O’Neal Owns Lawrenceburg, Wins Race on Friday Night

| Aug 26, 2011 | Comments 0

LAWRENCEBURG, IN (August 26, 2011) – Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN charged to the lead on lap 32, passing Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA. He went on to win Friday Night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event at Lawrenceburg Speedway. O’Neal earned $10,000 for his second series win of the season. Birkhofer finished second with Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN barely edging out Jared Landers of Batesville, AR. Landers was fourth and 15-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA was fifth.
Birkhofer won the LOLMDS event at the track back in 2009. He sprinted to the lead at the start of the 50-lap main event in front of a packed front stretch grandstand. Birkhofer, Bloomquist, and O’Neal ran three-wide for the lead for several laps before the caution appeared on lap six. 
Birkhofer held his lead through several cautions. O’Neal started fourth and made a run for second on Bloomquist, passing the Hall of Famer on lap eight. With 15 laps complete, it was Birkhofer, O’Neal, Shane Clanton, Bloomquist and Earl Pearson Jr. out front.
Birkhofer managed to keep his lead for most of the race, but O’Neal started to put the pressure on him for the lead about halfway through the race. O’Neal slipped up, and Bloomquist got by him for second on lap 25 as a three-car chase for the lead was continuing. O’Neal drove around Bloomquist to regain second on lap 30 and two laps later took over the top spot from Birkhofer before a thunderous home-state crowd.
O’Neal began to pull away from Birkhofer and Bloomquist, increasing his margin until he claimed the victory. “Birkhofer had a really great race car at the start. I drove ours (the car) for all it was worth, the cushion was rugged up there in two, I was just hanging on there at the end, I hope the fans enjoyed that one,” said the 47-year-old who collected his 16th career series victory.
“I kept trying that top groove and it finally paid off. We had to battle those lapped cars there at the end, it was really hard racing between the three of us for the lead. I was clean racing and I can’t thank Tader Masters enough, Cody Mahoney, and everybody else on the crew, it’s nice to win here in Indiana,” said the winner.
O’Neal’s MasterSbilt Chevrolet is sponsored by Magnaflow Exhaust, Superior Cleaning, Jones Core, Independence Lumber, Second Chance Livestock, Janowski Insurance and VP Racing Fuels. His car is powered by Jay Dickens Racing Engines.
Birkhofer finished second in the J&J Steel, Pro Power Engines, MB Customs. He said, “O’Neal had the better car. Don drove the wheels of it, he passed me clean, that was a great race for the lead, I was hoping to hang in there, but he found that top groove and drove right by me.”
Bloomquist in his Hawkeye Trucking, Roush-Yates, Bloomquist Race Cars Ford beat Landers to the line by a half a car length for third. “The track was racy all night, you could run high, low, in the middle, we all three had different tires on. That was an exciting race for the fans, we all raced each other hard and clean, we’ll take third and head to Bluegrass tomorrow night.”
Landers still leads the Quarter Master Rookie of the Year standings and came home fourth in the Crawford Supply, ECR Race Engines, Rocket Chevy. Reddick, who started tenth, placed fifth in the Broken Bow Records, Gaerte Race engines, Bloomquist Race Cars entry.
Completing the top ten were Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN; Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, GA; Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN; Steve Francis of Ashland, KY; and Eric Wells of Hazard, KY.
In preliminary action, Scott Bloomquist was the Red Buck Cigars Fast Qualifier among the 31 entrants. Heat races were won by Bloomquist, Jared Landers, Brian Birkhofer, and Don O’Neal. The B-mains went to Dale McDowell and John Blankenship.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will conclude its’ three-race swing this weekend at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY on Saturday Night for the Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic. For more information, log onto www.bluegrass-speedway.com.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com or call the series’ office at (951) 532-2503.
 
