Eldora Speedway
World 100 live: Pre-feature coverage at Eldora
By Todd Turner and Dustin Jarrett
DirtonDirt.com
Clanton celebrates with his wife, Jennifer. (mikerueferphotos.photoreflect.com)
10:44 p.m.: Four-wide parade lap
Fans around the track are rising to wave to the four-wide parade of 28 starters. Donnie Moran, Jimmy Owens, Don O'Neal and Darrell Lanigan are the first of seven rows. Flashes are popping around the track.
10:40 p.m.: Engines fire
Driver intros are complete and the engines are fired. The 28-car field has an impressive diversity of chassis brands, led by Rocket Chassis with nine entrants. Behind Rocket is MasterSbilt with eight entrants, and no other chassis brand has more than two cars. Bloomquist, Mars, GRT and Victory Circle have two starters apiece; there's one car apiece for Rayburn, Pierce and Bill West Enterprises.
10:31 p.m.: Cars on frontstretch
The 28 starters are parked in single file on the backstretch. When Scott Bloomquist climbed from his car, he was greeted by the requisite mix of boos and cheers. Driver intros are beginning.
10:15 p.m.: Stewart addresses fans
Track owner Tony Stewart, getting to watch the World 100 because Tropical Storm Hanna delayed Saturday's NASCAR Sprint Cup event in Richmond, W.Va., until Sunday, addressed fans on the P.A. system with announcer Rick Eshelman. Stewart says he wouldn't mind if Virginia weather allowed him to return to Eldora each September for Dirt Late Model racing's most prestigious event. "This is going to be a lot more fun than what I'm going to do tomorrow, that's for sure," Stewart said. Most of the starters have moved into the starting grid.
10:11 p.m.: Pack trucks on the track
A few cars are moving up to the starting grid, including Brian BIrkhofer and Scott James, as trucks continuing rolling in moisture� on the racing surface. Jordan Bland may be late to the starting grid as his car is being tended to by his crew and others after he damaged the right-rear quarter of the car in finishing fourth in the second consolation race. Bland is one of three first-time World 100 starters along with Ben Adkins and Brian Shirley. The pre-race drivers' meeting was canceled; it's unclear what kind of driver introductions will be held.
9:51 p.m. (second consy complete): Korte wins
Polesitter Randy Korte outdueled fellow front-row starter Darren Miller in the early laps, then edged away to a 20-lap victory in the second consolation. He'll transfer to the feature event along with Miller, 11th-starting Rick Eckert and Jordan Bland, who made his first World 100 field. R.J. Conley tried to pressure Bland in the second half of the race but couldn't get within striking distance. Dennis Erb Jr. was battling for a transfer spot when he spun on the fourth lap.
Finish: Randy Korte, Darren Miller, Rick Eckert, Jordan Bland, R.J. Conley, Vic Hill, Aaron Scott, Audie McWilliams, Steve Sheppard Jr., Jesse Lay, Wes Steidinger, Tim Dohm, Dennis Erb Jr., Rodney Melvin, Brandon Kinzer, Chad Ruhlman, Jerry Bowersock, Chris Ross, Curt Spalding, Terry Casey, Victor Lee.
9:42 p.m.: Richards scratches
The Rocket Chassis house car team couldn't make repairs on the Josh Richards car. He scratched from the second consolation.
9:40 p.m. (first consy complete): Mars wins
Starting outside the front row, Jimmy Mars jumped to a big lead then held off Shannon Babb for a victory in the first 20-lap consolation race. Ben Adkins was third with Jason Feger getting the fourth and final transfer spot. Chris Madden, the 117th of 120 qualifiers, rallied from his 18th starting spot up to fifth without the aid of a caution, but he fell one spot short.
Finish: Jimmy Mars, Shannon Babb, Ben Adkins, Jason Feger, Chris Madden, Mike Marlar, Shanon Buckingham, Dan Schlieper, John Blankenship, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Eric Smith, Eric Wells, Doug Drown, Brian Ruhlman, Matt Lux, Tommy Kerr, Rick DeLong, John Mason, Steve Barnett, April Farmer, Greg Johnson, Scott Orr.
9:31 p.m.: Green flag for first consy
Jimmy Mars is into the lead at the start of the first consy. April Farmer got too high at the start and slipped back to ninth after starting outside the second row.
