|
Jimmy Owens Wins 17th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100, Worth
$40,000 at Batesville Motor Speedway
BATESVILLE, AR (August 15, 2009) Adding another crown jewel race to a
growing and impressive resume, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN took the lead from
Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN on lap 12th and never looked backing in
winning the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 17th Annual COMP Cams Topless
100 on Saturday Night at Batesville Motor Speedway. Owens took the win,
worth $40,000, for his second series win of 2009. Bloomquist finished second
followed by Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, WI who edged out Dan Schlieper of
Sullivan, WI at the finish line for third. Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN,
who started 23rd, charged through the field to finish fifth as he earned the
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race.
Terry Phillips and Bloomquist made up the front row for the race in front of
one of the largest crowds in the history of the event. Bloomquist, a
three-time winner of the race grabbed the lead over Phillips at the start of
the race as Phillips fell to second followed by Owens, who started fifth,
Dale McDowell and Earl Pearson Jr.
The top five remained the same until Owens climbed to second passing
Phillips on lap six. Jimmy Mars, who was coming off of two straight $50,000
wins moved up from his 12th starting spot early on into the top five by the
tenth circuit.
Bloomquist then started to enter some traffic and that allowed Owens to
close upon him in a hurry with eleven laps in the books. A lap later Owens
made the pass on Bloomquist for the lead as he grabbed the top spot. Owens
then started to pull away from Bloomquist and with 15 laps in the record
books it was Owens, Bloomquist, Mars, Phillips and McDowell.
The first caution of the race came out on lap 15 for Jared Landers which
slowed the torrid pace set by Owens. On the restart, Owens bolted out to a
quick three-car length advantage as an unbelievable battle for second was
taking place between Bloomquist and Mars as those two went door-to-door for
five consecutive laps when the second caution flew for a slowing Neil
Baggett.
Landers came to a halt for the third caution only one lap later. The restart
saw Owens remain on the point with Bloomquist and Mars resuming their race
for second as defending race winner Tim McCreadie was up to fourth joining
in the race for the lead.
Owens opened up an eight car length lead with 25 laps complete as Bloomquist
had moved ahead of Mars by a car length. The race was going along smoothly
when Ray Cook, who started 22nd, ran into mechanical issues on lap 34 after
running inside the top ten. On the restart, Owens again was showing his
strength as the race would see a twelve lap stretch of green flag racing
with Owens comfortably showing the way followed by Bloomquist, McCreadie,
Mars and Dan Schlieper, who was driving one of the Team Zero cars for the
first time.
Bill Frye slowed on lap 46 resulting in the fifth caution flag off the
night. Caution number six came out for Eric Jacobsen on lap 53. The race
went only three circuits before the seventh caution for top-ten running
Chris Wall who suffered a flat tire with 56 laps complete.
With 68 laps down, the final caution of the event came out for McCreadie,
who slowed on the backstretch as he darted into the pit area, but would not
be able to return to the race. On the restart Owens was maintaining his lead
as he Bloomquist were in a tow car runaway over the rest of the contenders
and with 25 laps to go it looked like it would down between the two
Volunteer State veterans.
Schlieper ramped up his efforts and climbed to third. He, Mars, and Don
O'Neal were dueling it out for third place. With 17 laps to go Owens got
trapped behind a couple of cars he was trying to lap and that would allow
Bloomquist to narrow the gap. Owens made a nifty move splitting the two
slower cars with 16 to go as Bloomquist was now caught behind them.
With ten to go Owens had plenty of clear track in front of him as Bloomquist
had his groove taken away by a car he was trying to get past. That would
allow Owens to have enough breathing room as he went on to record his second
crown jewel win of 2009 to go along with his Dirt Late Model Dream win at
Eldora back in June.
