Eldora Speedway
Handicapping the drivers for Eldora's Dream XXII
By Andy Savary
DirtonDirt.com staff writer
Hypothetical odds for Eldora Speedway’s Dream XXII presented by Ferris Mowers, a $100,000-to-win crown jewel event in Rossburg, Ohio, on June 9-11 (complete Dream coverage):
Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn.
Odds: EVEN
Dream starts (most recent): 19 (2015)
Dream wins: 1995, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013
Dream top fives: 12
Dream top 10s: 14
Notes: In addition to his six dream triumphs, Bloomquist is also a four-time World 100 winner. … Before he weighed in 25 pounds light at the scales and suffered a heartbreaking Dream loss, Bloomquist won a preliminary feature last season. … Bloomquist’s 19 Dream starts are the most of any driver; he’s started the race in 12 consecutive seasons, the longest streak for any driver. … Since the year 2000, Bloomquist has finished among the top five in at least one of Eldora’s crown jewels during every year but 2011. … Bloomquist set fast time at the Eldora Million and ultimately wound up third.
Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga.
Odds: EVEN
Dream starts (most recent): 6 (2015)
Dream wins: 2015
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 1
Notes: Davenport was lifted to a Dream victory in 2015 after Scott Bloomquist weighed in light. ... Sweeping Eldora’s crown jewels last season, Davenport became one of just seven drivers to win both the Dream and the World 100. … Davenport won a pair of Dream preliminary features in 2015, en route to a weekend sweep. … He also won a World 100 prelim in 2014 and was the Dream’s fast qualifier in 2013. ... Davenport enters as the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series points leader.
Dale McDowell, Chickamauga, Ga.
Odds: 6-1
Dream starts (most recent): 13 (2015)
Dream wins: 2014
Dream top fives: 4
Dream top 10s: 4
Notes: McDowell, who won the 2014 Dream from the 22nd starting position, has an active three-year streak of top-five finishes in the event. … Another of the seven drivers to win both Eldora crown jewels, McDowell inherited a 2005 World 100 victory when Shannon Babb weighed in light at the scales. … McDowell is a also former Dream and World 100 preliminary feature winner.
Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn.
Odds: 6-1
Dream starts (most recent): 11 (2015)
Dream wins: 2009
Dream top fives: 4
Dream top 10s: 8
Notes: The 2007 and 2011 globe winner, Owens additionally has a pair of World 100s on his resume. … The 2016 Show-Me 100 winner has captured preliminary features prior to both the Dream and World 100. … Owens has started all but a single Dream (in 2012) dating back to 2004, finishing among the top five in one-third of the 12 events and among the top 10 in two-thirds of them. … He’s twice set fast time at the World 100, topping fields of more than 200 cars on each occasion. … Owens is also a former modified winner at Eldora.
Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga.
Odds: 10-1
Dream starts (most recent): 9 (2015)
Dream wins: 2012
Dream top fives: 4
Dream top 10s: 4
Notes: Clanton has two career crown jewel victories, both of which have come at Eldora in the 2012 Dream and 2008 World 100. … The defending World of Outlaws champion also won a preliminary feature at the 2013 World 100. … Clanton was one of only four drivers to finish among the top 10 in both the Dream and World 100 in 2015. … Prior to an eventual third-place finish, Clanton set fast time at the 2008 Dream.
Chris Madden, Gray Court, S.C.
Odds: 12-1
Dream starts (most recent): 10 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 7
Notes: Among the steadiest Eldora performers, Madden unexpectedly skipped the 2015 Dream while on an extensive summer hiatus. … He has cracked the starting field each of the last six times he entered the event, finishing 11th or better on every occasion. … Madden finished seventh in the 2015 World 100 and is a five-time World 100 heat race winner, including in each of the last two seasons.
Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill.
Odds: 15-1
Dream starts (most recent): 5 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 3
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: Last year’s third-place finisher, Erb has quietly finished among the top five in three of the past four Dreams. … He has two Dream preliminary feature victories to his credit, along with several other top-five finishes in tune-up programs. … Erb won the Late Model portion of Eldora’s UMP Fall Nationals. in 2009.
