Golden Isles Speedway
Jan. 25 prelims: Owens sets fast time, wins heat
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Jimmy Owens on Friday at Golden Isles. (rickschwalliephotos.com)
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Jan. 25) — Preliminary results from the second round of the Super Bowl of Racing IV at Golden Isles Speedway.
Second consolation
Steve Shaver overtook Ivedent Lloyd Jr. on the backstretch to lead the seventh lap, and he edged away for the victory while Lloyd fought off a late-race challenge from polesitter Rick Eckert for the second and final transfer spot. Dennis Erb Jr. came alive late to nip Eckert for the third spot. Two cautions slowed the action, the first when Billy Decker spun in turn three on the third lap, and then on the fourth lap when a scramble in turn four involved Freddy Smith and Jason Fitzgerald.
Finish: (1) Steve Shaver, (2) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (3) Dennis Erb Jr., (4) Rick Eckert, (5). Vic Coffey, (6) Tyler Ivey, (7) Dan Schlieper, (8) Chesley Dixon, (9) Mike Collins, (10) Michael England, (11) Shanon Buckingham, (12) Freddy Smith, (13) Ed Basey, (14) Billy Decker, (15) Jason Fitzgerald.
First consolation
Fourth-starting Brady Smith, recovering from a heat-race spin, took the lead from polesitter Randle Chupp on the third lap and led the rest of the 10-lap event, which ran caution free. Smith finished 15 lengths ahead of Chupp, who kept James Ward at bay to clinch the final transfer spot. Justin Rattliff and Wes Steidinger rounded out the top five. G.R. Smith, who started outside the front row, faded out of contention quickly.
Finish: (1) Brady Smith, (2) Randle Chupp, (3) James Ward, (4) Justin Rattliff, (5) Wes Steidinger, (6) G.R. Smith, (7) Danny Johnson, (8) Chuck Chitty, (9) Jason McBride, (10) Craig Shuffield, (11) Mark Andersen, (12) Dale Groves Jr., (13) Johnny Collins, (14) Patrick Sheltra, (15) Brian Nuttall, (16) Homer Leonard.
Fourth heat
Wednesday's feature winner Jimmy Owens fought off a mid-race challenge from Josh Richards to lead all the way. Richards fell back a bit in the final two laps as the top two finished far ahead of a feisty battle for the remaining transfer spots Chris Madden edged Matt Miller for third, and Terry Casey got the fifth and final transfer spot by holding of Ivedent Lloyd Jr. and Steve Shaver. Casey finished a half-length ahead of Lloyd.
Finish: (1) Jimmy Owens, (2) Josh Richards, (3) Chris Madden, (4) Matt Miller, (5) Terry Casey, (6) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (7) Steve Shaver, (8) Dennis Erb Jr., (9) Shanon Buckingham, (10) Billy Decker, (11) Freddy Smith, (12) Michael England, (13) Mike Collins.
Third heat
Steve Francis outran fellow front-row starter Billy Moyer on the first lap and won the caution-free event. Moyer was a half-straightaway behind Francis as the finish with Ricky Elliott close behind in third. Darrell Lanigan and Clint Smith rounded out the top five as the program continued its quick pace. Homer Leonard scratched from the lineup.
Finish: (1) Steve Francis, (2) Billy Moyer, (3) Ricky Elliott, (4) Darrell Lanigan, (5) Clint Smith, (6) Rick Eckert, (7) Tyler Ivey, (8) Vic Coffey, (9) Ed Basey, (10) Dan Schlieper, (11) Chesley Dixon, (12) Jason Fitzgerald.
Second heat
Starting outside the front row, Donnie Moran led all the way for a 10-lap victory. Brady Smith took a shot at taking the point from Moran on the sixth lap, but he spun in turn two and had to restart on the tail. Polesitter Mike Marlar moved up to second and ran in that spot the rest of the way with Damon Eller, Kelly Boen and Chub Frank grabbing the other transfer spots. Brady Smith, whose spin brought out the lone caution in the four heat races, ended up seventh. Joe Isabell scratched from the lineup after a qualifying crash.
Finish: (1) Donnie Moran (2) Mike Marlar, (3) Damon Eller, (4) Kelly Boen, (5) Chub Frank, (6) G.R. Smith, (7) Brady Smith, (8) Chuck Chitty, (9) Mark Andersen, (10) Craig Shuffield, (11) Dale Groves, (12) Johnny Collins.
First heat
Scott Bloomquist outran polesitter Earl Pearson Jr. on the first lap, then fought off a final charge from Tim Fuller amid lapped traffic on the final lap. Pearson lost a spot Fuller in the final laps, then got mixed up with the traffic to drop to fifth on the last circuit. Shane Clanton took advantage of the last-lap fracas to get up to third ahead of Tim McCreadie. The race went caution-free.
Finish: (1) Scott Bloomquist, (2) Tim Fuller, (3) Shane Clanton, (4) Tim McCreadie, (5) Earl Pearson Jr., (6) Randle Chupp, (7) James Ward, (8) Wes Steidinger, (9) Justin Rattliff, (10) Jason McBride, (11) Danny Johnson, (12) Patrick Sheltra, (13) Brian Nuttall, (14) Chuck Hummer.
Qualifying
Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., posted the fastest overall qualifying time as the 53 entrants split into four groups. Owens will start on the pole of the fourth heat race. The other fast qualifiers in their groups — Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn. — will also start on the pole of heat races. Owens' fast lap of 15.445 seconds topped 53 entrants overall, five more than the opening night. He was one of five drivers to crack the 16-second mark on the 4/10-mile southeast Georgia oval.
Pre-race notes
Among drivers in Friday's action who didn't compete in Wednesday's opener were five-time Dirt Track World Champion Freddy Smith of Seymour, Tenn., Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky., G.R. Smith of Mooresville, N.C., Homer Leonard of Jacksonville, Fla., Dale Groves Jr. of Tallahassee, Fla., and Craig Shuffield of Fayetteville, N.C. ... Freddy Smith was driving a Brian Nuttall backup car. ... Rattliff, who has driven a Rayburn Race Car most of his brief career, unloaded a Rocket Chassis. ... Joe Isabell slammed the frontstretch guardrail exiting turn four on his qualifying lap. ... Chesley Dixon got way too high in turn four on his lap. ... Leonard didn't qualify. ... Brisk winds and cooler temperatures greeted fans on Friday night with forecasts for lows in the 30s. ... National Late Model Series competitors and hobby stocks are on the undercard. ... The UMP Late Models are the first of three feature events.
Time trials
Mike Collins (3), Council Bluffs, Iowa, 17.205
Correction: Earlier versions of this story listed the incorrect date. Also, Tim McCreadie was initially incorrectly listed as finishing fifth in the main event. He was sixth.
