season, and it’s paid off here early on,” said Owen, who finished second in the Friday Night event.

“The track was real racy today, I tried to conserve the tires there early on, but he (Hubbard) left the door open there, and I took advantage of it and the rest was history,” commented Owens as he took the lead on lap eight from Hubbard, and lead the rest of the way in the caution-free event. The Cornett Engines-powered Ford is also sponsored by Gantte Appraisals, VP Fuels, Red Line Oil and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Hubbard grabbed the lead at the start of the race with Carrier and Owens in tow. Owens moved past Erb on lap two to take over second. Owens then set his sights on Hubbard catching him and eventually made the pass coming off of turn number four on the eighth circuit. Owens then started to open up a nearly-straightaway lead over Hubbard, who was battling with Carrier for second.

Owens then started to encounter heavy traffic around the halfway mark, but Hubbard and Carrier could not gain any ground on him. Bub McCool, who started sixth then joined in the race for second as the trio of Hubbard, Carrier and McCool would dice it out to the finish to see who would get the runnerup spot.

Owens would cruise on for the win, his first of 2011. McCool after getting by both Hubbard and Carrier had his best ever Lucas Oil Series finish with his second place showing in his McCool Logging, Moyer Victory Circle Chassis entry. Hubbard was third in the Dale Beitler Enterprises, Rocket Chassis followed by Carrier in the Grover Motorsports, Rocket Ford and Erb in the Thomason Express, Bloomquist Race Cars entry.

Completing the top ten were Steve Francis of Ashland, KY, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN, David Breazeale of Four Corners, MS, Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY and Brent Robinson of Smithfield, VA.

In preliminary action Austin Hubbard was the Red Buck Cigars fast qualifier among the 58 entrants. Heat race winners were Hubbard, Eddie Carrier Jr., Steve Francis, Jimmy Owens, Mike Marlar and Bub McCool. The B-mains were captured by Tim Isenberg and Frank Heckenast Jr.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary

Saturday DAY, February 12th, 2011

35th Annual DART Winternationals Presented by Magnaflow

East Bay Raceway Park – Tampa, FL

Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: Austin Hubbard / 14.525 seconds (Group Aand Overall)

Jimmy Owens / 14.572 seconds (Group B and Overall)

Wiles Driveshafts First Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Austin Hubbard, Brad Neat, Billy Moyer Jr., Tim Isenberg, Justin Rattliff, Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson Jr., Duane Harbaugh, Russ Adams

Wiles Driveshafts Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Brent Robinson, Ray Cook, Tyler Reddick, Eric Wells, Bobby Pierce, Donnie Moran, Doug Blashe, Robert Geiger

Sweet Manufacturing Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Steve Francis, Tim Dohm, Eric Jacobsen, Dale McDowell, Danny Mitchell, Christian Augspurger, James O’Hara, Ricky Weiss, Michael Chilton, Brandon Thirlby

HAWK Brakes Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Jimmy Owens, David Breazeale, Chris Wall, Daniel Stone, Davey Johnson, Jared Hawkins, Dan Schlieper, Billy Moyer, Mark Andersen, Dillan White

Wiles Driveshafts Fifth Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Transfer): Mike Marlar, Dennis Erb Jr., John Blankenship, Chad Valone, Jason Feger, Steve Casebolt, Jason McBride, Travis Varnadore, Chad Hollenbeck, Leon Henderson

Sweet Manufacturing Sixth Heat (10 Laps- Top 3 Transfer): Bub McCool, Tim McCreadie, Josh Richards, Frank Heckenast Jr., Don O’Neal, Jared Landers, Wendell Wallace, Vic Coffey, Jackie Nosbisch

JRi Shocks First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 2 Advance): Tim Isenberg, Scott Bloomquist, Dale McDowell, Doug Blashe, Donnie Moran, Justin Rattliff, Eric Wells, Michael Chilton, Danny Mitchell, Russ Adams, James O’Hara, Robert Geiger, Bobby Pierce, Duane Harbaugh, Christian Augspurger, Tyler Reddic-DNS, Earl Pearson Jr-DNS, Ricky Weiss-DNS, Brandon Thirlby-DNS

Wrisco Aluminum Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 2 Advance): Frank Heckenast, Don O’Neal, Daniel Stone, Steve Casebolt, Jared Hawkins, Jason Feger, Chad Valone, Wendell Wallace, Dillan White, Jason McBride, Jackie Nosbisch, Mark Andersen, Jared Landers, Travis Varnadore, Davey Johnson, Chad Hollenbeck, Dan Schlieper, Billy Moyer-DNS, Vic Coffey-DNS, Leon Henderson-DNS

Magnaflow Performance Exhaust Provisional: Dan Stone
Race Statistics
Entrants: 58

Lap Leaders: Austin Hubbard (Laps 1-7); Jimmy Owens (Laps 8-40)

Caution Flags: none

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Earl Pearson Jr, Dale McDowell

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: Dan Schlieper

DART Fast Pass: Tyler Reddick

PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Don O’Neal (Started 22nd; Finished 13th; Advanced 9 positions)

Allstar Performer of the Race: Eddie Carrier Jr.

K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Bub McCool

Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: none

COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines

Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: Frank Heckenast Jr.

DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Chris Fox (Jimmy Owens)

Time of Race: 11 minutes 25 seconds