Fuller Edges McCreadie at River Cities Speedway for First WoO LMS Victory of the Season
New York Driver Returns to Victory Lane at Site of First Career Series Victory
By Joshua Joiner, WoO LMS P.R. Coordinator
GRAND FORKS, S.D. – July 18, 2014 – A return to the site of his first career series victory was just what Tim Fuller needed to return to victory lane on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.
Competing at the track where he earned his breakthrough series victory during his rookie WoO LMS season in 2007, Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., overtook Tim McCreadie midway through Friday’s A-Main at River Cities Speedway and turned back McCreadie’s late challenges to claim his first WoO LMS victory since Aug. 17, 2013.
The fifth-starting Fuller made the winning pass as McCreadie, also of Watertown, struggled to clear traffic on lap 24 of the 50-lap race. McCreadie recovered to pressure Fuller through the closing stages of the caution-free event, but Fuller turned back each of McCreadie’s challenges to earn $10,050 for the 14th WoO LMS A-Main victory of his career.
“To be honest, I really don’t even think of this place as one of my better tracks,” said Fuller, who recently returned to full-time WoO LMS competition after running roughly half of the national tour’s races through the first half of the season. “It’s not really my style of track, but for whatever reason we run good here. I guess there’s something about the track that clicks with me, but I really can’t tell you what it is.”
Fuller’s Clements-powered Kennedy Motorsports Rocket Chassis crossed the finish line 0.910 seconds ahead of McCreadie, who settled for second after leading the race’s first 24 laps from the outside of the front row. Polesitter Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., finished third with third-starting Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., placing fourth. WoO LMS points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., improved one position from his sixth starting spot to round out the race’s top five finishers.
Fuller put himself in contention early with a charge to third on the race’s opening lap. He pulling away from an early back-and-forth battle with Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., Fuller began to pressure Smith for the second spot just after lap 10 as both he and Smith closed in on McCreadie in traffic.
Fuller and Smith went back and forth for second just behind the leader before Fuller cleared Smith for good on lap 18 and set his sights on McCreadie. By lap 20, Fuller was pressuring McCreadie in traffic as Smith and Clanton battled side-by-side for third just behind the leaders.
As McCreadie struggled to find a way around the slower cars of Lance Matthees and Jordan Yaggy, Fuller took advantage to drive around both McCreadie and Yaggy to take the lead in a three-wide, race-winning move on lap 24.
Fuller opened a slight advantage after moving out front and used numerous slide jobs to clear traffic without opening the door for McCreadie.
“Timmy got hung on the bottom and I wasn’t leaving the top,” said Fuller, who survived a lap-33 scrape with Clint Smith while attempting to put him a lap down. “We had to slide lapped cars because everybody wanted to stay on the top. But we managed it and got through those guys like we needed to.
“This thing looked like it had been through a demolition derby anyway, so I didn’t care if I wrinkled up a quarter-panel. You just had to be rude every now and then and take it.”
Fuller’s lap-33 contact with Clint Smith allowed McCreadie to close the gap. McCreadie kept pace with Fuller the rest of the way, but Fuller’s aggressive handling of traffic prevented McCreadie from making a serious bid for the lead.
“I just never really had a chance,” said McCreadie, who scored his third top-three finish in the past four WoO LMS events. “We didn’t get as many guys running side by side like they were early in the race. They all went to the cushion and left room where he could slide ’em. Early when I was stuck there behind them, they’re running double file and there was no room to slide them.
“He did a good job. He knew what to do. When he got by me, he didn’t mess around with anybody. He did it the way I should’ve done it, which was lay a fender on them. I was just being too nice to everybody and should’ve been more aggressive.”
Mars faded to sixth at the finish after running as high as third early in the race. Rick Eckert or York, Pa., was seventh with Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., eighth. After going to a backup car following hot laps, Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., advanced from 18th to ninth in the main event with rookie contender Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., rounding out the top 10 finishers.
Friday’s race concluded the WoO LMS Wild West Tour. The four-race stretch took the national tour through the Upper Midwest with events at Hibbing (Minn.) Raceway, Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn., Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D., and River Cities.
The WoO LMS returns to action Thursday, July 24 at Independence (Iowa) Speedway, before heading to Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway Friday and Saturday, July 25-26 for the $25,000-to-win Prairie Dirt Classic.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws.
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series Wild West Tour event at Brown County Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (5) Tim Fuller/50 $10,050
2. (2) Tim McCreadie/50 $5,650
3. (1) Brady Smith/50 $3,000
4. (3) Shane Clanton/50 $3,050
5. (6) Darrell Lanigan/50 $2,650
6. (7) Jimmy Mars/50 $1,700
7. (8) Rick Eckert/50 $2,050
8. (12) Eric Wells/50 $1,850
9 (18) Chub Frank/50 $1,950
10. (4) Chase Junghans/49 $1,900
11. (11) Frank Heckenast Jr./49 $1,600
12. (15) Morgan Bagley/49 $1,550
13. (17) Adam Hensel/49 $1,450
14. (9) Clint Smith/49 $1,450
15. (16) Dustin Strand/49 $850
16. (14) Lance Matthees/49 $900
17. (13) Boom Briggs/49 $1,320
18. (22) Bill Mooney/48 $750
19. (21) Zach Naastad/48 $730
20. (20) Jordan Yaggy/25 $700
21. (23) Gregg Hill/21 $700
22. (10) Mike Balcaen/15 $700
23. (19) Joey Pederson/14 $700
24. (24) Ward Imrie/2 $725
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 11 Mins., 35 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.910 Secs.
Yellow Flags: none
Lap Leaders: McCreadie (1-24); Fuller (25-50)
Provisional Starters: Hill (WoO LMS points), Imrie (fast qualifier)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Hensel ($500)
WoO LMS Rookie Bonus: Junghans ($250)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
Group A
1. 24-Rick Eckert/York, Pa., 13.205
2. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, Ga., 12.452
3. 99B-Boom Briggs/Bear Lake, Pa., 12.470
4. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, Wis., 12.480
5. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, Ga., 12.521
6. 90-Lance Matthees/Winona, Minn., 12.651
7. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, N.Y., 12.655
8. 10-Mike Balcaen/ Winnipeg, Manitoba, 12.702
9. z17-Zach Naastad/ Northwood, N.D., 12.794
10. 33x-Adam Hensel/Baldwyn, Wis., 12.875
11. 7p-Joey Pederson/East Grand Forks, Minn., 12.941
12. 10w-Ward Imrie/ Winnipeg, Manitoba, 13.117
13. 2A-Casey Arneson/Fargo, N.D., 13.245
14. 14-Aaron Olson/ Mekinak, N.D., 13.275
15. 44m-Jeff McDonald/Forest River, N.D., 13.908
16. 84-Josh Johnson/Harwood, N.D., 14.396
Group B
1. 28m-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, Wis., 12.316
2. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, Ky., 12.524
3. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, N.Y., 12.658
4. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, Ky., 12.754
5. 14m-Morgan Bagley/Tyler, Texas, 12.769
6. 18c-Chase Junghans/Manhattan, Kan., 12.802
7. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr./Frankfort, Ill., 12.859
8. 71-Dustin Strand/Grand Forks, 12.986
9. 77-Jordan Yaggy/Rochester, Minn., 12.997
10. 2m-Bill Mooney/ Selkirk, Manitoba, 13.150
11. 99*Chub Frank/Bear Lake, Pa., 13.187
12. 9-Steve Anderson/Grand Forks, N.D., 13.257
13. T1-Tommy Corcoran/East Grand Forks, N.D., 13.323
14. 11-Troy Schill/Grand Forks, N.D., 13.359
15. 8-Gregg Hill/Eveleth, Minn., 13.441
16. 28-Jeff Provenzino/Hibbing, Minn., no time
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Fuller, C.Smith, Briggs, Naastad, Pederson, Ameson, McDonald.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, B. Smith, Balcaen, Matthees, Hensel, Olson, Imrie, Johnson.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Mars, T-Mac, Heckenast, Bagley, Yaggy, Frank, Hill, Corcoran.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, Junghans, Wells, Strand, Mooney, Schill, Anderson.
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Hensel, Pederson, Naastad, Arneson, McDonald, Johnson, Imrie, Olson.
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Frank, Yaggy, Mooney, Corcoran, Andreson, Schrill, Hill, Provenzino.
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): Lance Matthees
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Tim Fuller
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Tim Fuller
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Tim Fuller
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Tim Fuller
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Penske Racing Shocks ($50 to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Roush-Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
Mobil 1 ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Darrell Lanigan
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
American Racing Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Edelbrock ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Chase Junghans
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Lance Matthees
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Lance Matthees
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Lance Matthees
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Bill Mooney
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Jordan Yaggy
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Jordan Yaggy
Mobil 1 (20% off certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Jordan Yaggy
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Hill
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Mike Balcaen
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Ward Imrie
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Tim Fuller
Reliable Painting (one free tire to highest pill draw for full-time WoO driver): Chase Junghans
2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 18 – 21 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 3110
2. Rick Eckert 2898 (-212)
3. Tim McCreadie 2882 (-228)
4. Morgan Bagley 2812 (-298)
5. Chub Frank 2784 (-326)
6. Eric Wells 2726(-384)
7. Shane Clanton 2722 (-388)
8. Frankie Heckenast Jr. 2666 (-444)
9. Clint Smith 2614 (-496)
10. Chase Junghans 2516(-594)
11. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs 2466 (-644)
12. Tim Fuller 1600 (-1510)
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), Lincoln Welder (Official Welder), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), 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, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis and TNT Rescue.