Florence Speedway
Scouting the heat races for the North-South 100
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com managing editor
R.J. Conley (71c) and Dustin Linville (D8) battle in Friday's dash. (thesportswire.net)
UNION, Ky. (Aug. 10) — What looked like a potential wide-open, free-for-all in Saturday’s heat races appeared less so after five national touring drivers were listed on the poles for the prelims at Florence Speedway’s 31st annual North-South 100.
Friday’s time trials for the $50,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event had a mix of regional drivers among the top of the list, but a three-car inversion restored some order — and ironically put the only three World of Outlaws Late Model Series regulars in attendance on the pole in each of their heats on the rival tour.
But Saturday’s action, set to roll at 8 p.m. after the evening’s National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductions at Florence, still has the feel that one or more drivers might make a serious bid for his first crown jewel victory. Or was Friday's dash victory of Lucas Oil Series points leader Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., a harbinger that he’ll notch an unprecedented fourth victory in Kentucky’s richest Dirt Late Model event? Let’s break down the heat races and see which 18 drivers will fill the first nine rows of Saturday’s 100-lap main event lineup:
First heat
Row 6: Kyle Bronson
Overview: Tim McCreadie comes to Florence, a track where he’s finished no better than seventh in three North-South 100 starts, fresh off a career-high $50,000 payday at Cedar Lake’s USA Nationals. Matching the Jimmy Mars double of 2009 is a tall order, and he’ll have his hands full in this heat race with John Blankenship, who has cooled a bit after a mid-summer hot streak, along with Greg Johnson, whose qualifying lap — at the moment of the track conditions — appeared to be Friday’s best. Fans will be cheering on a T-Mac — they’ve seen his burnouts and celebration for one $50,000 victory, and they can only imagine what $100,000 in eight days might trigger.
Rally time: With Florence’s surface typically at higher speeds early in the night, anyone coming from beyond the third row in any heat is usually a surprise — or assisted by wrecks or breakdowns. Earl Pearson Jr. can get in the mix with a good start here, but Tyler Reddick and Dennis Erb Jr. are likely too deep to track down drivers who will have a chance to build comfortable leads early.
Intangibles: After Blankenship’s recent two-week stint atop the Lucas Oil Series points, there’s no better time than this weekend to regain his edge on the leading Owens and second-place Steve Francis in the title chase.
Todd’s pick’s: McCreadie, Johnson, Blankenship.
Second heat
Row 6: Jeff Raisor
Overview: While he’s never cracked the North-South’s top 10, Eric Wells has been frequently fast at his home-state track, while fellow Kentuckian Brad Neat pulled off a third-place finish two years ago. But Steve Casebolt, third last year, enters this race with his best chance for a biggest victory with Tennessee-based D&M Motorsports, and he won’t let that opportunity slip away.
Rally time: Can crew chief Robby Allen find something for Gregg Satterlee to make some noise in his Florence debut?
Intangibles: Davey Johnson is pitted next to Club 29 CEO Darrell Lanigan. Can the driver in the twlight of his career get his Lanigan-tweaked Rocket into his first North-South 100 since 2004?
Todd’s pick’s: Casebolt, Wells, Johnson.
Third heat
Row 6: Dylan Ames
Overview: This one has showdown written all over. The reigning national touring champions — Darrell Lanigan with the World of Outlaws and Jimmy Owens with the Lucas Oil Series — will likely be mixing it up for a victory here that would put them on the third row of the main event. Mike Jewell is coming off his richest victory in recent memory last month in Richmond, Ky., but he’ll have to summon something extra to spoil the battle of black cars.
Rally time: Local Scott James hasn’t had too many laps in Jason Smith’s Barry Wright Race Car. The former Warrior house car driver won’t get hot laps to figure it out Saturday, but perhaps it’ll all come together during his heat.
Intangibles: Randy Weaver’s regional success hasn’t translated in major events the last few seasons. Can he do it at Florence, where he finished 10th last season?
Todd’s pick’s: Lanigan, Owens, Jewell.
Fourth heat
Row 6: Dennis Roberson, Brian Gray
Overview: Overall fast qualifier R.J. Conley has quietly been among the hottest drivers with five victories in his last eight starts, including a stretch of four in a row. He’ll be mixing it up with Don O’Neal, who last year won the North-South for his series-leading 11th tour win. If O’Neal wins this year, it will be ... No. 2. Duane Chamberlain is always a bit of an enigma at major events. Will he carve out one of his steady, successful performances, or will his pole start in a heat be an afterthought come feature time?
Rally time: Fellow Wisconsin drivers Brady Smith and Jimmy Mars are buried along with Hall of Fame inductee John Gill in this one. Keep an eye on Smith for the most legitimate chance to overtake some vulnerable drivers ahead of him, but he’ll likely have to settle for the best consolation race starting spot he can muster.
Intangibles: Chad Smith missed the starting field for last month’s UMP DIRTcar Summernationals at Florence. He’s in position to reverse that in a big way.
Todd’s pick’s: O’Neal, Conley, Chamberlain.
Fifth heat
Row 6: Victor Lee
Overview: Eddie Carrier Jr. has a single top-five finish in Lucas Oil action since his lone series victory in April, but he’d like to turn that around in his native state. He captured an unsanctioned victory a week earlier at 201 Speedway in Sitka, Ky., and his qualifying time was worthy. Fellow West Virginian Steve Shaver will provide a challenge on the front row while Dale McDowell had the overall second quickest lap driving Ty Dillon’s No. 41.
Rally time: Jesse Lay doesn’t start deep, but of anyone outside the first two rows, the two-time Florence champion appears to be the most likely candidate.
Intangibles: Billy Moyer Jr. could get a huge confidence boost with a top-three transfer finish in this one.
Todd’s pick’s: McDowell, Shaver, Carrier
Sixth heat
Row 6: Mick Sansom
Overview: That home-state driver Steve Francis — or hometown driver Darrell Lanigan, for that matter — hasn't won the North-South 100 is one of dirt racing’s incongruities. Francis will gun for his 18th start in the big event while battling with Mike Marlar, who lists Florence among his favorite tracks, and young Kentuckian Dustin Linville, who has had a quiet but successful season, including his first-ever Florence victory last month. A Francis victory here could set up a third row of Lanigan-Francis in the main event — and a chance for the event’s first Kentucky winner since the late Jack Boggs in 1994.
Rally time: Scott Bloomquist won last month’s Summernationals event at Florence, but it didn’t show in Friday’s time trials. He’ll have a long way to climb in this heat at a track where the boos and cheers of his love-hate fans are as loud as anywhere.
Intangibles: Has Bloomquist lost his edge since dropping his full-time run on the Lucas Oil Series?
Todd’s pick’s: Francis, Marlar, Linville.
