Magnolia Motor Speedway
Pearson grabs pole for Lucas Oil's Clash at the Mag
By James Essex
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesCOLUMBUS, Miss (July 9) — Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., winner of the previous two Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, will try to make it three in a row Saturday at Magnolia Motor Speedway after earning the pole position for the Clash at the Mag’s main event. | Video
Pearson won the first of six heat races in Friday’s preliminaries at the 3/8-mile oval and will start on the front row Saturday alongside fast qualifier Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., the winner of the fourth heat. Saturday’s main event pays $20,000 to the winner.
Other heat race winners from Friday’s action: series points leader Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.; Stacy Taylor of Jacksonville, Ark.; Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn.; and red-hot Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., winner of 11 of his last 17 starts and last year’s Lucas Oil Series winner at Magnolia.
Wells posted the fasted time overall of 55 entries with a lap of 14.634 seconds overall in the event presented by the Columbus Convention and Visitors Bureau, which drew a near-capacity crowd.
Saturday’s action begins with a pair of 12-lap consolation races preceding the $20,000-to-win main event.
Heat race results
(10 laps; top three transfer to Saturday’s main event)
First heat: Earl Pearson Jr., Ray Cook, Dan Schlieper, Tim Isenberg, John Blankenship, Dane Dacus, Chad Winkles, Chis Hoomes, Scott Dedwylder, Daniel Moore.
Second heat: Billy Moyer, Don O'Neal, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Wendell Wallace, Rick Rickman, Jim McDuffie, Robbie Stuart, Leon Henderson, Tony Shelton.
Third heat: Scott Bloomquist, Brad Neat, Bub McCool, Chris Ragan, Chris Brown, Jeremy Glasgow, Steve Bryan, Jay Burchfield, Terry Atkins.
Fourth heat: Eric Wells, Chris Wall, David Breazeale, Steve Casebolt, Tyler Reddick, Randy Boyd, Klint Byars, Clint Logan, Hunter Carroll.
Fifth heat: Stacy Taylor, Dale McDowell, Terry Phillips, Brian Rickman, Jimmy Cliburn, Jeremy Payne, Patrick Michel, Josh Putnam, Keith House.
Sixth heat: Jimmy Owens, Jason Cliburn, Rodney Wing, Chad Thrash, Jeremy Shaw, Jason Brock, Wade Byars, Dewayne Estes, Mark Green.
