UNION, Ky. (Aug. 12) — Based on their performances in Friday’s preliminaries, two-time North-South 100 winner Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., and current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., will start on the front row of Saturday’s 34th annual Sunoco North-South 100 at Florence Speedway.

O’Neal and Bloomquist were the top finishers in combined passing points after two rounds of six preliminary heat races for the $50,000-to-win event. A total of 16 drivers were locked in to Saturday’s 100-lapper based on their combined heat races finishes, and will line up in the order of their points totals.

Overtaking Michael Chilton of Salvisa, Ky., to win his first heat race, O’Neal was the only driver to pick up a victory both sets of preliminary action. Finishing second in his first heat, Bloomquist outran Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., to win his second heat race of the night. The evening saw 11 different heat race winners.

Following O’Neal and Bloomquist were Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg, Ind., and Sheppard. Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., rounded out the top five in the combined points standings.

Preliminary notes and results:

Sixth heat

With the frontrunners going four-wide down the backstretch, Mike Benedum pulled ahead to lead the first lap. Splitting Benedum and second-running Dennis Erb Jr., Don O’Neal shot to the front of the field on lap two. Advancing from the final starting spot, Jared Landers moved in to fifth by lap five. Darrell Lanigan slowed on the frontstretch to draw a caution on lap eight. Using the restart to his advantage, Billy Moyer challenged O’Neal, but the race leader pulled away to win the final heat race. Moyer ran second, with Erb rounding out the podium in third.

Finish: Don O’Neal, Billy Moyer, Dennis Erb Jr., Chris Brown, Jared Landers, Devin Moran, Doug Drown, Darrell Lanigan, John Gill, Steve Landrum, Mike Benedum

Fifth heat

Losing a driveshaft, Scott James pulled in to the infield before the race took the green flag. Third-starting Jason Jameson jumped to an early lead, with Mike Marlar improving from the tail to run fifth by lap five. Jameson went on to pick up the heat race win, with Matt Miller improving from the fourth-starting spot to run second. Polesitter Colton Flinner slipped to finish third, with Marlar advancing from the 10th starting spot to run fourth. Cody Mahoney rounded out the top five.

Finish: Jason Jameson, Matt Miller, Colton Flinner. Mike Marlar, Cody Mahoney, Ethan Burgess, Tommy Bailey, Jake O’Neil, D.J. Wells, Gregg Satterleee, Scott James

Fourth heat

Polesitter Bobby Pierce shot to an early lead, distancing himself from second-running Ray Cook in the opening laps. With outside polesitter Nick Latham slipping one spot to run third, Chad Stapleton advanced from the seventh starting spot to run fourth by lap five. Austyn Mills spun in turn four to draw a caution on lap six. Using the restart to his advantage, Latham moved in to the second position, reeling in Pierce. But it wouldn’t be enough, as Pierce grabbed the heat win. Latham finished second, with Cook running third.

Finish: Bobby Pierce, Nick Latham, Ray Cook, Michael Chilton, Chad Stapleton, Tim Dohm, Joe Brewer, Austyn Mills, Kenny Cobble

Third heat

Outside polesitter Steve Francis jumped to the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Jimmy Owens advancing from the tail to run fourth by the third lap. Improving from the fifth starting spot to run second, Dale McDowell set his sights on Francis, as Owens moved into third at the halfway mark. Francis fought back challenges from McDowell to win the third heat, with McDowell finishing second. Owens rounded out the podium.

Finish: Steve Francis, Dale McDowell, Jimmy Owens, Nick Hoffman, Robby Hensley, Zak Blackwood, Trevor Landrum, Joe Godsey, Nathan Vawter, Jerry Gibson Jr. Scratched: Mason Zeigler

Second heat

Charging from the third starting spot, Scott Bloomquist shot to the lead on the first lap, pulling away from the field in the early running. Working around the top of the racetrack, second-running Brandon Sheppard began reeling in the race leader, with Josh Rice improving from the rear of the field to run third mid-race. Bloomquist picked up the heat race win, with Sheppard finishing second. Earl Pearson Jr. edged ahead of Rice to take third at the checkers.

Finish: Scott Bloomquist, Brandon Sheppard, Earl Pearson Jr., Josh Rice, Jason Feger, Timothy Culp, Dustin Nobbe, Chris Combs, Jeff Alsip. Scratched: Chris Madden, John Whitney

First heat

R.J. Conley pulled ahead of Kyle Bronson to lead the opening lap, with Jonathan Davenport advancing from the sixth position to run third. Kent Robinson and Jesse Lay tangled in turn two to draw a caution on the second lap. Davenport slid ahead of Conley in turn two to lead the eighth lap, leading the remaining circuits. Conley finished runner-up, with Bronson running third. Tim McCreadie improved four spots to finish fourth, with Kent Robinson running fifth.