9:21 p.m.: Eight more spots remain
The top four finishers from each of the two consolation races will fill the final eight spots of the feature event. Randy Korte and Shanon Buckingham will be starting on the front row of the final prelims.
9:18 p.m.: Richards car a question mark
The Rocket Chassis house car team is still working on the car to try and figure out why the Josh Richards car quit heading to the checkered flag in the fourth heat race. Engine builder Jack Cornett has been among those assisting car owner Mark Richards and crew chief Jimmy Frey in trying to determine the problem. The team has fired the car twice, pit announcer Bret Emrick reported, but they weren't certain the problem was solved.
9:16 p.m.: Second consolation lineup
Row 1: Randy Korte, Darren Miller
Row 2: Dennis Erb Jr., Josh Richards
Row 3: Vic Hill, R.J. Conley
Row 4: Jordan Bland, Terry Casey
Row 5: Steve Sheppard Jr., Audie McWilliams
Row 6: Rick Eckert, Tim Dohm
Row 7: Aaron Scott, Chad Ruhlman
Row 8: Rodney Melvin, Curt Spalding
Row 9: Jerry Bowersock, David Webb
Row 10: Jesse Lay, Wes Steidinger
Row 11: Brandon Kinzer, Chris Ross
Row 12: Tim Manville, Victor Lee
9:13 p.m.: First consolation lineup
Row 1: Shanon Buckingham, Jimmy Mars
Row 2: Shannon Babb, April Farmer
Row 3: Ben Adkins, Justin Feger
Row 4: Eric Wells, Mike Marlar
Row 5: Dan Schlieper, Greg Johnson
Row 6: Doug Drown, John Blankenship
Row 7: Eric Smith, Brian Ruhlman
Row 8: Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Scott Orr
Row 9: Tommy Kerr, Chris Madden
Row 10: Brady Smith, Matt Lux
Row 11: Steve Casebolt, Rick DeLong
Row 12: Steve Barnett, John Mason
9:12 p.m.: Shirley only first-timer so far
If the 18 names at right sound familiar to regular World 100 fans, that's because all but one of them have previously started in the World 100. The only first-time starter so far: Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who is making his only third trip to Eldora (Shirley is a former Dream starter).
9:07 p.m.: A break before consolations
Water has been dumped across the track surface as there's a break before the two consolation races. Lineups for the consolation races haven't been posted yet.
9:05 p.m.: Medical workers check on Clint Smith
Clint Smith, who was in a wreck that involved Chub Frank in the sixth heat, was briefly tended by emergency technicians at his pit stall. A crew member said Smith's right wrist got caught in the steering wheel in the accident; the extent of the injury was uncertain.
9:02 p.m. (sixth heat complete): Owens wins
Last year's World 100 winner is going to start on the pole of this year's race. Starting outside the front row, Jimmy Owens cruised to an easy victory while Steve Francis locked up the runner-up spot. The most exciting up front came in the final laps as seventh-starting John Gill began stalking third-running Dennis Erb Jr. in the closing laps. Gill moved past on the backstretch of the final lap, and Erb's attempt to answer the move in turns three and four fell short. Jason Fitzgerald started on the pole and battled Erb a few laps before fading out of contention. The race was slowed by a single caution on the third lap when Clint Smith got into the turn-two wall and collected Chub Frank, causing enough damage to end the race for both. Owens finished a half-straightaway ahead of Francis.
Finish: Jimmy Owens, Steve Francis, John Gill, Dennis Erb Jr., R.J. Conley, Steve Sheppard Jr., Tim Dohm, Rodney Melvin, David Webb, Brandon Kinzer, Victor Lee, Jason Fitzgerald, Terrance Nowell, Brett Wyatt, Justin Paxton, Lee Devasier, Curtis Roberts, Clint Smith, Chub Frank, Shawn Toczek.
8:53 p.m. (sixth heat): Smith, Frank out
Clint Smith got into the wall between turns one and two, collecting Chub Frank on the third lap in bringing out a caution. Polesitter Jimmy Owens leads followed by Steve Francis and Dennis Erb Jr. Smith and Frank were battling for sixth; it doesn't appear as if either can continue.
8:49 p.m. (sixth heat): Fronstretch scramble
A caution appeared just after the green in the sixth heat as four cars tangled before even crossing the start line. Those involved: Curtis Roberts, Shawn Toczeck, Lee Devasier and Terrance Nowell. It appears they all will continue, although they'll start on the back.
