LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (April 8) — To put it simply, it was Tim McCreadie’s night.

Charging to the front of the field at the drop of the green flag, the Watertown, N.Y., driver led wire-to-wire in Saturday’s Bad Boy 98 finale at Batesville Motor Speedway, earning a $20,000 payday in his second Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the season.

“I know this race is not the Batesville Topless, but believe me, it feels just as good to win it,” McCreadie said after climbing to the top of the grandstands for a postrace interview. “I’m a little speed-sensitive. My car feels real good in clean air. I just didn’t know where to be. Thank God I had my crew chief giving me signals, because I got lost for a little while up there, just kind of running the top. This one’s as much for him and all these guys as it was for me.”

While McCreadie set the pace, it was third-starting Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., and fifth-starting Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., battling for the runner-up spot in the early running. Working his way to the front from the ninth-starting position, Scott Bloomquist joined the mix by lap 20, with the race leaders quickly approaching the tail of the field.

Bloomquist and Lanigan began closing on McCreadie as the trio made their way through lapped traffic, but a series of cautions allowed the Longhorn driver to maintain his position without any serious challenges for the lead.

Using momentum from a mid-race restart, Lanigan set his sights on McCreadie once again, reeling in the race leader around the halfway mark. But luck was not on the Clint Bowyer Racing pilot’s side, as he slowed to draw a caution and retire on lap 66.

Successfully navigating lapped traffic, McCreadie was able to fend off Bloomquist in the late-running. The race’s final yellow flag waved on lap 95, setting up a three-lap shootout to the finish. But it was all McCreadie at the front of the field, as he sailed ahead to take the Batesville checkers.

“You’re always afraid of tire-wear here,” McCreadie said. "But when you see (Darrell) Lanigan or Scott (Bloomquist) behind you or Shannon (Babb) … I know one thing for me personally. If I take it easy, I’m going get beat. So I go out and I give it 110 percent every lap. That might be why I don’t win all the long races. But I just try as hard as I can, because I know if I fall asleep, Scott or one of these guys is going to go by me.”

Bloomquist finished second with last year's Topless 100 winner Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., advancing from the 14th starting position to run third. Making his first-ever appearance at Batesville, Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., finished fourth, with Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., rounding out the top five.

“I knew it was going to be in the bottom,” Bloomquist said of the race’s final laps. “The track had rubbered up and there was no way anybody needed to try the top or expect it to work that late. The bottom just got so clean and it tractioned up. But we felt like we were pretty good.

"We had our brief hot-lap session and they gave the 10-minute call immediately. Normally there’s a race between our race. We just weren’t quite ready. I had a few more things I really wanted to do and run out of time. But Timmy was good, the racetrack was good. Congratulations to him and we’ll be back for the Topless.”

Making only his fourth feature start of the 2017 season, Babb was pleased with his third-place finish. A two-time Topless 100 winner, he counts Batesville as one of his favorite tracks.

“This place has been really good to us,” Babb said. "The car was good, but 14th, I didn’t know what was going to happen. I hot-lapped and wasn’t that good and went down and threw the screws to it. They blew the horn and I ran out of things to do, so I just went out with what we had. The car was good. The long runs, we were real good. I was really happy with it.”

Notes: McCreadie the 2008 Topless 100 winner, notched his second career series victory at Batesville. … McCreadie scored his richest victory since winning the World of Outlaws-sanctioned Prairie Dirt Classic at Fairbury (Ill.) American Legion Speedway on July 26, 2014. ... Outside polesitter Jimmy Owens dropped to the rear of the field in the early running, salvaging a 13th-place finish. … The race was slowed by five cautions. … The first yellow flag waved on lap 23 when Colton Flinner slowed in turn four. … Boom Briggs slowed on the backstretch to draw a caution on lap 41. … A yellow flag flew on lap 52 when Jon Mitchell slowed in turn four. … Third-running Darrell Lanigan slowed on the frontstretch to draw a caution on lap 66. … A yellow flag waved on lap 98 when Hunter Rasdon slowed in turn four; third-running Earl Pearson Jr. retired under yellow.