Finish: Jonathan Davenport, R.J. Conley, Kyle Bronson, Tim McCreadie, Kent Robinson, Ricky Weiss, Justin Rattliff, Jesse Lay, Adam Bowman, Kolby Vandenbergh. Scratched: Jackie Boggs

Second set heat lineups

First heat
Row 1: Jackie Boggs, R.J. Conley
Row 2: Kyle Bronson, Kent Robinson
Row 3: Adam Bowman, Justin Rattliff
Row 4: Jonathan Davenport, Tim McCreadie
Row 5: Kolby Vandenbergh, Ricky Weiss
Row 6: Jesse Lay
Second heat
Row 1: Earl Pearson Jr., Brandon Sheppard
Row 2: Scott Bloomquist, Jason Feger
Row 3: Chris Madden, Timothy Culp
Row 4: Dustin Nobbe, Jeff Alsip
Row 5: Josh Rice, John Whitney
Row 6: Chris Combs
Third heat
Row 1: Zak Blackwood, Steve Francis
Row 2: Robby Hensley, Nick Hoffman
Row 3: Dale McDowell, Jerry Gibson Jr.
Row 4: Nathan Vawter, Mason Zeigler
Row 5: Trevor Landrum, Jimmy Owens
Row 6: Joe Godsey
Fourth heat
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Nick Latham
Row 2: Austyn Mills, Ray Cook
Row 3: Kenny Cobble, Joe Brewer
Row 4: Chad Stapleton, Michael Chilton
Row 5: Tim Dohm, Devin Gilpin
Fifth heat
Row 1: Colton Flinner, D.J. Wells
Row 2: Jason Jameson, Matt Miller
Row 3: Ethan Burgess, Cody Mahoney
Row 4: Tommy Bailey, Jake O’Neil
Row 5: Scott James, Mike Marlar
Row 6: Gregg Satterlee
Sixth heat
Row 1: Mike Benedum, Chris Brown
Row 2: Dennis Erb Jr., Don O’Neal
Row 3: Darrell Lanigan, Doug Drown
Row 4: Billy Moyer, Devin Moran
Row 5: Steve Landrum, John Gill
Row 6: Jared Landers

Sixth heat

Polesitter Jimmy Owens led the opening lap, as Scott Bloomquist advanced from the eighth starting spot to run sixth. A yellow flag waved on lap two for debris on the racing surface. Owens maintained his lead over the field at the halfway point, as Bloomquist and fourth-starting Moyer battled for the runner-up spot. Owens pulled away to win the sixth heat, with Bloomquist edging ahead of Moyer finished second at the line. Moyer ran third, with Tim McCreadie finishing fourth. Josh Rice rounded out the top five.

Finish: Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer. Tim McCreadie, Josh Rice, Nick Hoffman, Cody Mahoney, R.J. Conley, Mike Benedum, Kenny Cobble

Fifth heat

Polesitter Gregg Satterlee jumped to an early lead, with Jackie Boggs slowing to draw a caution on lap two. Working around the high-side, sixth-starting Doug Drown edged ahead of Satterlee to take the lead on lap six. Advancing from the 10th starting spot, Sheppard moved in to a podium position on lap eight. Drown won the fifth heat, with Sheppard finishing second at the checkers. Satterlee slipped to run third, with Jonathan Davenport improving one spot to finish fourth. Ray Cook rounded out the top five.

Finish: Doug Drown, Brandon Shepaprd, Gregg Satterlee, Jonathan Davenport, Ray Cook, Robby Hensley, Ethan Burgess, Trevor Landrum, Jeff Alsip, Jackie Boggs

Fourth heat

Polesitter Jared Landers distanced himself from the field in the early laps, with Mike Marlar and Tim Dohm battling for the runner-up position. Charging around the high-side, seventh-starting Darrell Lanigan moved into to the third-place sport at the halfway point, setting his sights on second-running Marlar. Tagging the turn-four wall, Mason Zeigler drew a caution on the 12th lap, setting up a one-lap dash to the finish. Landers picked up the win, with Marlar holding off Lanigan at the checkers to finish second. Lanigan ran third, with Dohm slipping one spot to finish fourth.

