*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.
Richard: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series is set to kick off its 2017 season this weekend at Golden Isles Speedway near Brunswick, Georgia. The circuit has a total of 55 feature races across 22 states on its schedule with eleven of those events set to pay out $20,000-to-win or more. Multiple stops on the circuit are set to go off in the east Tennessee region and its outer fringes so fans in this area should have multiple opportunities to see the big stars of the sport who regularly follow the series.
Josh Richards
And speaking of big stars, the LOLMDS added yet another championship caliber driver when it was announced during the off season that four-time World of Outlaws Late Models champion Josh Richards would step away from his father’s Rocket Chassis house to drive on this series under the Best Performance Motorsports banner. The driver who has tried his hand at both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series will join the likes of Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Don O’Neal, Darrell Lanigan and Tim McCreadie as former national series champions who will compete on the LOLMDS this season.
There’s no shortage of star power on this series is there?
Michael: No there is not. The series is already trying to build up a possible showdown between Richards and Bloomquist. And I don’t blame them. It’s the first time the two will battle head-to-head for an entire season. Myself, I cannot wait to see how that possible battle plays out.
Jonathan Davenport is no longer following the series on a full-time basis, but will hit a number of those races when they are nearby. I think the series will see a slight dip from his departure. But if the Richards-Bloomquist thing can ever develop into a battle between the two, I think the series will more than make up for Davenport not being a regular, especially when they get into the mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states where Richards has a lot of fans who will be eager to see him battle it out with Bloomquist.
Richard: The Bloomquist vs. Davenport rivalry that developed over the past couple of years was certainly a good one. But the interesting thing about it was that it kind of came out of nowhere. No one really could have anticipated Davenport putting up the incredible numbers he did back in 2015 to emerge as such a strong competitor for Bloomquist.
Scott Bloomquist
The potential battles between Bloomquist and Richards over the course of a full season is an incredibly intriguing possibility. But unlike Bloomquist and Davenport, it is expected because of the past successes both drivers have already experienced throughout their careers. Like you, I am really looking forward to seeing how this plays out.
As we mentioned earlier, however, there are more than just those two drivers who compete on the Lucas Oil tour. Who do you look for to provide the greatest challenges for race wins and the championship from among those other than Bloomquist and Richards?
Michael: The ones that stand out to me are Tim McCreadie, Jimmy Owens, and Don O’Neal.
McCreadie had some strong showings at the end of 2016 and now has the full backing of the Longhorn Chassis folks.
Despite two lackluster seasons, Owens is usually a threat. I will be interested to see if he can get the new Rocket dialed in to his liking.
O’Neal is another driver that came on strong toward the end of 2016, but didn’t have the wins to show for it.
But If I had to pick one, it would be McCreadie.
Richard: Owens, being an east Tennessee resident from Newport, is someone who will no doubt be of interest to our readers. As you point out, he has had a couple of seasons that have fallen short of what we have become accustomed to from him after winning three consecutive LOLMDS titles. While still as popular as ever, the wins have definitely slowed of late.
Owens and former car owner Mike Reece separated a couple of years ago which sent the ‘Newport Nightmare’ on a journey that has seen him drive for other owners in Club 29 and Barry Wright cars. Further, Owens and former crew chief Chris Fox parted ways during that same time frame and inconsistency for the driver followed.
Jimmy Owens
It would seem as if Owens needs some stability in ownership and car brands for him to regain the championship form he once had. That said, I believe his relatively recent move to the Rocket XR1 chassis was a good one. The West Virginia based chassis brand produced by Mark Richards has provided success for its customers over many seasons and has a wide variety of accomplished drivers in its fold who can share setup notes and other information. This could be the perfect scenario to return the No. 20 operation to prominence.
At 45 years of age there should be plenty of wins still in his future. Will 2017 be the year of a comeback of sorts for Owens?
Michael: Only time will tell. But I certainly wouldn’t bet against him.
Another driver that could surprise some folks in the title hunt is Darrell Lanigan, O’Neal’s teammate. He had a good summer in 2016 although the spring and fall weren’t as good for him. Having run the series now for one full year and getting to know some unfamiliar tracks should benefit him this season.
Richard: Coming back to your point about McCreadie, I agree that he could be a real threat to win multiple races and challenge for the LOLMDS title. After finishing third in the final standings for that series last year, the New York driver will, as you said, have the full support of the Longhorn operation with Justin Labonte being very much involved with his team.
In a sense, McCreadie has been somewhat like Owens over the past few years in regard to chassis changes. Further, his team has often been understaffed compared to others that take on a national touring schedule. I too will be very interested in seeing how many times the No. 39 machine visits victory lane in 2017 after he, like Lanigan, has gained greater familiarity with the tracks employed by this series.
And to me, another thing that makes the national circuits so intriguing is that there is always the possibility of regional and local drivers stepping up and winning races against the national stars.
What regional heroes from this area do you count among those who could pull off a big win at some point this year?
Michael: I think with the retirement of Randy Weaver and Chris Madden chasing the World of Outlaws, it diminishes the chances of someone from this area pulling off a win. Donald McIntosh is one that comes to mind aside from those two. I don’t consider Dale McDowell to be a regional racer, but he has shown he can win one of those races. There are drivers like Casey Roberts and Chris Ferguson as regional drivers that are threats to win, but they are not from our area. There is always the “X” factor being Tazewell Speedway where someone like Billy Ogle Jr. or even Chad Ogle could pull out a win there.
Richard: Good points, especially regarding Weaver and Madden. As you pointed out about McDowell, I don’t necessarily consider Mike Marlar as a regional driver but he comes to mind as a potential winner from this area among those who do not regularly follow a national tour.
All that said, it’s time to make a few predictions. I am picking Scott Bloomquist to repeat as the LOLMDS champion. I am picking Josh Richards to win the most races on this series, and I believe Jimmy Owens and Darrell Lanigan will reassert themselves as consistent contenders for race wins.
Michael: It’s hard to go against Bloomquist as long as he remains focused and has the backing. I might be inclined to pick Richards, but I’m not really sure about the team he’s driving for this year. Nothing against them, I just don’t know what kind of manpower they have and if any of the Rocket people will follow him on the road this year. I’m going to pick Bloomquist for the most wins and Richards to win the championship. But I would not be shocked if McCreadie is involved in the title fight by season’s end.
