Atomic Speedway
WoO leaders struggle through K-C prelims
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Gregg Satterlee (22) gets past Tim McCreadie in the first heat. (Rich Edwards Jr.)
ALMA, Ohio (Aug. 21) — Friday night’s Buckeye 100 qualifying program at K-C Raceway wasn’t kind to World of Outlaws Late Model Series points leader Steve Francis. But on an evening that saw four of the top-five drivers in the tour points standings fail to qualify through a heat race, Francis certainly wasn’t alone in his misery.
The lone qualifier among the racers highest in the WoO points battle was second-place Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who trails Francis by six points entering the $20,000-to-win spectacular. He finished second in the fourth 12-lap heat despite racing more than half the distance with nosepiece damage that his car sustained when it dug into the track surface in turn three.
It was a tough night all around for the WoO regulars. The only series traveler to win a heat race was Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who was joined by Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., and Jeep Van Wormer of Pinconning, Mich., on the list of preliminary victors.
Francis, 41, of Ashland, Ky., was the highest profile casualty on the opening night of the Buckeye 100 weekend. Racing at a 3/8-mile oval located just over an hour’s drive from his home, the 2007 WoO champion slowed on lap four of the third 12-lap heat when his Beitler Motorsports was stricken with a broken oil-pump belt as he set the pace.
The mechanical malfunction forced Francis and his Chris Burton-led crew to pull out a backup engine and make a powerplant swap before turning in for the night.
“It was just a fluke deal,” said Francis, who has finished second in six of the last eight WoO events. “I haven’t had an oil-pump belt break since (a race at) Brownstown (Ind.) four years ago. But that’s racing. All we can do now is race as hard as we can tomorrow and see what happens.”
Francis faces a starting spot deep in a Saturday consolation race, but he remains confident about his chances to capture the big money in the Buckeye 100 and continue his pursuit of a second WoO title.
“If the track’s like it was tonight,” said Francis, “I can win the race from 23rd (starting spot).”
Defending WoO champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who sits third in the points standings, also missed the cut in Friday night’s heat races. He started second in the first heat but struggled to a seventh-place finish.
The list of heat non-qualifiers also included Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., and Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who sit fourth and fifth, respectively, in the WoO points standings. Fuller, whose streak of four consecutive tour wins ended on Thursday night at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, Ohio, was unable to overtake Bart Hartman of Zanesville, Ohio, for the final transfer spot in the fourth heat.
The evening’s turn of events would seem to put Richards in the driver’s seat in the championship battle. He’s among the eight drivers — the top two finishers in each heat — who will redraw for the top eight starting spots in the Buckeye 100 on Saturday night.
A field of 43 cars assembled on qualifying night for the Buckeye 100, which was postponed by rain on its original date in early May.
Rick Combs, 34, of Bethel, Ohio, was fastest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, turning a lap of 14.184 seconds to secure his first-ever fast-time honor on the WoO. But his fortunes turned in his heat race when he spun between turns three and four after falling from the pole to seventh and failed to qualify.
Two consolation races and the Buckeye 100 headline Saturday's program. A complete open-wheel Modified show will also be presented.
Heat race results
First heat: Gregg Satterlee, Chub Frank, Tim McCreadie, Doug Drown, Rick Eckert, Delmas Conley, Darrell Lanigan, Zack Dohm, Doug Dodd, Rick Combs, Matt Pistole.
Second heat: Shane Clanton, Brian Birkhofer, Jimmy Mars, Brandon Kinzer, Russ King, Clint Smith, Keith Berner, Rod Conley, Dustin Hapka, Tayler Reddick, Rick Aukland.
Third heat: Jonathan Davenport, Brady Smith, Austin Hubbard, R.J. Conley, Matt Miller, Eric Wells, Vic Coffey, Paul Davis, Tony Knowles, Steve Francis. Scratched: Brent Robinson.
Fourth heat: Jeep Van Wormer, Josh Richards, Eddie Carrier Jr., Bart Hartman, Tim Fuller, Steve Shaver, Jordan Bland, Greg Oliver, Donnie Moran, Brian Whiteman.
Time trials
1. Rick Combs, (11H) Bethel, Ohio, 14.184
