World of Outlaws Notebook
Notes: T-Mac blindsided by bad luck, Richards
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model Series
Richards holds the checkered flag at Hagerstown. (wrtspeedwerx.com)
Josh Richards was perfect. Tim McCreadie was snakebit. And as a result, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series championship battle took a dramatic turn during the national tour's East Coast doubleheader.
McCreadie entered the swing to Delaware International Speedway (May 13) and Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway (May 15) leading the WoO standings by 10 points over Richards, but by the time everyone headed home after Saturday night's action the two former champions were no longer in a neck-and-neck battle for the top spot. Richards won both 50-lappers while McCreadie absorbed a pair of disastrous DNFs, leaving Richards atop the standings by 56 points over Darrell Lanigan and 70 over McCreadie.
After flashing virtually mirror-image consistency over the season's first 12 events, Richards and McCreadie saw their fates go in different directions last weekend. Richards was almost shocked to end the weekend as the first driver to lead the WoO standings by greater than 50 points since Lanigan capped his 2008 championship season with a record 160-point margin.
"McCreadie didn't have a very good weekend, but it could happen to any of us," said the 22-year-old Richards, who leads all drivers with four victories (no one else has won more than once) over 14 series events. "We're just trying to enjoy this and win as many races as we can. We're off to a great start this year, but our luck can change in a heartbeat."
Just ask McCreadie. The 36-year-old from Watertown, N.Y., was searching for answers after running into trouble while in contention for at least a top-five finish in both 50-lappers.
McCreadie's troubles began on lap 23 at Delaware International when he slowed with a cut right-rear tire while running fifth. He returned after a pit stop and raced back to 10th place before a broken jackshaft eliminated him on lap 43, forcing him to settle for a 16th-place finish.
Things got worse at Hagerstown for McCreadie, who was holding sixth place on lap 20 when he pulled to the inside of the homestretch to bring out a caution flag. He quickly crawled out of his cockpit and hopped around in obvious pain; hot fluid from a cut oil line had been spraying on his right leg for several laps before he finally had to abandon ship. McCreadie reported afterward that he escaped the incident virtually unscathed, noting that his skin didn't even blister from the heat of the oil.
"We broke a jackshaft and cut an oil line in back-to-back races — that's just plain bad luck," said McCreadie, who was credited with a 24th-place finish at Hagerstown. "It's gonna be hard to make up all the points we lost this weekend, especially with the way Josh is running. But we can't worry about it. There's still a long way to go — and anyway, I just want to get running better so we can win some races."
Women make their mark
Delaware International's 40-car field included three machines driven by females: WoO Rookie of the Year candidate Jill George of Cedar Falls, Iowa, as well as DIS regulars Staci Warrington of Milton, Del., and Amanda Whaley of Millsboro, Del.
Whaley, a 15-year-old dirt Late Model rookie about to complete her freshman year of high school, made the biggest impression. The daughter of former DIS dirt Late Model regular Rick Whaley, Amanda became the third female driver in the history of the WoO to start a feature, qualifying through a consolation race in what was her first-ever Outlaw appearance and just the fifth Super Late Model start of her burgeoning career.
"I want to race in the World of Outlaws someday," said Whaley, who completed 33 laps to record a 19th-place finish. "That's what I want to do. That's my goal."
The 19-year-old Warrington, meanwhile, shined early in the night, registering the ninth-fastest lap in time trials. But she missed transferring through the first consolation by two spots.
If Warrington had qualified for the main event, it would have marked the first time that three female drivers competed in the same WoO feature. George gained entry to Delaware's 50-lapper thanks to a provisional and finished 23rd, retiring on lap 13 after her new Rocket Chassis sustained damage when she was clipped under caution by Ricky Elliott, who had stopped in turn four to bring out a caution and did not realize that George was passing by when he gunned his car around to head to the pits.
Tinge of disappointment
Nick Dickson knew he had no reason to hang his head after finishing a WoO career-best fifth in the Conococheague 50 at Hagerstown, but he couldn't help feeling just a tinge of disappointment. After all, the 29-year-old from Lewistown, Pa., spent most of the distance running in third place. And on a lap-39 restart, he even slid around the outside of Steve Francis to momentarily move to second place and get visions of an upset victory dancing in his dreams.
Alas, Dickson settled for fifth in his father's Rocket car after being overtaken on the final lap by Jason Covert. The move earned Covert, who started 11th in Barry Klinedinst's Rocket, the $500 bonus as the highest-finishing driver who hasn't won a series feature and isn't among the top 12 in points.
"It was a little blow to my esteem when Covert drove by me on the last lap," said the personable Dickson. "I would've loved to have been the first local guy across the line, but Covert is a real good, hard racer and he always runs good in these Outlaw shows.
"Really, though, it was awesome to race near the front with a bunch of professionals. I was giving it everything I had."
