Lake Cumberland Speedway
O'Neal among Mac Metals 100 heat polesitters
By Michael Despain
DirtonDirt.com correspondentBURNSIDE, Ky. (Oct. 21) — Newly crowned Dirt Track World Champion Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., will be among heat race polesitters Saturday night at Lake Cumberland Speedway at the 21st annual Mac Metals Lake Cumberland Classic.
O'Neal was the overall fast qualifier among 31 Super Late Model entries for the unsanctioned event to earn a pole start in a heat race along with Aaron Hatton of Mount Sterling, Ky., Chad Stapleton of Edinburgh, Ind., and Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky.
The top three finishers from each of four heats will transfers to Saturday's $10,000-to-win main event. Four more drivers apiece from each of two consolation races and two provisional starters will make up the 22-car field at the 3/8-mile oval.
O'Neal topped qualifying with a 13.462-second lap, the only driver under 13.5 seconds at Lake Cumberland. He'll start on the pole of the third heat because he was fastest in the second of two qualifying groups.
Notes: Track champion Johnny Wheeler of Campbellsville, Ky., was fifth quickest in qualifying at 13.757 seconds. ... Last week's winner Skylar Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., had a sub-par qualifying effort and will start outside the third row in the second heat. ... Three other divisions are in action — modifieds, super dirt stocks and front-wheel drive, with all of them completing heat race action. ... In all 63 race teams entered the event among four divisions. ... Late Model entrant Tommy Bailey of Corbin, Ky., was among modified heat race winners.
