Runs Away with $5,000 Unsanctioned Victory in 25-lap #FALS Draw Showdown

FAIRBURY, Ill. – July 29, 2016 – Josh Richards successfully made a late-dash for the lead Friday night, winning the second annual #FALS Draw Showdown. The preliminary was a part of the “Prairie Dirt Classic” at Fairbury American Legion Speedway, which is wholly a two-day program ending with a World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series sanctioned 100-lap feature.

“It sure feels good to be in victory lane,” Richards said. “I know tomorrow is really when it counts, but these guys are all extremely tough. This is probably the toughest local crowd you can ever come to. We gambled on tires a little bit, and the car was great. It worked. We have 100 laps tomorrow, and that’s a big difference.”

The 25-lap feature began in a deficit for Richards, who started 10^th in an 18-car field. Local favorite Kevin Weaver led the group into the green flag. Weaver, lacking the gusto he needed to ride the top cushion effectively, began to lose his grip on the lead within the first five laps. (more…)

Clanton Finished Second after Starting Ninth

OGILVIE, Minn. – July 13, 2016 – Josh Richards held his pointer finger high in the sky Wednesday night, repeating his victory lane celebration in the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series for the 10th time this season at Ogilvie Raceway. It was his 68^th career series win.

“It was tough, I’ll tell you,” Richards said. “I want to thank the track guys. It’s a beautiful facility and I wasn’t expecting it to be this nice. It’s a great place to come. I didn’t think we’d have 10 [wins] this year and this early.”

Richards, who led the field into the green flag for 50 laps, never lost his top spot. Within the first 10 laps, Richards widened the gap between him and the field with his No. 1 Valvoline/ Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car; the other two cars in the podium positions began to separate themselves as well.

On lap nine, Richards caught-up to the back of the pack only for the race’s first caution to follow on the next lap.  On the restart, Rookie of the Year contender Tyler Erb took the highest line on the 3/8-mile oval, passing Eric Wells. Wells prevents a slippery slope, slamming the door on a charging Steve Casebolt. By lap 15, Richards extended his lead to 3.66 seconds. (more…)

Clanton and Eckert Duel for More than Half the Feature

SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – July 9, 2016 – In the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series’ 500^th feature event in the modern era on Saturday night, Josh Richards rockets to his 67^th career series win at Deer Creek Speedway. The win was his ninth of the season.

“I’ll tell you, this place does not get enough credit,” Richards said. “This is probably one of the top facilities in the country, and I always enjoy coming here. I want to thank the fans for coming out. It’s cool to win on this stage.”

The podium reflected the top three in the points standings – Richards, Shane Clanton and Rick Eckert battling to a one-two-three finish respectively. Richards, who started second in the feature, wasted no time on Billy Moyer Jr. for first. Richards passed him by the third lap, despite a valiant effort from Moyer to protect the lead spot – the first time he led a series feature into the green flag. (more…)

Richards Charges to Second-Place Finish from Ninth

MASON CITY, Iowa – July 8, 2016 – Shane Clanton was stronger than stone Friday night, dominating The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series 50-lap feature at Mason City Motor Speedway. Clanton not only solidified his fifth win of the season, but also tied Rick Eckert for fourth all time in career wins (35) in the series.

“Oh man, that car was good,” Clanton said. “It’s pretty special right now. It was a good win here that eluded me the last time I was here [in 2004]. I went a little hard on the tire [then], but tonight we ran a little softer than everyone else, and it was pretty good.”

Clanton, the series defending champion, rose to the top of the track as the green flag waved-on the 24-car field. Within a half of a lap, he reeled-in Eckert with his No. 25 Weldbank Energy/ Coopers Meat Packers Capital car. The long 1/2-mile oval lent enough room for Clanton to separate himself from the pack lap-by-lap. By lap nine in a caution-free feature, Clanton was 2.402 seconds away.

