Lanigan Holds Off Richards For Jackpot 100 Win

(Zach Yost Photo) By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director

MIDDLEBOURNE, WV – May 26, 2013 – Darrell Lanigan held off the relentless late-race challenges of Josh Richards to emerge triumphant in Sunday night’s 70-lap finale of the second annual Jackpot 100 Presented by NAPA Auto Parts weekend at Tyler County Speedway.

The defending World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion from Union, Ky., never relinquished the lead after inheriting the top spot on lap 41 when Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., slowed with a flat right-rear tire, but he was dogged throughout the closing stages by Shinnston, W.Va.’s Richards. The outcome was in doubt until Lanigan reached the finish line with a slim winning margin of 0.594 of a second over Richards.

Lanigan, 42, registered his tour-best fourth victory of 2013 but first since the final night of February’s season-opening swing through Georgia and Florida. He pocketed $15,650 for his performance, which gave him a big-money win at the quarter-mile oval for the second consecutive year. In 2012, Lanigan captured the inaugural Jackpot 100 by NAPA, which was run as a stand-alone, one-day 100-lapper.

Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who started from the outside pole and led laps 1-21, finished about three seconds behind the pacesetters in third place. He was overtaken for the runner-up spot by Richards on the race’s sixth and final restart, on lap 41, and spent the remainder of the distance holding strong in the show position to record his best WoO LMS finish of the season in his Victory Circle car.

Davey Johnson of Latrobe, Pa., who started sixth, finished fourth in his brother Mike’s Rocket machine despite competing with a possible broken left wrist. He was injured during the previous night’s 30-lap A-Main when his car lost power on a restart and was hit several times from behind, causing his hand to get jammed in the steering wheel.

Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., completed the top five in the Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car. He started fourth and briefly climbed up to third early in the event before settling into fifth place.

Lanigan, who started fifth in his Rocket mount, appeared to come alive shortly before the race’s halfway mark. He slid by Richards for third on lap 28 and slipped underneath McCool for second on lap 35, but he still found himself a full straightaway behind Fuller, who had driven his Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car around the outside of the track to move from the seventh starting spot to the lead by lap 22.

Fuller, 45, looked intent on erasing the bitter memory of his last-turn loss to Richards in Saturday night’s A-Main, but his bid ended in disappointing fashion when he slowed with a cut right-rear tire on lap 41 to bring out a caution flag. He pitted and returned but could only manage a 10th-place finish.

“Fuller had a good line out there on the outside,” said Lanigan, who pushed his WoO LMS record career win total to 45. “But I knew we was a lot softer (on tire-compound selection) so I was just trying to conserve our tires.

“We was reeling him in (after reaching second). Whether or not we would’ve passed him or not, I don’t know. But he definitely had a good car.”

Richards, who started from the pole position in his father Mark’s Rocket Chassis house car but didn’t lead a single lap, immediately took up the chase of Lanigan following the lap-41 restart. The 25-year-old sensation was able to nose under Lanigan’s car several times, but Lanigan’s smooth style prevented Richards from pulling off more heroics to sweep the Jackpot 100 by NAPA doubleheader.

“I really didn’t know he was back there,” Lanigan said of Richards. “You can’t really get any signals out there (from crewmen), but the car was good and we just ran our own line out there.”

Richards credited Lanigan for his savvy maneuvering, but he felt he might have allowed the race to slip through his fingers.

“I think we were better than he was, and I was just kind of riding for a little bit trying to make something happen,” said Richards, who pushed his WoO LMS points lead to 48 markers over Clanton. “But he did what he had to do and used the track. Once I found my sweet spot and ran a little bit wider I could run up over top of him, but there just wasn’t anywhere to go.

“I’m kind of mad at myself that we didn’t try a little harder (to pass Lanigan). Actually, I thought we had more laps left. It just kind of shocked me when I saw the white (flag).”

In a race slowed by six caution flags, the casualties included third-starter Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who had slipped to the back end of the top 10 before a lap-20 tangle in turn four left his car’s nose too damaged for him to continue.

Rick Eckert of York, Pa., finished sixth, rallying from the 22nd starting spot after qualifying through a B-Main. WoO LMS rookie Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas finished seventh for his third top-10 run in a row; Scott James of Bright, Ind., was eighth after starting 20th; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., recovered from a lap-three tandem spin with Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., to place ninth; and Fuller rounded out the top 10.

Thirty-five cars were entered in Sunday night’s program.

Ohlins Shocks Time Trials were split into ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups, with the first half competing for starting positions in heats one and two and the second half racing against the clock to align heats three and four. Richards registered the quickest overall lap of the evening at 12.620 seconds in Group ‘A’ to earn his series-leading fourth fast-time honor of 2013, while McCreadie topped Group ‘B’ with a circuit of 12.900 seconds.

Heat winners were Richards, Johnson, Clanton and McCool. The B-Mains were topped by Derek Doll of Greenwood, W.Va., and Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky.

The next action for the WoO LMS is two events in the Northeast: the Fulton Bank 50 on Thurs., May 30, at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar and a 50-lapper on Sat., June 1, at Stateline Speedway in Busti, N.Y. Both races carry a first-place prize of $10,000.

Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series Jackpot 100 Presented by NAPA Auto Parts Night 2 at Tyler County Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (5) Darrell Lanigan/70 $15,650
2. (1) Josh Richards/70 $7,650
3. (2) Bub McCool/70 $5,600
4. (6) Davey Johnson/70 $3,100
5. (4) Shane Clanton/70 $3,050
6. (22) Rick Eckert/70 $2,650
7. (9) Morgan Bagley/70 $2,600
8. (20) Scott James/70 $2,150
9. (12) Clint Smith/70 $2,050
10. (7) Tim Fuller/70 $1,800
11. (18) Eric Wells/70 $1,800
12. (14) Chub Frank/70 $1,700
13. (15) Chris Garnes/65 $1,150
14. (24) Donnie Moran/52 $1,050
15. (13) Jared Hawkins/50 $1,000
16. (25) Steve Weigle/47 $1,450
17. (16) Devin Moran/25 $875
18. (3) Tim McCreadie/19 $1,500
19. (17) Derek Doll/19 $825
20. (23) Mike Benedum/19 $850
21. (8) Rick Williams/18 $800
22. (11) Butch McGill/18 $800
23. (19) Corey Conley/18 $800
24. (21) Gregg Satterlee/8 $825
25. (10) Mason Zeigler/8 $800

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 31 Mins., 41.884 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.594 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 6 (laps 3, 4, 9, 19, 20, 41)
Lap Leaders: McCool (1-21); Fuller (22-41); Lanigan (42-70)
Provisional Starters: Benedum, Donnie Moran (WoO); Weigle (track)
Rookie of the Race: Bagley ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Weigle ($500)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

Group ‘A’

1. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 12.620
2. 1J-Davey Johnson/Latrobe, PA 12.824
3. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 12.833
4. 25z-Mason Zeigler/Chalk Hill, PA 12.956
5. 37-Jared Hawkins/Fairmont, WV 12.991
6. 12W-Rick Williams/Beckley, WV 13.000
7. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 13.049
8. s2-Tim Senic/Elkins, WV 13.166
9. 75-Steve Weigle/Middlebourne, WV 13.214
10. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 13.269
11. 87-Derek Doll/Greenwood, WV 13.326
12. 14-Corey Conley/Wellsburg, WV 13.332
13. 00H-Chuck Harper/Beverly, WV 13.373
14. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 13.408
15. 1×1-Sonny Conley/New Martinsville, WV 13.428
16. c4-Freddie Carpenter/Parkersburg, WV 13.473
17. 9-Donnie Moran/Dresden, OH 13.542

Group ‘B’

1. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 12.900
2. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 13.026
3. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, GA 13.058
4. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 13.074
5. 1G-Scott James/Bright, IN 13.078
6. 99M-Devin Moran/Dresden, OH 13.166
7. 42-Chris Garnes/Evans, WV 13.255
8. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 13.328
9. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 13.329
10. 25B-Mike Benedum/Salem, WV 13.357
11. c9-Steve Casebolt Jr./Richmond, IN 13.371
12. 17-Zack Dohm/Cross Lanes, WV 13.376
13. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 13.481
14. 115-Tim Dohm/Cross Lanes, WV 13.527
15. 1MC-Butch McGill/W. Union, WV 13.555
16. 28-Tyler Carpenter/Parkersburg, WV 13.680
17. H1-Jared Miley/South Park, PA 13.767
18. 44G-Derek Stefanick/Oakdale, PA N/T

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Lanigan, Bagley, Jared Hawkins, Doll, Donnie Moran, Harper, Weigle, S. Conley

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Johnson, Williams, Zeigler, Frank, C. Conley, F. Carpenter, Satterlee, Senic

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, McCreadie, McGill, Garnes, Wells, James, Eckert, Miley (DNS) Casebolt

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McCool, Fuller, C. Smith, Devin Moran, T. Dohm, T. Carpenter, Z. Dohm, Benedum, Stefanick

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Doll, C. Conley, Satterlee, Donnie Moran, Weigle, Harper, S. Conley, F. Carpenter, Senic

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Wells, James, Eckert, T. Dohm, Miley, T. Carpenter, Benedum, Z. Dohm, Stefanick (DNS) Casebolt

World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners (awards presented to noted finisher/qualifier or next highest displaying decal:

Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash to fast qualifier): Davey Johnson
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner): Corey Conley/Eric Wells
VP Race Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award: (One VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main): Steve Casebolt Jr.
Wrisco Aluminum (3 sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner only): Darrell Lanigan
Armor All (One case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main): Davey Johnson
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Josh Richards
QuarterMaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner, $50 certificate to 5th-place finish): Bub McCool/Steve Weigel
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Josh Richards
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
Roush Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Davey Johnson
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Shane Clanton
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
American Race Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
VP Race Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Scott James
Edelbrock Manifolds ($50 cash to 9th-finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 11th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Chris Garnes
Super Flow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Steve Weigle
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 16th-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Tim McCreadie
Klotz Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Mike Benedum
QuarterMaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Mike Benedum
Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Mike Benedum
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Butch McGill
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Butch McGill
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
XS Power ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Tim Fuller
Roush Yates ($25 gift card to driver who leads most laps in the A-Main): Darrell Lanigan
Reliable Painting Award (free tire): Bub McCool

2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 26 – 16 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):

1. Josh Richards 2284
2. Shane Clanton 2236 (-48)
3. Darrell Lanigan 2210 (-74)
4. Rick Eckert 2174 (-110)
5. Tim Fuller 2062 (-222)
6. Tim McCreadie 2054 (-230)
7. Eric Wells 2044 (-240)
8. Bub McCool 2016 (-268)
9. Morgan Bagley 2014 (-270)
10. Chub Frank 2010 (-274)
11. Scott James 1958 (-326)
12. Clint Smith 1886 (-398)
13. Dillon Wood 1426 (-858)
14. Gregg Satterlee 1144 (-1140)
15. Mike Benedum 994 (-1290)

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: American Racing Custom Wheels (Official Custom Wheel), Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), KMC (Official Custom Truck Wheel), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors: Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.