Finish: Jared Landers, Mike Marlar, Darrell Lanigan, Tim Dohm, Steve Francis, Matt Miller, Earl Pearson Jr., Justin Rattliff, Dustin Nobbe, Austyn Mills, Mason Zeigler

Third heat

Outside polesitter John Gill charged to the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Scott James drawing a caution on the first lap. Shooting under Gill, Michael Chilton grabbed the lead on lap three, with Don O’Neal improving from the eighth starting spot to run third. After a side-by-side battle with Chilton, O’Neal charged to the lead just past the halfway mark. James spun in turn two to draw a second caution on lap 10. O’Neal won the third heat, with Chilton finishing runner-up. Jason Jameson advanced from the ninth-starting spot to run third.

Finish: Don O’Neal, Michael Chilton, Jason Jameson, Jesse lay, John Gill, Adam Bowman, Timothy Culp, Nick Latham, Zak Blackwood, Nathan Vawter, Scott James

Second heat

Getting sideways coming out of turn-two, seventh-starting Chris Madden sustained  front-end damage on the first lap, but never slowed to draw a caution. Polesitter Chris Combs jumped to an early lead, with a tight battle ensuing between Ricky Weiss and Jake O’Neil for the runner-up spot. Combs held off a charging O’Neil to win the second heat, with Weiss rounding out the podium. Dennis Erb Jr.  ran fourth, with Chad Stapleton finishing fifth.

Finish: Chris Combs, Jake O’Neil, Ricky Weiss, Dennis Erb Jr., Chad Stapleton, Kent Robinson, Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, D.J. Wells, Steve Landrum, Jerry Gibson Jr.

First heat

With outside polesitter John Whitney shooting to the bottom of the track on the opening lap, fourth-starting Devin Moran charged around the outside to take an early lead. As Moran distanced himself from the field, Tommy Bailey worked his way from the fifth starting spot, running second at the halfway point. Whitney fading, Chris Brown improved from the 10th starting position into the top three with two laps remaining. Moran picked up the heat race win, with Bailey finishing second. Brown finished third, with McDowell running fourth. Jason Feger rounded out the top five.

Finish: Devin Moran, Tommy Bailey, Chris Brown, Dale McDowell, Jason Feger, Joe Godsey, Kolby Vandenbergh, Joe Brewer, Kyle Bronson, Colton Flinner, John Whitney

First set heat lineups

First heat
Row 1 : Joe Godsey, John Whitney
Row 2: Kolby Vandenbergh, Devin Moran
Row 3: Tommy Bailey, Joe Brewer
Row 4: Dale McDowell, Jason Feger
Row 5: Kyle Bronson, Chris Brown
Row 6: Colton Flinner
Second heat
Row 1: Chris Combs, Ricky Weiss
Row 2: Steve Landrum, Jake O’Neil
Row 3: Chad Stapleton, Jerry Gibson Jr.
Row 4: Chris Madden, Kent Robinson
Row 5: Dennis Erb Jr., D.J. Wells
Row 6: Bobby Pierce
Third heat
Row 1: Jesse Lay, John Gill
Row 2: Scott James, Michael Chilton
Row 3: Nathan Vawter, Timothy Culp
Row 4: Adam Bowman, Don O’Neal
Row 5: Jason Jameson, Nick Latham
Row 6: Zak Blackwood
Fourth heat
Row 1: Jared Landers, Mike Marlar
Row 2: Tim Dohm, Mason Zeigler
Row 3: Dustin Nobbe, Justin Rattliff
Row 4: Darrell Lanigan, Matt Miller
Row 5: Austyn Mills, Steve Francis
Row 6: Earl Pearson Jr.
Fifth heat
Row 1: Gregg Satterlee, Devin Gilpin
Row 2: Trevor Landrum, Jeff Alsip
Row 3: Jonathan Davenport, Doug Drown
Row 4: Ethan Burgess, Ray Cook
Row 5: Robby Hensley, Brandon Sheppard
Row 6: Jackie Boggs
Sixth heat
Row 1: Jimmy Owens, Josh Rice
Row 2: Tim McCreadie, Billy Moyer
Row 3: Cody Mahoney, Kennie Cobble
Row 4: Nick Hoffman, Scott Bloomquist
Row 5: R.J. Conley, Mike Benedum