As Eckert began to fade, other drivers took advantage. Eric Wells, who captured his first podium finish the night before, replaced Eckert for the second position. Chad Simpson, following behind Wells in his No. 25s Liebe Trucking/  GATR Truck Center Victory Circle car, followed suit.  By lap 15, the podium was spaced by more than one-second between the trio of drivers. (more…)

Overton Captures First Career Series Win in Preliminary

SARVER, Pa. – June 25, 2016 – Scott Bloomquist battled from eighth position Saturday night to win the Firecracker 100 finale presented by GottaRace.com at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. Bloomquist collected his second World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series win of 2016, tangoing with both front-runners in the series and regional favorites alike.

Regional top-gun Dale McDowell began the 100-lap feature strong, as if his No. 17m Bad Boy Buggies/ University of Northwestern Ohio Warrior car was shot from a cannon. McDowell contested for the lead in the leading laps of the race, only to soon get the top spot on lap 17.

While McDowell held the No. 1 spot, three-time series champion Josh Richards consistently pursued the lead – diminishing the one-second intervals between them to less than half-of-a-second. Bloomquist bought his time in third after charging to the front from mid-pack. Not only did Richards close the gap between him and McDowell, but a caution on lap 23 included Bloomquist in a fight for first.

On a nearly perfect restart, Bloomquist overtook Richards in turn two. Richards soon reclaimed the spot, wedging his No. 1 Valvoline/ Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car underneath Bloomquist. It was a happenstance five laps later when another caution gave Bloomquist the opportunity to throttle past Richards on the restart. Bloomquist’s No. 0 Crop Production Services / Reese Monument Co. Sweet/ Bloomquist machine succeeded. (more…)

Overton Records First Podium Finish of Season

SARVER, Pa. –  June 24, 2016 – Josh Richards was the first one to the checkers Friday, winning the World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series second preliminary feature night of the Firecracker 100 weekend presented by GottaRace.com at Lernerville Speedway. Though he was the last man standing on the second night, it did not come without a trio of drivers nipping at his rear tires.

Two cautions within the first three laps did not slow down the 28-car field – mainly Billy Moyer Jr. and Brandon Overton, who traded paint for the second spot. Though Moyer prevailed, Overton grew persistent; he passed Moyer shortly after on the second restart.

One lap later, Richards’ No. 1 Valvoline/ Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car made a push from 10^th place – .200 seconds from a seat on the podium. By lap 10, a three-way battle to be top dog had Richards, Overton and local stud Russ King showing their teeth. Grouped together on lap 13 – away from the rest of the field – Richards attempted an under-over pass on Overton’s No. 76 Budweiser/ C-H Paving Moyer/ Victory machine in turn two. Overton slammed the door on the backstretch, but Richards claimed the spot in turn four.

“Coming down, we have a good car,” Overton said. “We just need to build on it, and maybe we’ll get it tomorrow.” (more…)

Five Drivers Finish on Lead Lap

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – June 21, 2016 – Josh Richards played tag from the front row Tuesday night at Weedsport Speedway (N.Y.), leaving only five cars on the lead lap of the Finger Lakes 40 in his seventh win of the season.

“I can’t thank my guys enough,” Richards said. “They worked their butts off, and I’m just glad I can put [the car] up front for them.”

Richards, who led the 24-car field into the green flag with his No. 1 Valvoline/ Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car, held the lead for all 40 laps. Richards won his heat earlier in the night by more than a three-and-a-half second margin, but that gap was unparalleled to how much he pulled away from the pack in the feature.

Richards maintained a similar differential through the first half of the race. The true fight was from spots four through six. Shane Clanton, Rick Eckert and Brandon Overton jockeyed for position within the first 10 laps of the feature, nearly spreading three-wide across the 3/8-mile oval. Overton relied on the top groove early, but soon forfeited the high-side of the track to Clanton, who broke into the top 5 by lap 7.

