Robert Sell photo
Lucas Oil Series: O'Neal
Takes Ownership at Lawrenceburg
James
Essex
LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. – Aug. 26. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind. charged to the lead on lap 32, passing Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa before winning Friday’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Lawrenceburg Speedway. O’Neal earned $10,000 for his second series win of the season. Birkhofer won the LOLMDS event at the track back in 2009. He sprinted to the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event in front of a packed front stretch grandstand. Birkhofer, Scott Bloomquist, and O’Neal ran three-wide for the lead for several laps before the caution appeared on lap six.
Eventual winner Don O'Neal races #0 Scott Bloomquist at Lawrenceburg. Bloomquist came away with third. (Robert Sell) Birkhofer held his lead through several cautions. O’Neal started fourth and made a run for second on Bloomquist, passing the Hall of Famer on lap eight. With 15 laps complete, it was Birkhofer, O’Neal, Shane Clanton, Bloomquist and Earl Pearson Jr. out front. Birkhofer managed to keep his lead for most of the race, but O’Neal started to put the pressure on him for the lead about halfway through the race. O’Neal slipped up, and Bloomquist got by him for second on lap 25 as a three-car chase for the lead was continuing. O’Neal drove around Bloomquist to regain second on lap 30 and two laps later took over the top spot from Birkhofer before a thunderous home-state crowd.
With his second place showing at Lawrenceburg, Brian Birkhofer continues to raise the stakes in the late season. (Brandon Murray) O’Neal began to pull away from Birkhofer and Bloomquist, increasing his margin until he claimed the victory. “Birkhofer had a really great race car at the start. I drove ours (the car) for all it was worth, the cushion was rugged up there in two, I was just hanging on there at the end, I hope the fans enjoyed that one,” said the 47-year-old who collected his 16th career series victory. “I kept trying that top groove and it finally paid off. We had to battle those lapped cars there at the end, it was really hard racing between the three of us for the lead. I was clean racing and I can’t thank Tader Masters enough, Cody Mahoney, and everybody else on the crew, it’s nice to win here in Indiana,” said the winner.O’Neal’s MasterSbilt Chevrolet is sponsored by Magnaflow Exhaust, Superior Cleaning, Jones Core, Independence Lumber, Second Chance Livestock, Janowski Insurance and VP Racing Fuels. His car is powered by Jay Dickens Racing Engines. Birkhofer finished second in the J&J Steel, Pro Power Engines, MB Customs. He said, “O’Neal had the better car. Don drove the wheels of it, he passed me clean, that was a great race for the lead, I was hoping to hang in there, but he found that top groove and drove right by me.”
Shane Clanton and #0 Scott Bloomquist duke it out at Lawrenceburg as the pair drives by #2 Dan Stone. (Robert Sell) Bloomquist in his Hawkeye Trucking, Roush-Yates, Bloomquist Race Cars Ford beat Landers to the line by a half a car length for third. “The track was racy all night, you could run high, low, in the middle, we all three had different tires on. That was an exciting race for the fans, we all raced each other hard and clean, we’ll take third and head to Bluegrass tomorrow night.” Jared Landers, who still leads the Quarter Master Rookie of the Year standings, came home fourth ahead of Tyler Reddick.
Area ace Kent Robinson (7) tries to take it four-wide with #41 Brad Neat, #5 Mike Marlar, and #15 Steve Francis at Lawrenceburg Speedway. (Robert Sell)
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Big Gains for Hubbard, Pearson, Ogle - The A-Team Has Been Updated 05-15-12
Scott James battles #13 Barry Doss in heat race action at Florence (Ky.) Speedway, but in the $2,000-to-win feature, the only thing anyone saw was the tail end of James' #81 car. (Roy Walker)
After plenty of trash-talking via the electronic media between Jeff Matthews and Ivedent Lloyd last week, it was #21 Lloyd who got the final word as he reeled in #33 Matthews to win Friday's LM feature at Oclala, Fla.'s Bubba Raceway Park. (R.E. Wing)
Fans at Markleysburg, Pa.'s Roaring Knob Motorsports Comlex were treated to dual LM features Saturday - one a makeup from a May 5th rainout. (Above) Tim Senic challenges eventual regular feature winner Chuck Harper, while Jared Hawkins (below) claimed the makeup race. (Tommy Micheals)
Henley, Missouri's Jason Russell leads the way to Victory Lane in the ULMS Late Model feature at Lucas Oil Speedway Saturday. (Chris Bork)
Some fierce racing action at Lucas Oil speedway. (Chris Bork)
Dalton, Ga.'s Craig Reece returned to Dixie Speedway Saturday and led all the way to win the Crate LM victory. (Steve Hixson)
Ray Guss Jr. races last week's Quad City Speedway winner, Mike Murphy, Jr. This time, it was advantage Guss. (Chris Damitz)
With a strong motor back into his mount, Veteran Lamar Scoggins claimed last Friday's Crate LM victory at Boyd's Speedway. (Steve Hixson)
Veteran racer Lance Matthees navigates Spring Lake, Minnesota's Deer Creek Speedway before taking Saturday's WISSOTA Late Model checkers. (Jason Durst)
Racing hard at mid-pack, it's the dueling 55s of Cory Mahder (inside) and Greg Nippoldt at Deer Creek. (Jason Durst)
Ryan King (above and below) swept both the Ltd. Late Model and Crate Late Model features Saturday at 411 Motor Speedway in Seymour, Tenn. (Chad Wells)
Still riding his wave in Iowa, Mike Murphy, Jr. in early action before taking the main event win at Davenport last Friday. (Chris Damitz)
Jason Jameson ran a gauntlet to finally capture another win Friday night at Moler
Raceway Park (see main page). (Roy
Walker)
After holding back a charge from Alex Ferree, Chub Frank drove home with a Friday night win at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. (John Stivason)
Bobby Pierce, Brett Sievert, and Mike Glynn race in a tight pack in Kankakee (Ill.) Speedway's "Crosstown Cup", but (below) it was ultimately Shawn Toczek (42) here racing the high side of Mike Provenzano, who sailed to the win. (Dan Simpson)
NALMS Suspends Remaining Season
In a statement released to the racing media Monday, Northern All All Stars Late Model Series (NALMS) owners Shawn Hall and Bob Mooney relased the following statement:
To all NALMS drivers and fans,
Northern Allstars Late Model Series regrets to inform all of our drivers and fans that as of today (May 14, 2012) we will suspend all series races for the remaining 2012 season. The primary reason for the decision to discontinue the series was mainly economics. Tracks, teams and fans are having a hard time these days with the cost of living in general. With the cost of fuel, parts, tires, tickets and lodging, many people just cannot afford to travel to our shows, so we feel it's best to stop for now and try to regroup for the 2013 season.
Our series needs to be able to have at least 18 to 20 shows to cover our cost of putting on these shows and our drivers point funds. With many tracks cutting back on their special events and other tracks just choosing not to have specials at all, it's has really cut our options for race tracks down to a very few unless you are willing to travel several hours away from the Central Illinois area, and that is not cost effective for the racing teams or fans.
In closing we would like to thank all of the drivers and fans whom have supported the series over the years and we hope to be able to come back with a bigger and better season for everyone in 2013.
A-Team Leaders from 1997-2011 (Click on link for complete rundown)
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