8:47 p.m. (fifth heat complete): O'Neal wins
In the first caution-free heat, polesitter Don O'Neal jumped out to nearly a straightaway lead by the race's midpoint and raced to victory despite losing a cylinder midway through the race. Action tightened up in the final laps as runner-up Ray Cook pulled within a few lengths of O'Neal. Dale McDowell, driving the No. 77 normally driven by Joe Armes, was a close third while Darren Miller challenged for a transfer spot at the finish before settling for fourth. D.J. Wells started outside the front row and was wobbly throughout the first lap and faded badly, finishing a lap down.
Finish: Don O'Neal, Ray Cook, Dale McDowell, Darren Miller, Vic Hill, Terry Casey, Rick Eckert, Chad Ruhlman, Jerrry Bowersock, Wes Steidinger, Tim Manville, Steve Smith, Tony Knowles, Ryan Dauber, Kris Patterson, Mike Collins, D.J. Wells, Josh Williams, Michael Chilton, Ivedent Lloyd Jr.
8:36 p.m. (fourth heat complete): Clanton wins
Polesitter Shane Clanton, staying ahead of a wild battle of slide jobs behind him, cruised to victory. Matt Miller, fending off slide jobs from Darrell Lanigan and then Josh Richards after a lap-10 restart, finished second with Lanigan getting the final transfer spot when Richards lost power exiting turn four. Randy Korte also slipped by Richards, who started fifth and ran as high as second before his disappointing finish at the checkered flag. A Richards-Lanigan slide-job battle midway through the race was the most exciting action of the night. Four cautions slowed the action. Twice the race had to be restarted for turn-four spins, first for Davey Johnson, then for Jeff Maupin. That forced officials to call for a single-file start. Alternate starter Michael Walker spun exiting turn four on the third lap and Justin Labonte stopped at the top of the frontstretch on lap 10.
Finish: Shane Clanton, Matt Miller, Darrell Lanigan, Randy Korte, Josh Richards, Jordan Bland, Audie McWilliams, Aaron Scott, Curt Spalding, Jesse Lay, Chris Ross, Jared Hawkins, Jeff Watson, Mark Douglas, Michael England, Justin Labonte, Steve Kempt, Davey Johnson, Jeff Maupin, Michael Walker. Scratched: Tim Lance (alternate is Michael Walker).
8:32 p.m. (fourth heat): Slide job battle excites
Darrell Lanigan and Josh Richards swapped several slide jobs midway through the fourth heat in a wild battle for the third transfer spot. Polesitter Shane Clanton comfortably led over Matt Miller before the race's fourth caution appeared for a stalled Justin Labonte.
8:22 p.m. (fourth heat): Davey Johnson spins
A chaotic first lap with lots of contact and bumping was halted in turn four when fourth-starting Davey Johnson spun. Johnson had to start on the tail for the next start, and Jeff Maupin spun in turn-four this time, causing a single-file restart.
8:20 p.m. (third heat complete): Moyer rolls
Starting outside the front row, Billy Moyer cruised to an easy victory in perhaps the night's toughest heat. Polesitter Kevin Weaver fought off early challenges from Scott Bloomquist and later challenges from 10th-starting Donnie Moran for the second spot. Moran finished third with Babb and Bloomquist, who was docked two spots on a lap-10 restart, rounding out the top five. Bloomquist will get a fast qualifier provision. The race's first caution appeared on the 10th lap when Weaver got together with the slower car of Ryan Vanderveen, who got into the turn-two wall. Vanderveen collected Jerry Rice long after the incident and Dusty Moore hit the wall at the same time in a separate incident. The second caution appeared on the lap-10 restart when Bloomquist was charged with jumping the restart and docked two spots.
Finish: Billy Moyer, Kevin Weaver, Donnie Moran, Shannon Babb, Scott Bloomquist, Jason Feger, Dan Schlieper, John Blankenship, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Chris Madden, Steve Casebolt, John Mason, Andrew Reaume, Jay Johnson, Freddy Smith, Freddy Smith, Johnny Wheeler, Rusty Seaver, Jerry Rice, Dusty Moore, Ryan Vanderveen.
