Chris Ferguson Earns Pole For Dirt Track World Championship At Plymouth

Story By: JAMES ESSEX / LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – PORTSMOUTH, OH – Chris Ferguson and Shane Clanton will make up the front row for Saturday night’s 39th Annual RhinoAg Dirt Track World Championship – Presented by Optima Batteries at Portsmouth Raceway Park.

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt series-sanctioned event drew 66 entries for preliminary events on Friday night of the $100,000-to-win event.

Ferguson will start on the pole after earning the most combined points from qualifying and heat races in Group A. Ferguson will be seeking his first career crown jewel event win on Saturday. Clanton accumulated the most points from qualifying and heat races in Group B to earn the outside of the front row in tomorrow night’s season-ending event for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

The top-eight in combined qualifying and heat race results from both Group A and from Group B are locked in to the DTWC with each group sending a total of 16 cars to the starting grid. Starting behind Ferguson will be the two-time and defending DTWC winner, Josh Richards. Richards is looking to become the first driver in history to win the crown jewel event three consecutive times and will start third on Saturday night.

Behind Ferguson and Richards will be two-time DTWC winner Brandon Sheppard, 2019 LOLMDS National Champion Jonathan Davenport, 2019 LOLMDS Rookie-of-the-Year Tyler Erb, Shanon Buckingham, Scott James and Jason Covert.

Clanton earned the outside of the front row with a stirring run in his heat race from fifth to first. Mike Marlar will start behind Clanton with 2012 DTWC winner Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Bobby Pierce, Dennis Erb Jr., Kyle Bronson and Hudson O’Neal, who earned the 16th starting spot and final spot for the locked in cars.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday, October 18th, 2019
Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, Ohio

Miller Welders Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Chris Ferguson / 14.658 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jimmy Owens / 14.727 seconds

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (15 Laps): Scott James , Chris Ferguson, Shanon Buckingham, Gregg Satterlee, Stormy Scott, Jackie Boggs, Zack Dohm, Billy Moyer, Jr., Jon Hodgkiss, Allen Murray, Logan Roberson-DNS

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (15 Laps): Jonathan Davenport, Tyler Erb ®, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Weiss, Brandon Overton, Drake Troutman, Steve Casebolt , Mike Benedum, Kevin Wagner, Justin Rattliff, Blake Naylor

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (15 Laps): Scott Bloomquist, Josh Richards, Jason Covert, Chase Junghans, RJ Conley, Dale McDowell, Mason Zeigler, Nick Hoffman, Rick Eckert, Lee Logan, Robert Starett

Lucas Oil Products Penetrating Oil Heat Race #4 Finish (15 Laps): Don O’Neal, Mike Marlar, Hudson O’Neal, Jimmy Owens, Jacob Hawkins, Eric Wells, Jared Hawkins, Ricky Thornton Jr., Colton Flinner, Josh Hall, Eric Webber

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #5 Finish (15 Laps): Shane Clanton, Devin Moran ®, Chub Frank, Dennis Erb, Jr., Delmas Conley, Kody Evans, Shannon Thornsberry, Austin Rettig, JT Conley, Brandon Fouts, Earl Pearson, Jr.

Lucas Oil Products Penetrating Oil Heat Race #6 Finish (15 Laps): Bobby Pierce, Kyle Bronson, Tim McCreadie, Tyler Carpenter, Doug Drown, Jason Jameson ®, Rod Conley, Boom Briggs, Kirk Phillips, Dave Hornikel, Charlie Jude

Lucas Oil Products Red “N” Tacky Spray Grease B-Main Line Up (15 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):