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Hartman Keeps The World 100 Trophy In Ohio For First Time In
12 Years On Saturday Night At Eldora Speedway
ROSSBURG, OH (Sept. 12) Eldora Speedway is no longer Bart
Hartman's Achilles' heel.
With a convincing victory in Saturday night's 39th annual UMP DIRTcar
Racing-sanctioned World 100, Hartman not only kept the prestigious event's
trophy home in the Buckeye State for the first time in 12 years but also
ended his longtime run of frustration at the famed half-mile oval.
Hartman, 40, of Zanesville, Ohio, passed 2007 World 100 winner Jimmy Owens
of Newport, Tenn., for the lead on lap 20 and never looked back en route to
a $42,000-plus triumph at a track that had never been kind to him over the
years.
I never disliked this place, said Hartman, who became the first Ohio
driver to capture the World 100 since Donnie Moran in 1997. I just didn't
like my luck here.
Indeed, Hartman's previous career-high finish in one of Eldora's crown-jewel
dirt Late Model shows was a sixth in the 2007 Dream after an opening-lap
spin forced him to restart at the rear of the field. He had never finished
better than 12th in three career World 100 A-Main starts, all of which came
consecutively from 1998-2000.
We were up there (on stage in the spectator area) yesterday doing that
(pre-race show) interview with Donnie Moran and Rick Eckert and they were
making fun of me because I've never run well here, quipped Hartman, who
didn't even enter last year's World 100 activities. Well, there you go we
did it tonight. We won the World 100! We get to put it up there with the
rest of our trophies. It's a dream come true.
In a fast-paced race slowed by just two caution flags, Hartman fought off
mid- and late-race challenges from 2002 World 100 champ Brian Birkhofer of
Muscatine, Iowa, to run the event's streak of first-time winners to eight
consecutive years. Hartman steered his self-owned Rocket Chassis/Cornett
Chevy engine combination under the checkered flag several car lengths ahead
of Birkhofer's MB Customs mount.
Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., who won the World 100 in 2005, moved
forward from the seventh starting spot to finish third in NASCAR star Clint
Bowyer's Warrior mount but never threatened the top-two finishers.
World 100 rookie Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark. racing as a teammate to
McDowell placed fourth after starting from the pole position in a Warrior
car, and Owens, who surged off the outside pole to lead laps 1-19, settled
for fifth place in his backup Team Zero by Bloomquist machine after his
primary car was sidelined by engine problems during Friday night's hot laps.
Hartman, who started fourth, was understandably surprised by the superiority
he demonstrated over the talent-laden field.
I didn't think our car was as good as it was until we got out there, said
Hartman, who grabbed second from Landers on lap 15 and then rapidly ran down
Owens. This car was awesome. We were good right around the middle to bottom
(grooves), and we just ran our line and we got by (Owens).
During a long green-flag run that stretched from lap 21 to 83, Hartman built
a lead of nearly a straightaway before lapped traffic slowed his pace and
allowed Birkhofer to close in.
Birkhofer, who started fifth, pulled up to Hartman's rear bumper on lap 62,
but Hartman drove away when he broke into open track a few circuits later.
Birkhofer got within a car length when Hartman approached lapped traffic
again with five laps remaining, but Hartman calmly maintained command.
Austin (Hargrove) was giving me hand signals getting into (turn) one so I
knew Birkhofer was getting closer at the end, Hartman said of his chief
mechanic. I was getting a little tight down into turn one, but I protected
the bottom enough so it was gonna have to be something real special for him
to roll me on the outside.
Birkhofer, who registered his first World 100 top-five finish since a fifth
in 2005, conceded that a $15,000 runner-up payoff was the best he could do:
We got beat by a better car.
And one tough driver. Hartman made his march to victory while fighting a
wicked headache that developed during his heat race and left him uncertain
whether he could go the 100-lap distance.
All of a sudden, on about the third lap of my heat, I started feeling a
headache, said Hartman. It got to where it was blurring my vision, but I
was able to finish the heat (as a winner). I took some pills and went and
laid down in the truck and didn't get out of it until right before the
driver introductions.
I was determined to run as many laps as I could (in the A-Main), but I
didn't know how long I could go. Then I thought, Man, I'm leading the World
100! So we stayed out there and did the best we could.
Hartman's head was still pounding during the post-race press conference in
the Eldora tower, but he wasn't about to let the pain damper his memorable
moment.
