PONTOON BEACH, IL (July 13, 2012) – Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR took the gloves off, and is taking home the trophy for the Battle of the Beach 50 at Tri-City Speedway. He led the first 17 laps of the race until O’Neal powered ahead of him, coming from his 12th starting spot to take the lead on lap 18. O’Neal then led Moyer until his left rear tire went flat on lap 27.
Moyer and pole setter Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN paced the field for the first 13 circuits of the race. The first caution of the race came out for Billy Moyer Jr. on lap 13, and momentarily halted a good battle for the lead in traffic between and the defending series champion, Owens and Moyer. On the restart, O’Neal, who was up to fifth place, shot to the bottom of the track and took over second on lap 14.
With O’Neal’s demise from the lead Moyer paced the field over the last 22 laps of the race. He saw a green-white-checkered finish when Tyler Reddick brought out the final caution with two laps remaining. Moyer then held off Owens for his second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series triumph of 2012 and his 15th career LOLMDS victory.
“We always like coming here, ever since they reconfigured the race track a few years ago. It’s just the perfect size, and to win here again is just tremendous! Kevin (Gundaker) and his staff do a great job here,” said the Hall of Fame driver.
Moyer also took notice when O’Neal passed him for the lead. “I knew he started way back, but he must have come up through the field awfully fast! The next thing I knew, he was in the lead. I thought I saw his tire starting to go down, don’t know if he ran over something or what, and then he slowed in front of me,” said the 54-year-old Moyer, who had to take evasive action when O’Neal slowed in front of him.
“It has been a pretty good year, and to beat these Lucas Oil guys is quite an accomplishment. I want to thank all the fans for coming out tonight, I think they saw a pretty good show,” said Moyer to the loud applause from the big crowd on hand to witness the event.
For Moyer, it was his 14th overall win of the season, which tops all dirt late model drivers in the country. His Moyer Victory Circle Chevrolet is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by Banner Valley Hauling, L&D Trucking, Watters Auto Land, and Sunoco Race Fuels.
Owens maintains the points lead with his second place finish in the Reece Monument Company, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bloomquist Race Cars Ford. Pearson in the Bobby Labonte, Lucas Oil Products, Longhorn Dodge edged out Steve Francis of Ashland, KY in the Valvoline, Barry Wright Race Cars Chevrolet. The young 15-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, IL had his best career finish in LOLMDS competition, coming home in fifth in the American Metal Supply, Pierce Race Cars, Chevrolet.
Completing the top ten were: Chris Simpson of Oxford, IA; Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN; O’Neal; Wendell Wallace of Batesville, AR; and Eric Wells of Hazard, KY.
In preliminary action, Brian Birkhofer set the Red Buck Cigars Fast Time amongst the 30 entrants with a lap of 14.552 seconds. Heat races were taken by: Jimmy Owens, Jared Landers, Billy Moyer, and Jonathan Davenport. Scott Bloomquist and Randy Korte won their respective B-Mains. \
Tomorrow night, Saturday July 14th, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series heads back to the “Diamond of the Dirt Tracks”, Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, MO, for the 6th Annual CMH Diamond Nationals. The event will include Red Buck Cigars Time Trials, Heat Races, B-Mains, and the $10,000 to win, 50-lap feature.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log onto www.lucasdirt.com and be sure to follow the series at www.facebook.com/lucasdirt and www.twitter.com/#!/lucasdirt.
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Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday Night, July 13th, 2012
“Battle at the Beach”
Tri City Speedway – Pontoon Beach, IL
Tri City Speedway – Pontoon Beach, IL
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time:
Brian Birkhofer / 14.552 seconds (Group A)
Billy Moyer / 14.891 seconds (Group B)
Wiles Driveshafts First Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Jimmy Owens, Brian Birkhofer, Earl Pearson, Jr., Eric Wells, Dennis Erb, Jr., Scott Bloomquist, Tyler Reddick, Brant Kehrer
U. S. Steel Second Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Jared Landers, Chris Simpson, Craig Smith, Billy Moyer, Jr., Wendell Wallace, Chad Zobrist, John Mason
Simpson Performance Products Third Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Billy Moyer, Bobby Pierce, Kevin Cole, Brad Neat, John Blankenship, Rodney Melvin, Dustin Griffin, Tim Rivers
HAWK Brakes Fourth Heat (10 Laps- Top 4 Advance): Jonathan Davenport, Steve Francis, Don O’Neal, Will Vaught, Randy Korte, Stacy Taylor, Chris Fetter
JRi Shocks First B-Main (12 Laps – Top 3 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, Wendell Wallace, Tyler Reddick, Dennis Erb, Jr., Chad Zobrist, John Mason, Brant Kehrer-DNS
PAC Racing Springs Second B-Main (12 Laps – Top 3 Advance): Randy Korte, John Blankenship, Rodney Melvin, Dustin Griffin, Stacy Taylor, Chris Fetter, Tim Rivers-DNS
Feature Finish – 50 Laps
|
FINISH
|
START
|
CAR #
|
DRIVER NAME
|
HOMETOWN
|
|
1
|
2
|
21
|
Billy Moyer
|
Batesville, AR
|
|
2
|
1
|
20
|
Jimmy Owens
|
Newport, TN
|
|
3
|
9
|
44
|
Earl Pearson, Jr.
|
Jacksonville, FL
|
|
4
|
8
|
15
|
Steve Francis
|
Ashland, KY
|
|
5
|
6
|
32
|
Bobby Pierce
|
Oakwood, IL
|
|
6
|
7
|
32x
|
Chris Simpson
|
Oxford, IA
|
|
7
|
17
|
0
|
Scott Bloomquist
|
Mooresburg, TN
|
|
8
|
12
|
71
|
Don O’Neal
|
Martinsville, IN
|
|
9
|
19
|
33
|
Wendell Wallace
|
Batesville, AR
|
|
10
|
13
|
18e
|
Eric Wells
|
Hazard, KY
|
|
11
|
4
|
15d
|
Jonathan Davenport
|
Blairsville, GA
|
|
12
|
20
|
23
|
John Blankenship
|
Williamson, WV
|
|
13
|
23
|
28e
|
Dennis Erb, Jr.
|
Carpentersville, IL
|
|
14
|
21
|
11T
|
Tyler Reddick
|
Corning, CA
|
|
15
|
25
|
20g
|
Dustin Griffin
|
Camp Point, IL
|
|
16
|
3
|
5
|
Jared Landers
|
Batesville, AR
|
|
17
|
16
|
1v
|
Will Vaught
|
Crane, MO
|
|
18
|
5
|
15b
|
Brian Birkhofer
|
Muscatine, IA
|
|
19
|
11
|
8
|
Craig Smith
|
Godfrey, IL
|
|
20
|
10
|
81c
|
Kevin Cole
|
Benton, IL
|
|
21
|
15
|
21JR
|
Billy Moyer, Jr.
|
Batesville, AR
|
|
22
|
22
|
27M
|
Rodney Melvin
|
Benton, IL
|
|
23
|
14
|
41n
|
Brad Neat
|
Dunnville, KY
|
|
24
|
18
|
00
|
Randy Korte
|
Highland, IL
|
|
25
|
24
|
46
|
Tim Rivers
|
Salem, IN
|