Golden Isles Speedway
Owens third win bolsters Super Bowl points lead
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Tim Fuller (outside) finished fourth. (Rhett Butler)
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Jan. 29) — With $10,000 on the line for the top overall driver at Golden Isles Speedway's Super Bowl of Racing IV, Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., is eyeing the points title.
"That's kind of what we're shooting for," Owens said. "Get some good top-five finishes, top-10s, and see if we can't bring these points home this week." Prelims | Slideshow
Top-fives? Top-10s? Uh, Jimmy, you've been shooting a little high.
Owens continued his storybook start to the 2008 season on Tuesday night with another dominating victory at Golden Isles. The 35-year-old racer who has barely hiccuped since winning 2007's World 100 at Eldora Speedway notched his third $10,000 victory in four starts at the southeast Georgia oval and left his competitors in awe.
"He's been on a roll since the middle of the last year," said Pennsylvania driver Rick Eckert. "He's a helluva racer and he's got all his ducks in a row."
Besides his $30,000 in winning purses, Owens is indeed winning the points on the 10-race series shortened to eight by rain. He's piled up 960 points to lead Steve Francis (830), Monday's winner Earl Pearson Jr. (830), Shane Clanton (815) and Billy Moyer (765).
"It's a dream come true to come down here and race against these guys," Owens said in victory lane on Tuesday night. "To be able to win one race, let alone three out of four, it's awesome. You can't ask for any more.
"The car's been awesome. The guys, my crew, they've been unbelievable. We had motor problems yesterday and we worked all day and got all that stuff fixed back. (Crew chief) Chris (Fox), he's busted his butt grooving tires. ... I've worked him to death, but he's got us up on top, and our hats are off to him for this one."
Owens merely finished sixth on Monday night, but he bounced back with a vengeance on Tuesday to earn a starting spot outside the front row alongside the polesitting Francis of Ashland, Ky. He sprinted away at the outset and was never challenged, even on restarts, in roaring to an unsanctioned 50-lap victory.
Fifth-starting Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., worked past Francis before the halfway point to grab second, but he simply couldn't keep up with Owens, who reverted to the effortless form he showed in leading all 50 laps of the Jan. 25 event. Owens beat Richards to the line by more than five seconds.
Francis fended off a hard-changing Tim Fuller of Edwards, N.Y., who started 10th, to maintain the third spot. Fuller was fourth and home-state driver Shane Clanton of Locust Grove fifth. Eckert, who won the non-qualifiers' race and started 25th in the 25-car field, was sixth.
The race was slowed by four cautions, none for serious incidents. With Owens setting a blistering pace, only nine cars were on the lead lap at the finish.
Action continues the next four nights at Golden Isles with $10,000-to-win events for Super Late Models on Wednesday through Saturday. The O'Reilly Southern All Star circuit sanctions the next three nights of action while the finale is expected to go unsanctioned.
Notebook
Owens' Bloomquist Race Car has a Cornett engine and sponsorship from Gantte Appraisals, Reece Monument, PRC, VP Racing Fuels and Byrd's Radiator. ... Going back to last season, Owens has won five of the last six races he has entered. ... The initial start was called back when Darren Miller spun in turn two. ... Owens was leading by more than a straightaway by the eighth lap when Miller slowed on the frontstretch for the second caution. ... Another caution came out on the restart when several cars got bottled up exiting turn four. Scott Bloomquist and Brady Smith were among the drivers involved. ... Ivedent Lloyd Jr. was running fifth at the lap-eight caution but departed a few laps later with a flat tire. ... Brady Smith retreated to the infield on lap 21. ... Tommy Kerr stopped on the 24th lap to bring out the final caution. ... Tuesday's race was originally scheduled to be sanctioned by UMP, but the track ran the event unsanctioned after a controversy developed over the tire rules and Scott Bloomquist's Monday disqualification. Because the track opened up the two-tire rule to allow any Hoosier tire, some of the softest rubber — Hoosier 1100s and 1200s — became hot property in the pits as teams scrambled to find tires they hadn't expected to be legal. ... Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, Wis., wasn't able to race after aggravating a back injury. Schlieper tried to hot-lap despite the injury, but his back locked up and forced him to pull off the track. In the pits, crew members removed the No. 9's roof so Schlieper could be pulled from the car and put onto a backboard, with assistance from the ambulance personnel. Schlieper was taken to the hospital to check out the injuries and returned to the track later in the night after receiving a shot and medication. ... Among new drivers on hand for Tuesday's action: Two-time Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series champion Anthony White of Clinton, Tenn.; Darren Miller of Chadwick, Ill.; and defending O'Reilly Southern All Star East champion Casey Roberts. ... Canadian driver Steve Arpin won the modified feature and Stacey Roberts of Sylvester, Ga., won the crate engine Late Model feature over Johnny Pursley and Jonathan Davenport, who started 21st.