8:15 p.m. (third heat): Bloomquist jumps start
Scott Bloomquist will restart fifth on the 10th lap after jumping a restart. Billy Moyer leads followed by Kevin Weaver, Shannon Babb, 10th-starting Donnie Moran and Bloomquist.
8:09 p.m. (third heat): Moyer leading
A caution appeared when Ryan Vanderveen got into the turn-two wall after a scrape with second-running Kevin Weaver on the 10th lap. Billy Moyer has led all the way from his outside front-row spot while the polesitting Weaver is in second, just ahead of sixth-starting Scott Bloomquist. The caution was already out when Jerry Rice came upon Vanderveen's car and made contact on the backstretch, knocking him out, too. Dusty Moore got into the wall in a separate incident.
8:05 p.m. (third heat): Green flying
Kevin Weaver is on the pole of a heat that includes winners of nearly 25 100-lappers at Eldora.
8:04 p.m. (second heat complete): James wins
Starting outside the front row, Scott James put memories of a tough season behind him and charged to an easy victory in the second 15-lap heat races. Fourth-starting Brian Shirley finished second, nearly catching James when the No. 83 got too high in turn three. Brad Neat rallied from his 10th starting spot to finish third. Polesitter Brian Ruhlman faded badly to finish eighth and Tim McCreadie will have to rely on a fast qualifier provisional. Eddie Carrier Jr. started fifth but dropped out early with driveshaft problems. Three cautions slowed the event. Jon Henry got into the turn-four wall on the second, then Ky Harper and Dustin Neat tangled in nearly the same place a few laps later. Tim McCreadie, who was running fourth, slowed to bring out another mid-race caution.
Finish: Scott James, Brian Shirley, Brad Neat, Jimmy Mars, Ben Adkins, Mike Marlar, Doug Drown, Brian Ruhlman, Tommy Kerr, Matt Lux, Steve Barnett, Casey Noonan, Chris Combs, Rod Conley, Ky Harper,� Justin McRee, Tim McCreadie, Dustin Neat, Eddie Carrier Jr., Jon Henry.
7:55 p.m. (second heat): Turn-four tangle
Ky Harper and Dustin Neat tangled in turn four on the fifth lap with their cars briefly connecting. Harper was able to continue. Scott James leads followed by Brian Shirley and polesitter Brian Ruhlman after five laps. Tim McCreadie is next followed by Brad Neat and Ben Adkins. However, McCreadie is off the pace on the lap-five restart. He slowed to bring out a yellow but later returned to the race.
7:52 p.m. (second heat): Henry into wall
Jon Henry got into the turn-four wall on the second lap of the second heat. He's pulled toward the infield.
7:48 p.m. (first heat complete): Van Wormer wins
Fifth-starting Jeep Van Wormer, inheriting the lead when polesitter Josh McGuire pulled up with a blown motor on the ninth lap, captured the first heat. Brian Birkhofer, who started seventh, fought off a late challenge from fast qualifier Earl Pearson Jr. in a battle among the final two transfer spots. Shanon Buckingham was further back in fourth while April Farmer was fifth in one of the best performances by a female at Eldora. McGuire, who showed smoke midway through the race, had been dominating a race was plagued by three cautions and a red flag. The first caution appeared on the second lap when outside front-row starter Rusty Schlenk, running fourth, spun in turn four and collected Wayne Chinn and Brady Smith. A second caution appeared a few laps later when Jason Keltner spun in turn four and a lap-five yellow appeared when Jackie Boggs and Kevin Claybomb got together in turn two, sending Claycomb into the wall. Boggs and Claycomb both retired. Derek Chandler stopped on lap seventh with a smoking, blowing engine that required a red flag cleanup.
Finish: Jeep Van Wormer, Brian BIrkhofer, Earl Pearson Jr., Shanon Buckingham, April Farmer, Eric Wells, Greg Johnson, Eric Smith, Scott Orr, Brady Smith, Rick DeLong, Shon Flanary, Jason Keltner, Bobby Wolter Jr., Josh McGuire, Derek Chandler, Kevin Claycomb, Jackie Boggs, Rusty Schlenk, Wayne Chinn.
7:42 p.m. (first heat): Schlenk among those out
Among other cautions, front-row starter Rusty Schlenk's race ended with a lap-four spin on the second lap; Jackie Boggs and Kevin Claycomb got together in turn two, knocking both out of the race.
