Tim McCreadie Scores Biggest Win Of Career In Silver Dollar Nationals

Polesitter, Steve Francis led the first eleven laps of the race until former event winner Don O’Neal took over the top spot. Just a few circuits later, O’Neal and second-place running Brian Shirley made contact in the middle of the backstretch as both cars got into the wall. Both cars kept going as Shirley suffered minimal damage, but O’Neal’s nose-piece was heavily damaged and he started to lose spots in the running order.

McCreadie, in the Sweeteners Plus, Longhorn Chassis, surged underneath both O’Neal and Shirley to take the lead on lap 21. McCreadie then had to hold off a hard-charging Brandon Sheppard, at the finish to earn the victory. Kyle Bronson placed third. Scott Bloomquist and Shannon Babb both rallied from the tail after making pit stops to finish fourth and fifth.

“Thanks to all the fans for coming out tonight. When I heard them say Sheppard was second on that final restart. I thought, WOW, because he started in the back. On that last restart, my crew motioned for me to go out further on the track from where I was running. They showed me where Brandon was running. Holy cow, $53,000, that’s a lot of money. After Don [O’Neal] and Shirley got together I just got by them. My car was good on the bottom anyway so I just stayed there.”

“Sometimes you have to have a little luck. I have only run this Pro Power motor twice before. Hats off to Bill Schlieper and everyone at Pro Power. I want to thank Longhorn Chassis, Bobby, Terry and Justin Labonte for giving me this opportunity to drive their car. This whole deal is amazing. We have had our growing pains, but everyone has stuck behind me.”

Sheppard needed to pass just one more car to make his night complete, but instead, he came up just short in second place after starting 32nd on the grid. “We crashed the car pretty good in the heat race last night. We just put it all behind us. We had a pretty good racecar tonight, we got behind early on the weekend, but it just shows how resilient we are to run like we did tonight,” said the driver of the Seubert Calf Ranches, Rocket House Car.

Bronson, in the Brandon Ford, Rocket Chassis, was pleased with his podium finish in his first trip to I-80 Speedway. “To do what we did with this level competition tells us how far we have come as a team. I want to thank my crew. They have busted their rear ends this entire month we have been gone. The tires got hot and I slowed down a little, then I would get going again once they cooled off. For our first time here, we put on a good show.”

Completing the top ten were Earl Pearson Jr., Brian Shirley, Chris Simpson, Hudson O’Neal, and Don O’Neal.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday, July 22nd, 2017
7th Annual Imperial Tile Silver Dollar Nationals
I-80 Speedway – Greenwood, NEEibach Springs Heat Race #1 – ROUND ONE Finish: Chad Simpson, Josh Richards, Earl Pearson, Jr., Mike Marlar, Chris Simpson, Randy Timms, Timothy Culp, Boom Briggs, Bob King, Allan Hopp, Kyle BerckFK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 – ROUND ONE Finish: Don O’Neal, Shannon Babb, Brian Shirley, Mason Zeigler, Justin Duty, Joey Moriarty, Brantlee Gotschall, Mike Stadel, JC Wyman, Brandon Sheppard

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 – ROUND ONE Finish: Steve Francis, Terry Phillips, Hudson O’Neal, Billy Moyer, Clay Daly, Ben Schaller, Jimmy Mars, Tad Pospisil, Matt Buller, Al Humphrey

QA1 Heat Race #4 – ROUND ONE Finish: Darrell Lanigan, Tony Jackson, Jr., Jason Krohn, Jesse Stovall, Rodney Sanders, Kyle Bronson, Austin Siebert, Dave Eckrich, John Duty, Bill Leighton, Jr.