I'm gonna go medicate' it in a little bit, he said with a smile, thinking
of his family, friends and fans waiting to celebrate with him in the pit
area.
Finishing in positions 6-10 was Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va.;
20th-starter Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., who used a fast-time
provisional (he qualified second on Friday) to start the A-Main after
missing a transfer spot in his heat; 21st-starter Scott Bloomquist of
Mooresburg, Tenn.; Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio; and two-time defending
UMP DIRTcar national champion Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill.
Among the pre-race favorites who retired early were Jimmy Mars of Menomonie,
Wis., who pitted during a lap-21 caution period and did not return; red-hot
World of Outlaws Late Model Series star Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., who
climbed as high as third from the eighth starting spot before a skipping
engine caused him to drop out on lap 52 while running seventh; and WoO LMS
points leader Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who went down a lap early and
pulled off the track midway through the 100.
Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., who set fast time during Friday night's
172-car qualifying session with a lap of 16.853 seconds, saw his weekend go
sour on Saturday. Terminal engine problems on the final lap of his heat
forced him to make a motor change and use his fast-time provisional to get
in the A-Main and then more woes under the hood caused him to slow and
bring out a caution flag on lap 21.
The race's other caution period was necessitated when Eric Wells of Hazard,
Ky., backed into the outside wall between turns three and four on lap 83. He
wasn't injured.
The winners of Saturday night's 15-lap heats were Wells, Birkhofer, Hartman,
Erb, Owens and Landers. The 20-lap B-Mains were captured by Bloomquist and
Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa.
For more information on UMP DIRTcar Racing, visit www.dirtcar.com.
39th Annual World 100 Official Finish (Finish/Starting
Position/Driver/Earnings):
1. (4) Bart Hartman $42,000
2. (5) Brian Birkhofer $15,000
3. (7) Dale McDowell $10,000
4. (1) Jared Landers $7,500
5. (2) Jimmy Owens $6,000
6. (10) Josh Richards $5,000
7. (20) Earl Pearson Jr. $4,000
8. (21) Scott Bloomquist $3,500
9. (14) Matt Miller $3,000
10. (3) Dennis Erb Jr. $2,500
11. (15) Don O'Neal $2,250
12. (13) Brad Neat $2,000
13. (12) Brady Smith $1,900
14. (11) Darrell Lanigan $1,800
15. (22) Chub Frank $1,750
16. (25) Eddie Carrier Jr. $1,725
17. (28) Rick Eckert $1,700
18. (26) Ray Cook $1,675
19. (17) Austin Hubbard $1,650
20. (6) Eric Wells $1,645
21. (16) John Blankenship $1,640
22. (23) Tim McCreadie $1,635
23. (24) Chris Madden $1,630
24. (27) Steve Francis $1,625
25. (8) Tim Fuller $1,620
26. (18) Terry Casey $1,615
27. (9) Jimmy Mars $1,610
28. (19) Dan Schlieper $1,605
Lap Leaders: Owens (1-19); Hartman (20-100)
Note: Dan Schlieper was penalized to the rear of the field for the start
after reporting late to the staging area
Heat 1 Finish (15 laps Top 3 Transfer): Eric Wells, Dale McDowell, Brad
Neat, Scott Bloomquist, Wayne Chinn, Shanon Buckingham, Brent Kreke, Dona
Marcoullier, Jamie Lathroum, Matt Lux, Rich Neiser, Robby Hensley, Dan
Schlieper, Tim Manville, Jeep VanWormer, Vic Hill, Shawn Toczek, Mike Marlar,
Chris Ferguson, Justin Rattliff
Heat 2 Finish (15 laps Top 3 Transfer): Brian Birkhofer, Tim Fuller, Matt
Miller, Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Francis, Randy Korte, Bub McCool, Eddie
Carrier Jr., John Mason, Steve Shaver, Randy Weaver, Frank Heckenast Jr.,
Kevin Weaver, Casey Roberts, Tim Lance, Aaron Scott, Wayne Maffett Jr., D.J.
