I-30 Speedway
McCreadie's demise lifts Clanton to I-30 WoO win
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Tim McCreadie (39) and Shane Clanton (25) battle at I-30. (Woody Hampton)
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (May 11) — Shane Clanton knows his third World of Outlaws Late Model Series triumph of 2013 was a product of good fortune.
After capturing Saturday night’s 50-lap WoO main event at I-30 Speedway, the 37-year-old driver from Zebulon, Ga., could only shake his head at the unlikely turn of events that made him a winner in the national tour’s first-ever event in the state of Arkansas. | Slideshow | Video
“I got lucky,” admitted Clanton, who was victorious for the second time in the last three WoO events. “It was given to me because (Tim) McCreadie got into the lapped car. He had a better race car.”
Indeed, Clanton appeared resigned to finishing second after being passed for the lead by Watertown, N.Y.’s McCreadie on lap 43. But two circuits later McCreadie spun between turns three and four when he tangled with Robbie Stuart while attempting to lap the DeRidder, La., driver, sending McCreadie to the rear of the field for the ensuing restart and handing the top spot back to Clanton.
Then Clanton – despite running with a deflating left-rear tire on his Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car – held off a furious challenge from Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., over the final five laps to defeat the defending WoO champion by a mere 0.259 of a second.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., maintained his series points lead with a third-place finish after starting sixth. Outside polesitter Rick Eckert of York, Pa., placed fourth and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., completed the top five.
Normally a very demonstrative Victory Lane personality, Clanton was rather subdued after his latest success. The circumstances of his 19th career WoO checkered flag left him unwilling to celebrate in his trademark roof-pounding manner.
Clanton started from the pole position and led the race’s first 42 laps, keeping Lanigan at arm’s length for the first half of the race and then battling to hold McCreadie at bay after the 2006 WoO champ passed Lanigan for second on a lap-25 restart. But McCreadie’s ability to keep his Sweeteners Plus Warrior car glued to the inside of the track ultimately proved too much for Clanton, who ceded the lead to McCreadie on lap 43.
McCreadie, 39, immediately pulled away from Clanton, but his bid came to a heartbreaking end on lap 45 when contact with Stuart forced him into the uke tires lining the inside of turns three and four and then into a spin.
Clanton couldn’t believe his eyes when McCreadie went spinning from contention just ahead of him.
“He had a good run on the lapped car, and I felt like the lapped car should’ve given him room and he didn’t,” said Clanton, whose victory moved him within six points of Richards in the WoO standings. “When you’re the last car on the lead lap (and) somebody’s under you, you know it’s the leader so you just move out of the way.
“I feel sorry for McCreadie a little bit, but hey, a win’s a win. You gotta put yourself in them positions to take advantage of it. We had the second-best race car, and we won the race.”
Clanton didn’t cruise to victory after McCreadie’s misfortune. He was dogged every step of the way by Lanigan, who came within inches of leading lap 47 and stayed glued to Clanton’s rear bumper until the final lap when he bobbled slightly attempting a high-side pass rounding turns one and two.
“I was just trying to fend him off the best I could,” Clanton said of Lanigan. “I knew I was leaving the bottom open leaving the corner, but I just had a flat left-rear tire so I was doing all I could. The left-rear tire going flat was killing me down the straightaways.”
Lanigan, 42, settled for his second consecutive runner-up finish on the WoO circuit.
“It was hard to pass,” said Lanigan, who started third in his Rocket mount. “On the last lap I went in (turn one) a little higher to try go through the middle to pass (Clanton), but there was no traction.”
When Clanton parked his No. 25 on the homestretch for the post-race ceremonies, he emerged from the cockpit to see his left-rear tire almost completely devoid of air. He was amazed that he was able to hold on with the handicap.
“When (McCreadie) passed me there on the bottom (for the lead on lap 43) we got together and I guess it cut the left-rear tire down,” said Clanton, who earned $10,550 for a victory that tied him with Lanigan atop the tour’s 2013 win list. “He was running way lower down the straightaway than what I realized. I thought I got by him down the straightaway, but he had a good run and we hit, and it cut the left rear tire down. Luckily we could finish the race.”
McCreadie, meanwhile, was running at the conclusion of the race, but he crossed the finish line in 19th place. After passing Eckert, Lanigan and Clanton en route to the front from his fourth starting spot, the defeat was a bitter pill for him to swallow.
“It’s frustrating,” said a dejected McCreadie, who was bidding for his second WoO victory of 2013. “I had a run on that lapped car (into turn three) and was completely up underneath him, and he just kept coming down into me. I couldn’t even gas it up to slide up and push him out of the way, so I ended up going around.”
Four caution flags slowed the event. Prior to McCreadie’s incident, Stuart spun in turn four on lap three; Robert Baker of Bryant, Ark., spun in turn two on lap 12; and Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., slowed on lap 25.
Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., finished sixth, matching his best WoO run of the season. Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., recorded a season-best finish of seventh; Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., placed eighth; Kyle Beard of Truman, Ark., was a WoO career-best ninth; and Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., advanced from the 20th starting spot to complete the top 10.
Twenty-seven cars were signed in for the event, which was originally scheduled for Friday night but was postponed 24 hours due to saturated grounds. The WoO series was originally scheduled to race Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, Miss., but that event was canceled on Friday morning due to heavy rain and a dismal Saturday forecast, opening the door for I-30’s move to Saturday.
Lanigan was quickest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, earning his second fast-time honor of 2013 with a lap of 14.172 seconds.
Heat winners were Lanigan, McCreadie and Richards, and Frank captured the B-Main.
The WoO tour is idle until the Memorial Day holiday weekend when it visits NAPA Auto Parts Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on Fri., May 24, and Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, W.Va., for the Jackpot 100 on Sat., May 25 and Sun., May 27.
WoO @ I-30: (1) Shane Clanton, (2) Darrell Lanigan, (3) Josh Richards, (4) Rick Eckert, (5) Billy Moyer, (6) Bub McCool, (7) Clint Smith, (8) Wendell Wallace, (9) Kyle Beard, (10) Jack Sullivan, (11) Tim Fuller, (12) Scott James, (13) Robert Baker, (14) Eric Wells, (15) Morgan Bagley, (16) Chandler Petty, (17) Tommy Surrett, (18) Zach McMillan, (19) Tim McCreadie, (20) Dillon Wood, (21) Chub Frank, (22) Robbie Stuart, (23) Odie Green, (24) Timothy Culp. Fast qualifier (among 27 cars): Clanton, 14.172 seconds. Heat winners: Lanigan, McCreadie, Richards. Consolation winner: Frank. Provisionals: Green, Stuart.
