Lanigan Tops Eckert at Sun Drop Shootout, Earns Third Shawano Speedway Victory
Kentucky Driver Stretches WoO LMS Points Lead with 11th Series Win of 2014
SHAWANO, Wis. – July 29, 2014 – Series points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., won his third World of Outlaws Late Model Series race at Shawano Speedway in the last four years, earning $10,675 Tuesday for his series-leading 11th victory of the season.
The fourth-starting Lanigan took the lead from outside front-row starter Rick Eckert of York, Pa., amid traffic on the 17th lap and led the remainder of the 50-lap Sun Drop Shootout in the first of three series races in Wisconsin.
It was a two-car breakaway most of the race, but Lanigan crept further away from Eckert in the second half of the race and lapped all but nine competitors in the 24-car field.
“When your car’s that good, it’s not too bad,” Lanigan said of the 43-lap stretch of green-flag racing on the half-mile fairgrounds oval. “The car was just phenomenal out there and would go anywhere we wanted to. Like I said, I can’t thank my crew enough — Jason (Jameson), Adam (Logan), Richie (Davis) — they all do a phenomenal job.”
Eckert finished two seconds back at the finish while seventh-starting Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., was nearly seven seconds back in third. Tim Fuller of Edwards, N.Y., and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., rounded out the top five finishers on a night when an afternoon shower delayed the beginning of the night’s action.
Polesitter Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., piloting the Illinois-based Moring Motorsports No. 1, started on the pole but slipped to fourth from second on a lap-seven restart following the race’s lone caution for Jason Feger and ended up sixth at the finish.
The 44-year-old Lanigan, who also won at Shawano in 2011 and ’12, led comfortably most of the second half of the race, but Eckert drew closer with about 10 laps remaining when the leader was trying to put Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., a lap down.
Eckert drew nearly within striking distance, but once Lanigan cleared McCreadie he cruised the rest of the way for his 64th career WoO victory.
Traffic wasn’t easy, Lanigan said, but “we had a good car so we could move around,” he said. “I had my guy giving my signals, so I knew we had a little bit of a lead where we could move around a little bit. Like I said, the car’s been phenomenal.”
Eckert, winless on the series for more than a year and looking for his first series victory since joining the Rocket Chassis house car team in the spring, felt he let one get away at Shawano.
“We had a great race car. That’s the best driving race car I’ve had in a long time. The guys have been working hard,” the 48-year-old Eckert said. “Really, we should’ve beat him. I didn’t get through lapped traffic as quick as I should’ve, so that one’s on me.
“I thank all the fans for coming out and sitting through this rain. I knew that was a pain in the neck for everybody, but it turned out to be a great race, so you got your money’s worth.”
Mars picked his way up to the third spot, improving four positions, but he never caught the frontrunners as the laps clicked off.
“It’d have been interesting maybe if we had something (on a late restart),” Mars said. “I don’t know, the car felt pretty good. Starting seventh … these guys are so good here, it takes a major slipup to pass, and a couple of guys did and we were able to get by ’em.
“Then I was playing catchup the rest of the time. I don’t know what my lap times were compared to (Lanigan and Eckert), but it felt pretty good.
“The way I thought tonight was going to start out with ignition problems there, I thought ‘Oh man, this is going to be bad.’ But it all worked out good. I won a heat race and got third in the feature, and congratulations to Darrell and Rick, they did a good job. I wish I could’ve been up there battling a little more.”
Mars will make another home-state run with the World of Outlaws regulars starting Thursday at Cedar Lake Speedway in New Richmond, Wis., for three nights of action capped by a $50,000 payday. Lanigan will be among drivers gunning for his first visit to victory lane in USA Nationals action.
“We’ve definitely been good up there in the past, so I can’t wait to get up there,” the Shawano winner said. “All the Club 29 Cars have been doing awesome this year, so I can’t wait until we get up there to see if we can take the money, too.”
Cedar Lake hosts a $6,000-to-win preliminary program on Thurs., July 31, and the weekend’s headline 100-lap event on Aug. 1-2.
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 Sun Drop Shootout at Shawano Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,675
2. (2) Rick Eckert/50 $5,650
3. (7) Jimmy Mars/50 $3,050
4. (3) Tim Fuller/50 $2,550
5. (5) Billy Moyer/50 $2,050
6. (1) Wendell Wallace/50 $2,300
7. (10) Mason Zeigler/50 $1,400
8. (9) Chub Frank/50 $1,950
9. (6) Billy Moyer Jr/50 $1,300
10. (11) Dennis Erb Jr./50 $1,150
11. (12) Eric Wells/49 $1,600
12. (14) Tim McCreadie/49 $1,650
13. (15) Frank Heckenast Jr./49 $1 Frank Heckenast Jr.
14. (18) Gregg Satterlee/49 $950
15. (16) Shane Clanton/49 $1,400
16. (20) Morgan Bagley/49 $ 1,350
17. (21) Clint Smith/49 $1,320
18. (23) Boom Briggs/49 $1,300
19. (8) Chase Junghans/32 $1,270
20. (13) Brady Smith/27 $700
21. (22) Brett Swedberg/17 $700
22. (19) Todd Frank/16 $700
23. (17) Jason Feger/7 $700
24. (24) Jonathan Davenport/12 $700
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 22 Mins., 41 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.027 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 1 (lap 7)
Lap Leaders: Eckert (1-16); Lanigan (17-50)
Provisional Starters: Boom Briggs, Jonathan Davenport
WoO LMS Bonus Bucks Winner: Wendell Wallace ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
Group A
1. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, Ark. 18.400
2. 1w-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, Ark. 18.462
3. 1-Rick Eckert, York, Pa. 18.574
4. 25z-Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, Pa. 18.736
5. 2-Brady Smith, Solon Springs, Wis. 18.934
6. 99B-Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa. 19.093
7. 1*-Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa. 19.099
8. 18c-Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan. 19.112
9. 22-Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills, Pa., 19.182
10. 44-Clint Smith, Senoia, Ga., 19.184
11. 14m-Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, 19.207
12. 39-Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y., 19.274
13. 10-Pete Parker, Kaukauna, Wis., 19.587
14. 10p-Paul Parker, Kaukauna, Wis., 20.372
15. 28r-Mark Rose, Elcho, Wis., no time
16. 01-Jasper Drengler, Shawano, Wis., no time
17. 51-Matthew Furman, Columbus, Ohio, no time
Group B
1. 49-Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga., 18.615
2. 19-Tim Fuller, Watertown, N.Y., 18.768
3. 28m-Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis., 18.828
4. 29-Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky., 18.829
5. 21jr-Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, Ark., 18.919
6. 18-Eric Wells, Hazard, Ky., 18.898
7. 28-Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill., 19.174
8. 25-Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga., 19.209
9. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill., 19.241
10. 58-A.J. Diemel, Elk Mound, Wis., 19.323
11. 25f-Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill., 19.353
12. 1b-Doug Blashe, Marion, Wis., 19.590
13. 21f-Todd Frank, Mellen, Wis., 19.677
14. 3-Brett Swedberg, Shawano, Wis., 19.833
15. 24-Troy Kuyoth, Stratford, Wis., 19.941
16. 15-Nick Anvelink, Navarino, Wis., no time
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Moyer, C. Frank, B. Smith, Satterlee, Bagley, Rose, Pete Parker.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Junghans, Wallace, Zeigler, McCreadie, C. Smith, Briggs, Paul Parker.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Mars, Moyer Jr., Erb, Heckenast, Feger, T. Frank, Kuyoth, Davenport.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, Fuller, Wells, Clanton, Diemel, Blashe, Swedberg, Anvelink.
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Satterlee, Bagley, C. Smith, Briggs, Pete Parker, Rose, Paul Parker.
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Feger, T. Frank, Swedberg, Rose, Diemel.
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): Wendell Wallace
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Rick Eckert
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Jimmy Mars
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Jimmy Mars
Penske Racing Shocks ($50 to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Billy Moyer Jr.
Roush-Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Billy Moyer
American Racing Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Wendell Wallace
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): Billy Moyer Jr.
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Dennis Erb Jr.
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Shane Clanton
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Boom Briggs
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Chase Junghans
Mobil 1 (20% off gift certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Jason Feger
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Jason Feger
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Jason Feger
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Darrell Lanigan
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Wendell Wallace
Reliable Painting award (one free tire): Shane Clanton
2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 29 – 24 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 3,460
2. Rick Eckert 3,236 (-224)
3. Tim McCreadie 3,216 (-244)
4. Morgan Bagley 3,124 (-336)
5. Chub Frank 3,092 (-368)
6. Eric Wells 3,044 (-416)
7. Shane Clanton 3,024 (-436)
8. Frank Heckenast Jr. 2,968 (-492)
9. Clint Smith 2,852 (-608)
10. Chase Junghans 2,814 (-646)
11. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs 2,708 (-752)
12. Tim Fuller 1,562 (-1898)
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), 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, Mobil 1, MSD, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Penske Shocks, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, Intercomp, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, Velocita USA, and TNT Rescue.