Wells, Steve Sheppard Jr., Tim Tungate
Heat 3 Finish (15 laps Top 3 Transfer): Bart Hartman, Jimmy Mars, Don
O'Neal, Jonathan Davenport, Clint Smith, Tim McCreadie, Tim Dohm, Jon Henry,
Lee DeVasier, Bill Frye, Chris Ross, Tony Knowles, Tommy Kerr, Aaron Ridley,
Dustin Hapka, Jason Feger, R.J. Conley, Brian Rickman, Brandon Kinzer, Chris
Wilson
Heat 4 Finish (15 laps Top 3 Transfer): Dennis Erb Jr., Josh Richards,
John Blankenship, Ray Cook, Gregg Satterlee, Ben Adkins, Randle Chupp,
Austin Dillon, Dustin Neat, David Webb, Donnie Moran, Dennis Roberson, Tim
Isenberg, Jay Johnson, Doug Drown, Ryan Vanderveen, Dillon White, Rick
Rickman, Jared Hawkins, Billy Moyer
Heat 5 Finish (15 laps Top 3 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Darrell Lanigan,
Austin Hubbard, Chub Frank, Rick Eckert, Shane Clanton, Steve Casebolt,
Scott James, Freddy Smith, Will Vaught, Duane Chamberlain, Josh McGuire,
Shon Flanary, Terry English, Brett Wyatt, Al Purkey, Michael Collins, Steve
Lance Jr., April Farmer, Gregg Hill
Heat 6 Finish (15 laps Top 3 Transfer): Jared Landers, Brady Smith, Terry
Casey, Chris Madden, Shannon Babb, Chad Simpson, Jordan Bland, Casey Noonan,
Chad Ruhlman, Vic Coffey, Mike Hill, Mike Mataragas, Dusty Moore, Curt
Spalding, Josh Williams, Chris Wall, Brian Ruhlman, Jerry Bowersock, Jason
Hughes, Jerry Rice
B-Main No. 1 Finish (20 laps Top 4 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Tim
McCreadie, Eddie Carrier Jr., Steve Francis, Bub McCool, Tim Dohm, Bill
Frye, Jonathan Davenport, Brent Kreke, Chris Ross, Dona Marcoullier, Jon
Henry, Matt Lux, Lee DeVasier, Rich Neiser, John Mason, Wayne Chinn, Jamie
Lauthrom, Randy Korte, Shanon Buckingham (DNS) Clint Smith, Steve Shaver,
Randy Weaver, Frank Heckenast
B-Main No. 2 Finish (20 laps Top 4 Transfer): Chub Frank, Chris Madden,
Ray Cook, Rick Eckert, Shannon Babb, Shane Clanton, Scott James, Chad
Simpson, Jordan Bland, Austin Dillon, Jamie Lathroum, Duane Chamberlain, Ben
Adkins, Will Vaught, Freddy Smith, Mike Mataragas, Dustin Neat, Vic Coffey,
Chad Ruhlman, David Webb, Casey Noonan, Donnie Moran, Gregg Satterlee, Steve
Casebolt
Non-Qualifiers Race No. 1 (15 laps): 1. Shawn Negangard; 2. Jason Rauen; 3.
Steve Dimmick; 4. Jason Riggs; 5. Shannon Thornsberry; 6. Adam Thrush; 7.
Scott Schmitt; 8. Brad Blake; 9. Andrew Reaume; 10. Brett Reaume; 11. Cody
Huston; 12. Jill George; 13. Cody Watters; 14. Corey Bevard; 15. Shane Allen
(DNS) Johnny Parsley; Don Gordon
Non-Qualifiers Race No. 2 (15 laps): 1. Brad Eitniear; 2. Terry Wolfenbarger;
3. Kyle Logue; 4. Mike Smith; 5. Scott Koskovich; 6. Eric Spangler; 7. Bill
Koons; 8. Brandon Thirlby; 9. Steve Thorsten; 10. Joey Pomeroy; 11. Zach
Calkins; 12. Jeff Wolfenbarger; 13. Justin McNeill; 14. Kerry Mathew; 15.
Eric Haynes (DNS) Cody Mahone; Darryl Hills; Dale Dillon
Non-Qualifiers Race No. 3 (15 laps): 1. Alan Vochaska; 2. Guy Volk; 3. Jeff
Beyers; 4. Jeff Franklin; 5. Jeff Watson; 6. Dale Sheehy; 7. Michael
Stiltner; 8. Gary Schalmo; 9. Bryant Dickinson; 10. Dylan Treston; 11. Greg
Haskell; 12. Randy Boggs; 13. Ed Pursell; 14. John Lawhorn (DNS) Rodney
Combs; 16. Derek Ellis; 17. Jeff Raisor
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