SARVER, Pa. (June 25) — Fighting back challenges from third-starting Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., polesitter Brandon Overton of Appling, Ga., led all 30 laps, capturing his first career World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model series victory at Lernerville Speedway. He collected a $6,000 payday.
Charging to the lead at the drop of the green flag, Overton stretched his lead in the early running, with Richards moving into the second-place spot on lap 14. As Overton entered lapped traffic, Richards challenged the race leader, but slipped back to settle for runner-up at the checkers.
Overton, the 2015 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year, was emotional in victory lane.
“I don’t even know what to say,” Overton told Outlaws announcer Matt Priuer. “My dad went home yesterday, he wasn’t feeling good. “I just wished he would have stayed one more day. He spent every dime he had to get me here.”
Falling to Richards to finish third in Friday’s Firecracker 100 feature, Overton knew holding off the three-time WoO champion was going to be a challenge.
“I knew when I got behind those lapped cars and I couldn’t make any ground on the top I had to get to the bottom. It was rubbering up. I don’t even know what to say … I’m glad I won.
“When I saw that blue car, I was like, ‘You’re going to work for this, you ain’t going to give this one away.’”
Richards finished second, with fourth-starting Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., running third. Outside polesitter Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., slipped to finish fourth, with sixth-starting Gregg Satterlee of Indiana, Pa., rounding out the top five.
“He’s had it coming for a long time,” Richards said of Overton’s victory. “They got through lapped traffic there and held off. Those guys did a great job. We had a great car, it was just too late getting there.
“It rubbered pretty quick off of two. It took a a little bit to get it on entry and then lapped cars, it was hard to kind of get through them and get around there because the groove was so dominant. Once he got by (Dan) Stone, I just kind of rode behind him. I don’t think I could have got anything on the outside anyway.”
Retiring early from Friday’s feature, Bloomquist rebounded with a podium finish on Saturday afternoon.
“Last night we ended up hitting a hole and knocking the nose out of the car early in the race,” Bloomquist said. “All that matters is tonight. We’re ready for that."
Preliminary results:
First consolation finish (top four transfer): Billy Moyer Jr., Brian Shirley, Mike Norris, Boom Briggs, Morgan Bagley, Dave Hess Jr., Allen Murray, Alex Ferree, Dan Angelicchio, Gary Lyle, Devin Lewis, Bump Hedman, Joey Coulter, Chase Junghans. Scratched: Darrell Lanigan
Second consolation finish (top four transfer): Frank Heckenast Jr., Shane Clanton, Jared Miley, Jason Covert, Kenny Pettyjohn, Matt Lux, Tyler Erb, Charles Powell Jr., Jim Rasey, Todd Bachman, Kerry King, Dan Swartzlander. Scratched: Ross Robinson, Jonathan Davenport, Mike Benedum
Consolation lineups
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Billy Moyer Jr., Mike Norris
Row 2: Morgan Bagley, Brian Shirley
Row 3: Bump Hedman, Boom Briggs
Row 4: Dan Angelicchio, Allen Murray
Row 5: Chase Junghans, Joey Coulter
Row 6: Devin Lewis, Alex Ferre
Row 7: Gary Lyle, Darrell Lanigan
Row 8: Dave Hess Jr.
Second consolation
Row 1: Frank Heckenast Jr., Jared Miley
Row 2: Matt Lux, Shane Clanton
Row 3: Tyler Erb, Jason Covert
Row 4: Ross Robinson, Kenny Pettyjohn
Row 5: Kerry King, Todd Bachman
Row 6: Charles Powell Jr., Jim Rasey
Row 7: Jonathan Davenport, Dan Swartzlander
Row 8: Mike Benedum
Heat race results
First heat finish (top four transfer): Chub Frank, Brandon Overton, Mason Zeigler, Steve Casebolt, Billy Moyer Jr., Morgan Bagley, Bump Hedman, Dan Angelicchio, Chase Junghans, Devin Lewis, Gary Lyle, Dave Hess Jr.
Second heat finish (top four transfer): Dale McDowell, Gregg Satterlee, Mike Pegher Jr., Rick Eckert, Mike Norris, Brian Shirley, Boom Briggs, Allen Murray, Joey Coulter, Alex Ferree. Scratched: Darrell Lanigan
Third heat finish (top four transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Eric Wells, Earl Pearson Jr., Dan Stone, Frank Heckenast Jr., Matt Lux, Tyler Erb, Ross Robinson, Kerry King, Charles Powell Jr., Jonathan Davenport. Scratched: Mike Benedum
Fourth heat finish (top four transfer): Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie, Russ King, Austin Smith, Jared Miley, Shane Clanton, Jason Covert, Kenny Pettyjohn, Todd Bachman, Jim Rasey, Dan Swartzlander
Heat race lineups
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Dave Hess Jr., Chub Frank
Row 2: Brandon Overton, Steve Casebolt
Row 3: Mason Zeigler, Morgan Bagley
Row 4: Billy Moyer Jr., Dan Angelicchio
Row 5: Chase Junghans, Devin Lowe
Row 6: Bump Hedman, Gary Lyle
Second heat
Row 1: Darrell Lanigan, Mike Pegher Jr.
