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Billy Moyer (21) pounced on the first lap. (butlerracingphotos.com)

CONCORD, N.C. (April 18) — Fast qualifier Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., led eight heat race winners for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series-sanctioned Circle K Colossal 100 at the Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Other heat winners were Dan Schlieper, Jeep Van Wormer, Steve Shaver, Josh Richards, Chub Frank, Jimmy Owens and John Gill. Those drivers, along with the second- and third-place finishers in heats, will draw for starting spots Saturday to set the first 12 rows of the $50,000-to-win feature event. Details of preliminaries: | Todd Turner column | Post-heat notebook | Heat race slideshow | Prelims slideshow | Pre-heat notebook

Eighth heat

Breaking away from an early duel with fellow front-row starter Chuck Harper, polesitter John Gill pulled away for an easy victory. Gill's car trailed a little smoke in the final laps, but he didn't appear to slow. More smoke erupted when he slowed on the backstretch after the race's conclusion Third-starting Jeremy Miller finished a half-straightaway behind in second with Brian Birkhofer settling for the third and final transfer spot. Harper, who ran side by side with Gill the first few laps, faded to finish fifth.

Finish: John Gill, Jeremy Miller, Brian Birkhofer, Tim Fuller, Chuck Harper, Norman Short Jr., Jason Dupont, Dean Bowen.

Seventh heat

Fourth-starting Jimmy Owens overtook Ricky Weeks heading for the white flag and captured the seventh heat. Weeks got the second transfer spot while fifth-starting Randle Chupp was third for the final transfer position. Eric Jacobsen, who started outside the front row and led early, finished fourth. Polesitter Vic Coffey, who briefly led early, pulled up on the fourth lap with rear-end damage and headed for the pits. Danny Johnson spun exiting turn two on the second lap to bring out the race's first caution. Brad Neat spun on the restart to draw another caution.

Finish: Jimmy Owens, Ricky Weeks, Randle Chupp, Eric Jacobsen, Tim Allen, Danny Johnson, Brad Neat, Vic Coffey.

Sixth heat

In the most exciting heat of the night, polesitter Chub Frank fought off Clint Smith and then Scott Bloomquist for a 10-lap victory. Smith nosed ahead in the early laps, but he slowed and pulled to the infield just before the race's midpoint as Bloomquist made slight contact exiting turn two. Bloomquist caught Frank and worked the inside groove against the high-running Frank. A lap-eight caution for debris set up a showdown to the finish, and Frank was able to hold on with Bloomquist a close second. Eddie Carrier Jr. finished third, holding off Brady Smith. Brian Shirley, who started fifth, pulled off the seventh lap.

Finish: Chub Frank, Scott Bloomquist, Eddie Carrier Jr., Brady Smith, Al Shawver Jr., Jill George, Brian Shirley, Clint Smith.

Fifth heat

Third-starting Josh Richards blew away the field, building a full straightaway lead over fellow second-row starter Chris Madden before a lap-seven caution for debris. Richards pulled away again on the restart for an easy victory over Madden while eighth-starting Darrell Lanigan got the third and final transfer spot, finishing just behind Madden. Shannon Babb was fourth and didn't get one of the three transfer spots, but he's guaranteed a feature starting spot by virtue of his victory last October at Lowe's. Damon Eller, who started outside the front row, finished fifth. It took a while to get the race rolling. Shane Clanton spun exiting turn two after a scramble back in the pack on the first attempted start. Polesitter G.R. Smith got sideways exiting turn two on the second start, losing his nosepiece and forcing him to pull out of the race.

Finish: Josh Richards, Chris Madden, Darrell Lanigan, Shannon Babb, Damon Eller, Doug Horton, Shane Clanton, Jordan Bland, G.R. Smith.

Fourth heat

Starting third, Steve Shaver made a last-lap pass of polesitter Ray Cook for a heat race victory. Cook finished a close second with Dale McDowell third. Cook jumped into the early lead and quickly pulled away, but Shaver was able to cut into Cook's lead when he occasionally got too high exiting turn two. Shaver pulled alongside Cook on the backstretch of the eighth lap, then completed the pass after they cook the white flag. Shanon Buckingham was fourth, far ahead of Dennis Franklin.

Finish: Steve Shaver, Ray Cook, Dale McDowell, Shanon Buckingham, Dennis Franklin, B.J. McCammon, Rob McLaughlin, April Farmer, Brent Robinson.

Third heat

Jeep Van Wormer, inheriting the lead when Donnie Moran had a flat tire on a lap-six restart, barely held off Jimmy Mars for a victory. Bob Gordon, despite being part of two cautions, got the third and final transfer spot in a race where just five of eight starters were running at the finish. Moran's flat tire caused a frontstretch scramble on the sixth lap that ended up with Stacy Holmes spinning in turn two along with Gordon. Gordon had spun in turn four to bring out the lap-six caution. Mark Pettyjohn dropped out on the third lap. Mars got off to a poor start and initially appeared like he'd run far behind the field, content to get a few hot laps. But he restarted fourth after the lap-six scramble and nearly caught Van Wormer, the outside front-row starter, at the checkered flag.

Finish: Jeep Van Wormer, Jimmy Mars, Bob Gordon, Cody Sommers, Ed Gibbons, Donnie Moran, Stacy Holmes, Mark Pettyjohn. Scratched: Ronny Lee Hollingsworth.

Second heat

Dan Schlieper, who started outside the second row, won an early duel with Rick Eckert and Tim McCreadie and pulled away for a half-straightaway victory in the 10-lapper. McCreadie, making his first 2008 start in the Steve Francis Racing No. 15, cut into Schlieper's lead late but finished second ahead of his car owner, Francis. Eckert ended up fourth in the caution-free event.

Finish: Dan Schlieper, Tim McCreadie, Steve Francis, Rick Eckert, John Blankenship, Ricky Elliott, Jeff Smith, Joe Isabell, Chris Knight.

First heat

Fourth-starting Billy Moyer went immediately to the lead and pulled away for an easy victory. Polesitter Jackie Boggs finished more than a straightaway behind in second with Earl Pearson Jr. in the third and final transfer spot. Mike Marlar started inside the second row but ended up fifth behind Steve Lucas

Finish: Billy Moyer, Jackie Boggs, Earl Pearson Jr., Steve Lucas, Mike Marlar, Jonathan Davenport, Sean Beardsley, Duvall, Roffers.

Qualifying

Billy Moyer isn't done with his hot streak, yet. The Hall of Fame driver from Batesville, Ark., the winner of four of six World of Outlaws Late Model Series races so far in 2008, posted the fastest qualifying time among 69 entrants at the WoO-sanctioned Circle K Colossal 100 at the Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Moyer's lap of 14.672 seconds lowered the track record set by Steve Shaver of Vienna, W.Va., last November.

Moyer will start outside the second row in his heat race after spinning a four on the inversion wheel. Moyer was followed unofficially in the qualifying list by Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis. (14.977), Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio (15.008), Dennis Franklin of Gaffney, S.C. (15.072) and Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C. (15.195).

Qualifying notes

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