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Brian Birkhofer Wins Fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series of the Year
on Friday Night at Lawrenceburg Speedway
LAWRENCEBURG, IN (August 28, 2009) - Taking the lead with two
laps to go Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA went on to score his fourth
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of 2009 on Friday Night at
Lawrenceburg Speedway. Birkhofer passed Jeep VanWormer of Pinconning,
MI with two laps to after VanWormer had led the entire race up until
that point as Birkhofer denied VanWormer his first ever Lucas Oil Series
win. VanWormer then jumped the cushion on the final lap as Birkhofer
pulled away for the $10,000 victory. VanWormer finished second followed
by Matt Miller of Waterville, OH, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN and
Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV.
Miller and
VanWormer started on the front row of the 50 lap main event as VanWormer
took the lead at the start of the race. Miller, Scott James, Zack Dohm
and Bloomquist were running in the top five with a lap scored. The
first caution flew after one lap was complete for Steve Casebolt who
went pitside.
When the
race resumed VanWormer held the point with pressure from Miller and
James as the top three drivers had opened up some distance between
themselves and the rest of the field. Carrier then charged up to fourth
using the bottom groove of the race track as he started to put the heat
on James, who was running third.
James and
Carrier would go back and forth for a few laps with Carrier moving into
third place. Carrier then moved closer to the two frontrunners as
VanWormer and Miller saw their lead erased in a hurry as Carrier was
moving fast on the bottom of the track.
The second
caution came out with 19 laps scored as Jimmy Owens and Terry Casey came
to a halt in turn four. Owens, who entered the race second in the Lucas
Oil Series points pitted and returned to the lineup on the tail. The
restart would see VanWormer maintain his lead with Miller riding his
bumper around the top of the track.
James would
slow on lap 36 with a vibration as he went pitside giving up his third
spot the same time Ray Cook left with a broken driveshaft. The last
restart of the race would see Birkhofer work the inside of the track to
perfection as he passed Miller for second on lap 41. Birkhofer then set
his sights on VanWormer who had a three car length lead with five to go,
but Birkhofer chopped into VanWormer's lead.
Birkhofer
then edged ahead of VanWormer with two laps to go and as the two took
the white flag they were even at the flagstand. VanWormer then jumped
the cushion in turn two as his hopes for his first career series win
went by the wayside as Birkhofer headed home to the checkered flag for
his fourth series win of 2009 in his MB Customs Chassis/Pro Power
Engines #15B.
VanWormer
finished a disappointing second followed by Miller, Bloomquist, who now
holds a 235 point lead over Owens who finished eighth. Carrier was
fifth followed by Earl Pearson Jr., Dale McDowell, Owens, Don O'Neal and
Brad Neat.
In Lucas
Oil victory lane Birkhofer said running the bottom obviously made the
different in his win. "I am not really use to running up the cushion as
much as Jeep and Matt were, our car ran better on the bottom, there was
enough moisture down there and we got good traction and I didn't think
we could catch Jeep, but with two to go I was able to get pull even with
him, man I can't thank the crew enough for their help and thanks to the
fans for coming out tonight."
To find out
more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log on to
www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday
Night, August 28th, 2009
Lawrenceburg Speedway - Lawrenceburg, IN
PRC Fast
Time: Brad Neat / 14.098 seconds
Hawk Brake
First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Matt Miller, Earl Pearson Jr., Brad
Neat, Terry Casey, Shannon Babb, Mike Marlar, John Mason, Freddy Smith,
Jason Jameson, Justin Rattliff, Shon Flanary
Hawk Brake
Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Eddie Carrier
Jr., Jimmy Owens, Ricky Arms, Josh McGuire, Ray Cook, John Gill, Donnie
Moran, Joe Janowski, Dan Schlieper, Jerry Bowersock
AFCO Racing
Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Jeep VanWormer, Zack Dohm,
Don O'Neal, Billy Moyer, Dale McDowell, Steve Casebolt, Dustin Neat, D.J.