Preliminary notes and results:

Pre-feature notes

Three drivers have confirmed today their intentions to compete for the Lucas Oil Series Rookie of the Year title, including Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., and Boom Briggs of Bear Lake, Pa. … Driving the David Peterson-owned No. 777 Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., will make his first Lucas Oil Series feature start since he was sidelined by injury last August. … Recent series winners at Batesville qualifying for Saturday’s main event include Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., (2016 Bad Boy 98), Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., (2015 Topless 100), and Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn. (2014 Topless 100). … Series provisionals make up the final three rows of Saturday’s feature lineup. Lucas Oil provisionals are Boom Briggs and Timothy Culp of Prattsville, Ark. Colton Flinner received an emergency provisional. Comp Cam provisionals are Hunter Rasdon of Jonesboro, Ark., and Jon Mitchell of Texarkana, Texas.

Consolation results

First consolation (top three transfer): Hudson O’Neal, Zach McMillan, Dennis Erb Jr., Ricky Thornton Jr., Stacy Taylor, Tyler Erb, Terry Phillips, Morgan Bagley, Travis Ashley, Robert Baker, Jon Mitchell, Jonathan Rowan, Austin Theiss, Tanner Kellick

Second consolation (top three transfer): Jared Landers, Steve Francis, Kyle Beard, Hunter Rasdon, Gavin Landers, Boom Briggs, Brandon Wilson, B.J. Robinson, Austin Rettig, David Payne, Joseph Gorby, Colton Flinner, Mason Oberkramer, Timothy Culp

Saturday’s consolation lineups

(15 laps; top three transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 2: Zach McMillan, Stacy Taylor
Row 3: Morgan Bagley, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 4: Terry Phillips, Tyler Erb
Row 5: Travis Ashley, Robert Baker
Row 6: Logan Martin, Jon Mitchell
Row 7: Austin Theiss, Jonathan Rowan
Row 8: Tanner Keltic
Second consolation
Row 1: Jared Landers, Hunter Rasdon
Row 2: Steve Francis, Kyle Beard
Row 3: Brandon Wilson, Mason Oberkramer
Row 4: B.J. Robinson, Gavin Landers
Row 5: Colton Flinner, Boom Briggs
Row 6: Austin Rettig, David Payne
Row 7: Joseph Gorby

Heat race results

First heat finish (top four transfer): Tim McCreadie, Darrell Lanigan, Scott Bloomquist, Brandon Sheppard, Hudson O’Neal, Zach McMillan, Morgan Bagley, Terry Phillips, Travis Ashley, Logan Martin, Austin Theiss, Tanner Kellick

Second heat finish (top four transfer): Jack Sullivan, Jesse Stovall, Don O’Neal, Billy Moyer, Ricky Thornton Jr., Stacy Taylor, Dennis Erb Jr., Tyler Erb, Robert Baker, Jon Mitchell, Jonathan Rowan

Third heat finish (top four transfer): Jimmy Owens, Gregg Satterlee, Earl Pearson Jr., Shannon Babb, Jared Landers, Steve Francis, Brandon Wilson, B.J. Robinson, Colton Flinner, Austin Rettig, Joseph Gorby

Fourth heat finish (top four transfer): Josh Richards, Billy Moyer Jr., Wendell Wallace, Garrett Alberson, Hunter Rasdon, Kyle Beard, Mason Oberkramer, Gavin Landers, Boom Briggs, David Payne

Pre-heat race notes

Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., was Friday’s overall fast qualifier. The two-time Topless 100 champion tripped the clock with a time of 13.9441. Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., was quickest in his respective time trial group. … Timothy Culp of Prattsville, Ark., experienced engine problems in hot laps, forgoing time trials and scratching for the night. He’s expected to be back in action on Saturday, but did pull out of the pit area during Friday's prelims. … Several drivers are making their first-ever appearance at Batesville this weekend including Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., Logan Martin of West Plains, Mo., and Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz. Thornton is also making his first Late Model start since joining the Kansas-based Gressel Racing team earlier this year. … Scheduled to enter Saturday’s Ultimate Super Late Model Series event at Virginia Motor Speedway in Jamaica, Va., this marks the first Lucas Oil Series race Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., has missed in two years. … Rocket house car driver Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., is piloting his family-owned No. B5 this weekend.