In the Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the first time since winning the Ralph
Latham Memorial Race at Florence (KY) Speedway in late May, Owens thanked
his multitude of crew and sponsors. "I have to thank Mike Reece for giving
me this opportunity to drive for him and live out my dream, my crew they
worked their tails off this weekend and the car was just about as perfect as
it could get, it drive great and the tire held up I know after last night
there was some concern after the heats after tire wear, but the Hoosier
tires on my car were tremendous and I have to thank them for making a great
tire," said the 37-year-old racer who earned his 11th career Lucas Oil Late
Model Dirt Series victory.
"I also have to thank Mooney Starr, he gave us a great track tonight and all
the fans for coming out tonight we hope we put on a great show for them,"
said Owens whose Bloomquist Race Cars Ford Fusion car is owned by Tazewell,
TN's Mike Reece and sponsored by Cornett Racing Engines, Reece Monument
Company, Gantte Appraisals, PRC, VP Racing Fuels, Red Line Oil, Byrd's
Radiator and C&C Trucking.
Bloomquist maintained his series point's lead which grew to 220 points as he
drove his Miller Brothers Coal/Sweet Mfg/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo to
second place. "We were good, but not good enough, congratulations to Jimmy
and his crew, this is one of the best cars we've had here, the cautions
probably hurt us some, but the track was real racy and we'll go back home
and run next week and get 'em there," said the National Dirt Late Model Hall
of Famer seeking to end Earl Pearson's string of four-straight series
championships.
Mars who's two-race $50,000 to win race win streak ended with his third
place barely edged out fellow Wisconsin driver, Dan Schlieper at the finish
line in his Deppe Enterprises/Pro Power Engines/MB Customs Malibu nosing out
Schlieper's DART Billet/Pro Power Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo
at the stripe. O'Neal finished fifth in the Racing United Marketing/Jay
Dickens Racing Engines/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo SS. O'Neal advanced 18 spots
to earn the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race.
Completing the top ten were Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC, Earl Pearson, Jr.
of Jacksonville, FL, Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA, Dale McDowell of
Chickamauga, GA and Chris Wall of Holden, LA.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, August 15th, 2009
17th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100
Batesville Motor Speedway - Batesville, AR
PRC Fast Time: Jonathan Davenport / 13.531 seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (20 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Terry Phillips, Wendell
Wallace, Jonathan Davenport, Jeff Taylor, Eric Jacobsen, Stacy Taylor, Brian
Shirley, Chris Brown, Pat Doar, Brian Ritchie, Michael Walker, Jack Sullivan
Hawk Brake Second Heat (20 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dale McDowell, Tim McCreadie,
Jared Landers, Brad Neat, Michael Murphree, Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer, Steve
Casebolt, Rick Rickman, Eric Turner, Will Vaught
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (20 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Jimmy Owens, Chris
Wall, Jeremy Payne, Billy Frye, David Breazeale, Jon Kirby, Brian Birkhofer,
Jon Mitchell, Bub McCool, Gary Stolba, Bo Gordon
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (20 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Chad
Simpson, Neil Baggett, Jason Cliburn, Brandon Smith, Jimmy Cliburn, Freddy
Smith, Klint Byars, Chris Simpson, Kyle Cummings, Charlie Cole, Dewayne Lott
Hawk Brake Fifth Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Dan
Schlieper, Raymond Merrill, Billy Moyer Jr., Andrew McKay, Klye Beard,
Peyton Taylor, Robbie Stuart, Josh Daney, Don O'Neal, Jeff Chandler-DNS
Hawk Brake Sixth Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): John Blankenship, Jimmy
