The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is set to kick off its 2015 national touring series season with races at Golden Isles Speedway in Brunswick, Georgia(Feb. 5-7) and East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla.(Feb. 9-14). In all, the series plans a 49-race schedule that will take drivers and teams into 20 states to compete on 34 different tracks.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will visit this region on multiple occasions during their 2015 campaign. The series will make its first trek into east Tennessee on May 29 when it hits the high banks of the Tazewell Speedway. Just under one month later on June 20, the LOLMDS will pay a return visit to the Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn. And finally, the series will make its annual stop in conjunction with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Bristol Motor Speedway when it moves to the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. on August 20.
A total of eleven drivers competed full time on the Lucas Oil tour in 2014. It remains to be seen as to just how many drivers will be on tour full time this coming season, but a similar number to that of last year is probably the most likely scenario.
Last year, Don O’Neal broke the strangle hold that Newport’s Jimmy Owens had on the LOLMDS title for the previous three seasons as he just beat out the defending champion to claim the title. Mooresburg’s Scott Bloomquist, who missed the season’s first race in 2014, made a late season charge as well but fell short of earning his third series championship.
There are several drivers and teams who appear capable of claiming this season’s top prize, and just like last year, the battle will likely go down to the final weekend.
Here are our picks for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series final standings:
Michael Moats- 1. Scott Bloomquist, 2. Jimmy Owens, 3, Don O’Neal, 4. Steve Francis, 5. Eddie Carrier, Jr.
Richard Allen- 1. Scott Bloomquist, 2. Don O’Neal, 3. Jimmy Owens, 4. Steve Francis, 5. Eddie Carrier, Jr.
Here are a few notes on some of the top stars in the series:
Scott Bloomquist- The former series champion started off 2014 in a bit of a hole after hauler issues caused him to miss the first points paying race of the year at the Golden Isles Speedway. However, the ‘Dirttrax Dominator’ proved to be just that late in the campaign as he went on a tear during the final months of the season that saw him pile up a number of big money victories.
Going into this season, Bloomquist has added new backing to his team with sponsorship from former Jimmy Owens car owner Mike Reece and the Mark Martin Automotive Group. The Martin sponsorship comes as part of an alliance with fellow Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars driver Jared Landers. That additional financial support along with the momentum that could carry over from the end of last season may very well provide the push to get this driver out front early in the standings.
Jimmy Owens- One thing the ‘Newport Nightmare’ has been able to count on over the course of the last several seasons has been stability. He and car owner Mike Reece formed one of the most successful partnerships in the history of Dirt Late Model racing as they tallied three consecutive LOLMDS titles and scores of crown jewel wins. However, the two decided to part ways after the 2014 season.
Now, Owens is running under the banner of Oklahoma-based Rowland Racing, although his cars, shop and crew members have remained the same as those used last year. So far, the transition of ownership seems to have gone smoothly as Owens chalked up two wins in Arizona back in January.
But the LOLMDS season is a long grind so the true test of this new arrangement won’t be decided until later on.
Don O’Neal- This driver’s new partnership with NASCAR star Clint Bowyer paid immediate dividends as the Martinsville, Ind. native won his first LOLMDS championship in 2014. After several years of frustration, ‘The Real Deal’ achieved a goal he had long sought.
O’Neal also earned victories in such prestigious events as the Show-me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway and the Hillbilly 100 at I-77 Raceway Park. There’s little reason to believe that this driver won’t be in contention once again throughout the LOLMDS season.
Steve Francis- O’Neal’s teammate at Clint Bowyer Racing started off the 2014 season with early wins but was unable to maintain that momentum throughout the campaign. He did, however, manage a 4th place result in the final LOLMDS standings.
The ‘Kentucky Colonel’ was honored for his career achievements by being inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame during the year.
Eddie Carrier, Jr.- Here’s a driver who is coming off of a landmark season in 2014 when he not only placed 5th in the final LOLMDS standings but also scored his first crown jewel win when he took the checkered flag for a very popular North/South 100 at the Florence Speedway in August.
Jared Landers- The driver who once was the talk of the Dirt Late Model world when he pulled off a surprise win in the Topless 100 finished 8th in the LOLMDS standings in 2014. This year, he comes into the campaign driving Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars as part of an alliance with Scott Bloomquist.
Earl Pearson, Jr.- This is a pivotal year in the career of EPJ as he embarks on a second run with the Dunn-Benson Racing team that proved so successful in their first stint together several years ago. After driving for the organization run by former NASCAR champion Bobby Labonte, Pearson finds himself back in familiar settings after Labonte opted to shutter his Dirt Late Model team in favor of focusing his efforts on building and marketing the Longhorn Chassis.
Billy Moyer, Jr.- A younger and less experienced Billy Moyer, Jr. made a run at the Lucas Oil schedule a couple of years ago but that attempt did not go as well as the Batesville, Ark. driver would have liked. However, the second generation driver is more experienced and appears to be on better footing this time around.
