Attica Raceway Park
Owens gets weekend started right at Attica
Jimmy Owens gets rolling at Attica. (rdwphotos.smugmug.com)
ATTICA, Ohio (Aug. 30) — Heading into the season's home stretch with a busy Labor Day weekend, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., strengthened his quest for a third straight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title with a victory Friday in the first series visit to Attica Raceway Park. | Video | Slideshow
Owens led all but three laps of the 50-lap feature and earned $10,000 while nearly doubling the 50-point margin he held over Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., entering the first of three weekend events. With his series-leading seventh victory of the season, Owens leads Francis by 95 points with 10 events remaining.
“This is our first time here, and we really like this place,” the third-starting Owens said, thanking the big crowd. “ We had a super car all night long! I think the first two finishers picked the same tire compound to run, and it paid off.”
Polesitter Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, finished second but was a straightaway behind Owens much of the way. Four-time series champion Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., was third followed by John Blankenship of Williamson, W.Va., and Francis. Russ King of Bristolville, Ohio, led four of the first six laps but slipped to sixth at the finish.
Owens made a daring move to the inside of the track on the opening lap to take the lead from the front-row starters Birkhofer and King. King fought back and took the lead from Owens on lap three and led the race for three circuits until Owens got back by him.
King then held the second spot, using the top groove on the racetrack until Birkhofer got by for second on lap 12 and stayed there for the remainder of the race, but never very close to Owens.
“It is a great way to start the weekend and hopefully we can go to Portsmouth and I-77 with the same results,” Owens said, looking ahead to $40,000 in winning purses still on the line over the holiday weekend.
Birkhofer, making his first in more than three weeks while headling from a broken hand, ran three seconds behind the winner most of the way.
“We didn't have anything for Jimmy tonight; he was too strong,” Birkhofer said. “To come here after being off for so long and to run well with these guys felt really good. I will probably sleep pretty well tonight. It's going to be a long weekend!”
Pearson rebounded from a couple of tough outings the previous weekend for his best series finish since July 17.
“It feels good to have a top-three finish here,” said the Bobby Labonte Racing driver. “We have only been here once before and that was nine years ago. The crew has worked hard over the last two weeks and we have had a lot of misfortune, so we needed a good run.”
The feature was slowed by a single caution flag for Illinois invader Jason Jaggers on the 35th lap.
Notes: Owens drives a Cornett-powered Bloomquist Race Car owned by Mike Reece and sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Sunoco Race Fuels, Red Line Oil, Gantte Appraisals and Midwest Sheet Metal. ... Owens has three series victories in Ohio; the other two came at Portsmouth. ... Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., fourth in series points entering the event, missed his second consecutive series event because of neck and back injuries suffered Aug. 22 at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn.; O'Neal is expected to rejoin the series in mid-September. ... Jeff Babcock of Wayne, Ohio, was quick in the second qualifying group but was the only heat polesitter failing to win a heat. ... Jon Henry won last week's feature at Attica driving a new Rayburn Race Car; he retired after 34 laps. ... Season-ending weekend continues for Attica on Saturday highlight by a $5,300-to-win All-Star Circuit of Champions sprint car feature; the regular UMP DIRTcar Late Model division chases $1,300. ... Drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Dusty Moore, Tim Sabo, Coby Bartram, Josh Haynes, John Bores, Nate Potts and Cody Scott. ... The national tour’s busy Labor Day weekend continues with a $15,000-to-win event Saturday at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park and the $25,000-to-win Hillbilly 100 on Sunday at I-77 Raceway Park in Ripley, W.Va.
Lucas Oil Series @ Attica: (1) Jimmy Owens, (2) Brian Birkhofer, (3) Earl Pearson Jr., (4) John Blankenship, (5) Steve Francis, (6) Russ King, (7) Dennis Erb Jr., (8) Billy Moyer, (9) Jeff Babcock, (10) Eddie Carrier Jr., (11) Rusty Schlenk, (12) Doug Drown, (13) Billy Moyer Jr., (14) Jared Landers, (15) Matt Irey, (16) Casey Noonan, (17) Jason Jaggers, (18) Jon Henry, (19) Ryan Markham, (20) Jason Feger, (21) Mike Bores, (22) Garrett Krummert, (23) Ryan Missler, (24) D.J. Miller. Fast qualifier (among 31 cars): Birkhofer, 14.750 seconds. Heat race winners: Birkhofer, Owens, King, Pearson. Consolation winner: Henry. Provisional starters: Moyer Jr., Miller.
