Josh Richards dominated for the victory
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series contested two features on Friday night due to a rainout of the Thursday show. After Tim McCreadie took the first half of the double-header, the Lucas Oil Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson got underway at Lucas Oil Speedway. When all was said and done in the second feature, it was Josh Richards who came away as the winner at the Wheatland, MO facility. The Shinnston, WV driver earned $6,000 for his efforts.
A total of 57 cars were signed in for competition.
Ricky Thornton Jr. turned the fastest lap in Group A qualifying when he toured the 3/8 mile clay oval in 14.931 seconds to beat out Shannon Babb, Shane Clanton, Chase Junghans, and Kyle Bronson.
Scott Bloomquist set the pace in Group B time-trials with a lap of 15.371 seconds topping Ryan Gustin, Josh Richards, Chad Simpson, and Brandon Sheppard.
Brian Shirley would start the feature from the pole as a result of his win in the first heat race of the night. Chase Junghans and Ricky Thornton Jr. would also transfer to the main event out of the first heat.
Kyle Bronson drove to the win in the second preliminary of the night ahead of Shannon Babb and Stormy Scott while Shane Clanton too the third heat besting Tony Jackson Jr. and Matt Cosner.
Scott Bloomquist earned an outside front row starting position in the main event by virtue of his triumph in the fourth heat ahead of Tim McCreadie and Chad Simpson.
Ryan Gustin took the fifth heat and would be joined in the feature by Brandon Sheppard and Logan Martin then Josh Richards bested Jimmy Owens and Earl Pearson Jr. in the sixth and final heat of the evening.
Mike Marlar and Rick Eckert made their way into the feature out of the first B-main of the night just before Garrett Alberson and Chris Ferguson earned place in the feature out of the second B-main. Billy Moyer Jr. and Hudson O’Neal made the main event by taking the top-2 positions in the final B-main.
When the green flag waved to start the 40-lap feature Shirley shot to the early lead with Bloomquist, Bronson, Richards and Gustin in his tire tracks. Richards went on the move early when he passed by Bronson to grab third on the second lap.
Richards continued to move forward when he got around Bloomquist for second then immediately took the lead away from Shirley on lap 6. Richards then began to drive away from his pursuers as Shirley and Bloomquist began a battle for second that would go on for several laps.
Clanton broke into the top-5 and then took fourth away from Bronson on lap 12.
As the halfway mark approached, Shirley and Bloomquist continued to fight over the runner-up position with Bloomquist establishing himself in second just before a lap 20 caution would be brought on by the slowing car of Gustin.
On the restart, Shirley went to second by=ut Bloomquist regained the spot on lap 23. Clanton then became a factor on lap 24 when he took third from Bloomquist with a three-wide move. The No. 25 then rolled by Shirley for second on lap 26 but a caution for a crash involving O’Neal and Junghans on lap 27.
Sheppard burst into the top-5 on the lap 27 restart. Driving his family owned No. B5 car, Sheppard then took fourth away from Bloomquist on lap 30 then snagged third from Shirley one circuit later. Ferguson also began to climb as he entered the top-5 just before a yellow flag would wave on lap 35.
Over the final laps, Richards drove away to secure his second series win of 2021.
Feature Finish: 1. Josh Richards, 2. Shane Clanton, 3. Chris Ferguson, 4. Brandon Sheppard, 5. Kyle Bronson, 6. Scott Bloomquist, 7. Tim McCreadie, 8. Brian Shirley, 9. Jimmy Owens, 10. Earl Pearson Jr., 11. Mike Marlar, 12. Garrett Alberson, 13. Ricky Thornton Jr., 14. Hudson O’Neal, 15. Logan Martin, 16. Chad Simpson, 17. Shannon Babb, 18. Rick Eckert, 19. Stormy Scott, 20. Matt Cosner, 21. Billy Moyer Jr., 22. Tony Jackson Jr., 23. Chase Junghans, 24. Ryan Gustin
