Richards Completes Jackpot 100 Weekend Sweep With Another Late Charge At Tyler County Speedway
Three-Time World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion Denies Frank & Overton in Scoring Third Series Victory of 2015
By Joshua Joiner, WoO LMS PR
MIDDLEBOURNE, W.Va. – May 24, 2015 – A trip to his home track was just what Josh Richards needed to get his season headed in the right direction.
One night after scoring his first victory since February, Richards, 27, of Shinnston, W.Va., drove his Valvoline-sponsored Rocket Chassis house car back to victory lane again on Sunday evening after completing a sweep of Tyler County Speedway’s Jackpot 100 Weekend. The three-time World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion topped a tight back-and-forth battle with Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., in the second half of Sunday’s Jackpot 100 finale and pulled away to earn his third WoO LMS victory of the season.
The $10,650 triumph followed Richards’ late charge to win Saturday’s Jackpot 100 opener in the fourth annual running of Tyler County’s Memorial Day weekend event. Richards’ 52nd-career WoO LMS victory came in a race that featured five official lead changes among three drivers.
“That must have been a good race for the fans,” said Richards, who started fourth in Sunday’s main event and trailed just behind the lead battle between Overton and Frank before taking charge for the final 12 laps. “Tonight was more finesse and trying to figure out where you needed to be. I feel like once I started moving around we started gaining on them guys and just kept getting better.”
The Pole-starting Frank settled for second after twice leading the race. He narrowly edged WoO LMS points leader Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., who advanced from his sixth starting spot to finish third. Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., recorded his best WoO LMS finish of the season in the fourth spot while Overton faded to fifth after leading the majority of the race’s 60-lap distance.
Much of the race featured side-by-side racing throughout the field, with the most exciting battle seeing Overton and Frank going back and forth with Richards lurking just behind and Junghans and Clanton also entering the mix at times.
Overton’s high line allowed him to keep just ahead of the low-running Frank, save for two occasions when Frank pulled ahead in traffic. Overton rebuffed each of Frank’s challenges, but he was no match for a hard-charging Richards in the final 15 laps. After clearing Frank for second on lap 42, Richards tracked down Overton by lap 45 and rolled passed the WoO LMS rookie contender amid heavy traffic on lap 48.
“The traffic was a little hairy,” said Richards, who for the second straight night used a late pass to deny Overton his first WoO LMS victory. “They didn’t really know where to go and they were racing for position too. It’s always tight racing here at this track. You just don’t want to make the wrong move and get stuck behind somebody.”
Frank moved by a badly fading Overton on lap 50 and began closing the gap to Richards until the leaders cleared lapped traffic with five laps remaining. Richards cruised from there, pulling to an advantage of 1.879 seconds by the time he took the checkered flag.
In settling for second in his Sorbera Family Chiropractic-sponsored Longhorn Chassis, Frank fell just short of claiming his first WoO LMS victory since 2009.
“The fans got their money’s worth,” said the veteran Frank, who notched his fifth top five finish of the season. “Brandon and I had a heck of a race going on there and Josh snuck in there. All three of us were racing hard. I don’t know what was going on behind us, but it was definitely exciting in that traffic.”
After driving his Weldbank Energy Capital house car entry into the top five early in the race, Clanton struggled to keep pace with the leaders until making a late charge. But his run to the front came up short as he finished behind Frank in a side-by-side finish for second.
“We needed another 10 laps,” Clanton said. “We really got to coming them last 10 to 15 laps. We just started a little too far back. But we had a fast car and had a good weekend, so we’re happy.”
Third-starting Jared Hawkins of Fairmont, W.Va., finished sixth after battling among the top five for much of the race, while Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., charged from the 23rd starting spot to finish seventh. Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., was eighth with 15th-starting Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., ninth and 16th-starting Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas 10th.
The race was slowed by only one caution, which appeared with 21 laps complete when the lapped machine of Kyle Thomas of Pennsboro, W.Va., got caught in the middle of a top-five battle between Clanton and Hawkins and ended up going for a spin in turn four.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series takes a three-week break before beginning a busy summer stretch with a trip to New York and Canada for four races during the Great Northern Tour. The northern trek kicks off at Fonda (N.Y.) Speedway on June 18 with events at Canadian ovals Brighton Speedway on June 20 and Cornwall Motor Speedway on June 21 before the Great Northern Tour finale at Weedsport (N.Y.) Speedway on June 23.
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/WorldofOutlawsLateModelSeries.
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series Jackpot 100 Night 2 at Tyler County Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Josh Richards/60 $10,650
2. (1) Chub Frank/60 $5,550
3. (7) Shane Clanton/60 $3,550
4. (5) Chase Junghans/60 $3,050
5. (2) Brandon Overton/60 $2,850
6. (3) Jared Hawkins/60 $1,700
7. (23) Tim McCreadie/60 $2,050
8. (6) Chris Ferguson/60 $1,350
9. (15) Darrell Lanigan/60 $1,850
10. (16) Morgan Bagley/60 $1,700
11. (11) Tim Senic/60 $1,550
12. (22) Frank Heckenast Jr./60 $1,550
13. (12) Mason Zeigler/60 $1,000
14. (21) Steve Casebolt/60 $950
15. (10) Eric Wells/60 $1,400
16. (9) Rick Eckert/60 $1,450
17. (18) Jacob Hawkins/60 $770
18. (8) Corey Conley/59 $750
19. (13) Colton Burdette/59 $730
20. (24) Boom Briggs/59 $1,250
21. (17) Kyle Thomas/58 $750
22. (19) Mike Benedum/58 $700
23. (14) Chris Garnes/44 $700
24. (20) Steve Weigle/15 $725
Time of Race: 17 Mins., 17 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.879 Secs.
Yellow Flags: One (lap 21)
Lap Leaders: Overton (1-9, 11-37, 40-47); Frank (10, 38-39); Richards (48-60)
Provisional Starters: McCreadie, Briggs
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Tim Senic ($500)
WoO LMS ‘Rookie of the Race’ Winner: Brandon Overton ($250)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
Group A
1. 22-Chris Ferguson, Mount Holly, N.C., 13.148
2. 57-Kyle Thomas, Pennsboro, W.Va., 13.167
3. 18c-Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., 13.262
4. 14-Corey Conley, Wellsburg, W.Va., 13.264
5. 44B-Colten Burdette, Parkersburg, W.Va., 13.307
6. 18-Eric Wells, Hazard, Ky., 13.336
7. 7v-Rick Eckert, York, Pa., 13.367
8. 76-Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga., 13.374
9. 4-Brian Ligon, Augusta, Ga., 13.536
10. 42-Chris Garnes, Evans, W.Va., 13.536
11. 32B-Brian Baumberger, Jacobsburg, Ohio, 13.557
12. 77-Jordan Yaggy, Rochester, Minn., 13.565
13. 5*-Shane Hitt, Buckhannon, W.Va., 13.595
14. c9-Steve Casebolt, Richmond, Ind., 13.601
15. 25B-Mike Benedum, Salem, W.Va., 13.635
16. 17-Zack Dohm, Cross Lanes, W.Va., 13.688
17. 1×1-Sonny Conley, New Martinsville, W.Va., 14.026
Group B
1. 25-Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga., 13.030
2. 1-Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va., 13.222
3. 37-Jared Hawkins, Fairmont, W.Va., 13.319
4. 6T-Tim Dohm, Cross Lanes, W.Va., 13.337
5. s2-Tim Senic, Elkins, N.C., 13.364
6. 25z-Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, Pa., 13.419
7. 29-Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky., 13.431
8. 1*-Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa., 13.505
9. 27-Jacob Hawkins, Fairmont, W.Va., 13.512
10. 14m-Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, 13.600
11. 99B-Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa., 13.624
12. 39-Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y., 13.641
13. 87-Derek Doll, Greenwood, W.Va., 13.645
14. 16-Matt Cochran, Williamsport, Pa., 13.655
15. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill., 13.658
16. 75-Steve Weigle, Middlebourne, W.Va., 13.672
17. c4-Freddie Carpenter, Parkersburg, W.Va., no time
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Junghans, Ferguson, Eckert, Burdette, Hitt, Ligon, Baumberger, S.Conley, D. Conley.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): C. Conley, Overton, Wells, Garnes, Thomas, Casebolt, Yaggy, Z.Dohm, Lawler.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Jar. Hawkins, Senic, Lanigan, Hawkins, Heckenast, Doll, Briggs.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Frank, Zeigler, Bagley, Weigle, Cochran, McCreadie, T.Dohm.
B-Main No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Thomas, Benedum, Casebolt, Hitt, Yaggy, Z.Dohm, B.Baumberger, Ligon, D.Conley, S.Conley, Lawler.
B-Main No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Jac. Hawkins, Weigle, Heckneast, Doll, Briggs, Cochran, McCreadie. DNS: T.Dohm.
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): Clanton
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Richards
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Richards
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Frank
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Richards
Mobil 1 ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Overton
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Overton
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): McCreadie
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Ferguson
Edelbrock ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main): Bagley
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Bagley
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Heckenast
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Zeigler
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Casebolt
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Wells
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Eckert
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Briggs
Mobil 1 (20 percent certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Briggs
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Thomas
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Weigle
QA1 ($50 to driver with fastest lap of the night): Thomas
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Zeigler
2015 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of May 24 – 16 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Shane Clanton – 2262
2. Josh Richards – 2178 (-84)
3. Darrell Lanigan – 2152 (-110)
4. Chub Frank – 2112 (-150)
5. Tim McCreadie – 2028 (-234)
6. Morgan Bagley – 2026 (-236)
7. Rick Eckert – 2010 (-252)
8. Eric Wells – 1982 (-280)
9. Frank Heckenast Jr. – 1978 (-284)
10. Brandon Overton – 1952 (-310)
11. Chase Junghans – 1918 (-344)
12. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs – 1768 (-494)
13. Jordan Yaggy – 1646 (-616)
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), Lincoln Welder (Official Welder), 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, QA1, QuarterMaster, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Club 29 Chassis, Integra Shocks, Impact Racing Products, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, and TNT Rescue.