ASi Racewear Heat #5 – ROUND ONE Finish: Dennis Erb, Jr., Chase Junghans, Scott Bloomquist, Jimmy Owens, Gregg Satterlee, Tim McCreadie, Corey Zeitner, Jake O’Neil, Jeremy Grady, Brian Kosiski

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 – ROUND TWO Finish: Brian Shirley, Steve Francis, Jason Krohn, Chase Junghans, Jimmy Mars, Mike Marlar, Joey Moriarty, Jeremy Grady, Randy Timms, Austin Siebert, Boom Briggs

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 – ROUND TWO Finish: Tim McCreadie, Kyle Berck, Timothy Culp, Jake O’Neil, Clay Daly, Tony Jackson, Jr., Terry Phillips, JC Wyman, John Duty, Brantlee Gotschall

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 – ROUND TWO Finish: Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson, Jr., Billy Moyer, Darrell Lanigan, Mason Zeigler, Al Humphrey, Dave Eckrich, Allan Hopp, Jimmy Owens, Justin Duty

QA1 Heat Race #4 – ROUND TWO Finish: Rodney Sanders, Don O’Neal, Tad Pospisil, Hudson O’Neal, Gregg Satterlee, Chris Simpson, Josh Richards, Brian Kosiski, Mike Stadel, Bill Leighton, Jr.

ASi Racewear Heat #5 – ROUND TWO Finish: Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Bronson, Corey Zeitner, Shannon Babb, Chad Simpson, Dennis Erb, Jr., Ben Schaller, Bob King, Matt Buller, Jesse Stovall,

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Finish (15 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): Josh Richards, Corey Zeitner, Timothy Culp, Gregg Satterlee, Jake O’Neil, Justin Duty, Bill Leighton, Jr., JC Wyman, Jeremy Grady, Matt Buller, Brian Kosiski, Bob King, Dave Eckrich, Joey Moriarty, Tad Pospisil-DNS, Ben Schaller-DNS, Jesse Stovall-DNS

Fast Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (15 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): Mike Marlar, Chris Simpson, Terry Phillips, Clay Daly, Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Mars, Jimmy Owens, Randy Timms, Kyle Berck, Al Humphrey, Boom Briggs, Mike Stadel, Allan Hopp, John Duty, Austin Siebert, Brantlee Gotschall-DNS

Belt Bash Non-Qualifiers Race Finish: Brandon Sheppard, Jimmy Mars, Kyle Berck, Dave Eckrich, Matt Buller, Jake O’Neil, Clay Daly, Austin Siebert, Allan Hopp, Brian Kosiski, Mike Stadel, Bob King, Justin Duty, Al Humphrey, JC Wyman, John Duty

Feature Finish (80 Laps):

Entrants: 51
Lap Leaders: Steve Francis (Laps 1 – 11); Don O’Neal (12 – 20); Tim McCreadie (Laps 21 – 80)
Cautions: Shannon Babb (Lap 3); Billy Moyer (Lap 13); Chad Simpson (Lap 38); Don O’Neal (Lap 52); Dennis Erb Jr., Randy Timms, Corey Zeitner, Boom Briggs, Scott Bloomquist, Chase Junghans (Lap 52); Josh Richards (Lap 57); Gregg Satterlee (Lap 69)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jimmy Owens, Gregg Satterlee
Lucas Oil Midwest Latemodel Racing Association Provisionals: Jesse Stovall, Randy Timms
I-80 Speedway Track Provisionals: Tad Pospisil, Ben Schaller
Belt-Bash Non-Qualifiers Race Provisionals: Brandon Sheppard, Kyle Berck
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisionals: Boom Briggs
Wrisco Feature Winner: Tim McCreadie
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Brandon Sheppard (Started: 32nd; Finished: 2nd; Advanced 30 Positions)
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Josh Richards
Allstar Performance Power Move of the Race: Scott Bloomquist
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Brandon Sheppard
Hot Rod Processing Rookie of the Race: Hudson O’Neal
COMP Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Ohlins Shocks Chassis Builder of the Race: Longhorn Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Phillip Snellen (Tim McCreadie)
Fastest Lap of the Race: Tim McCreadie (Lap #23 – 18.5980 seconds)
Safecraft Most Laps Led: Tim McCreadie
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Steve Francis
Time of Race: 66 minutes 51 seconds