Last Lap Pass Lifts Pearson To Lucas Oil Late Model Series Win At Boyd’s Speedway

Story By: JAMES ESSEX / LUCAS OIL LATE MODEL DIRT SERIES – RINGGOLD, GA – In a battle between two former Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champions, Earl Pearson Jr. passed Scott Bloomquist on the final lap to win “The Shamrock” on Friday night at Boyd’s Speedway.

Pearson started sixth, kept a steady pace for most of the race, and then passed four cars in the final three laps to gain the victory. The win marks his first for the newly formed Black Diamond Race Team and Ronnie Stuckey.

The polesitter, Chris Madden, led the first 25 laps until Bloomquist forged ahead on lap 26. The entire 50 lap feature was run under green flag conditions, with no caution flags. Bloomquist looked to be in control of the race, looking for his first series win of the season. Stretching his lead out over the field, Bloomquist easily worked lapped cars, but Pearson had other ideas as the four-time series champ readied himself before his last lap charge.

As the two drivers took the white flag, Bloomquist’s car drifted out of turn two up against the wall and Pearson ran on the bottom. As the duo entered turns three and four Pearson had the momentum on the bottom side and he was able to pass Bloomquist coming off turn four to become the sixth different winner this season for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour.

Bloomquist finished in second followed by Chris Madden, Brandon Overton, and Hudson O’Neal.

Pearson who led all 50 laps in winning the Shamrock 50 a year ago at Boyd’s, led only lap on Friday night for the win. “I knew our car was good around the bottom. Those guys were running in the middle for most of the race. My hats off to Black Diamond Chassis, Ronnie Stuckey and all the guys back at the shop. J.C. Wright and Garrett Alberson for their help. They worked their tails off all day. Our car has been good all day. Everything just came to us and to pass Scott at the end, what a heck of a finish.”

“We could turn around the bottom pretty well. Our car could move around a little bit out there for a long time. It was a heck of a race. [Dale] McDowell and his crew did a great job with the race track tonight. I appreciate all the fans coming out and I think they saw a whale of a show.”

Bloomquist said his car was really good as the veteran driver entered the night fifteenth in points and in the need of a good finish. “If we would have had one caution I think we would have been saved. Everytime I carried the momentum into the turn the car would drift out. I didn’t realize he [Pearson] was quite that close. It’s just the way it goes sometimes. I felt like we had the best car tonight.”

Madden came home in third and said he had gone with the wrong tire choice, which kept him from ending the race with the win. “We just went with the wrong tire. Overall, we had a good car tonight. Thanks to all the fans for coming out tonight they saw a great show and thanks to all to all the sponsors of this Barry Wright car.

The winning Black Diamond Chassis is powered by a Clements Racing Engine and sponsored by: Lucas Oil Products, P&W Sales, Tegeler Wrecker and Crane, David Peterson Motorsports, DriveWFX.com, Midwest Sheet Metal, Sunoco Race Fuels and Papich Construction.

Completing the top ten were Dale McDowell, Cory Hedgecock, Brandon Sheppard, Ricky Weiss, and Bobby Pierce.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday, March 23rd, 2018
The Shamrock
Boyd’s Speedway – Ringgold, GA

Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Chris Madden / 13.988 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Earl Pearson Jr. / 14.053 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Chris Madden, Ricky Weiss, Jimmy Owens, Mike Marlar, Shanon Buckingham, Casey Roberts, Jason Hiett, Austin Tyler Smith, Ray Cook, Jadon Frame, Robby Moses

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Brandon Overton, Bobby Pierce, Darrell Lanigan, Kyle Bronson, Michael Page, John Ownbey, Tim McCreadie, Don O’Neal, Joey Coulter, Justin Duty, Michael Maresca

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Hudson O’Neal, Earl Pearson, Jr.,Brandon Sheppard, Jason Jameson, Josh Richards, Frank Ingram, Dennis Erb, Jr., Jason Croft, Billy Ogle Jr., Boom Briggs, Eric Webber, Johnny Cloer-DNS

QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Cory Hedgecock, Dale McDowell, Tyler Millwood, Mason Zeigler, Billy Moyer, Jr., Jonathan Davenport, Gregg Satterlee, Ryan King, Will Roland, Blake Spencer

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Don O’Neal, John Ownbey, Shanon Buckingham, Jason Hiett, Casey Roberts, Tim McCreadie, Austin Tyler Smith, Joey Coulter, Ray Cook, Robby Moses, Justin Duty, Jadon Frame, Michael Maresca, Michael Page

Fast Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): Josh Richards, Mason Zeigler, Jonathan Davenport, Billy Moyer, Jr., Frank Ingram, Jason Croft, Gregg Satterlee, Dennis Erb, Jr., Ryan King, Boom Briggs, Eric Webber, Blake Spencer, Billy Ogle Jr., Will Roland-DNS, Johnny Cloer-DNS

FINISH	START	CAR #	DRIVER NAME	HOMETOWN	EARNINGS
1	6	1	Earl Pearson, Jr.	Jacksonville, FL	$12,800
2	4	0	Scott Bloomquist	Mooresburg, TN	$5,500
3	1	44	Chris Madden	Gaffney, SC	$3,500
4	3	116	Brandon Overton	Evans, GA	$3,450
5	2	71	Hudson O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	$2,950
6	12	17m	Dale McDowell	Chickamauga, GA	$1,800
7	8	9	Cory Hedgecock	Loudon, TN	$1,500
8	10	1s	Brandon Sheppard	New Berlin, IL	$2,000
9	5	7w	Ricky Weiss	Headingley, MB	$1,200
10	7	32	Bobby Pierce	Oakwood, IL	$1,100
11	11	14	Darrell Lanigan	Union, KY	$1,075
12	13	157	Mike Marlar	Winfield, TN	$1,050
13	24	39	Tim McCreadie	Watertown, NY	$1,725
14	14	12J	Jason Jameson	Lawrenceburg, IN	$1,000
15	9	20	Jimmy Owens	Newport, TN	$1,800
16	17	5	Don O’Neal	Martinsville, IN	$1,800
17	18	1R	Josh Richards	Shinnston, WV	$2,000
18	19	J0	John Ownbey	Cleveland, TN	$1,000
19	22	49	Jonathan Davenport	Blairsville, GA	$1,900
20	16	31T	Tyler Millwood	Kingston, GA	$1,000
21	21	50	Shanon Buckingham	Morristown, TN	$1,000
22	20	25Z	Mason Zeigler	Chalk Hill, PA	$1,000
23	23	22	Gregg Satterlee	Indiana, PA	$1,700
24	15	40B	Kyle Bronson	Brandon, FL	$1,700
25	25	28	Dennis Erb, Jr.	Carpentersville, IL	$800
26	26	99B	Boom Briggs	Bear Lake, PA	$100