BULLS GAP, TN (August 22, 2013) – Chris Madden held off defending Scorcher winner, Billy Ogle Jr. to win the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Thursday Night at Volunteer Speedway. Madden led all 50 laps for the $10,000 victory. The win marked his second series win of the season. Ogle stayed within striking distance of Madden over the last half of the race, but Madden proved to be too strong. For the third consecutive LOLMDS event, Dale McDowell finished third. Scott Bloomquist came home fourth, followed by 5-time track champion, Vic Hill.

“That was a demanding 50 laps! Joe (Loven) gave us a heck of a racetrack tonight; I thought it was in better shape tonight than it has been in a long time! I slowed up for a little bit, and I couldn’t figure out why I was so loose getting into the corners,” said the driver of the Clements Racing Engines, Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet.

“I had a great race car tonight, and we just picked up where we left off at Batesville last week. We made a few adjustments and the car was awesome from the time we unloaded it! I have to thank Century Plastics, Hamricks of Gaffney, Cushman Paint and Body, Henderson Amusement, Hoosier, Ohlins, and everybody else who helps out,” said the 38-year-old racer who recorded his fourth career LOLMDS win. (more…)

Rick Swallie photo

LOCUST GROVE, AR (August 18, 2013) – Terry Phillips captured the biggest win of his Late Model racing career on Sunday Afternoon at Batesville Motor Speedway.  Phillips pocketed $40,000 for winning the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned 21st Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 presented by Crop Production Services.  The event was delayed till today at 1PM after heavy rains saturated the track last night and track officials couldn’t get the track to dry out enough to race on.

Terry Phillips, the second-generation Missouri native and son of legendary racer Larry Phillips took the lead on lap 79 from Jimmy Owens after starting 7th. Owens made a last lap charge to try and retake the lead but finished one-car length behind Phillips. Following Phillips and Owens were: Dale McDowell, Chris Madden, and Earl Pearson Jr. who rounded out the top five finishers.

In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Phillips was elated to win this crown jewel cup event. “Before today, I’ve led this race with two laps to go and not won it. That time was probably the biggest heartbreak of my career, but to win this today was the biggest win of my career!! I want to say thank you to all my fans and sponsors that were here today! I just love this place!” said the 47-year-old veteran driver. (more…)

UNON, KY (August 10, 2013) – Don O’Neal became the third driver in the history of the Sunoco North/South 100 Presented by Lucas Oil to win the event twice, back-to-back. O’Neal led the main event, flag-to-flag, in Florence Speedway’s $50,000 signature event. Following O’Neal were Tim McCreadie, Dale McDowell, Darrell Lanigan, and Jimmy Owens at the finish.

“I have to thank the fans for staying around tonight. I hope we put on a great show for everybody! Our car was better up near the wall than in the black. The track was fantastic all night long,” said the winner.

O’Neal fought off the challenges from John Blankenship and Steve Francis early on as several caution flags kept the field bunched up. Blankenship was O’Neal’s only real competition for the first part of the race. Later in the race, McCreadie tried to run down O’Neal but it went to no avail.

On lap 96, Blankenship was running third and slowed dramatically with a broken rear end. Greg Johnson was just outside the top five and crashed into Blankenship; ending a sold run. On the restart, O’Neal pulled away from McCreadie to take his 32nd career LOLMDS victory.

“I have to thank Optima Batteries, Seubert Calf Ranches, Superior Cleaning, Tarpy Trucking, Independence Lumber, and Ohlins. Of course I also have to thank Jay Dickens Racing Engines, I have been with Jay a long time and this engine was strong all night!” (more…)

MARKLEYSBURG, PA (July 26, 2013) – Jimmy Owens dominated the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event on Friday Night at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex. Owens took the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event and went unchallenged for the $10,000 pay day. Owens’ sixth series win of the season vaulted him back on top of the Lucas Oil Championship Points Standings.

Jeremy Miller had his best career LOLMDS finish, taking home second place. Steve Francis was third followed Earl Pearson, Jr. and Eddie Carrier, Jr.

“The crew has been working their tails off lately. We gambled on tires and the car was good all night. We qualified a lot better, which allowed us to win our heat race. We got some timely cautions out there and lapped traffic was not a factor for us tonight,” said the 2-time and defending LOLMDS champion. “I have to thank my car owner Mike Reece; he just bought us a new truck and trailer. I’ve got to give a special thanks to Reece Monument Company, Gantte Appraisals, Hypercoil Springs, Sunoco, Red Line Oil, and Ohlins.” (more…)

GREENWOOD, NE (July 20, 2013) – In what will go down as one of the best races of 2013, Jimmy Owens wins the Third Annual Silver Dollar Nationals at I-80 Speedway tonight. Owens fought hard for the $27,000 pay day, battling several drivers throughout the race. He took the lead for the final time on lap 56 when race leader Ryan Gustin fell out after hitting the turn one wall following a restart. Gustin had charged all the way from his 34th starting spot, to grab the lead on lap 47. The event was co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and the Lucas Oil MLRA.

