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Josh Richards at Fayetteville
Motor Speedway. (Kevin Kovac)
First To Repeat: Richards Nips McCreadie For World of
Outlaws Win At Fayetteville
By Kevin
Kovac
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. - April 30. Josh Richards worked hard to become the first repeat winner of the 2010
season on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
Mastering Fayetteville Motor Speedway for the second time in three years, Richards charged forward from
the 10th starting spot to score a dramatic victory over Tim McCreadie in the national tour's 50-lap A-Main on
Friday.
Richards, 22, of Shinnston, W.V., passed Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., for the lead on lap 16 and was never
headed, but he had to withstand a furious late-race challenge from Watertown, N.Y.'s McCreadie to
secure the checkered flag in his Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car. McCreadie's final-lap bid to steal his first win
of 2010 in his Sweeteners Plus Rocket fell a mere 0.131 of a second – about a half car length short at the finish
line.
"That last straightaway seemed like it took forever," said Richards, whose triumph ended the WoO LMS record streak
of eight different winners to start the season. "I could see McCreadie alongside me and I was saying to myself,
'Just get to the finish!'"
Rookie of the Year contender Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., finished third in Dale Beitler's Rocket, snapping his
three-race slump. He started eighth and reached second by lap 10, but he was overtaken by Richards following a
lap-12 restart and spent the remainder of the distance watching the battle for the lead.
Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., rallied from the rear of the field to finish fourth after a flat left-front tire on
his Rocket car forced him to relinquish the lead on lap four, and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., started and finished
fifth in his Team
Starting 11th, Tim McCreadie was all over
leader Richards at the end, but fell a half-length short at the line. Clint Smith (#44) finished ninth, while #25
Shane Clanton was one of a number of drivers who gave up front running positions to mechanical woes, dropping
fourth to a broken ball joint. (Mike Ruefer)
Zero by Bloomquist mount after slipping as far back as eighth.
Richards won for the first time since capturing the WoO LMS season opener on Feb. 11 at Volusia Speedway Park in
Barberville, Fla. He also won that 50-lap event from a double-digit starting spot, coming from 17th to record a
memorable victory.
A risky soft-compound Hoosier tire choice was Friday night's key move for Richards, who made the fateful decision
with his
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