7/3/2006
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
It's Showtime for Steve Shaver in "Creno's 50" Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race at Muskingum County
ZANESVILLE, OH (July 3, 2006)- Living up to his nickname "Showtime" Vienna, WV's Steve Shaver blasted past three other drivers on a lap 34 restart and then went on to claim the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series "Creno's 50" on Monday Night at the Muskingum County Speedway.
Shaver became the 11th different winner in 2006 on the series tour as he notched his second career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win before a packed house earning $10,000 for the win, his first driving for Sean Cosgrove Racing. The 42 year old veteran pilot was driving the Waco Gas and Oil/Drywall Systems Inc/United West Virginia Bank/Lakeview Estates/Hershey's Racing Engines/Casey Marshall crew chiefed/Rocket GTO. 11th starting Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN finished second in the Randall Eller/Independence Lumber Inc/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo followed by series points leader Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL in the Carlton and Kemp Lamm/Lucas Oil Products/MasterSbilt Ford Taurus. A solid fourth place finish was turned in by Davey Johnson of Latrobe, PA in the Dale Beitler Racing/Reliable Painting/Rocket GTO with Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH coming from the tail to take fifth in the Custom Cutters/SMS Race Engines/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo. A total of 54 cars were on hand at the Ronnie Moran promoted facility as the event was held despite a lengthy delay for rain and lightning right before time trials were to begin.
Former Muskingum County track champion Doug Dodd and National Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, Freddy Smith would make up the front row for the main event with Smith grabbing the early lead right from the start. It was all Smith early as the "Southern Gentleman" racing in his 40th year of competition was looking for career win #783 on this night. Dodd would settle into second with a lap scored followed by the third place starting, Shaver, Bart Hartman and Billy Moyer. With one lap scored veteran Mark Banal would slow in turn four bringing out the first caution of the race.
Earl Pearson, Jr. who started seventh on the grid charged up to fourth by lap two around Moyer, but a lap later the two National Champions would switch spots again with Moyer back into fourth. With five laps scored it was the high flying Smith on the point with Shaver getting by Dodd for second dropping Dodd to third just ahead of Moyer and Pearson. An incident involving Josh Richards and Eric Myers slowed the field and then on the restart Corey Conley would stop bringing out the third caution of the event within the first six laps of racing. After the third caution the restart would see Smith showing the way, but Pearson would be the man on the move exploding past Moyer, Dodd and Shaver on the restart to take second.
Don O'Neal, who started in 11th, was on the move as well picking up the fourth spot by lap seven and then roaring past Shaver to take third a lap later. The fourth caution for Sonny Conley and D.J. Cline would again slow the pace on lap nine. On the restart Donnie Moran would get caught up in a tussle heading into turn one and spin his mount. All the cars avoided Moran's car and he would restart on the back of the pack. In an action packed event and with ten laps complete Smith was still leading with Pearson, O'Neal, Shaver and 16th starting, Scott James now up to fifth. Pearson would look for an avenue around Smith and finally found the lead on lap 13.
O'Neal and Smith would then race side by side for three circuits until O'Neal cleared him on lap 17. With side by side battles all over the track, Hartman got into the thick of things running side by side with fellow second generation racer James as those two went door to door for several laps with Hartman putting himself into fifth. Caution number six with 23 laps scored came out for Josh Richards who slowed on the track. With two laps until the halfway mark Pearson had started to encounter heavy lapped traffic as O'Neal and Smith had closed his advantage. With the caution the track was now clear for Pearson as he would sprint away from O'Neal and Smith on the restart.
The rim riding Hartman would slide off the track in turn four on lap 25 bringing out the yellow flag. On the restart O'Neal would challenge Pearson for the lead as the top two in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points would race hard for the lead running within inches of each other. Smith was closely watching the race for the lead from his seat in third with Shaver quietly in fourth followed by James. Hartman who was making his way up through the field again ran out of real estate in turn four with 32 circuits scored as the brought out the caution and retired from the event.
After caution number eight Pearson would be on the point with O'Neal and Smith lined up side by side on the restart. As the cars were rocketing off of turn four to complete lap 33 Smith would take the outside line around O'Neal and he had his sights set on the leader Pearson at the flag stand. Smith had a run on Pearson and has drifted up the track on the main straightaway there was contact between himself and Smith with Pearson almost ending up into the frontstretch wall and Smith suffering a bent steering rack on his car.
Smith would slow bringing out the final caution of the race as the racing incident would end his night. With 33 laps in the books Pearson would lead the field on the restart with O'Neal in second. Shaver, who restarted fourth, would blast around the top of the 3/8ths mile track roaring to the head of the field taking the lead on lap 34. While Shaver started to build a little bit of an advantage over the field Pearson and O'Neal would crank it up another notch in the race for second place. O'Neal would pass Pearson for the position on lap 35 and then set his intentions on trying to catch the speedy Shaver.
But Shaver would drive a flawless last part of the race as he would go on to capture his second career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event and his first driving for Sean Cosgrove Racing of Catharpin, VA. O'Neal would finish second just in front of Pearson with Davey Johnson claiming the fourth spot as Moran, who had come from the tail after an earlier caution flag survived a classic duel with James to take fifth.