7:40 p.m. (first heat): Cautions plague first heat
Polesitter Josh McGuire leads after seven laps in the first heat race that's been plagued by slowdowns. Seven laps were down when 17th-starting Derek Chandler's machine stopped on the frontstretch smoking heavily after blowing a motor. He couldn't kill the motor as the car poured smoke into the frontstretch grandstands. Officials dropped the red flag.
7:23 p.m.: Engines fire
Following the invocation and the national anthem, engines have fired on the starting grid. The infield U.S. flag is at half-staff in honor of the memory of first World 100 winner Bruce Gould, who died last month. The first heat is rolling onto the track.
7:08 p.m.: Pack trucks still on track
Shadows have covered the frontstretch and nearly half the track overall as pack trucks continue to roll in the racing surface. The backstretch along with turns two and three are still under the sun and there appears to be plenty of moisture in the track.
7:02 p.m.: Tire choice tricky?
Pit announcer Bret Emrick reports most drivers in the first heat chose the softest tire compound (LM-20). Softer tires would work better with wetter conditions (and it appears the track is so wet that the 7 p.m. start is delayed as the pack trucks are still on the track), but as the surface dries out in later heats, harder tires might work better. "I think we'll be OK," said Brad Neat, who starts outside the fifth row in the second heat race. "I just hope we made the right tire choice. It's always a guessing game when you're in the second heat race." Neat picked a harder LM-30 on his right rear while the drivers in the first three rows of the second heat are on the softer 20s. "We've got a take a gamble to get to the front, and that might be it," said Tate Begley, Neat's car owner. Teams aren't allowed to change tires on the starting grid.
6:52 p.m.: Grid set for first heat
Row 1: Josh McGuire, Rusty Schlenk
Row 2: Shanon Buckingham, Wayne Chinn
Row 3: Jeep Van Wormer, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 4: Brady Smith, Jackie Boggs
Row 5: Brian Birkhofer, Eric Wells
Row 6: Jason Keltner, Eric Smith
Row 7: April Farmer, Greg Johnson
Row 8: Kevin Claycomb, Shon Flanary
Row 9: Derek Chandler, Bobby Wolter Jr.
Row 10: Scott Orr, Rick DeLong
6:44 p.m.: Another chance for Chinn
Wayne Chinn posted a career-best fourth-place finish in last year's World 100, and he's got another chance for a good performance at Eldora by starting outside the second row in the first heat race. The Bradford, Ohio, driver is ready for action. "I'm not nervous," Chinn said moments before the race. "I just figure we gotta go out there and put a whoopin' on 'em."
6:38 p.m.: McGuire ready for big race
Youngster Josh McGuire has a few nerves starting on the pole of the first heat, but he's sticking with the fundamentals. "I want to win the race into turns one and two, hit my mark and run my race," McGuire said. If that happens, he might be able to stay out front the entire race and not see any of his competitors at all. "If I see any of 'em," McGuire told pit announcer Bret Emrick, "that's going to mean I'm turned around backwards."
6:25 p.m.: Knowles honored for Best Appearing Car
The No. 26 of Tony Knowles won $500 for the DirtonDirt.com Best Appearing Car and Crew award. Allstar Graphic. The design by Allstar Graphics includes gold and orange colors and a special touch on the front end, where all the former winners of the World 100 are listed.
6:23 p.m.: First car on grid
Rick DeLong, who starts on the tail of the first heat, is the first driver on the starting grid for the 7 p.m. heat races. Drivers from the first heat must be on the grid by 6:40 p.m.
6:22 p.m. Crew chiefs honored
Announcer Rick Eshelman has taken the stage with the crew chiefs from the first- and second-place qualifiers. Randall Edwards (with fast qualifier Earl Pearson Jr.) and Al Stevens (with Tim McCreadie) each pick up $100 from NASCAR Technical Institute.
6:17 p.m.: Laps paying off this year
Running up front in this year's World 100 pays off more than usual. Businesses and fans have sponsored all 100 laps of the feature. The leader of each lap will receive $25 per lap, the second-running car each lap receives $15 per lap and the third-running car each lap picks up $10 per lap.
6:11 p.m. Pre-race festivities under way
Announcer James Essex is hosting pre-race festivities under way on the Eldora stage, held in front of a massive World 100 banner. The highlights so far: An Eldora trophy queen being booed for admitting her favorite driver is Scott Bloomquist, and Campbellsville, Ky., driver Jason Keltner being congratulated for being among the weekend's winners in the cornhole tournament.
