Stormy Scott Scores Breakthrough Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Victory At East Bay

Story By: BEN SHELTON / STORMY SCOTT RACING – LAS CRUCES, NM – After two seasons with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, Stormy Scott Racing finally broke through for his first career series victory Thursday at East Bay Raceway Park.

Scott marched forward from his ninth starting spot in the Rancho Milagro Racing No. 2S Mesilla Valley Transportation / Longhorn Chassis / Clements Racing Engines Super Late Model to earn the $7,000 payday.

“We probably had the roughest two years I’d say in Late Models there probably is,” said Scott, an accomplished open wheel star with 49 career United State Modified Tour Series victories. “We started at the hardest level and everybody thought we were fools for doing it. You know, I can’t stand defeat and every time we got kicked in the side I guess we just keep going.”

On Monday evening, Johnny Scott joined his brother Stormy at East Bay Raceway Park in Tampa, Fla. for the opening round of the Wrisco Industries Winternationals. In a stout field of 76 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series entries, both drivers failed to transfer out of their heat races, sending them into the B-Main for another shot at the $5,000-to-win opening night feature.

Needing to place second or better to make the show, Johnny finished 10th while Stormy came in 13th.

The following night, Johnny edged his way into the feature with the third and final transfer spot in his heat. Stormy followed up a 10th place finish in his heat with a fourth-place outing in his B-Main, forcing him to rely on a provisional into the A-Main. With $5,000 on the line, Johnny advanced through the field 11 spots to register a seventh-place finish. Stormy was an early retiree from the 30-lapper on lap 21.

For the third round of the Wrisco Winternationals on Wednesday evening, Johnny came one spot short of a transfer position in his heat with a fourth-place finish while Stormy trailed him across the line in sixth. Transferring the Top-2 out of the B-Main and into the $7,000-to-win A-Main, Johnny ran into mechanical issues early that saw him retire on the fourth lap while Stormy finished the 10-lapper in fifth.

On Thursday, Stormy followed up the second fastest lap in his time trial group with a runner-up finish in his heat behind Brian Shirley. Johnny posted a sixth-place finish in his heat race before fading back to a 17th-place outing in his B-Main.

Earning the ninth-starting position for the A-Main, Stormy blasted into the Top-5 early and began closing in on Brian Shirley and Bobby Pierce as they exchanged the top spot.

Overtaking Shirley for the lead following a caution on the fourth lap, Stormy led the remaining distance of the 40-lapper on the bottom en route to his first win of the season and first career triumph with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Finishing ahead of Kyle Bronson, Tim McCreadie, Frank Heckenast Jr., and Brian Shirley, Scott pocketed $7,000.

“I knew when I moved up the track just a little bit I couldn’t steer and I started watching in front of me and noticed that nobody else up there could steer either,” said Scott. “I figured even though it felt like I could get out and run faster, as long as I didn’t get off the bottom … if somebody could get by me out in that middle, then they deserved this win more than me ‘cause I just didn’t think you could go up there.”

The winner’s share was increased to $12,000 on Friday night. After a runner-up finish in his heat race, Stormy raced to a 13th-place outing in the 50-lap feature. Johnny fell just one spot short of transferring into the night’s main event with a third-place finish in his B-Main.

On Saturday, Stormy was an early retiree from the $15,000-to-win East Bay Winternationals finale while Johnny advanced 5 spots to record a 16th-place outing.