In victory lane Shaver was amazed how well his car ran the top side in taking the lead. "We tried and tried to get to that top groove because I knew we would be good there," said Shaver with steam coming from under the hood after the race. "On that last restart I jumped up to the cushion and the car just got hooked up there and I drove around those guys, I mean you dream of moves like that and to do that against those guys (Pearson and O'Neal) is tough to do." "I am real happy to get this win for Sean Cosgrove and everybody on the crew, they have worked their tails off all year and they deserve it."
Crew chief Casey Marshall received alot of the accolades as well for the win as the Zanesville, OH native joined Shaver and the rest of his crew in victory lane. Completing the top ten after James were Dodd, 23rd starting Corey Conley, Richards and Steve Casebolt.
In preliminary action Mike Balzano topped the 54 car field in the Comp Cams Time Trials with a fast lap of 15.786 seconds. The PBM Performance Product Heat Races were won by Butch McGill, Bart Hartman, Billy Moyer, Freddy Smith, Doug Dodd and Steve Shaver. The Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main went to Keith Barbara and the Penske Shocks Second B-Main was won by Larry Moran. The K&N Engineering "Clean Pass of the Race" went to race winner Steve Shaver, who went from fourth place to lead on a lap 34 restart. The K&N Engineering "Clean Pass of the Race" is awarded at each Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event in 2006 and can happen during a heat, consy or main event.
The next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event will take place on Friday Night, June 14 with a first visit to the North Alabama Speedway in Tuscumbia, AL for a $7,000 to win race followed by a Saturday Night, June 15 first visit to the "Baddest Bullring in the South" the Columbus Speedway in Columbus, MS for the 8th Annual "James Nickoles Memorial" paying $10,000 to win. The cameras of SPEED will be on hand at Columbus to catch all the exciting Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action as the event will be shown on a date and time to be announced in the future.
Series officials have also announced an addition to the 2006 racing schedule as the Series will make its first ever appearance at the Rome Speedway in Rome, GA on Friday Night, October 6 for a $10,000 to win national event. The next night at the Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, GA will be the $15,000 to win 16th Annual Lucas Oil Dixie Shootout. For more information you can visit www.dixiespeedway.com and www.lucasdirt.com.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Monday Night, July 3, 2006 Muskingum County Speedway-Zanesville, OH
Comp Cams Fast Qualifier: Mike Balzano 15.786 seconds
PBM Performance Products First Heat: (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Butch McGill, Earl Pearson, Jr., Michael England, George Lee, Rick DeLong, Charlie Duncan, Lance Elson, Johnny Boyd, Mike Balzano
PBM Performance Products Second Heat: (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Bart Hartman, Josh Richards, Davey Johnson, Keith Barbara, Jeff Gress, Shane McLoughlin, Jason Flory, John Mason, Rod Conley
PBM Performance Products Third Heat: (10 Laps-Top 3 advance): Billy Moyer, Eric Myers, Steve Casebolt, Eric Jacobsen, Mike Johnson, Norm Aronholt, Bob Moskey, Scott Shelhorn
PBM Performance Products Fourth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Freddy Smith, Donnie Moran, Scott James, D.J. Cline, Larry Moran, Freddie Carpenter, Russ Frohnapfel, Paul Devoll, Danny Mitchell
PBM Performance Products Fifth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Doug Dodd, Don O'Neal, Matt MIller, Larry Smith, R.J. Conley, Cody Parker, Ryan Twarog, Jared Hawkins
PBM Performance Products Sixth Heat: (10 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Steve Shaver, Mark Banal, Rick Aukland, Doug Drown, Greg Baumberger, Aaron Scott, Sonny Conley, Jay Helton, Ky Harper
Mason Racin' rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Keith Barbara, George Lee, Rick DeLong, Shane McLoughlin, Bob Moskey, Jeff Gress, Scott Shelhorn, Corey Conley, Mike Johnson, Eric Jacobsen, Norm Aronholt, Johnny Boyd, Lance Elson
Penske Shocks Second B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 2 Advance): Larry Moran, D.J. Cline, Greg Baumberger, Doug Drown, Sonny Conley, Paul Devoll, Ky Harper, Jared Hawkins, Russ Frohnapfel, Larry Smith, Jay Helton, R.J. Conley
Creno's 50 A-Main Feature Finish: Steve Shaver, Don O'Neal, Earl Pearson, Jr., Davey Johnson, Donnie Moran, Scott James, Doug Dodd, Corey Conley, Josh Richards, Steve Casebolt, George Lee, Keith Barbara, Eric Jacobsen, Larry Moran, Butch McGill, Freddy Smith, Matt Miller, Bart Hartman, Norm Aronholt, Eric Myers, Rick Aukland, Billy Moyer, Sonny Conley, D.J. Cline, Michael England, Mark Banal
Race Statistics: Entries: 54 Caution Flags: 9 Red Flags: 0 Lap Leaders: Freddy Smith 1-12, Earl Pearson, Jr. 13-33, Steve Shaver 34-50 Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Corey Conley (Started 23rd and finished 8th, advanced 15 positions) K&N Engineering Clean Pass of the Race: Steve Shaver Hawk Brake Tough Break Award: Freddy Smith Quarter Master Move of the Race: Earl Pearson, Jr. On the Edge Graphics Fastest Non-Qualifier: Mike Balzano Weld Wheels Award: Scott James Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Race: Corey Conley Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Corey Conley and Sonny Conley Other Provisionals: Norm Aronholt (Track) and Eric Jacobsen (Fastest Non Preliminary Qualifier)
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields