The Dirt Track at Charlotte

Lanigan, Bloomquist trip clock quickest at Lowe's

November 6, 2009, 12:04 am

By Kevin Kovac

World of Outlaws Late Model Series

Darrell Lanigan was fastest in the first round of time trials. (thesportswire.net)

CONCORD, N.C. (Nov. 5) — Former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champions Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., shined on Thursday night, sharing fast-time honors in the two rounds of time trials that kicked off the third annual World of Outlaws World Finals at the Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway. | Complete Lowe's coverage

A field of 80 dirt Late Models jammed the pit area for the blockbuster doubleheader, which also attracted 57 machines for the companion World of Outlaws sprint car event. It was a record two-division total for the fall event.

Lanigan, 39, earned the pole position for the first heat race on Friday night by registering the fastest lap in the first round of time trials. His clocking of 16.185 seconds just nipped Bloomquist, who led a group of his Bloomquist Race Car mates in taking four of the top-five spots in the opening round of qualifying.

The fast-time award was Lanigan's fifth of the 2009 WoO LMS season behind the wheel of his Rocket car.

Bloomquist, who turns 46 on Nov. 14, roared back in the second round of time trials, touring the 4/10-mile oval in 15.912 seconds to register the fastest overall lap of the evening. The 2004 WoO champ's performance earned him the pole starting spot in Saturday night's first heat race as he seeks to win a World Finals feature for the third consecutive year.

Thursday's first round of time trials set the lineups for Friday night's heats, while the second round of qualifying was used to align Saturday night's heats.

Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. — the main combatants in this weekend's battle for the $100,000 WoO LMS championship — were separated by less than a tenth of a second in both qualifying rounds. Francis timed seventh and 22nd, while Richards was 13th and 20th on the time-trial charts.

Francis enters the pair of 50-lap World Finals races holding a narrow four-point lead over Richards. Lanigan is 92 points behind Francis in third place and remains mathematically alive in the title hunt, but he will need Francis and Richards to experience bad luck in both races to repeat as champion.

The top-three drivers in the WoO standings will start from the first three starting spots in Friday night's first heat race. Lanigan and Francis will share the front row with Richards starting third.

The World Finals continue on Friday and Saturday, with hot laps scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. and racing set to take the green flag at 6:30 p.m. Saturday's World Finals program will be televised live by the Speed cable network from 8-11 p.m. Eastern.

Time trials

First round of qualifying setting heat race lineups for Friday:

