Bloomquist Masters Cowboy Classic For Lucas Oil LM Dirt Series Win

Story By: JAMES ESSEX / LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – WHEATLAND, MO – Scott Bloomquist led all 45 laps to win the 5th Annual Cowboy Classic on Thursday night at Lucas Oil Speedway. The 54-year-old three-time, Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion picked up his third series win of the season and the 596th of his career.

Bloomquist had to hold off current Lucas Oil MLRA points leader, Chad Simpson after a late-race caution for the victory. Hudson O’Neal finished in third followed by 16th starting Mike Marlar and 18th starting Brian Shirley.

Bloomquist took the lead at the start of the event. Jimmy Owens quickly moved into the second position. The two East Tennessee veterans then pulled away from a solid race for third between Hudson O’Neal, Mason Ziegler, and Chad Simpson. Owens closed an eight car-length gap between himself and Bloomquist to just two car-lengths as a caution came out on lap 26 for Jonathan Davenport.

On the ensuing restart, Bloomquist pulled away and O’Neal moved around Owens for second. Simpson, who started tenth, then moved into the third spot. Simpson then got around O’Neal for second before taking up the challenge of catching Bloomquist. Simpson managed to pull even with Bloomquist a few times in the final ten laps but could never get the momentum to clear him.

“The car was really good tonight, we have learned a lot of things about this track in the past and I think we might have finally solved some things. My daughter Ariel is here tonight. She asked me, ‘dad, are you ever going to win another race this year?’ We have had a lot of second place finishes. I told her I promise I am going to win another one,” said the winner in Lucas Oil Victory Lane.

“After that last caution I saw him [Simpson] down below there. I carried enough momentum there to keep him behind me. I kind of moved around a little bit and that helped. I did not want to block the bottom. Hopefully this is the start of a big weekend. I have never won the Show-Me here, so it would be nice to finally get that one here.”

Simpson posted an LOLMDS podium finish last week at Deer Creek Speedway in Minnesota and was happy with tonight’s run as well. “That last restart was really good for us. We keep gaining week after week. We ran well last weekend at Deer Creek against these guys. We have kept talking about changing things and we have finally hit on something. If Scott hadn’t moved down to the bottom, we could have had something for him. Great race for him. We’ve got a good race car. It’s a great start to the weekend, no doubt.”

O’Neal continues to make strides, recording his best career finish at Lucas Oil Speedway. “This is such a cool race track. Each time I come here, the racing keeps getting better. Hats off to Chad and Scott, they drove a heck of a race. I have a lot of guys behind me that do an amazing job,” said the driver of the Todd Burns-owned Dyno One, Sub-Surface of Indiana, Club 29 entry.

The winner’s Sweet-Bloomquist Chassis is powered by an Andy Durham Racing Engine and is sponsored by New Direction Ag, Reece Monument Company, Sweet Mfg., Sorbera Chiropractic, Penske Shocks, Valvoline, Crossfit by Overton, Petroff Towing, CatSpot, Horton Coal, and Go Lithium Batteries.

Completing the top ten were Jimmy Owens, Mason Ziegler, Jimmy Mars, Tim McCreadie, and Shanon Buckingham.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Thursday, May 24th, 2018
5th Annual Cowboy Classic
Lucas Oil Speedway – Wheatland, MO

Miller Welders Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jared Landers / 15.637 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Scott Bloomquist / 16.006 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Tim McCreadie, Jared Landers, Payton Looney, Will Vaught, Billy Moyer, Shannon Babb, Justin Duty, Jesse Stovall, Joseph Gorby, Matt Furman, Aaron Poe

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Jonathan Davenport, Austin Rettig, Austin Siebert, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Don O’Neal, Kolby Vandenbergh, Jake Davis, Mark Burgtorf, Scott Crigler, Darrell Lanigan, Tony Jackson, Jr.

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Hudson O’Neal, BJ Robinson, Kyle Bronson, Brandon Sheppard, Gavin Landers, Dennis Erb, Jr., Brad Looney, Gregg Satterlee, Terry Phillips, Shannon Scott, Reid Millard

QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Bobby Pierce, Chris Simpson, Logan Martin, Chase Junghans, Billy Moyer, Jr., Cole Wells, Raymond Merrill, Joe Godsey Jeremy Grady, Al Humphrey

Lucas Oil Products Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Jimmy Owens, Chad Simpson, Mike Marlar, Cade Dillard, Jack Sullivan, Tyler Erb, Mitch McGrath, Josh Richards, Joey Moriarty, Kaeden Cornell, Blonde Bomber Mitchell

ProtectTheHarvest.com Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Mason Zeigler, Jimmy Mars, Brian Shirley, Earl Pearson, Jr., Shanon Buckingham, Mason Oberkramer, JC Wyman, Dave Eckrich, Jeff Roth, Bryon Allison

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Finish (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): Will Vaught, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Billy Moyer, Shannon Babb, Don O’Neal, Jesse Stovall, Jake Davis, Tony Jackson, Jr., Kolby Vandenbergh, Joseph Gorby, Mark Burgtorf, Matt Furman, Justin Duty, Aaron Poe, Darrell Lanigan, Scott Crigler

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): Brandon Sheppard, Chase Junghans, Billy Moyer, Jr., Gregg Satterlee, Brad Looney, Logan Martin, Joe Godsey, Gavin Landers, Terry Phillips, Dennis Erb, Jr., Cole Wells, Raymond Merrill, Jeremy Grady, Reid Millard, Al Humphrey, Shannon Scott-DNS

ASi Racewear B-Main #3 Finish (15 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): Shanon Buckingham, Cade Dillard, Earl Pearson, Jr., Jack Sullivan, Mason Oberkramer, Tyler Erb, Josh Richards, Mitch McGrath, JC Wyman, Joey Moriarty, Dave Eckrich, Kaeden Cornell, Blonde Bomber Mitchell, Jeff Roth-DNS, Bryon Allison-DNS

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (45 Laps):

FINISH	START	CAR #	DRIVER NAME	HOMETOWN	EARNINGS
1	2	0	Scott Bloomquist	Mooresburg, TN	$6,000
2	10	25	Chad Simpson	Mt. Vernon, IA	$3,000
3	5	71	Hudson O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	$2,000
4	16	157	Mike Marlar	Winfield, TN	$1,500
5	18	3s	Brian Shirley	Chatham, IL	$1,250
6	4	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	$1,000
7	6	25Z	Mason Zeigler	Chalk Hill, PA	$950
8	12	28m	Jimmy Mars	Menomonie, WI	$900
9	1	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	$850
10	21	50	Shanon Buckingham	Morristown, TN	$800
11	9	94	Austin Rettig	Sikeston, MO	$700
12	14	32S	Chris Simpson	Oxford, IA	$600
13	11	1B	BJ Robinson	Haughton, LA	$600
14	20	B5	Brandon Sheppard	New Berlin, IL	$600
15	17	40B	Kyle Bronson	Brandon, FL	$600
16	8	32	Bobby Pierce	Oakwood, IL	$600
17	19	1V	Will Vaught	Crane, MO	$600
18	22	99JR	Frank Heckenast, Jr.	Frankfort, IL	$600
19	3	49	Jonathan Davenport	Blairsville, GA	$600
20	7	777	Jared Landers	Batesville, AR	$600
21	24	97	Cade Dillard	Robeline, LA	$600
22	15	16A	Austin Siebert	Grandview, MO	$600
23	23	18J	Chase Junghans	Manhattan, KS	$600
24	13	15P	Payton Looney	Republic, MO	$600