ZANESVILLE, OH (July 3, 2014) – Jimmy Owens sped away for his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season on Thursday Night at Muskingum County Speedway after taking the lead for good on lap 18. Owens withstood a caution with nine laps to go and motored away from the field to take the win in the Creno’s 50 in front the standing room only crowd.
Owens becomes the 10th different driver in ten appearances by the LOLMDS to win at Muskingum County since 2005. Rick Eckert had his best LOLMDS finish of the season, taking second, followed by series point’s leader, Don O’Neal, Eddie Carrier, Jr., and the previous night’s winner at Roaring Knob, Earl Pearson, Jr.
“It feels great to be back in victory lane. We have had some tough luck lately. We had a good finish last night [at Roaring Knob], but before that, we didn’t have the finishes we wanted for a few weeks. The crew did a great job getting the car ready tonight. I could run anywhere on the track tonight, high, low, in the middle, it didn’t matter.”
“When they went out and watered the track before the fireworks, I think it helped the track a lot. We have been coming here long enough to know what they are going to do to the track. It smoothed out enough from the heat races, so hopefully we put on a good show for these fans. Don and I had a pretty good battle for the lead; we got close a couple of times, but once we were out in front, the car handled so well. I have to thank Darrell Lanigan and everybody else with the Club 29 Cars, Cornett Racing Engines, Reece Monument Company, Edge Services, Sunoco, Red Line Oil, FORD, and everybody associated with the race team.”
O’Neal led the first 17 circuits of the race after starting from the pole. O’Neal and Owens ran many laps side-by-side. Owens was finally able to clear O’Neal in traffic on lap 18 and from then on he went unchallenged for the win. Eckert moved past O’Neal on lap 23, but could never get close enough to seriously challenge Owens for the win.
“He had the best car tonight,” said Eckert of the winner Owens. “We worked on our car all day after last night’s run. Right from the start tonight the car was so much better. I felt real comfortable with it tonight. It’s great to be back here in front of this big crowd. That last restart the only chance I had was that he (Owens) would make a mistake, but he’s too good to do that. We are happy to run second and we will be at Portsmouth tomorrow night hoping to gain one more spot,” said the driver of the Valvoline, Seubert Calf Ranches, Rocket House Car for Mark Richards Racing.
After the race O’Neal still sits atop the points standings summed up his third place finish. “We got off to a good start in the feature. I was setting a pretty good pace out there. But then here comes Jimmy, and once he got past me it was pretty much over. Then Eckert got a run on me and I couldn’t hold him off. Overall it was a good point’s night for us. I have to thank Clint Bowyer, Peak Antifreeze and Motor Oil, Crawford Supply, Traeger Grills and all my crew.”
Completing the top ten were Davey Johnson, Devin Moran, Tim Dohm, Mike Benedum, and Jared Landers.
In preliminary action, Don O’Neal set the overall Miller Welders Fast Time (Group A) amongst the 33 entrants, with a lap of 15.593 seconds. Jimmy Owens set the fastest time in Group B with a time of 15.879 seconds. Don O’Neal, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jimmy Owens, and Rick Eckert won their respective heat races. Scott Bloomquist and Jared Hawkins won their respective B-Mains.
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Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Wednesday Night, July 3, 2014
“Crenos 50”
Muskingum County Speedway – Zanesville, OH
Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Don O’Neal / 15.593 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Jimmy Owens / 15.879 seconds
Fast Shafts Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Don O’Neal, Tim Dohm, Mike Benedum, Ryan Markham, Jason Hughes, Steve Prince, Rocky Owens, Michael Davis, Scott Bloomquist-DNS
Eibach Springs Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Eddie Carrier, Jr., Davey Johnson, Devin Moran, John Blankenship, Ronnie Mayle, Jimmy Smith, Doug Kenworthy, Bryan Casey
Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Earl Pearson, Jr., Steve Francis, Jared Landers, Jared Hawkins, Todd Brennan, Matt Irey, Craig Vosbergen
FK Rod Ends Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Rick Eckert, Doug Drown, Shane McLoughlin, Dennis Erb, Jr., Matthew Robinette, Jason Papich, Aaron Scott, Larry Bellman
JRi Shocks B-Main #1 (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer) Finish: Scott Bloomquist, Jason Hughes, Rocky Owens, Steve Prince, Michael Davis, Jimmy Smith, Doug Kenworthy, Ronnie Mayle, Bryan Casey-DNS
CV Products B-Main #2 (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer) Finish: Jared Hawkins, Jason Papich, Matt Irey, Matthew Robinette, Larry Bellman, Aaron Scott, Todd Brennan, Craig Vosbergen-DNS
Feature Finish (50 Laps):
| FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN |
| 1 | 2 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN |
| 2 | 4 | 1 | Rick Eckert | York, PA |
| 3 | 1 | 5 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN |
| 4 | 3 | 28 | Eddie Carrier, Jr. | Salt Rock, WV |
| 5 | 6 | 44 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL |
| 6 | 7 | 1J | Davey Johnson | Greensburg, PA |
| 7 | 11 | 99m | Devin Moran | Dresden, OH |
| 8 | 5 | 6T | Tim Dohm | Charleston, WV |
| 9 | 9 | 25x | Mike Benedum | Salem, WV |
| 10 | 14 | 777 | Jared Landers | Batesville, AR |
| 11 | 16 | 28e | Dennis Erb, Jr. | Carpentersville, IL |
| 12 | 15 | 23 | John Blankenship | Williamson, WV |
| 13 | 12 | 9m | Shane McLoughlin | Nashport, OH |
| 14 | 26 | 7m | Michael Davis | Rayland, OH |
| 15 | 20 | 91p | Jason Papich | Nipomo, CA |
| 16 | 8 | 20d | Doug Drown | Wooster, OH |
| 17 | 13 | 5m | Ryan Markham | Ashland, OH |
| 18 | 25 | 30 | Todd Brennan | Zanesville, OH |
| 19 | 22 | 36 | Matt Irey | Mansfield, OH |
| 20 | 10 | 15 | Steve Francis | Ashland, KY |
| 21 | 19 | 12 | Jason Hughes | Watts, OK |
| 22 | 18 | 37 | Jared Hawkins | Fairmont, WV |
| 23 | 17 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN |
| 24 | 21 | 29 | Rocky Owens | Mansfield, OH |
| 25 | 23 | 83 | Steve Prince | Newark, OH |
| 26 | 24 | 50 | Ronnie Mayle | Chester Hill, OH |
Race Statistics
Entrants: 33
Lap Leaders: Don O’Neal (Laps 1 – 17); Jimmy Owens (Laps 18 – 50)
Cautions: Jason Hughes (Lap 23); Steve Francis, Doug Drown (Lap 41)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: n/a
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Miller Welders Fast Time Provisionals: Steve Prince, Ronnie Mayle
Track Provisionals: Todd Brennan, Michael Davis
Wrisco Feature Winner: Jimmy Owens
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Michael Davis (Started: 26th; Finished: 14th; Advanced 12 Positions)
Keyser Mfg Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Don O’Neal
Allstar Performer of the Race: Eddie Carrier Jr.
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Jimmy Owens
Dunn Benson Ford Rookie of the Race: Jason Papich
Midwest Sheet Metal Highest Finishing Rookie: Jason Papich
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Cornett Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Club 29 Race Cars
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Chris Fox (Jimmy Owens)
HAWK Performance Fastest Lap of the Race: Jimmy Owens (Lap # 24 – 16.590 seconds)
Time of Race: 24 minutes 45 seconds
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings: