Lanigan Overtakes McCreadie Late In Saturday’s Gunter’s Honey 50 En Route To First Winchester Speedway Victory
Kentucky Driver Extends WoO LMS Points Lead With 12th A-Main Win of 2014
By Joshua Joiner, WoO LMS P.R. Coordinator
WINCHESTER, Va. – Aug. 16, 2014 – After starting the weekend with a pair of runner-up finishes, Darrell Lanigan returned to his preferred top spot Saturday night at Winchester Speedway with a victory in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series-sanctioned Gunter’s Honey 50.
Lanigan, the two-time WoO LMS champion and current points leader, earned $10,650 for his series-leading 12th victory of the season as the national tour wrapped up a three-race weekend in the Mid-Atlantic region. The tour’s all-time winningest driver earned his 65th career series victory in front of a near-capacity crowd at the northern Virginia track.
Advancing from his fourth starting spot, Lanigan, 44, of Union, Ky., overtook Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., on lap 44 of the 50-lap race and pulled away in his Keyser Manufacturing-sponsored Club 29 Race Car on his way to claiming his first victory at Winchester’s 3/8-mile oval.
“I don’t like second,” said Lanigan, who settled for runner-up finishes Friday night at Delaware International Speedway in Delmar, Del., and Saturday night at Potomac Speedway in Budds Creek, Md. “It’s always better to win, especially here at Winchester where we’ve struggled. To come here with our Club 29 car and get a win, it’s awesome.”
McCreadie, the 2006 WoO LMS champion who sits third in the current series standings, settled for second in his Sweeteners Plus Rocket Chassis, 2.360 seconds behind Lanigan at the finish. McCreadie started from the outside pole and took the lead from polesitter Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., on lap 22.
Thompson’s Stone’s Excavating Rocket was third at the finish after riding out front for the race’s first 21 laps. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., was fourth in the Rocket Chassis house car with Kenny Pettyjohn of Millsboro, Del., rounding out the top five in his Rocket car.
Lanigan made his way to third early in the event and rode patiently in the spot through the race’s opening laps as Stone paced the field ahead of McCreadie. When McCreadie began to pressure Stone in traffic around lap 15, Lanigan closed in on both drivers to make it a three-car battle for the lead.
After taking several looks under Stone in traffic, McCreadie pulled ahead for the lead on lap 22 as Lanigan looked to take second. Lanigan overtook Stone on lap 27 and erased what little advantage McCradie had built in just a couple of laps.
Lanigan pressured McCreadie as the leaders raced through heavy traffic, pulling alongside multiple times before finally completing the winning pass when McCreadie slipped high on lap 44.
The race’s only caution on lap 47 gave McCreadie a chance to challenge Lanigan on a late restart, but Lanigan pulled away in building nearly a straightaway advantage before the finish.
“I was just biding my time a little bit,” Lanigan said of his battle with McCreadie. “I didn’t want to press the issue and take us both out. When your car’s good like that you can move around, so I was just kind of waiting on him there until I finally got a good groove going.
“I raced him clean and he raced me clean. It was definitely a good race. It’s fun when you can race with people like that that you trust to run around.”
McCreadie was happy to improve on his finishes of 11th and fourth on Friday and Saturday, but was disappointed to come up short of the victory.
“I must’ve been fading. I just tried to go where the track felt the best,” said McCreadie, a two-time winner on the WoO LMS this season who recorded his fourth runner-up finish of the year. “It’s tough to run second, but it’s better than we were all weekend. I’ll take it and hope we put on a good show for everybody.”
After dropping back to third, Stone switched grooves and rallied back to pressure McCreadie for second late in the race. He felt that his car was capable of winning the race if he had found the quicker way around the track sooner.
“The track was faster at the beginning there and I was really good,” said Stone, a WoO LMS part-timer who was looking for his third career series victory. “I think the track slowed down, but I didn’t slow down enough with it. I was gauging myself off those lapped cars, but obviously those guys were real fast behind me. I just slipped up there for probably 10 laps and messed up.”
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series returns to action Aug. 22-23 with a doubleheader weekend in Michigan. The series returns to I-96 Speedway in Lake Odessa for the first time since 2007 Friday night before heading to Merritt Raceway in Merritt Saturday.