Pre-race notes

Besides Late Models, Friday’s program will also include prelims for Saturday’s modified feature. … Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., was the winner of Thursday’s Ralph Latham Memorial. He’ll aim for his first North-South 100 victory since 2000. … Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., is the defending North-South 100 winner. He posted a top-10 finish in Thursday’s $30,000-to-win event. … Dustin Linville of Bryantsville, Ky., is among a handful of drivers not returning for Friday’s action. He is sidelined for the next couple of weeks after sustaining a concussion in a rollover incident during Thursday’s feature. … Among drivers making their first weekend appearance at Florence are Devin Gilpin of Columbus, Ind., and Chris Combs of Isom, Ky. … Cody Mahoney of Madison, Ind., and Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, picked up special event victories at Florence earlier this season, while John Whitney of Clarksville, Ohio, is the track’s weekly points leader. ... Jake O'Neil of Tucson, Ariz., and Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., are among drivers making their first-ever appearance at Florence this weekend.

Pre-race setup

The Lucas Oil Series action continues at Florence Speedway in Union, Ky., following Thursday’s 30th annual Ralph Latham Memorial, won by Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn. The June makeup event in the rear-view, Friday’s program officially kicks off the 34th annual Sunoco North-South 100.

For the third straight year, Florence will utilize a passing points format (no time trials) for the event. Friday’s preliminary action will include two sets of heat races lined up by random draw. The first set of heats will line straightup by draw and the second set will be inverted. There will be six heats in each session, lap count will vary based on the number of cars in each (number of cars plus two laps).

Each driver’s combined heat race finishes will determine the lineups for Saturday’s consolations and the 100-lap, $50,000-to-win main event. Saturday’s program will also include the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

Roster (alphabetical)

Name (car no.), hometown
Jeff Alsip (78), Florence, Ky.
Tommy Bailey (11B), Corbin, Ky.
Mike Benedum (1M), Salem, W.Va.
Zak Blackwood (93), Columbus, Ind.
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn.
Jackie Boggs (4B), Grayson, Ky.
Adam Bowman (77), Seymour, Ind.
Joe Brewer (316), Batavia, Ohio
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla.
Ethan Burgess (18EX), Sharonville, Ohio
Chris Brown (21B), Spring, Texas
Michael Chilton (97), Salvisa, Ky.
Kenny Cobble (31C), Cookeville, Tenn.
Chris Combs (47), Isom, Ky.
R.J. Conley (71c), Wheelersburg, Ohio
Ray Cook (11C), Brasstown, N.C.
Timothy Culp (C8), Sheridan, Ark.
Jonathan Davenport (6), Blairsville, Ga.
Tim Dohm (6T), Cross Lanes, W.Va.
Doug Drown (240), Wooster, Ohio
Dennis Erb Jr. (28E), Carpentersville, Ill.
Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill.
Colton Flinner (75), Allison Park, Pa.
Steve Francis (15F), Ashland, Ky.
Jerry Gibson Jr. (47), Crittenden, Ky.
John Gill (75g), Mitchell, Ind.
Devin Gilpin (1G), Columbus, Ind.
Joe Godsey (14V), Edinburgh, Ind.
Robby Hensley (21X), Walton, Ky.
Nick Hoffman (2h), Mooresville, N.C.
Scott James (15J), Bright, Ind.
Jason Jameson (12J), Lawrenceburg, Ind.
Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark.
Steve Landrum (18), Erlanger, Ky.
Trevor Landrum (18L), Erlanger, Ky.
Darrell Lanigan (15L), Union, Ky.
Nick Latham (31), Winchester, Ohio
Jesse Lay (33), Walton, Ky.
Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C.
Cody Mahoney (4), Madison, Ind.
Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn.
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y.
Dale McDowell (14m), Chickamauga, Ga.
Matt Miller (3), Whitehouse, Ohio
Austyn Mills (1AM), Alexandria, Ky.
Devin Moran (99m), Dresen, Ohio
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark.
Dustin Nobbe (5N), Batesville, Ind.
Don O’Neal (5), Martinsville, Ind.
Jake O’Neil (J0), Tucson, Ariz.
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn.
Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla.
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill.
Justin Rattliff (16), Campbellsville, Ky.
Josh Rice (11R), Verona, Ky.
Kent Robinson (7R), Bloomington, Ind.
Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa.
Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill.
Chad Stapleton (32s), Edinburgh, Ind.
Ricky Weiss (7w), Headingley, Manitoba
D.J. Wells (11w), Hazard, Ky.
John Whitney (oh1o), Clarksville, Ohio
Kolby Vandenbergh (15V), Ashland, Ill.
Nathan Vawter (17V), Columbus, Ind.
Mason Zeigler (43A), Chalk Hill, Pa.