Batesville's own Jared Landers (outside) passed a fading Scott Bloomquist (#0) on lap 84 of the "Topless 100". Bloomquist pitted three laps later for new rubber, and Landers was overtaken by Earl Pearson on lap 95, only to retake the top spot with just three laps to go.. (Rick Schwallie) 

Top That! Landers' First Career LM Win Comes With the Top Down

James Essex

LOCUST GROVE, Ark. - Aug. 22. In an event where tire management was the name of the game for the entire field, local driver Jared Landers couldn't have asked for a bigger way to break into victory lane as he captured the first Late Model victory of his career in the $40,000 to win 18^th annual COMP Cams

An exhausted Jared Landers takes a seat on the race track for an interview with the Speed Channel's Dave Argabright. (Rick Schwallie)

 Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn. edged out Pearson at the finish line for second, followed by Pearson, Terry Phillips of Springfield, Mo. and Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis.   

A rainout of Saturday night's feature event forced postponement until Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., subjecting drivers to a baking sun and an even more abrasive track than usual.

Tyler Landers acknowledges the crowd after his stunning win at a sun-baked Batesville Speedway. (Rick Schwallie)

Billy Moyer (#21) dropped out while running at mid-pack late in the "Topless 100", while #44 Earl Pearson grabbed the lead from Jared Landers with just five to go, only to lose it to Landers and have to settle for third after giving up the bridesmaid spot to Jimmy Owens on the last lap. (Rick Schwallie) 

The afternoon heat and the baked track surface forced every team that finished the race to pit at least once for fresh rubber. Landers was waved in by Crew Chief Shane McDowell on lap 42 shen Jason Cliburn brought out a caution. Until that point, early leader Don O’Neal had been slowed only on lap 17 for a slowing Chris Wall. As tire wear began to become apparent throughout the field, O'Neal then yielded to the event's fast qualifier, Chris Madden, who

In the game of musical chairs that was the 2010 "Topless 100", Bub McCool and #c9 Steve Casebolt finished 14th and 10th, respectively. (Rick Schwallie)

 got the jump on the lap 43 restart. Madden then held the top spot for three circuits until ninth-starting Scott Bloomquist took over the lead on lap 46.

Bloomquist and Madden then ran one-two through several caution flags.  Madden re-gained the point from Bloomquist on lap 57, but Bloomquist came back five laps later to re-take the lead.  Bloomquist held the top spot until a lap 84 restart, when Landers slipped under him on the backstretch to take over the lead, much to delight of the crowd.

Fast qualifier Chris Madden led his share of laps at Batesville, only to have to settle for 11th in the rundown. (Rick Schwallie) 

Bloomquist began to fade as he slowed on lap 87 to bring out a caution.  He darted into the pits to change tires. Bloomquist had been the only car on the track that had not pitted. On the restart, Landers was challenged by both Pearson and Owens. Pearson slipped by Landers on lap 95 for the lead, but Landers came back with authority to take over the top spot for the final three circuits. Owens got by Pearson on lap 99, and Landers went on to hold off both Owens and Pearson as the three almost came across the finish nearly side-by-side.

Owens, in the Reece Monument Company, Mark Martin Ford sponsored Bloomquist Race Cars entry nipped Pearson at the line for second, but said afterwards he should have pitted a little earlier.  “We came in the pits a little sooner than I anticipated,” said Owens.

"Topless 100" winner, Jared Landers.(Rick Schwallie)

First Heat: 1) Chris Madden, 2) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, 3) Bub McCool, 4) Brian Birkhofer, 5) Chris Wall, 6) Jimmy Owens, 7) Jimmy Mars, 8) Chad Simpson, 9) Brandon Smith, 10) R.C. Whitwell, 11) Austin Rettig, 12) Tyler Reddick, 13) Phil Edmondson  

Second Heat: 1) Jonathan Davenport, 2) Scott Bloomquist, 3) Dan Schlieper, 4) Ray Moore, 5) Mike Marlar, 6) Brad Neat, 7) Robbie Stuart, 8) Richie Tosh, 9) Klint Byars, 10) Mark Stephens, 11) Dwight Falcon, 12) Jon Kirby   

Third Heat: 1) Dale McDowell, 2) Wendell Wallace, 3) Earl Pearson Jr., 4) Eric Wells, 5) Billy Moyer Jr., 6) Chris Simpson, 7) Kyle Beard, 8) Rylan Long, 9) Jason Utter, 10) Kyle Cummings, 11) Wade Byars, 12) Odie Green

Fourth Heat: 1) Don O’Neal, 2) Jon Mitchell, 3) Shannon Babb, 4) Steve Casebolt, 5) Bill Frye, 6) Keith Foss, 7) Raymond Merrill, 8) Josh Danzy, 9) Scott Creel, 10) Dalton Alexander, 11) Al Purkey

Fifth Heat: 1) Ray Cook, 2) Jeremy Payne, 3) Jason Cliburn, 4) Dennis Erb Jr., 5) Billy Moyer, 6) Tim Isenberg, 7) Chase Washington, 8) Eric Turner, 9) Donald Bradsher, 10) Shane Harris, 11) Jimmy Miller, 12) Bo Gordon 

Sixth Heat: 1) Jared Landers, 2) Brady Smith, 3) Terry Phillips, 4) Andrew McKay, 5) Jack Sullivan, 6) John Blankenship, 7) Stacy Taylor, 8) Jeremy Glasgow, 9) Dewaine Hottinger, 10) Curtis Cook, 11) Brian Ritchie, 12) Leon Henderson, 13) Gary Christian

First B-Main: 1) Ray Moore, 2) Brian Birkhofer, 3) Eric Wells, 4) Billy Moyer Jr., 5) Rylan Long, 5) Robbie Stuart, 6) Dwight Falcon, 7) Kyle Beard, 8) Brandon Smith, 9) Wade Byars, 10) Chris Wall, 11) R.C. Whitwell, 12) Brad Neat, 13) Jason Utter, 14) Odie Green, 15) Chris Simpson, 16) Phil Edmondson, 17) Richie Tosh, 18) Klint Byars

Second B-Main: 1) Billy Moyer, 2) Steve Casebolt, 3) Dennis Erb, Jr., 4) John Blankenship, 5) Tim Isenberg, 6) Keith Foss, 7) Scott Creel, 8) Josh Danzy, 9) Donald Bradsher, 10) Bill Frye, 11) Eric Turner, 12) Shane Harris, 13) Jimmy Miller, 14) Jeremy Glasgow, 15) Chase Washington, 16) Brian Ritchie, 17) Dalton Alexander, 18) Andrew McKay, 19) Curtis Cook, 20) Jack Sullivan