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 Gunter’s Honey 50 at Winchester Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,650
2. (2) Tim McCreadie/50 $5,650
3. (1) Dan Stone/50 $3,000
4. (3) Rick Eckert/50 $3,150
5. (7) Kenny Pettyjohn/50 $2,650
6. (6) Vic Coffey/50 $1,750
7. (5) Jamie Lathroum/50 $1,450
8. (8) Larry Ramsey/50 $1,350
9. (10) Allen Brannon/50 $1,250
10. (11) Jason Covert/50 $1,100
11. (18) Eric Wells/50 $1,600
12. (12) Dale Hollidge/50 $1,050
13. (13) Gregg Satterlee/50 $950
14. (20) Tim Fuller/50 $950
15. (16) Morgan Bagley/50 $1,400
16. (11) Frank Heckenast Jr./50 $1,550
17. (15) Kenny Moreland/50 $770
18. (17) J.T. Spence/50 $750
19. (23) Shane Clanton/50 $1,280
20. (22) Mark Pettyjohn/45 $9,700
21. (14) Ross Robinson/49 $700
22. (19) Chub Frank/49 $1,250
23. (24) Clint Smith/49 $1,250
24. (21) Billy Beachler/45 $725
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 17 Mins. 38 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.360 seconds
Yellow Flags: 1 (lap 47)
Lap Leaders: Stone (1-21); McCreadie (22-43); Lanigan (44-50)
Provisional Starters: Clanton (WoO points), Smith (WoO points)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Kenny Pettyjohn ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
Group A
1. 29-Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky., 16.065
2. 30-Allen Brannon, Winchester, Va., 16.435
3. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill., 16.460
4. 6-Jamie Lathroum, Mechanicsville, Md., 16.463
5. 38-Kenny Pettyjohn, Millsboro, Del., 16.476
6. 39-Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y., 16.544
7. 91-J.T. Spence, Winchester, Va., 16.593
8. 7-Ross Robinson, Georgetown, Del., 16.634
9. 22-Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, Pa., 16.698
10. 93-Tony Crim, Front Royal, Va., 16.698
11. 44-Clint Smith, Senoia, Ga., 16.705
12. 21-Billy Beachler, Franklin, W.Va., 16.727
13. 1*-Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa., 16.765
14. 99b-Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa., 16.883
15. 19r-Greg Roberson, Waynesboro, Va., 17.070
16. 43-Tom Decker Jr., Tyrone, Pa., 17.261
DQ 15-Tommy Armel, Winchester, Va.,
Group B
1. 1-Rick Eckert, York, Pa., 16.347
2. 21d-Dan Stone, Thompson, Pa., 16.404
3 90-Larry Ramsey, Lexington, Va., 16.486
4. 32c-Vic Coffey, Caledonia, N.Y., 16.559
5. 72-Jason Covert, York Haven, Pa., 16.571
6. 19-Tim Fuller, Watertown, N.Y., 16.572
7. 24-Kenny Moreland, Waldorf, Md., 16.646
8. 14m-Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, 16.649
9. 25-Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga., 16.657
10. 18c-Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., 16.747
11. 18-Eric Wells, Hazard, Ky., 16.802
12. 0-Dale Hollidge, Mechanicsville, Md., 16.820
13. 11j- Keith Jackson, Edenton, Md., 16.851
14. 1MD-Dominic Defino, York, Pa., 16.900
15. 19p-Mark Pettyjohn, Milton, Del., 16.921
16. 93-Pancho Lawler, Glenville, Pa., 17.453
17. 79-Mike Altobelli Jr., Saxton, Pa., 17.829
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, K. Pettyjohn, Heckenast, Satterlee, Spence, Frank, Smith, Roberson, Armel.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lathroum, McCreadie, Brannon, Robinson, Beachler, Crim, Briggs, Decker.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Eckert, Ramsey, Covert, Moreland. Non-transfers: Wells, M. Pettyjohn, Clanton, Jackson, Anobelli.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Stone, Coffey, Hollidge, Bagley, Fuller, Junghans, Lawler. Did not start: Defino.
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Spence, Frank, Beachler, Roberson, Crim, Smith, Briggs, Armel, Decker.
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Wells, Fuller, M. Pettyjohn, Clanton, Junghans, Lawler, Anobelli. Did not start: Jackson, Defino.
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): Allen Brannon
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Tim McCreadie
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Tim McCreadie
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Penske Racing Shocks ($50 to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Kenny Pettyjohn
Roush-Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
Mobile 1 ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Kenny Pettyjohn
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Kenny Pettyjohn
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Vic Coffey
American Racing Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Jamie Lathroum
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Larry Ramsey
Edelbrock ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main): Allen Brannon
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Dale Hollidge
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Frank Heckenast Jr.
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Frank Heckenast Jr.
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Shane Clanton
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Ross Robinson
Mobil 1 (20% off gift certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Ross Robinson
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Ross Robinson
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Billy Beachler
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Dan Stone
Reliable Painting award (one free tire): Chase Junghans
2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Aug. 16 – 29 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 4,108
2. Rick Eckert 3,846 (-262)
3. Tim McCreadie 3,804 (-304)
4. Morgan Bagley 3,650 (-458)
5. Chub Frank 3,620 (-488)
6. Eric Wells 3,590 (-518)
7. Shane Clanton 3,562 (-546)
8. Frank Heckenast Jr. 3,518 (-590)
9. Clint Smith 3,380 (-728)
10. Chase Junghans 3,282 (-826)
11. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs 3,140 (-968)
12. Tim Fuller 2,412 (-1,696)
Rookie of the Year Standings as of Aug. 16 (29 A-Mains completed; best 25 races counted)
1. Frank Heckenast Jr. 3,245
2. Chase Junghans 3,018 (-236)
3. Boom Briggs 2,892 (-362)
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, and TNT Rescue.