6:10 p.m.: Pearson concerned with first lap
Earl Pearson Jr. is typically a cool customer, but even he admits he's been thinking a little bit about that first lap of the first heat. Without the benefit of hot laps, things can get a little dicey, especially for a fast qualifier who is starting sixth.
"Getting into turn one is going to be critical," said the Jacksonville, Fla., driver, winner of the 2006 World 100. "We we roll out there, there might be a greasy spot here or there getting into turn one. Some of the smarter drivers will tip-toe into turn one. ... if there was practice, I wouldn't worry (about) it, but when we just roll out there and get two laps and take the green flag, it's always on your mind. It's going to hairy, I'm sure.
"The gameplan today is to go out there and get ourselves in a transfer spot and get to where we can start somewhere in the top 10. I think that's what we need to do to win the race. ... To start in the back (of the feature), you know it's going to be extremely tough to get to the front. The car's good, but you use up a lot of equipment to get there."
Pearson's former crew chief, Jason Fitzgerald has a better starting spot than Pearson — the pole position of the sixth heat. But Pearson says Fitzgerald is having his own jitters in a race where he'll face former World 100 winners Steve Francis, Jimmy Owens and Chub Frank. "I promise you he's as nervous as you can get," Pearson said.
6:01 p.m.: McCreadie won't be holding back
Tim McCreadie admitted he slept a lot more comfortable on Friday night after his second-fastest qualifying time guaranteed him a provisional starting spot in the feature event, but that doesn't mean he's going to run conservatively from his sixth starting position in the second heat.
"I run as hard as I can all the time," said McCreadie, who won his richest career race three weeks earlier at Batesville (Ark.) Motor Speedway's Topless 100. "I don't know any other way to run. I run as hard as I can until I fail or the equipment fails. ... I'm not going to take it easy."
McCreadie would love to wrap his hands around the globed trophy at Eldora. The son of legendary "Barefoot" Bob McCreadie grew up around big-block modified racing, but he's found a home with the Dirt Late Models, a division he says is as rugged as any form of racing. "I don't care what anybody says, this type of Late Model racing, there's nothing tougher in the country, I don't care what you're doing."
5:53 p.m: Owens keeps close eye on surface
Last year's World 100 winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., is concerned about changes in the track surface, including new dirt recently put on the track, and how it will react to Saturday night's heat race. "Last night during qualifying it didn't seem to slow down as much as it (usually) does," Owens said during the afternoon media luncheon the Eldora Ballroom. "It's going to be a tire-guessing game and it's just going to be up for grabs in the feature."
Owens isn't complaining about his starting spot outside the front row for the sixth heat — a win in that heat would put him on the pole for the 100-lapper — but it's not always easy driving a race car without mirrors. "If you jump out front and get the lead," Owens said, "you really don't know where everybody else is going to be running."
5:47 p.m.: Here's a shocker: Drivers don't like inverts
If there was a vote to scrap the heat-race inversion system for the World 100, the results might be 175-0. "It's a situation where if you go fast," said fast qualifier Earl Pearson Jr., "you get penalized for it."
Pearson does get the benefit of $500, a drum of fuel from Sunoco and a provisional starting spot, but after he drew a No. 6 for a six-car inversion, the Jacksonville, Fla., knows he'll have to pass five tough drivers to get a heat race victory. "It's extremely tough to pass good cars like that," Pearson said. "I'm not a big fan of it."
Jimmy Owens, winner of last year's World 100, realizes he was a benefactor of this year's inversion to start on the front row of the sixth heat. "The invert will get you," he said, "and sometimes it won't. I'm just not a big fan of it."
Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., knows that "you've gotta put on a show for the fans," but he prefers racing straightup through the preliminaries before messing with the starting lineup. "I'm more of a fan for a redraw for the feature," he said, "because it shakes things up for the fans."
5:32 p.m.: Drivers' meeting over
Drivers and crew members are dispersing from the World 100 drivers' meeting in the Eldora infield. Heat races are scheduled to start at 7 p.m. with Josh McGuire of Grayson, Ky., starting on the pole of the first heat in an attempt to make his first World 100.
Corrections: Fixes headers mislabeling third heat race; corrects finishes with official scoring.