While Overton continued to fade, Clanton and Eckert chased-down third place Steve Casebolt by lap 21. The trio bunched up, weaving as a unit through lapped traffic. It took a bold move on lap 17 from Clanton’s No. 25 Weldbank Energy/ Coopers Meat Packers Capital machine however to take third. With Clanton’s fender nearly grazing the wall with every lap, he set his sights on second-place Frank Heckenast Jr.

“We were just trying to bide our time and pick our line, and we needed to get by those guys,” Clanton said. “I knew I was better than them biding my time. I knew that Josh [Richards] was long-gone…we needed a caution there at the end to see if I had anything for him. But overall: good night.” (more…)

Avenges Last Month’s Losses to Regional-Favorite Madden

Photo Courtesy World of Outlaws

JUNCTION CITY, Ky. – May 6, 2016 – Shane Clanton claimed his third World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series victory of the season under Friday night’s Ponderosa Speedway lights, winning the 24th-annual “Kentucky Klassic.”

“Well, just catching those lapped cars, I was able to get in better position in the corners,” Clanton said. “I knew if I got up against that berm, I could go down the straight-away and it would be difficult for someone to pass me.”

On the first lap, Clanton used the outside groove to wheel his No. 25 Weldbank Energy/Coopers Meat Packers Capital machine into the No. 1 spot. He thereon led the remainder of the race. This is the defending points champion’s first win since Feb. 20 at DIRTcar Nationals in Barbersville, Fla.

“I think our car had a good balance as choppy as the track was,” said Clanton, who first dealt with lapped cars on Lap 9. “If you got a good balance, you don’t upset your car when you go over the holes. Our car is so balanced right now it could go wherever you want it to go.” (more…)

Brian Shirley Battles for a Second Place Finish

Fayetteville, N.C. – April 30, 2016 – Former Hope Mills, N.C. resident Willie Milliken has logged thousands of laps at Fayetteville Motor Speedway. But the 50 laps he led during Saturday night’s World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Tarheel 100 met something more to him.

“We have a good piece,” said Milliken about his No. 1M MJ Price Construction Co./ Longhorn Chassis car. “We don’t get to showcase it all the time. [The win] was just getting on the gas, the car would take it and it would go.”

This win was Milliken’s seventh late model start ever – his first with the Outlaws. He takes home not only the $10,000 purse, but also the pleasure of finishing first in each of his events. Milliken was the Fast Timer of the night (16.740), won his heat race, pulled the No. 1 on the redraw and led every lap of the A-Main.

Brian Shirley, who finished runner-up to Milliken, said there was no stopping him. Shirley used the two-car-lengths between him and Milliken to remain in the lower groove until Milliken made a mistake late in the race; it was not the case here.

“I don’t know the guy who won, but congratulations to him,” Shirley said. “I know how cool it is to win a race this big.” (more…)

Claims Win No. 63 in Series’ First Appearance at Carolina Speedway

GASTONIA, N.C. – April 29, 2016 – Josh Richards battled from an eighth place starting position and through tough track conditions and cautions on Friday night at Carolina Speedway as he claimed the inaugural World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series win at the track.

“We were able to survive,” said Richards, who took home the $10,000 purse. “We had a great car there. It was starting to get rough off Turn 4, but I want to thank all the fans for coming out. It’s great to come out with a win.”

Challenging track conditions proved to be a test for the 24 drivers that started the A-Main – in the 50-lap feature, there were 12 cautions with eight drivers finishing on the lead lap. A caution on Lap 24 allowed drivers to replenish their tear-off visor sheets, making track visibility less of a struggle through the remainder of the race.

Some of those earlier cautions however, made way for Richards to eventually claim the lead position on the restarts. Richards started eighth.

“That was the biggest thing: trying to find a clean spot,” said Richards about finding a favorable groove. “Once you got up on somebody, you couldn’t see anything. It was just a matter of trying to be smooth. You were forced to move around a little bit.” (more…)