Mars, Chris Madden, Ray Cook, Gary Christian, Brad Looney, Ray Moore, Brian
Rickman, Dewaine Hottinger, Justin Asplin, Wade Byars
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (20 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Brad
Neat, Bill Frye, Eric Jacobsen, Michael Murphree, Jon Kirby, Jon Mitchell,
Chris Brown, Michael Walker, David Breazeale, Stacy Taylor, Pat Doar, Eric
Turner, Jeff Taylor, Bo Gordon, Brian Shirley, Gary Stolba, Steve Casebolt,
Shannon Babb, Billy Moyer-DNS, Brian Birkhofer-DNS, Rick Rickman-DNS, Bub
McCool-DNS, Brian Ritchie-DNS, Will Vaught-DNS, Jack Sullivan-DNS
Wiles Drive Shafts Second B-Main (20 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Billy Moyer Jr.,
Ray Cook, Jason Cliburn, Ray Moore, Kyle Beard, Robbie Stuart, Gary
Christian, Brad Looney, Jimmy Cliburn, Kyle Cummings, Wade Byars, Chris
Simpson, Josh Danzy, Charlie Cole, Andrew McKay, Peyton Taylor, Dewaine
Hottinger, Dewayne Lott, Don O'Neal, Freddy Smith, Brian Rickman-DNS, Justin
Asplin-DNS, Jeff Chanler-DNS
COMP Cams Topless 100 Feature Finish (100 Laps): Jimmy Owens, Scott
Bloomquist, Jimmy Mars, Dan Schlieper, Don O'Neal, Chris Madden, Earl
Pearson Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Dale McDowell, Chris Wall, Brad Neat, John
Blankenship, Jared Landers, Chad Simpson, Wendell Wallace, Terry Phillips,
Jeremy Payne, Bill Frye, Tim McCreadie, Eric Jacobsen, Raymond Merrill,
Billy Moyer Jr., Ray Cook, Neil Baggett, Steve Casebolt
Finish (Start) Car Number Driver Name
1. (5) #20 Jimmy Owens
2. (2) #0 Scott Bloomquist
3. (12) #28m Jimmy Mars
4. (10) #s9 Dan Schlieper
5. (23) #71 Don O'Neal
6. (18) #44m Chris Madden
7. (4) #44 Earl Pearson Jr.
8. (13) #49 Jonathan Davenport
9. (3) #17m Dale McDowell
10. (11) #71w Chris Wall
11. (19) #41N Brad Neat
12. (6) #23 John Blankenship
13. (15) #777 Jared Landers
14. (8) #25c Chad Simpson
15. (7) #88 Wendell Wallace
16. (1) #75 Terry Phillips
17. (17) #74 Jeremy Payne
18. (21) #66 Bill Frye
19. (9) #39 Tim McCreadie
20. (25) #5 Eric Jacobsen
21. (16) #88m Raymond Merrill
22. (20) #21jr Billy Moyer Jr.
23. (22) #53 Ray Cook
24. (14) #21x Neil Baggett
25. (24) #c9 Steve Casebolt
Race Statistics
Entrants: 68
Lap Leaders: Scott Bloomquist (Laps 1-11); Jimmy Owens (Laps 12-100)
Caution Flags: Lap 15 (Jared Landers); Lap 20 (Neil Baggett); Lap 21 (Jared
Landers); Lap 34 (Ray Cook); Lap 46 (Bill Frye); Lap 53 (Eric Jacobsen); Lap
56 (Chris Wall); Lap 39 (Tim McCreadie)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Don O'Neal and Steve Casebolt
Emergency Provisional: Eric Jacobsen
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Don O'Neal (Started: 23rd;
Finished: 5th; advancing 18 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Dan Schlieper
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Jimmy Owens
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: John Blankenship
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Race Engines
Time of the Race: 53 minutes 00 seconds
2009 Championship Points Standings
1. Scott Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) 5425
2. Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) 5205
3. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) 5200
4. Dale McDowell (Chickamauga, GA) 5045
5. Don O'Neal (Martinsville, IN) 4975
6. Ray Cook (Brasstown, NC) 4690
7. Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 4595
8. Brad Neat (Dunnville, KY) 4410
9. Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 4115
10. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 4015
11. Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 3905
12. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 3580
13. Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 3205
16. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 2645
2009 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 4015
2. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 3580
3. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 2645
4. Jeep VanWormer (Pinnconning, MI) 1685
 |