Wells, Eric Jacobsen, Michael Howard, Jason Smith
Tiger Rear
Ends Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott James, Brian Birkhofer,
Brandon Kinzer, John Blankenship, Dillan White, Duane Chamberlain, Eric
Wells, David Webb, Darrell Herbert, Robby Hensley, Cruz Pedregon
Mason Racin'
Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Shannon Babb,
Mike Marlar, Donnie Moran, John Mason, John Gill, Joe Janowski, Shon
Flanary, Freddy Smith, Dan Schlieper, Jason Jameson, Ray Cook, Josh
McGuire, Justin Rattliff-DNS, Jerry Bowersock-DNS
Wiles Drive
Shafts Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dale McDowell, Steve
Casebolt, Eric Jacobsen, Duane Chamberlain, Dillan White, Jason Smith,
Michael Howard, D.J. Wells, Robby Hensley, David Webb-DNS, Darrell
Herbert-DNS, Cruz Pedregon-DNS
Feature
Finish (50 Laps): Brian Birkhofer, Jeep VanWormer, Matt Miller, Scott
Bloomquist, Eddie Carrier Jr., Earl Pearson Jr., Dale McDowell, Jimmy
Owens, Don O'Neal, Brad Neat, John Blankenship, Eric Jacobsen, Donnie
Moran, Zack Dohm, Billy Moyer, Ray Cook, Scott James, Brandon Kinzer,
Shannon Babb, Terry Casey, Dan Schlieper, Mike Marlar, Steve Casebolt,
Ricky Arms
Finish
(Start) Car Number Driver Name
1. (8)
#15B Brian Birkhofer
2. (2) #55 Jeep VanWormer
3. (1) #7 Matt Miller
4. (3) #0 Scott Bloomquist
5. (7) #28 Eddie Carrier Jr.
6. (5) #44 Earl Pearson Jr.
7. (18) #17M Dale McDowell
8. (11) #20 Jimmy Owens
9. (10) #71 Don O'Neal
10. (9) #41N Brad Neat
11. (16) #23 John Blankenship
12. (22) #5 Eric Jacobsen
13. (21) #99 Donnie Moran
14. (6) #17T Zack Dohm
15. (14) #21 Billy Moyer
16. (23) #53 Ray Cook
17. (4) #83 Scott James
18. (12) #18K Brandon Kinzer
19. (17) #18 Shannon Babb
20. (13) #42t Terry Casey
21. (24) #s9 Dan Schlieper
22. (19) #157 Mike Marlar
23. (20) #c9 Steve Casebolt
24. (15) #4A Ricky Arms
Race Statistics
Entrants:
44
Lap
Leaders: Laps 1-48 (Jeep Van Wormer); Laps 49-50 (Brian Birkhofer)
Caution
Flags: La 1 (Steve Casebolt); Lap 19 (Terry Casey and Jimmy Owens); Lap
34 (Eric Jacobsen; Lap 35 (Scott James); Lap 36 (Ray Cook)
Lucas Oil
Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Ray Cook and Dan Schlieper
Emergency
Provisional: none
PBM/Erson
Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Dale McDowell
Allstar
Performance Performer of the Race: Eddie Carrier Jr.
K&N Filters
Clean Pass of the Race: Brian Birkhofer
Quarter
Master Rookie of the Race: Jeep VanWormer
Comp Cams
Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Time of the
Race: 31 minutes 10 seconds
2009
Championship Points Standings
1. Scott
Bloomquist (Mooresburg, TN) 6095
2. Jimmy Owens (Newport, TN) 5860
3. Earl Pearson Jr. (Jacksonville, FL) 5710
4. Dale McDowell (Chickamauga, GA) 5630
5. Don O'Neal (Martinsville, IN) 5530
6. Ray Cook (Brasstown, NC) 5250
7. Steve Casebolt (Richmond, IN) 5035
8. Brad Neat (Dunnville, KY) 4930
9. Eric Jacobsen (Seacliffe Beach, CA) 4640
10. John Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 4525
11. Dan Schlieper (Sullivan, WI) 4280
12. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 3880
13. Freddy Smith (Seymour, TN) 3540
14. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 2860
2009
Quarter Master Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1. John
Blankenship (Williamson, WV) 4525
2. David Breazeale (Four Corners, MS) 3880
3. Michael Walker (Franklin, TN) 2860
4. Jeep VanWormer (Pinnconning, MI) 1915 |