2015 Lucas Oil Late Model dirt Series Schedule
| Date | Track | Title | Purse/Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5 | Golden Isles Speedway Brunswick, GA |
Super Bowl of Racing | $7,000 |
| Feb 6 | Golden Isles Speedway Brunswick, GA |
Super Bowl of Racing | $10,000 |
| Feb 7 | Golden Isles Speedway Brunswick, GA |
Super Bowl of Racing | $10,000 |
| Feb 9 | East Bay Raceway Park Tampa, FL |
39th Annual Winternationals | $5,000 |
| Feb 10 | East Bay Raceway Park Tampa, FL |
39th Annual Winternationals | $5,000 |
| Feb 11 | East Bay Raceway Park Tampa, FL |
39th Annual Winternationals | $7,000 |
| Feb 12 | East Bay Raceway Park Tampa, FL |
39th Annual Winternationals | $7,000 |
| Feb 13 | East Bay Raceway Park Tampa, FL |
39th Annual Winternationals | $10,000 |
| Feb 14 | East Bay Raceway Park Tampa, FL |
39th Annual Winternationals | $10,000 |
| Mar 20 | Atomic Speedway Chillicothe, OH |
– | $10,000 |
| Mar 21 | Brownstown Speedway Brownstowm, IN |
18th Annual Indiana Icebreaker | $10,000 |
| Mar 27 | Jackson Motor Speedway Byram, MS |
– | $10,000 |
| Mar 28 | Ark-La-Tex Speedway Vivian, LA |
– | $10,000 |
| Apr 17 – 18 | Batesville Motor Speedway Batesville, AR |
Bad Boy 98 | $20,000 |
| Apr 24 | Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA |
– | $10,000 |
| Apr 25 | Hagerstown Speedway Hagerstown, MD |
34th Annual Stanley Schetrompf Classic | $10,000 |
| Apr 30 | Macon Speedway Macon, IL |
– | $10,000 |
| May 1 | Tri-City Speedway Granite City, IL |
Spring Classic 50 | $10,000 |
| May 2 | Paducah International Raceway Paducah, KY |
Spring Showdown | $10,000 |
| May 15 | Oshkosh Speedzone Raceway Oshkosh, WI |
– | $10,000 |
| May 16 | LaSalle Speedway LaSalle, IL |
Spring Shootout | $10,000 |
| May 22 – 23 | Lucas Oil Speedway Wheatland, MO |
23rd Annual Show-Me 100 | $30,000 |
| May 29 | Tazewell Speedway Tazewell, TN |
– | $10,000 |
| May 30 | Florence Speedway Union, KY |
29th Annual Ralph Latham Memorial | $10,000 |
| Jun 11 – 13 | Magnolia Motor Speedway Columbus, MS |
Clash at the Mag | $20,000 |
| Jun 18 | Fayetteville Motor Speedway Fayetteville, NC |
– | $10,000 |
| Jun 19 | Cherokee Speedway Gaffney, SC |
17th Annual Grassy Smith Memorial | $10,000 |
| Jun 20 | Smoky Mountain Speedway Maryville, TN |
– | $10,000 |
| Jul 2 | 201 Speedway Sitka, KY |
3rd Annual Hatfield/McCoy Feuding 50 | $10,000 |
| Jul 3 | Muskingum County Speedway Zanesville, OH |
– | $10,000 |
| Jul 4 | Portsmouth Raceway Park Portsmouth, OH |
Independence 50 | $10,000 |
| Jul 10 | Tri-City Speedway Granite City, IL |
Battle at the Beach 50 | $10,000 |
| Jul 11 | Lucas Oil Speedway Wheatland, MO |
Diamond Nationals | $10,000 |
| Jul 14 | Lakeside Speedway Kansas City, KS |
– | $10,000 |
| Jul 16 – 18 | I-80 Speedway Greenwood, NE |
5th Annual Silver Dollar Nationals | $32,000 |
| Aug 6 – 8 | Florence Speedway Union, KY |
33rd Annual Sunoco North/South 100 | $50,000 |
| Aug 13 – 15 | Batesville Motor Speedway Batesville, AR |
23rd Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 | $40,000 |
| Aug 20 | Volunteer Speedway Bulls Gap, TN |
12th Annual Scorcher | $10,000 |
| Aug 22 | Lawrenceburg Speedway Lawrenceburg, IN |
Whiskey City 50 | $10,000 |
| Aug 28 – 29 | Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway Imperial, PA |
27th Annual Pittsburgher 100 | $20,000 |
| Sep 4 | Attica Raceway Park Attica, OH |
– | $10,000 |
| Sep 5 | Portsmouth Raceway Park Portsmouth, OH |
River Days Rumble | $10,000 |
| Sep 6 | I-77 Raceway Park Ripley, WV |
47th Annual Hillbilly Hundred | $25,000 |
| Sep 18 | Brownstown Speedway Brownstown, IN |
36th Annual Jackson 100 | $20,000 |
| Sep 24 | Knoxville Raceway Knoxville, IA |
12th Annual Late Model Nationals | $7,000 |
| Sep 25 | Knoxville Raceway Knoxville, IA |
12th Annual Late Model Nationals | $7,000 |
| Sep 26 | Knoxville Raceway Knoxville, IA |
12th Annual Late Model Nationals | $40,000 |
| Oct 3 | Dixie Speedway Woodstock, GA |
Dixie Shootout | $10,000 |
| Oct 4 | Rome Speedway Rome, GA |
Rome Showdown | $10,000 |
| Oct 16 – 17 | Portsmouth Raceway Park Portsmouth, OH |
35th Annual Dirt Track World Championship | $100,000 |
