Weekend Recap will be a regular feature throughout the 2017 season on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, a brief summary of the various national and regional touring series that impact the east Tennessee area will provide a quick review of what happened over the past weekend.
Weather would again rule this spring weekend as a number of events scheduled to be contested were rained out. However, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series did complete three of its four scheduled races and the Ultimate Super Late Model Series was able to get in one of its two planned events.
Information regarding rescheduling of those lost race dates is included within the recaps.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series: The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series entered the weekend with a daunting four-race schedule that would take the series from Ohio to Maryland and ultimately into Pennsylvania.
The O’Neal family garnered all the attention early on in Thursday’s Lucas event at Atomic Speedway in Alma, OH when son Hudson set the fast time in qualifying and father Don earned the pole by winning his heat race. Don O’Neal then went on to lead 49 circuits in the 50-lap affair.
However, Darrell Lanigan was able to trap his Clint Bowyer Racing stable mate behind a slower car after the white flag had waved then win the race back to the checkered flag to collect the $10,000 first prize. Scott Bloomquist, Devin Moran and Tim McCreadie rounded out the top-5 in the finishing order.
Click here for full rundown and complete race story.
Darrell Lanigan in Atomic victory lane
On Friday night the LOLMDS made its first ever appearance at the Sharon Speedway in Hartford, OH for a $10,000-to-win main event. World of Outlaws Late Models regular campaigner Brandon Sheppard took advantage of the off week on his series to race with the Lucas tour and that effort paid off with a fast qualifier award and the pole position for the feature.
Sheppard drove to the early lead of the race but was overtaken on the third lap by the car he drove last season when Josh Richards moved into the top spot. Richards would lead the rest of the way on a track that proved challenging for the competitors. Sheppard, Gregg Satterlee, Devin Moran and Jimmy Owens followed the eventual winner to the finish line.
Click here for full rundown and complete race story.
Josh Richards won the Lucas race at Sharon Speedway
Saturday’s attempt by the LOLMDS to race in Hagerstown, MD was thwarted by rain.
On Sunday night the Lucas Oil tour made its way to Pennsylvania’s Port Royal Speedway for a $10,000-to-win feature race. Like the Sharon Speedway mentioned above, this would be the tour’s first ever visit to the Port Royal track.
Home state driver Gregg Satterlee started from the pole and led the first 39 laps of the race until being passed by fellow Pennsylvania driver Rick Eckert for the top spot. “Scrub” then went on to beat the field to the checkered flag. Pennsylvania drivers captured all three podium positions as Satterlee and Mason Zeigler finished behind Eckert. Josh Richards and Tim McCreadie rounded out the top-5.
Series point leader Scott Bloomquist brought out a caution on lap 36 when he slowed on track but the No. 0 car ended the night with an 11th place result.
Click here for full rundown and complete race story.
Rick Eckert took the win in his home state.
Spring Nationals: The Ray Cook-promoted Spring Nationals mini-series was to have had a two-race weekend of its own but Mother Nature interfered as the Friday night race scheduled for the Crossville(TN) Speedway had to be postponed until May 19 due to rain.
The Saturday night show slated for the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN also fell victim to weather. The $10,052-to-win Scott Sexton Memorial will now be contested on Friday, April 28.
Ultimate Super Late Model Series: The Ultimate tour headed to the Peach State and Senoia Raceway on Saturday night for a $4,000-to-win feature event.
Zach Leonhardi set fat time in qualifying and started the 40-lap main event from the pole. However, home state resident and World of Outlaws Late Models regular Shane Clanton quickly roared ahead from his third starting position to grab the lead early on. The ‘Georgia Bulldog’ would never look back as he won by almost half a lap over the field.
Clanton won the race to the checkered flag with Leonhardi, a hard charging Casey Roberts, Michael Page and Jason Welshan rounding out the top-5.
The Ultimate Series was supposed to race on Sunday in Rome, GA but that race had to be reset for May 7 due to weather. The series also announced the addition of a May 6 race at nearby Dixie Speedway to run in conjunction with the make-up Rome event.
Shane Clanton was the Ultimate winner at Senoia
