Don O’Neal Cruises to Bluegrass Classic Win

| Aug 27, 2011 | Comments 0

BARDSTOWN, KY (August 27, 2011) – For the second night in a row Don O’Neal ended up in victory lane.   The 47-year-old driver started on the pole and led all 50 laps in winning the 11th Annual Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic at Bluegrass Speedway. O’Neal was driving the MasterSbilt House car, and earned $10,000 for the victory which came on the heels of his win Friday Night at Lawrenceburg. O’Neal’s 17th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series came over Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA; Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN; Steve Francis of Ashland, KY; and Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA.
O’Neal won the race at Bluegrass a year ago made a clean sweep of the night’s activities as he set fast time, won his heat, then got the lead at the start of the race and held on the rest of the way. “We had a good qualifying effort, ran the heat race strong and got out front before it became one-laned, the lapped cars gave us plenty of room, but they started to dice it up, and I didn’t want to make a mistake.”
“If you dared to step up out of groove it was going to cost you. We’ve not been good the last two weeks, but the last three nights we have been real good, Tader, Cody, Randy, Steve and everybody else back at the shop, thanks to Jerry Jones and his wife for their support.” O’Neal sits third in the series points standings. O’Neal’s car is sponsored by Magnaflow Exhaust, Jones Core, Second Chance Livestock Dispatch, VP Fuels, Independence Lumber, Janowski Insurance, Superior Cleaning, Hoosier Tires and his car is powered by a Jay Dickens Racing Engine.
McDowell finished second at Volunteer Speedway on Thursday Night was pleased with his second place run at Bardstown. “With the year we’ve had, to have two second place finishes, just shows you we never quit.  Lawrenceburg didn’t go so good, but tonight the car was good, just not good enough to get the win, once Don got in front it was pretty much all she wrote,” said the driver of the Crawford Supply, Clint Bowyer Racing, Rocket Chevrolet.
Bloomquist finished third to close to within 130 points of Jimmy Owens, who finished sixth for the second night in a row. Francis in the Valvoline, Roush-Yates, MasterSbilt Ford came home fourth followed by Birkhofer in the J&J Steel, Pro Power, MB Customs entry.
Completing the top ten were Owens, Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY; Tyler Reddick of Corning, CA; Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY; and Bub McCool of Vicksburg, MS.
In preliminary action O’Neal led the Red Buck Cigar Time Trials among the 33 entrants. Heat race winners were O’Neal, Birkhofer, McDowell, and Francis. The B-Mains went to Dan Stone and Frank Heckenast, Jr.
The next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events will take place on Labor Day Weekend with two events at Portsmouth Raceway Park in Portsmouth, OH. On Saturday Night, September 3rd will be the Pepsi River Days Rumble paying $10,000 to win. On Sunday Night, September 4th will be the Hillbilly Hundred paying $25,000 to win. 
 
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, August 26th, 2011
Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, IN
 
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time:  
Don O’Neal / 15.185 seconds (Group A and Overall)
Dale McDowell / 15.347 seconds (Group B)
 
Wiles Driveshafts First Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Don O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Mike Marlar, Scott James, Kent Robinson, Eric Jacobsen, Michael Chilton, Jeff Watson, Justin Rattliff
Wiles Driveshafts Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Brian Birkhofer, Ray Cook, Bub McCool, Earl Pearson Jr., John Blankenship, Daniel Stone, Lee DeVasier, Jared Landers
Sweet Manufacturing Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Dale McDowell, Mike Jewell, Tyler Reddick, Dustin Neat, Eric Wells, Larry Greer, Jeremy Hines, Chad Stapleton
HAWK Brakes Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Steve Francis, Brad Neat, Jimmy Owens, Tim Tungate, Frank Heckenast Jr., Jarryd Holshouser, Dustin Linville, Tim Rivers
JRi Shocks First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Daniel Stone, John Blankenship, Eric Jcobsen, Lee DeVasier, Michael Chilton, Jeff Watson, Kent Robinson, Justin Rattliff, Jared Landers-DNS
Wrisco Aluminum Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Fran Heckenast Jr., Tim Rivers, Eric Wells, Dustin Linville, Jarryd Holshouser, Jeremy Hines, Larry Greer, Chad Stapleton-DNS
 
Feature Finish – 50 Laps

 

FINISH
START
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
1
1
71
Don O'Neal
Martinsville, IN
2
2
17m
Dale McDowell
Chickamauga, GA
3
5
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
4
4
15
Steve Francis
Ashland, KY
5
3
15b
Brian Birkhofer
Muscatine, IA
6
12
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
7
8
41n
Brad Neat
Dunnville, KY
8
10
11t
Tyler Reddick
Corning, CA
9
14
25n
Dustin Neat
Dunnville, KY
10
11
57J
Bub McCool
Vicksburg, MS
11
13
81
Scott James
Lawrenceburg, IN
12
9
5b
Mike Marlar
Winfield, TN
13
18
99jr
Frank Heckenast, Jr.
Frankfort, IL
14
17
2
Daniel Stone
Thompson, PA
15
15
44
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
16
22
18e
Eric Wells
Hazard, KY
17
19
23
John Blankenship
Williamson, WV
18
23
777
Jared Landers
Batesville, AR
19
26
44w
Jeff Watson
Campbellsville, KY
20
20
46
Tim Rivers
Salem, IN
21
21
5
Eric Jacobsen
Watsonville, CA
22
16
18
Tim Tungate
Campbellsville, KY
23
25
5x
Lee DeVasier
Creestwood, KY
24
6
9J
Mike Jewell
Scottsburg, IN
25
7
53
Ray Cook
Brasstown, NC
26
24
16
Justin Rattliff
Campbellsville, KY
 
 
 
Race Statistics
Entrants: 32
Lap Leaders:  Don O’Neal (Laps 1 – 50)
Caution Flags:  Lee DeVasier (Lap 1); Ray Cook (Lap 11)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jared Landers
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: none
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time Provisional: Justin Rattliff
Lawrenceburg Speedway Track Provisional: Lee DeVasier, Jeff Watson
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Jeff Watson (Started 26th; Finished 19th; Advanced 7 positions)
Allstar Performer of the Race: Dale McDowell
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Frank Heckenast Jr.
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Tyler Reddick
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Jay Dickens Racing Engines
Janowski Insurance Feature Winner: Don O’Neal
Outerwears Challenger of the Race: Frank Heckenast Jr.
Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: Ray Cook
DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Jason Durham (Dale McDowell)
Time of Race: 20 minutes 55 seconds
 
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings:

 

POS
CAR #
DRIVER NAME
HOMETOWN
POINTS
1
20
Jimmy Owens
Newport, TN
5480
2
0
Scott Bloomquist
Mooresburg, TN
5350
3
71
Don O'Neal
Martinsville, IN
4925
4
15
Steve Francis
Ashland, KY
4590
5
44
Earl Pearson, Jr.
Jacksonville, FL
4330
6
777
Jared Landers
Batesville, AR
4290
7
41n
Brad Neat
Dunnville, KY
4195
8
23
John Blankenship
Williamson, WV
4170
9
53
Ray Cook
Brasstown, NC
4120
10
11t
Tyler Reddick
Corning, CA
4045
11
17m
Dale McDowell
Chickamauga, GA
3825
12
57J
Bub McCool
Vicksburg, MS
3815
13
18e
Eric Wells
Hazard, KY
3610
 

Filed Under: 2011 News • 2011 Results