1. Darrell Lanigan (20), Union, Ky., 16.185

2. Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 16.214

3. Dan Schlieper (9), Sullivan, Wis., 16.309

4. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 16.340

5. Chris Madden (44), Gaffney, S.C., 16.344

6. Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 16.358

7. Steve Francis (19), Ashland, Ky., 16.359

8. Adam Hensel (44), Barron, Wis., 16.369

9. Austin Dillon (3), Welcome, N.C., 16.380

10. Eric Wells (18), Hazard, Ky., 16.398

11. Earl Pearson Jr. (44), Jacksonville, FL, 16.399

12. Shane Clanton (25), Locust Grove, Ga., 16.407

13. Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 16.417

14. Gregg Satterlee (22), Rochester Mills, Pa., 16.466

15. Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, Mich., 16.480

16. Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 16.482

17. Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 16.488

18. Rick Eckert (24), York, Pa., 16.497

19. Jeremy Miller (24), Gettysburg, Pa., 16.504

20. Mike Knight (9), Ripley, N.Y., 16.507

21. Clint Smith (44), Senoia, Ga., 16.508

22. Tim Dohm (17T), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 16.541

23. Steve Shaver (30), Vienna, W.Va., 16.542

24. Brady Smith (2), Solon Springs, Wis., 16.556

25. Tim Fuller (19), Watertown, N.Y., 16.577

26. Tommy Kerr (4T), Maryville, Tenn., 16.582

27. John Blankenship (23), Williamson, W.Va., 16.594

28. Brad Neat (41), Dunnville, Ky., 16.597

29. Austin Hubbard (11), Seaford, Del., 16.604

30. Eddie Carrier Jr. (28), Salt Rock, W.Va., 16.618

31. Brian Birkhofer (15B), Muscatine, Iowa, 16.624

32. Russ King (56), Bristolville, Ohio, 16.633

33. Randy Korte (00), Highland, Ill., 16.634

34. Ricky Weeks (1), Rutherfordton, N.C., 16.636

35. Brian Ruhlman (49), Clarklake, Mich., 16.637

36. Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C., 16.644

37. Randle Chupp (6), Troutman, N.C., 16.649

38. Jordan Bland (12), Campbellsville, Ky., 16.679

39. Mike Gault (17), Gaffney, S.C., 16.691

40. Eric Jacobsen (5), Sea Cliff Beach, Calif., 16.697

41. Matt Lux (21), Franklin, Pa., 16.717

42. Vic Coffey (32c), Caledonia, N.Y., 16.728

43. Ricky Elliott (88), Seaford, Del., 16.766

44. Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill., 16.772

45. Jared Landers (777), Batesville, AR, 16.782

46. Jerry Rice (11), Verona, Ky., 16.784

47. Devin Friese (12), St. Thomas, Pa., 16.786

48. Will Vaught (1), Crane, MO, 16.796

49. Donnie Moran (99), Dresden, Ohio, 16.799

50. Johnny Pursley (09), Clover, S.C., 16.804

51. Jeff Rine (2j), Danville, Pa., 16.815

52. Bo Feathers (00), Winchester, Va., 16.819

53. Ray Cook (53), Brasstown, N.C., 16.820

54. Brent Robinson (3), Smithfield, Va., 16.828

55. Ken Schrader (9), Concord, N.C., 16.835

56. Dan Stone (21D), Thompson, Pa., 16.838

57. Tyler Reddick (11), Corning, Calif., 16.843

58. Booper Bare (00), Rock Bridge Baths, Va., 16.871

59. Dennis Franklin (2), Gaffney, S.C., 16.889

60. Walker Arthur (87), Forest, Va., 16.909

61. Chad Ruhlman (20), Bemus Point, N.Y., 16.916

62. Cruz Pedregon (75), Brownsburg, IN, 16.926

63. Larry Blankenship (32), Mooresville, N.C., 16.965

64. Jeremy Faircloth (4), Swainsboro, Ga., 17.037

65. Jim Yoder (27), Selinsgrove, Pa., 17.041

66. Petey Ivey (75), Shelby, N.C., 17.072

67. Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 17.137

68. Ben Faircloth (27), Swainsboro, Ga., 17.159

69. Bob Gordon (31), Keyser, W.Va., 17.254

70. Dustin Mitchell (D8), Princeton, N.C., 17.262

71. Doug Horton (1G), Bruceton Mills, W.Va., 17.272

72. Trey Martin (1m), Charleston, W.Va., 17.320

73. Justin Labonte (44), Trinity, N.C., 17.369

74. Chuck Harper (00), Beverly, W.Va., 17.402

75. D.J. Wells (11), Wooton, Ky., 17.588

76. Spencer Liggon (18), Lexington, N.C., 17.707

77. Chad Hollenbeck (4), Kingsley, Pa., 17.887

78. Al Shawver Jr. (215), Hampstead, Md. 18.038

79. John Winge (17), Ringgold, Ga. 18.068

80. Dustin Hapka (18), Grand Forks, N.D., no time

81. Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa., no time
Second round of qualifying setting heat race lineups for Saturday:

1. Scott Bloomquist 15.912
2. Rick Eckert, 16.185
3. Gregg Satterlee, 16.231
4. Chris Ferguson, 16.317
5. Darrell Lanigan, 16.335
6. Shane Clanton, 16.363
7. Tim McCreadie, 16.365
8. Jimmy Owens, 16.368
9. Clint Smith, 16.385
10. Earl Pearson Jr., 16.398
11. Dan Schlieper, 16.423
12. Shannon Babb, 16.470
13. Chris Madden, 16.478
14. Eric Wells, 16.479
15. Jeremy Faircloth, 16.483
16. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr., 16.493
17. Dale McDowell, 16.498
18. Tommy Kerr, 16.500
19. Eric Jacobsen, 16.501
20. Josh Richards, 16.502
21. Brady Smith, 16.519
22. Steve Francis, 16.525
23. Tim Fuller, 16.537
24. Steve Shaver, 16.562
25. Tyler Reddick, 16.577
26. Jordan Bland, 16.578
27. John Blankenship, 16.610
28. Boom Briggs, 16.638
29. Johnny Pursley, 16.647
30. Mike Knight, 16.660
31. Dennis Franklin, 16.676
32. Vic Coffey, 16.678
33. Jeep VanWormer, 16.700
34. Matt Lux, 16.715
35. Russell King, 16.718
36. Brad Neat, 16.725
37. Austin Dillon, 16.727
38. Jeremy Miller, 16.754
39. Dan Stone, 16.760
40. Petey Ivey, 16.783
41. Brian Birkhofer, 16.803
42. Jason Feger, 16.815
43. Randle Chupp, 16.816
44. Mike Gault, 16.818
45. Austin Hubbard, 16.833
46. Ricky Weeks, 16.841
47. Randy Korte, 16.860
48. Will Vaught, 16.869
49. Tim Dohm, 16.889
50. Ken Schrader, 16.895
51. D.J. Wells, 16.895
52. Booper Bare, 16.903
53. Ray Cook, 16.917
54. Jared Landers, 16.917
55. Jerry Rice, 16.921
56. Larry Blankenship, 16.941
57. Donnie Moran, 16.957
58. Brent Robinson, 16.960
59. Devin Friese, 16.989
60. Chad Ruhlman, 17.036
61. Justin Labonte, 17.048
62. Ben Faircloth, 17.055
63. Ricky Elliott, 17.062
64. Brian Ruhlman, 17.080
65. Jeff Rine, 17.086
66. Adam Hensel, 17.090
67. Bo Feathers, 17.168
68. Doug Horton, 17.266
69. Chuck Harper, 17.272
70. Jim Yoder, 17.308
71. Bob Gordon, 17.312
72. Walker Arthur, 17.349
73. Al Shawver Jr., 17.422
74. Spencer Liggon, 17.571
75. Dustin Mitchell, 17.657
76. Cruz Pedregon, 17.792
77. Trey Martin, 17.876
78. Chad Hollenbeck, 17.991
79. John Winge, 18.284
80. Dustin Hapka, no time
81. Chub Frank, no time