Tony Jackson, Jr. started 14th, and charged to a second place finish. Current LOLMDS point’s leader, John Blankenship came from 12th to take third ahead of Jason Feger and Billy Moyer.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Owens afterwards as he took several deep breathes on a hot night in Nebraska. “The car was awesome all weekend! The track slicked off from top to bottom and we could run anywhere on it. Gustin had the car to beat. Once he passed me, I thought he was going to win it. I have seen what he can do in a modified, but to do it against these guys tonight, speaks highly of the talent he has.” (more…)

WEBSTER CITY, IA (July 17, 2013) – In his inaugural appearance at the historic Hamilton County Speedway, Jason Feger wins his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event. In front of a capacity crowd, Feger cruised to the victory after passing Steve Francis on lap 15 and pulled away in the final laps to become this season’s 14th different winner on the LOLMDS tour. Francis finished second, followed by Earl Pearson Jr., Don O’Neal, and Brian Birkhofer.

“It feels great to finally get a Lucas Oil Series win. We have won in a lot of different series, but to get this one is really special. To beat such a talented field of drivers like Francis, [Don] O’Neal, [Billy] Moyer, and [Scott] Bloomquist, we couldn’t ask for a better night as a team.  After having a little bad luck recently, we were due for a good finish. We have been getting on each other’s nerves recently, but the crew has worked their tails off, and this win should take the pressure off of us,” stated Feger in Lucas Oil Victory Lane.

“When I saw them watering the topside of the track before the feature, I was really salivating at the chance to run up there!  The car was fast all night, starting from the time we unloaded it. I had confidence that we could get to the front early and stay there. Steve [Francis] and I diced through traffic, I tried a couple of different lines, and was finally able to get by him on the outside,” continued a jubilant Feger. He is driver of the Cheap Cars, Box Seat Productions, Rhyne Competition Engines, Bob Pierce Race Cars entry. (more…)

KANSAS CITY, KS (July 16, 2013) – Hall-of-Famer, Billy Moyer, took over the lead on lap 19 and went on to win the first-ever Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Model Series event on Tuesday Night at Lakeside Speedway. Moyer pocketed $10,000, in scoring his first LOLMDS win of the season. He also became the 13th different winner this year.

Steve Francis started 18th, and came roaring through the field to finish second. He was followed by Don O’Neal, Jared Landers, and John Blankenship, who started 15th.

Landers grabbed the lead at the start of the 50-lap race and held the point until Moyer passed him with 19 laps scored. Landers remained in second until his Clint Bowyer teammate, Francis, took the spot away from him on lap 27.

Moyer held a sizable lead over Francis until a caution came out with 20 laps to go. Francis tried to overhaul Moyer, closing to within a car-length with five laps left. Moyer was able to use lap-traffic to his advantage and was able to hold off Francis at the checkers. (more…)

WHEATLAND, MO (July 13, 2013) – John Blankenship dazzled the impressive crowd on-hand at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO tonight in the 7th Annual CMH “Diamond Nationals” co-sanctioned by the Lucas Oil MLRA. Blankenship took the point’s lead from Jimmy Owens last night, and came into tonight’s event a-top the points standings for the first time in his career. He and Owens had a fierce battle for the lead, until lap 28, when Blankenship finally put some distance between himself and the “Newport Nightmare”. Blankenship went unchallenged the rest of the way in the race that had no cautions.

Blankenship’s third LOLMDS victory of the season also marked his first-ever at the track. He took home $10,000 for the win and put an end to Owens’ reign over the facility. Owens entered the event having won six out of the last seven LOLMDS races at Lucas Oil Speedway, including 3 Show-Me 100’s.

Trailing Blankenship and Owens to the finish line were Tony Jackson, Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., and Steve Francis.

“I don’t know what to say,” said the winner in Lucas Oil Victory Lane. “To beat Jimmy here is just unbelievable! He has been so strong here; I didn’t think anyone was ever going to beat him here. Our car tonight, once we got going really was fast, to catch Jimmy and then to pass him says a lot about our team and this Rocket Chassis. We have come so close to winning here before, and to finally do it tonight in front of this big crowd, is just tremendous!” (more…)

PONTOOON BEACH, IL (July 12, 2013) – Steve Francis won his first feature of the season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tonight at Tri-City Speedway.  Francis started third in the $10,000 to win “Battle at the Beach”. He took the lead on lap nine and was challenged all the way to the checkers by John Blankenship, who finished second. Trailing Francis and Blankenship to the finish were Chris Simpson, Don O’Neal, and Billy Moyer.

Francis; claimed six series wins last year; recorded his 12th career LOLMDS victory. He also became the 12th different winner on the tour in 2013.  Blankenship, in the Coal World’s Energy Rocket stayed within striking distance until the end, and came up just short of his third win of the year.  With his second place finish, Blankenship took over the series points lead from Jimmy Owens, who failed to make a lap in the main event due to transmission issues.

“The team worked really hard for this win,” said Francis, who registered his first ever win at Tri-City.  “I told Kevin (Gundaker) earlier that I liked the old half-mile better, but not now! We had a meeting this week with Clint (Bowyer) and decided we wanted to finish the season strong, this is a very good start to that goal!” (more…)