JAMAICA, VA (April 14, 2012) – Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN scored his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the year on Saturday Night at Bill Sawyer’s Virginia Motor Speedway. Bloomquist took over the lead when Dennis Erb, Jr. of Carpentersville, IL suffered a flat tire just 11 laps from the finish. Bloomquist then went on to lead the rest of the way to earn a $25,000 payday in taking his first-career Commonwealth 100 win. The event was taped by Lucas Oil Studios for airings on SPEED, MAVTV, and NBC Sport Network.
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The track was re-worked before the main event kicked-off. Bloomquist started 18th and entered the top five for the first time with 38 laps scored. He then moved to second and trailed John Blankenship of Williamson, WV for several laps until Blankenship blew a tire with 13 laps remaining.
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“It feels great to get back to Lucas Oil Victory Lane,” said the Hall of Fame driver. “It has been a rough start to the year, but I knew if we kept digging we were going to get one here sooner rather than later,” said an elated Bloomquist afterwards.
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“My hats off to the track crew, they went out and worked the track, I saw a lot of drivers going to a softer compound of tire to run, but we actually kept our hard compound on and it paid off. We got off to a good start in the race and the car worked really well, we passed a ton of cars early on and then got behind John (Blankenship) and followed him for a number of laps until his tire gave out.”
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“It’s nice to win at such a great facility, it looked like they had one of their best crowds tonight and we look forward to coming back here in September,” said the 2-time LOLMDS Champion who notched his 43rd career win on the series. Bloomquist also won the USA 100 last September.
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The story of the race was Erb. He had the dominant car for almost the entire distance, but with 11 laps to go his right rear tire gave out. Erb and Jared Landers battled hard in the first 18 laps of the race until Erb, who started fifth gained the lead.
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Erb led a total of 72 laps, and was unchallenged for most of those circuits as he was primed and ready to score the biggest win of his racing career. It was not to be, as he was coming off of turn two with 89 laps scored, he suddenly slowed forcing a caution flag.
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Bloomquist went unchallenged the rest of the way to score the win in his Hawkeye Trucking, Base Racing Fuels, Lucas Oil Products, Sweet Mfg., Lane Automotive, Ohlins, Weld Racing, and Allstar Performance sponsored Bloomquist Race Cars Ford. His car is powered by a Roush-Yates Engine.
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Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL came home in second after starting 26th in the Bobby Labonte Racing, Lucas Oil Products, Longhorn Dodge. It was Pearson’s best finish of the season as the 4-time LOLMDS champion tried to stay with Bloomquist in the final laps.
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Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN came from 15th to finish third in the Optima Batteries, Jay Dickens Racing Engines, MasterSbilt House Car. Former Commonwealth 100 race winner, Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC roared through the field from 24th to grab fourth in the Baird Transport, Cornett Racing Engines, Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet. Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA came in fifth with the Clint Bowyer Racing, Georgia Boots, Barry Wright Toyota.
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Completing the top ten were defending race winner, Steve Shaver of Vienna, WV; Jared Landers of Batesville, AR; Eric Wells of Hazard, KY; Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, who suffered a flat tire on the final lap dropping him to ninth. Shane Clanton of Fayetteville, GA completed the top ten.
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Coming up next weekend the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be in action on Friday Night, April 20th at Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex in Markleysburg, PA and Saturday Night, April 21st at Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD. For more information you can visit each track’s respective websites at www.roaringknob.com and www.hagerstownspeedway.com.
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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.
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Feature Finish – 100 Laps
|
FINISH
|
START
|
CAR #
|
DRIVER NAME
|
HOMETOWN
|
|
1
|
18
|
0
|
Scott Bloomquist
|
Mooresburg, TN
|
|
2
|
26
|
44
|
Earl Pearson, Jr.
|
Jacksonville, FL
|
|
3
|
15
|
71
|
Don O’Neal
|
Martinsville, IN
|
|
4
|
24
|
44m
|
Chris Madden
|
Gaffney, SC
|
|
5
|
25
|
15d
|
Jonathan Davenport
|
Blairsville, GA
|
|
6
|
1
|
6s
|
Steve Shaver
|
Vienna, WV
|
|
7
|
4
|
5
|
Jared Landers
|
Batesville, AR
|
|
8
|
27
|
18e
|
Eric Wells
|
Hazard, KY
|
|
9
|
2
|
20
|
Jimmy Owens
|
Newport, TN
|
|
10
|
11
|
25c
|
Shane Clanton
|
Fayetteville, GA
|
|
11
|
7
|
44L
|
Stevie Long
|
Mechanicsville, MD
|
|
12
|
16
|
23
|
John Blankenship
|
Williamson, WV
|
|
13
|
5
|
28e
|
Dennis Erb, Jr.
|
Carpentersville, IL
|
|
14
|
19
|
11h
|
Austin Hubbard
|
Seaford, DE
|
|
15
|
23
|
15
|
Steve Francis
|
Ashland, KY
|
|
16
|
13
|
72
|
David Williams
|
Mechanicsville, MD
|
|
17
|
22
|
28
|
John Lobb
|
Frewsburg, NY
|
|
18
|
17
|
37
|
Jared Hawkins
|
Fairmont, WV
|
|
19
|
21
|
39
|
Tim McCreadie
|
Watertown, NY
|
|
20
|
9
|
101
|
Casey Roberts
|
Toccoa, GA
|
|
21
|
14
|
11T
|
Tyler Reddick
|
Corning, CA
|
|
22
|
12
|
24m
|
Kenny Moreland
|
Waldorf, MD
|
|
23
|
20
|
6L
|
Jamie Lathroum
|
Mechanicsville, MD
|
|
24
|
6
|
15b
|
Brian Birkhofer
|
Muscatine, IA
|
|
25
|
10
|
88
|
Ricky Elliott
|
Seaford, DE
|
|
26
|
3
|
24
|
Rick Eckert
|
York, PA
|
|
27
|
8
|
21d
|
Daniel Stone
|
Thompson, PA
|