Row 2: Dale McDowell, Mike Norris
Row 3: Joey Coulter, Boom Briggs
Row 4: Gregg Satterlee, Alex Ferree
Row 5: Rick Eckert, Brian Shirley
Row 6: Allen Murray
Third heat
Row 1: Scott Bloomquist, Jonathan Davenport
Row 2: Earl Pearson Jr., Tyler Erb
Row 3: Dan Stone, Ross Robinson
Row 4: Mike Benedum, Eric Wells
Row 5: Matt Lux, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 6: Kerry King, Charles Powell Jr.
Fourth heat
Row 1: Josh Richards, Russ King
Row 2: Austin Smith, Tim McCreadie
Row 3: Kenny Pettyjohn, Jared Miley
Row 4: Jason Covert, Jim Rasey
Row 5: Shane Clanton, Dan Swartzlander
Row 6: Todd Bachman
Pre-race setup
Lernerville Speedway’s Firecracker 100 action continues Saturday with two racing sessions. Thursday’s makeup event is scheduled for Saturday afternoon, with the 30-lap preliminary feature paying $6,000 to the winner.
Current World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series points leader Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., was the winner of Friday’s preliminary event, with Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., finishing runner-up and Brandon Overton of Appling, Ga., running third.
The afternoon program will include time trials, heat races, consolation races and the 30-lap main event. The weekend’s $30,000-to-win headliner will follow afternoon activities, including the driver autograph session and corn hole tournament.
Time trial results
Driver (car no.), hometown
Group A
Dave Hess Jr. (44s), Waterford, Pa., 15.497
Darrell Lanigan (15L), Union, Ky., 15.505
Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa., 15.548
Mike Pegher Jr. (1c), Wexford, Pa., 15.578
Brandon Overton (76), Appling, Ga., 15.585
Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga., 15.703
Steve Casebolt (C9), Richmond, Ind., 15.716
Mike Norris (72), Sarver, Pa., 15.767
Mason Zeigler (25Z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 15.808
Joey Coulter (2c), Miami Springs, Fla., 15.810
Morgan Bagley (14m), Longview, Texas, 15.850
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa.,15.853
Billy Moyer Jr. (21JR), Batesville, Ark., 15.879
Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 15.897
Dan Angelicchio (14), Greensburg, Pa., 15.952
Alex Ferree (10), Saxonburg, Pa., 16.074
Chase Junghans (18c), Manhattan, Kan., 16.143
Rick Eckert (7), York, Pa., 16.191
Devin Lewis (73), St. Mary’s, Pa., 16.199
Bump Hedman (B22), Sugar Grove, Pa., 16.310
Allen Murray (2M), San Antonio, Texas, 16.378
Gary Lyle (10L), Hyde Park, Pa., 16.987
Group B
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 16.030
Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 16.174
Jonathan Davenport (116), Blairsville, Ga., 16.391
Russ King (56), Bristolville, Ohio, 16.450
Earl Pearson Jr. (1P), Jacksonville, Fla.,16.450
Austin Smith (11s), Cedartown, Ga., 16.533
Tyler Erb (91), New Waverly, Texas, 16.586
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 16.597
Dan Stone (2), Thompson, Pa., 16.614
Kenny Pettyyjohn (38), Millsboro, Del., 16.620
Ross Robinson (7R), Georgetown, Del., 16.711
Jared Miley (H1), South Park, Pa., 16.721
Mike Benedum (1B), Clarksburg, W.Va., 16.741
Jason Covert (72c), York Haven, Pa., 16.743
Eric Wells (18), Hazard, Ky., 16.841
Jim Rasey (32), Warren, Ohio, 16.866
Matt Lux (111), Franklin, Pa., 16.875
Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga., 16.950
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99JR), Frankfort, Ill., 17.118
Dan Swartzlander (3), Freeport, Pa., 17.132
Kerry King (KB), Delmar, Del., 17.148
Todd Bachman (66), Natrona Heights, Pa., 17.148
Charles Powell Jr. (94), Brookville, Pa., 20.518
