Lernerville Speedway
Breathtaking heats highlight Firecracker prelims
From series reports
Shannon Babb blasts around Lernerville Speedway. (DirtonDirt.com)
SARVER, Pa. (June 27) — If qualifying night at Lernerville Speedway is any indication, the second annual Firecracker 100 presented by GottaRace.com is going to be a show to remember. Western Pennsylvania’s blockbuster $150,000 World of Outlaws Late Model Series event opened in spectacular fashion with a 62-car field providing fans an endless supply of action during six breathtaking heat races. Side-by-side battles for the lead. Last-lap drama. A storybook comeback from near-disaster by a local hotshoe. Emotions boiling over. | Slideshow
Yes, the preliminary night had it all, setting the stage for Saturday night’s $40,000-to-win Firecracker 100.
The most thrilling heat-race victory was by 20-year-old WoO sensation Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who went to the outside of the 4/10-mile oval to pull off a three-wide pass for the lead on lap 12 of the fourth 15-lap qualifier. As if a daredevil move to assume command wasn’t exciting enough, the two drivers Richards sailed by for the lead added even more luster to his performance. He overtook dirt Late Model legends Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., in one deft sweep.
“I knew the only chance I had to start up front (in the Firecracker 100) was if I won the heat, so I got my elbows up and drove as hard as I could,” said Richards, aware that the six heat winners will redraw on Saturday for the top-six starting spots in the 100-lapper. “I didn’t get off to a very good start, but I kept packing the top (groove) during the cautions and I kept getting better and better up there. The top has always been my preferred line around this place, so I knew I could make it work. I just had to get it done.”
Bloomquist, who won last year’s inaugural Firecracker 100, tumbled to a fifth-place finish after losing the lead to Richards’ Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket. He’ll have to run a B-Main on Saturday night to make the feature.
Dramatic heat-race competition actually began with the first prelim, when WoO regular Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., passed upstart Coleby Frye of Dover, Pa., on the final lap to emerge triumphant. Frye fell one lap short of an upset, flag-to-flag victory, settling for second when he left the door open for Clanton by bumping the homestretch wall with the white flag waving. The sixth heat was another barnburner, with Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, Iowa, winning over Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., following a side-by-side duel that raged for virtually the entire distance.
Other heat victors included defending WoO champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who dominated the second prelim; Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla.; and WoO points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who enters the weekend hot off a tour victory on Wednesday night at Big Diamond Raceway in Minersville, Pa.
The drive of the night, however, was turned in by Mike Blose of New Bethlehem, Pa., who became the darling of the crowd with an amazing rally in the second heat. Blose, 50, was bidding for the third and final transfer spot on lap nine of the heat when contact with Brandon Kinzer of Allen, Ky., sent him spinning wildly over the third-turn bank at a high rate of speed. A red flag was thrown after he disappeared from the fans’ view, but moments later he drove his car back onto the racing surface and decided to continue racing.
With the fans cheering his every move, Blose slid by Keith Barbara of South Park, Pa., and Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., on the 13th lap to snare a third-place finish and transfer to the Firecracker 100. He had started the heat from the last spot after being disqualified from his time-trial run because his car weighed in 18 pounds light.
“I’m too damn old for this,” Blose smiled amid a large crowd of well-wishers at his trailer following the night’s action. “When I went over the bank backwards, I was thinking, 'Man, this is gonna hurt!' But the car stayed on its wheels and all we bent was a left-front tie-rod and a wheel.
“I guess we finally lucked into something,” added Blose, who credited WoO star Chub Frank with providing him valuable setup help.
The close-quarters racing got a little too tight during the third heat, resulting in a confrontation between John Blankenship of Williamson,W.Va., and Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis. After Blankenship rubbed his way past Mars for third place on lap 12, Mars retaliated by running into the left-rear corner of Blankenship’s car and spinning the WoO regular between turns three and four. As the angry Mars retired to the pit area, Blankenship restarted at the rear of the field and limped to an eighth-place finish.
Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., piloted his Bowyer Dirt Motorsports Rocket to the fastest lap in time trials, roaring around the finely-manicured track in 15.228 seconds. He went on to finish third in the first heat while trailing smoke from an apparent oil overflow.
The Firecracker 100 weekend continues Saturday with a full day of activities, starting at noon with a driver-fan horseshoe tournament, Best Burger and Best Banner contests, a weenie roast and music by Sarah Wilson. A driver autograph session is scheduled for 4 p.m. followed by B-Mains, the $3,000-to-win Uncle Sam 30 for non-qualifiers and the $40,000-to-win Firecracker 100. Pit gates open at 3 p.m., with hot laps at 6:45 p.m. and opening ceremonies at 7:30 p.m.
Qualifying
Heat race finishes (top three transfer)
First heat: Clanton, Frye, Babb, Horton, Eckert, Knight, Flinner, McGuire, Ferree, Isabell, King.
Second heat: Francis, Kinzer, Blose, Owens, Barbara, Burke, Bachman, Carrier, Covert, Marlar, Miley.
Third heat: Pearson, Moyer, Satterlee, D. Scott, Copeman, Kennedy, Valone, Blankenship, Mars, Geisler.
Fourth heat: Richards, Moran, Madden, Lux, Bloomquist, Stone, Mollick, Danny Johnson, Reges, Schaltenbrand.
Fifth heat: Lanigan, Fuller, Miller, Davey Johnson, Dutch Davies, Blair, Rhebergen, Coffey, Laraway. Scratched: Musolino.
Sixth heat: Birkhofer, Frank, McCreadie, Ron Davies, Hess, Clint Smith, Lyle, Beardsley, R. Scott. Scratched: Close
