![\"\"](\"https:\/\/karnac.com\/flanews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/02\/Bloomer.jpg\" "\\"Bloomer\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nBARBERVILLE, FL \u2013 Feb. 24, 2012 \u2013 Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., mastered Friday\u2019s daytime track conditions at Volusia Speedway Park, dominating the postponed 25-lap DIRTcar UMP Late Model A-Main during the 41st UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment.<\/p>\n
In an event pushed to Friday afternoon following a rainout on Wednesday night, Bloomquist took advantage of starting from the pole position to lead the entire feature distance. He was never seriously challenged en route to a $7,000 triumph.<\/p>\n
The 48-year-old dirt Late Model legend scored a runner-up finish in Thursday evening\u2019s World of Outlaws Late Model Series 50-lapper that was contested on a heavy, physical track surface, but on Friday a surface baked hard by the Florida sun allowed him to cruise to the checkered flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cTalk about night and day \u2013 that\u2019s what this was,\u201d said Bloomquist, comparing the Thursday night and Friday afternoon programs. \u201cWe really didn\u2019t have to change much on the race car though, just a couple small things. The (Team Zero by Bloomquist) car is very versatile, and the (Roush-Yates) engine is just awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bloomquist owed much of his winning effort to his qualifying performance. With the four fastest drivers in each of six group qualifying sessions inverted for heat-race action, Bloomquist turned in a lap that was placed him on the pole for his preliminary. He won the heat with ease and then picked the number one starting slot for the feature, propelling him to Victory Lane.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s tough to come from behind, especially in a day race like this,\u201d said Bloomquist, who recorded his fifth win since 2003 at Volusia but just his second in UMP-sanctioned competition (his most recent wins \u2013 one in \u201904 and two in \u201911 \u2013 came under the WoO LMS banner). \u201cSo definitely, starting from the pole was important.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the first time (he ran an afternoon event at Volusia), so we really weren\u2019t sure what to expect,\u201d he added. \u201cI tried to take it easy on the tires. It looks like we used \u2018em up pretty good, but didn\u2019t blister them. The car was good neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bloomquist drove away from the pack after the race\u2019s two caution flags, on the opening lap for a multi-car tangle in turn one that eliminated Thursday-night WoO LMS winner Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., and Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., and on lap 10 for the stopped car driven by Tuesday-night UMP Late Model victor Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.<\/p>\n
Dennis \u2018Rambo\u2019 Franklin of Gaffney, S.C., finished a distant second, 5.960 seconds behind Bloomquist in the AES Racing Barry Wright car. The veteran racer, who started third, passed outside-polesitter Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., for second on lap one and maintained the spot to register a career-best outing at Volusia.<\/p>\n
Smith settled for third place, followed by fifth-starter Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, and seventh-starter Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.<\/p>\n
Rounding out the top 10 was Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas; Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., who fought forward from the 10th<\/sup> starting spot; DIRTcar Big-Block standout Billy Decker of Unadilla, N.Y., who slipped to eighth after taking the green flag from the fourth spot; Don O\u2019Neal of Martinsville, Ind.; and Jim Yoder of Selinsgrove, Pa.<\/p>\n Rick Eckert of York, Pa., recorded the fastest overall lap during the group qualifying sessions, circling the half-mile layout in 16.435 seconds, Other group fast-timers were Erb (17.722), Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. (17.473), Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn. (16.898), Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill. (17.042) and Dillon Wood of Daytona Beach, Fla. (16.850).<\/p>\n Heat winners were Bloomquist, Moran, Bagley, Decker, Clint Smith and Franklin. The B-Mains were captured by Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., and Eckert.<\/p>\n The UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit continue on Friday night with the second half of the day\/night doubleheader. A 40-lap UMP Late Model feature paying $10,000 to win tops a program that also includes the Super DIRTcar Series Big-Block Modifieds.<\/p>\n