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday Night, August 26th, 2011
Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
 
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: 
Scott Bloomquist / 14.149 seconds (Group A and Overall)
Tyler Reddick / 14.157 seconds (Group B)
 
Wiles Driveshafts First Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Shane Clanton, Jimmy Owens, Eric Jacobsen, Dale McDowell, Brad Neat, Joe Janowski, Dustin Neat
Wiles Driveshafts Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Jared Landers, Justin Rattliff, Steve Casebolt, Dan Schlieper, Dustin Linville, Michael Chilton, Casey Noonan, Steve Francis
Sweet Manufacturing Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Brian Birkhofer, Daniel Stone, Reddick, Robinson, Mike Marlar, Ray Cook, Tim Rivers, Jerry Rice
HAWK Brakes Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Don O’Neal, Earl Pearson Jr., Eric Wells, Frank Heckenast Jr., John Blankenship, Greg Johnson, Jason Jameson
JRi Shocks First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Dale McDowell, Brad Neat, Dustin Neat, Steve Francis, Dustin Linville, Michael Chilton, Casey Noonan, Joe Janowski-DNS
Wrisco Aluminum Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): John Blankenship, Mike Marlar, Greg Johnson, Ray Cook, Jason Jameson, Jerry Rice, Tim Rivers
Feature Finish – 50 Laps

 

FINISH
START
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
1
4
71
Don O'Neal
Martinsville, IN
2
2
15b
Brian Birkhofer
Muscatine, IA
3
1
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
4
3
777
Jared Landers
Batesville, AR
5
10
11t
Tyler Reddick
Corning, CA
6
13
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
7
5
25c
Shane Clanton
Locust Grove, GA
8
11
c9
Steve Casebolt
Richmond, IN
9
23
15
Steve Francis
Ashland, KY
10
12
18e
Eric Wells
Hazard, KY
11
16
99jr
Frank Heckenast, Jr.
Frankfort, IL
12
19
41n
Brad Neat
Dunnville, KY
13
24
53
Ray Cook
Brasstown, NC
14
20
5b
Mike Marlar
Winfield, TN
15
21
25n
Dustin Neat
Dunnville, KY
16
8
44
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
17
14
7R
Kent Robinson
Bloomington, IN
18
6
2
Daniel Stone
Thompson, PA
19
7
16
Justin Rattliff
Campbellsville, KY
20
25
12
Jason Jameson
Lawrenceburg, IN
21
9
5
Eric Jacobsen
Watsonville, CA
22
18
23
John Blankenship
Williamson, WV
23
17
17m
Dale McDowell
Chickamauga, GA
24
22
24h
Greg Johnson
Bedford, IN
25
15
s9
Dan Schlieper
Sullivan, WI
 
 
 
Race Statistics
Entrants: 31
Lap Leaders: Brian Birkhofer (Laps 1 – 31); Don O’Neal (Lap 32 – 50)
Caution Flags: Dan Schlieper (Lap 2); John Blankenship (Lap 5); Eric Jacobsen, Jason Jameson, Kent Robinson (Lap 6); Jason Jameson (Lap 10); Daniel Stone (Lap 10); Dustin Neat (Lap 17); Earl Pearson Jr. (Lap 24); Earl Pearson Jr. (Lap 29)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Steve Francis, Ray Cook
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: none
Lawrenceburg Speedway Track Provisional: Jason Jameson
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Steve Francis (Started 23rd; Finished 9th; Advanced 14 positions)
Allstar Performer of the Race: Brian Birkhofer
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Don O’Neal
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Jared Landers
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Jay Dickens Racing Engines
Janowski Insurance Feature Winner: Don O’Neal
Outerwears Challenger of the Race: Steve Francis
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: John Blankenship
DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Cody Mahoney (Don O’Neal)
Time of Race: 37 minutes 03 seconds
 
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:
 

 

POS
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
POINTS
1
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
5280
2
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
5130
3
71
Don O'Neal
Martinsville, IN
4665
4
15
Steve Francis
Ashland, KY
4380
5
44
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
4175
6
777
Jared Landers
Batesville, AR
4150
7
23
John Blankenship
Williamson, WV
4025
8
41n
Brad Neat
Dunnville, KY
4000
9
53
Ray Cook
Brasstown, NC
3995
10
11t
Tyler Reddick
Corning, CA
3855
11
17m
Dale McDowell
Chickamauga, GA
3585
12
57J
Bub McCool
Vicksburg, MS
3635
13
18e
Eric Wells
Hazard, KY
3460
14
99jr
Frank Heckenast, Jr.
Frankfort, IL
3275
 
 

 

Filed Under: 2011 News • 2011 Results