What drivers might have been helped by this stoppage?

While no one is glad for the reason that there has been a break just after the beginning of the 2020 Dirt Late Model racing season, there are some who may very well be benefiting from the additional time away from the track and in their shops. As is always the case, some drivers got off to great starts in the early part of the season while others did not.

For those who did not get off the start they were hoping for, they have been given a reprieve of sorts and an opportunity to press the re-set button on the 2020 campaign. Still others may have needed a break for reasons aside from performance that can now be addressed.

While we have no real idea as to when the 2020 season will resume, it is likely that some of those who languished at the outset will come back better than they were due to the time given to reload.

Here is our list of drivers who might very well benefit from this unexpected break in the racing action:

Earl Pearson, Jr.– Quite simply, the four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion got off to a terrible start in Georgia and Florida back in February. The Black Diamond Chassis house car did not register a single top-10 at either Golden Isles Speedway, East Bay Raceway Park or All-Tech Raceway in the eight LOLMDS features contested at those facilities.

The performance of the No. 1 car has only been slightly better outside of Lucas Oil competition. A pair of 10th place efforts were the high points of January trips to New Mexico and Arizona. However, EPJ did log a third place result in his final start in early March before the shutdown in the Comp Cams-sanctioned Ronny Adams Memorial at Boothill Speedway in Louisiana.

Pearson currently sits in the 18th position in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings.

Scott Bloomquist– This is one of the instances mentioned above that is not necessarily performance based. It has been barely over a year since the 56-year-old Bloomquist suffered significant leg and hip injuries in a motorcycle accident. Those wounds sidelined the legendary driver for multiple weeks last year, and even after his return to the sport, the former Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series champion was clearly hindered in his movements.

In January, Bloomquist underwent hip surgery to help in clearing up discomfort and aid in improving his movement. Many who have had similar procedures done explain that the healing time from hip surgery can be significant. However, the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame member was back in a race car by mid-February.

More time away from the track equates to more time for healing and recovery.

Bloomquist currently rests in the 6th position of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series with two top-5 and four top-10 finishes to his credit so far in 2020 on that tour.

Hudson O’Neal– After his SSI Motorsports team departed from the sport at the end of the 2019 campaign, the second generation racer landed with his father’s old team as the driver of the MasterSbilt Race Cars house car. However, it had been several years since the Tader Masters-led operation had competed on a national touring series. As a result, the new pairing has experienced some bumps in the road.

The younger O’Neal currently stands 14th in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings with one top-10 finish to his credit after six series feature race starts.

This second “off-season” will no doubt provide the team and driver an opportunity to go back to the shop and learn from what transpired during Georgia-Florida SpeedWeeks. The No. 71 team will look to come out of the box faster than they were before because they now have past experience to build on.

Chris Madden– The South Carolina driver is certainly not off to a bad start. After all, Madden currently resides in the fourth position of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series standings with one series win, two top-5s, and five top-10s to his credit. However, it is difficult to judge this driver’s recent performance without looking back to the second half of the 2019 season in which he captured three crown jewel victories after joining the Team Zero Race Cars operation.

By his own admission, Madden has not had the same level of performance at the beginning of 2020 that he enjoyed at the end of 2019. While certainly solid so far, this unexpected break may very well provide an opportunity to regain some of the momentum that carried him to big win after big win near the end of last year.

Shanon Buckingham– Following a season that saw him earn a top-10 in the final Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings and his first series victory, Buckingham found tough luck at the beginning of 2020. An eighth place result in the Saturday feature at East Bay Raceway Park has been the high point so far this year as the Tennessee driver currently ranks 16th in the LOLMDS standings.

The time away from the track will likely provide his Double Down Motorsports team with a chance to regroup and hope for better luck going forward. Some this team’s best finishes came in the second half of 2019, and by the look of things, that’s when this season will be rejoined(hopefully) so some of Buckingham’s better tracks may very well be among the first to host races once the action resumes.

Stormy and Johnny Scott– This talented brother tandem struggled during Georgia-Florida SpeedWeeks with neither logging a top-10 finish in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series competition. However, each did run better during the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series races held in January near their New Mexico home as well as in the unsanctioned Wild West Shootout in Arizona with a runner-up finish by Johnny in the WWS finale serving as the high water mark.

After previously racing in Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars, the pairing now list Rocket Chassis as their chassis brand. The time away from the track has almost certainly provided time in the shop to completely ready those new rides.

WoO Rookie Drivers– The competition has been very tough in the national touring series races held so far in 2020 with there being no conflicting dates among the tours. As a result, the fields for each race have been stacked so this bumper rookie crop set to compete on the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series has essentially been thrown into the deep end of the pool right from the start.

Among Ashton Winger, Matt Cosner and Kody Evans only one top-10 result in series races has been registered so far with that being a 9th scored by Winger in the season-opener at Vado Speedway Park back in January.

When the season resumes and the two tours split, there will be more opportunities for success for these rookie contenders.

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