Heat race lineups

(12 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Tim McCreadie, Darrell Lanigan
Row 2: Hudson O’Neal, Brandon Sheppard
Row 3: Scott Bloomquist, Morgan Bagley
Row 4: Terry Phillips, Zach McMillan
Row 5: Tanner Kellick, Logan Martin
Row 6: Austin Theiss, Travis Ashley
Second heat
Row 1: Don O’Neal, Jack Sullivan
Row 2: Billy Moyer, Jesse Stovall
Row 3: Stacy Taylor, Ricky Thornton Jr.
Row 4: Dennis Erb Jr., Jon Mitchell
Row 5: Tyler Erb, Robert Baker
Row 6: Jonathan Rowan
Third heat
Row 1: Jimmy Owens, Gregg Satterlee
Row 2: Earl Pearson Jr., Shannon Babb
Row 3: Jared Landers, Colton Flinner
Row 4: B.J. Robinson, Steve Francis
Row 5: Austin Rettig, Brandon Wilson
Row 6: Joseph Gorby
Fourth heat
Row 1: Josh Richards, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 2: Mason Oberkramer, Wendell Wallace
Row 3: Kyle Beard, Garrett Alberson
Row 4: Hunter Rasdon, Boom Briggs
Row 5: Gavin Landers, David Payne
Row 6: Timothy Culp

Pre-race setup

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series makes the first of two trips to Batesville Motor Speedway for the fourth annual Bad Boy 98. The $20,000-to-win event is co-sanctioned by the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series.

Lucas Oil points leader Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., enters the weekend as the defending race winner. Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., the two-time and defending Topless 100 champion, is among other recent Batesville winners expected to be on hand this weekend.

Friday’s program will include Lucas Oil Series time trials and heat races, with consolations and the 98-lap main event set for Saturday. IMCA modifieds and street stocks are among other divisions that will be in action.

Time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 14.093
Don O’Neal (5), Martinsville, Ind., 14.146
Darrell Lanigan (14), Union, Ky., 14.18
Jack Sullivan (18), Greenbrier, Ark., 14.263
Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 14.315
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 14.335
Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 14.337
Jesse Stovall (00), Galena, Mo., 14.366
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 14.407
Stacy Taylor (27T), Jacksonville, Ark., 14.447
Morgan Bagley (14m), Longview, Texas, 14.48
Ricky Thornton Jr. (20rt), Chandler, Ariz., 14.551
Terry Phillips (75), Springfield, Mo., 14.635
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.652
Zach McMillan (14), Gladewater, Texas, 14.742
Jon Mitchell (5), Texarkana, Texas, 14.77
Tanner Kellick (3K), Mer Rouge, La., 14.796
Tyler Erb (91), New Waverly, Texas, 14.83
Logan Martin (36), West Plains, Mo., 15.064
Robert Baker (17M), Bryant, Ark., 15.103
Austin Theiss (7D), Hockley, Texas, 15.15
Jonathan Rowan (56), Jackson, Tenn., 15.257
Travis Ashley (997), Batesville, Ark., 15.31
Group B
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 13.941
Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 14.21
Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 14.284
Billy Moyer Jr. (21), Batesville, Ark., 14.329
Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla., 14.383
Mason Oberkramer (93), Malden, Mo., 14.385
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 14.422
Wendell Wallace (6m), Batesville, Ark., 14.454
Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark., 14.538
Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 14.616
Colton Flinner (75), Allison Park, Pa., 14.745
Garrett Alberson (F5), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.804
B.J. Robinson (1), Haughton, La., 14.817
Hunter Rasdon (R5), Jonesboro, Ark., 14.82
Steve Francis (15), Bowling Green, Ky., 14.828
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 15.003
Austin Rettig (94), Sikeston, Mo., 15.143
Gavin Landers (77), Batesville, Ark., 15.171
Brandon Wilson (00), Sheridan, Ark., 15.621
David Payne (7P), Springfield, Mo., 15.622
Joseph Gorby (9), Bartlesville, Okla., 15.786
Timothy Culp (C8), Prattsville, Ark., no time