Tyler Erb Controls Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Event At Tri-City Speedway
Story By: LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – GRANITE CITY, IL – Tyler Erb took the lead on lap 22 and then went on to pick up the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory on Friday Night. Tri-City Speedway’s “NAPA Know How 50” marks Erb’s second win at Tri-City Speedway.
Billy Moyer Jr. recorded his best LOLMDS finish, coming home in second. Moyer, Jr. led the first 21 laps until Erb passed him for the lead. Jonathan Davenport crossed the finish stripe in third, followed by Shane Clanton and Tyler Bruening.
Moyer Jr. started alongside Kyle Strickler on the front row and then survived what was once a three-car battle for the lead until Strickler went spinning into the infield, ending his night with front suspension damage. Moyer, Jr. then held the point until Erb got by him three laps from the halfway mark. Erb quickly stretched his lead over Moyer, Jr. as he went unchallenged to the checkers.
Erb visited Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the second time this season, ninth of his career and said patience was a key to his win. “I knew that surviving out front was going to be half the battle. When we took off, I knew we had a really good car. I expected the track to come back the way it did. They had it rolled in really nice when we started. I almost took the lead when that caution came out. I knew when I was in second to just keep following Billy, he was a hand full tonight until an opportunity presented itself. He had a good car tonight and was going to be tough to beat. Congrats to him and JD on their finishes tonight,” said the 23-year-old Texas racer.
Moyer, Jr. was glad about a podium finish to end the night, “I just didn’t judge lapped traffic right. All-in-all to run second here is great, it’s one of my best tracks. I love racing in the St. Louis area. The Lucas Oil Series and the track did a great job on the track considering how much rain they had here a few days ago. Thank you to Marshall Green and everyone at Capital Race Cars. I have never had this great of help from anyone on the chassis-side. We will be contending for wins hopefully for a long-time to come.”
Davenport finished third. “It was tough to pass lapped cars. I moved around early on and gained some spots. I think Randall [Edwards], Erb’s crew chief saw me and moved him up the track. I got going pretty good and got by Junior. I felt like I was a little bit better than Junior, but it got hard to pass. A third-place finish here is good, we have had some pretty bad luck so to get a podium finish feels good for sure.”
The winner’s Best Performance Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Durham Race Engine and sponsored by is sponsored by Roberts Bee Company, First Class Septic, Franklin Enterprises, Industrial Resourcing Group, and Valvoline.
Completing the top ten were Rick Eckert, Devin Moran, Johnny Scott, Tim McCreadie, and Josh Richards.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
NAPA Know How 50
Friday, July 17th, 2020
Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, IL
Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Kolby Vandenbergh / 14.186 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Jonathan Davenport / 14.193 seconds
Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 8-Kyle Strickler[2]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[3]; 3. 15V-Kolby Vandenbergh[1]; 4. 32B-Cody Laney[8]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 6. 12D-Doug Drown[7]; 7. 81-Jason Riggs[9]; 8. 16G-Rusty Griffaw[10]; 9. 6K-Michael Kloos[4]; 10. 40B-Kyle Bronson[5]
FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[2]; 2. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[1]; 3. 33-Rodney Melvin[3]; 4. 81E-Tanner English[4]; 5. 10K-Daryn Klein[6]; 6. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[5]; 7. 39-Tim McCreadie[8]; 8. 11H-Jeff Herzog[7]; 9. 4-Jason Suhre[10]; 10. 71-Hudson O’Neal[9]
Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[2]; 2. 49-Jonathan Davenport[1]; 3. 0E-Rick Eckert[4]; 4. 14-Josh Richards[3]; 5. 1ST-Johnny Scott[6]; 6. 57-Mike Marlar[5]; 7. 91P-Jason Papich[8]; 8. 0K-Dewayne Kiefer[7]; 9. 23-Paul Roider[9]; 10. 86-Jeb Simmons[10]
Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 1. 9-Devin Moran[4]; 2. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 3. 91T-Tony Toste[6]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[1]; 5. 50-Shanon Buckingham[5]; 6. 1C-Chad Simpson[2]; 7. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[7]; 8. 82-Billy Laycock[8]; 9. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[9]
Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 2. 12D-Doug Drown[3]; 3. 10K-Daryn Klein[2]; 4. 11H-Jeff Herzog[8]; 5. 81-Jason Riggs[5]; 6. 71-Hudson O’Neal[12]; 7. 16G-Rusty Griffaw[7]; 8. 40B-Kyle Bronson[11]; 9. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 10. 6K-Michael Kloos[9]; 11. (DNS) 21M-Billy Moyer Sr; 12. (DNS) 4-Jason Suhre
FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1ST-Johnny Scott[1]; 2. 57-Mike Marlar[3]; 3. 50-Shanon Buckingham[2]; 4. 1C-Chad Simpson[4]; 5. 11G-Gordy Gundaker[6]; 6. 0K-Dewayne Kiefer[7]; 7. 82-Billy Laycock[8]; 8. 91P-Jason Papich[5]; 9. 23-Paul Roider[9]; 10. 11T-Trevor Gundaker[10]; 11. (DNS) 86-Jeb Simmons
Lucas Oil Feature Finish (50 Laps):
| Pos | Start | Car # | Competitor | Hometown | Pay |
| 1 | 3 | 1T | Tyler Erb | New Waverly, TX | $12,000 |
| 2 | 2 | 21 | Billy Moyer Jr | Batesville, AR | $5,500 |
| 3 | 6 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA | $3,500 |
| 4 | 5 | 25 | Shane Clanton | Zebulon, GA | $2,750 |
| 5 | 8 | 16 | Tyler Bruening | Decorah, IA | $2,250 |
| 6 | 10 | 0E | Rick Eckert | York, PA | $1,800 |
| 7 | 4 | 9 | Devin Moran | Dresden, OH | $1,500 |
| 8 | 18 | 1ST | Johnny Scott | Las Cruces, NM | $1,300 |
| 9 | 23 | 39 | Tim McCreadie | Watertown, NY | $1,200 |
| 10 | 14 | 14 | Josh Richards | Shinnston, WV | $1,100 |
| 11 | 7 | 1 | Earl Pearson Jr | Jacksonville, FL | $1,075 |
| 12 | 15 | 81E | Tanner English | Benton, KY | $1,050 |
| 13 | 25 | 71 | Hudson O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | $125 |
| 14 | 24 | 40B | Kyle Bronson | Brandon, FL | $1,000 |
| 15 | 17 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | $1,000 |
| 16 | 27 | 11G | Gordy Gundaker | St. Charles, MO | $1,000 |
| 17 | 22 | 50 | Shanon Buckingham | Morristown, TN | $1,000 |
| 18 | 19 | 12D | Doug Drown | Wooster, OH | $1,000 |
| 19 | 9 | 15V | Kolby Vandenbergh | Ashland, IL | $1,000 |
| 20 | 13 | 32B | Cody Laney | Torrance, CA | $1,000 |
| 21 | 20 | 57 | Mike Marlar | Winfield, TN | $1,000 |
| 22 | 12 | 91T | Tony Toste | Arroyo Grande, CA | $1,000 |
| 23 | 11 | 33 | Rodney Melvin | Benton, IL | $1,000 |
| 24 | 26 | 82 | Billy Laycock | Marine, IL | $1,000 |
| 25 | 16 | 2S | Stormy Scott | Las Cruces, NM | $1,000 |
| 26 | 1 | 8 | Kyle Strickler | Mooresville, NC | $1,000 |
| 27 | 21 | 10K | Daryn Klein | Fairview Heights, IL | $1,000 |
Entrants: 39
Lap Leaders: Billy Moyer Jr. (Laps 1 – 21); Tyler Erb (Laps 22 – 50)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Tyler Erb
Margin of Victory: 2.859 seconds
Cautions: Kyle Strickler (Lap 6); Jimmy Owens (Lap 29)
Series Provisionals: Tim McCreadie, Kyle Bronson
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: Hudson O’Neal
Tri-City Speedway Track Provisionals: Billy Laycock, Gordy Gundaker
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Tyler Erb, Billy Moyer Jr., Jonathan Davenport
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Advanced 14 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jimmy Owens
Allstar Performance Most Laps Led: Tyler Erb (29 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Tyler Erb
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Tyler Bruening
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Durham Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Randall Edwards (Tyler Erb)
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Tyler Erb (Lap #3 – 14.746 seconds)
STEEL-IT Tough Break of the Race: Kyle Strickler
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Kyle Stickler
Time of Race: 18 minutes 41 seconds