Jared Landers, Batesville, Ark.
Odds: 15-1
Dream starts (most recent): 5 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: 2
Notes: Somewhat hidden in the shadows of a Scott Bloomquist trip to the scales and a stirring Jonathan Davenport rally, Landers led laps in both the Dream and World 100 last season. … Landers was one of only four drivers to finish among the top 10 in both the Dream and World 100 in 2015 and is also one of just nine drivers to start each of the last three Dreams. … Landers set fast time at the 2011 Dream.
Billy Moyer, Batesville, Ark.
Odds: 15-1
Dream starts (most recent): 14 (2014)
Dream wins: 1998, 2010
Dream top fives: 7
Dream top 10s: 9
Notes: With six globes, Moyer is the winningest World 100 champion. … Moyer swept Eldora’s crown jewel events in 2010. … The Hall of Famer won a preliminary feature and heat race prior to the 2015 World 100. … In his last Dream start, Moyer finish fifth in 2014. … Moyer has four ALMS victories at Eldora, including one in 2015’s Baltes Classic. … In 2001, he finished seventh in the Eldora Million.
Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky.
Odds: 20-1
Dream starts (most recent): 16 (2015)
Dream wins: 2003
Dream top fives: 9
Dream top 10s: 12
Notes: Lanigan, who will make his first Eldora trek with Clint Bowyer Racing, won a preliminary feature at the 2013 World 100 and was runner-up in another last fall. … He has finished sixth or better in the Dream on 11 occasions, but owns just a single victory.
Matt Miller, Whitehouse, Ohio
Odds: 20-1
Dream starts (most recent): 11 (2014)
Dream wins: 2005
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: The 2005 Dream winner is a five-time Eldora track champion and a former Dream and World 100 preliminary feature winner. … Extended with a triumph on Memorial Day weekend, Miller has now won an ALMS event at Eldora in seven consecutive seasons and counting; his nine total ALMS victories at the Big E lead all drivers. ... Miller was the fastest qualifier among 148 cars at the 2006 Dream. … He finished fifth at the World 100 in 2014.
Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va.
Odds: 20-1
Dream starts (most recent): 6 (2013)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: Richards claimed a $5,000 Dream prelim on June 6, 2013, and is a former ALMS winner at the track. … Richards has not started an Eldora crown jewel since 2013; he missed the 2014 events due to nerve injury and failed to qualify for both the Dream and World 100 in 2015. … Richards has started only one of the previous four Dream finales and he required a provisional to do so on that one occasion; in that race, Richards rallied into the top five from deep in the field, but was later disqualified for weighing in 32 pounds light. … His most recent official finish in the Dream was ninth in 2011 and his best-ever finish was sixth in 2010. ... Richards currently tops the World of Outlaws point standings.
Mike Marlar, Winfield, Tenn.
Odds: 25-1
Dream starts (most recent): 5 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Marlar was fast qualifier at the 2014 Dream. … He finished second and third in prelims for the World 100 last season. … Marlar won a modified feature at Eldora in 2002.
Bobby Pierce, Oakwood, Ill.
Odds: 25-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Though he has finished among the top four in two of the last three World 100s, Pierce has never started a Dream. … A former Dream top-five finisher, his father Bob made six starts in the event, with the most recent coming in 2003. … Pierce has a trio of ALMS victories at Eldora, including one last season.
Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill.
Odds: 25-1
Dream starts (most recent): 2 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Sheppard won a pair of World 100 preliminary features in 2015, but disappointingly failed to qualify for Saturday’s main event. … B-Shepp made the Dream in 2015 for the first time since 2012. … His best crown jewel finish at Eldora, Sheppard stood seventh in the 2012 World 100.
Jimmy Mars, Menomonie, Wis.
Odds: 30-1
Dream starts (most recent): 9 (2015)
Dream wins: 1997
Dream top fives: 2
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: Mars has had a roller coaster history at the Big E, but the peak of the ride came early with a victory in his first-ever Dream start in 1997. … An innocent victim at the 2014 World 100, Mars was caught up in an accident that spoiled a likely podium finish. … In 2001, Mars cracked the feature field at the Eldora Million, finishing 14th.
Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y.
Odds: 30-1
Dream starts (most recent): 8 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: McCreadie hasn't posted a top-five finish in a crown jewel at Eldora since 2008, when he was fifth in the Dream. … T-Mac won a preliminary feature at the 2013 World 100 and set fast time at both the 2007 and 2010 Dreams. ... He'll make his first Eldora laps in a Longhorn Chassis.
Don O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind.
Odds: 30-1
Dream starts (most recent): 12 (2015)
Dream wins: 2011
Dream top fives: 3
Dream top 10s: 6
Notes: Since topping Billy Moyer in the 2011 Dream, O'Neal has just a single top-10 finish in the event. … He has won a Dream heat race in each of the past two seasons and is also a former World 100 heat winner. … O’Neal finished eighth in 2001’s Eldora Million. … He’ll make his first Eldora laps in a Club 29 Race Car.
Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.
Odds: 30-1
Dream starts (most recent): 8 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 2
Dream top 10s: 6
Notes: Pearson was victorious in the famed 2006 World 100. … Driving for Moring Motorsports, he rallied from the ninth row to a runner-up finish in the 2015 Dream. … Pearson won a heat race at last year’s World 100 and has also previously set fast time in both of Eldora’s crown jewel events.
Eddie Carrier Jr., Salt Rock, W.Va.
Odds: 40-1
Dream starts (most recent): 7 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: Coming up just short of winner Jimmy Owens, Carrier finished runner-up in a wild ending to the 2011 World 100. … Carrier is a three-time Dream heat race winner and led laps 17-32 of the 2014 Dream finale.
Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky.
Odds: 40-1
Dream starts (most recent): 17 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 3
Dream top 10s: 7
Notes: Francis was the 1999 World 100 winner. … He’s notched only two top-10 finishes in the Dream over the past decade. … After failing to qualify for the Dream, Francis rebounded with a fifth-place finish in last year’s World 100. … Francis finished sixth in the Eldora Million.
Jeep Van Wormer, Pinconning, Mich.
Odds: 40-1
Dream starts (most recent): 10 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: 4
Notes: Jeep is a seven-time ALMS winner at Eldora and a two-time track champion. … Van Wormer won a preliminary feature at the 2013 World 100 and was third in another last fall. … He’s also a former Dream and World 100 heat race winner. … Surprisingly, Jeep has never finished among the top five in the Dream, but he’s done so three times in the World 100.
Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill.
Odds: 50-1
Dream starts (most recent): 12 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 2
Notes: Weighing in light at the scales, Babb lost the 2005 World 100 in heartbreaking fashion. … He rebounded a year later to finish runner-up in the 2006 World 100 thriller. … Babb is one of just nine drivers to start each of the last three Dreams. … He set fast time at the 2005 Dream and finished third in a World 100 prelim last fall.
Steve Casebolt, Richmond, Ind.
Odds: 50-1
Dream starts (most recent): 5 (2015)
Dream wins: 2007
Dream top fives: 1
Dream top 10s: 2
Notes: Since winning the Dream with Dale Beitler in 2007, Casebolt has made the race on only three occasions and never fared better than 14th. … Casebolt was runner-up in a Dream prelim last summer. … He won an ALMS feature at the track on July 22, 2014, on the undercard of a NASCAR Truck Series event.
Gregg Satterlee, Indiana, Pa.
Odds: 50-1
Dream starts (most recent): 3 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Satterlee is one of just nine drivers to start each of the last three Dreams, with results of 25th, 14th and 16th.. … His best Eldora crown jewel finish of eighth came at the 2014 World 100. … Satterlee owns finishes of second and third in past World 100 tuneup features.
Jason Feger, Bloomington, Ill.
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 3 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Feger recently debuted a new Billy Moyer Victory Race Car. … He’s twice finished among the top five at the World 100, most recently in 2014. … Feger set fast time at the 2013 World 100 and won the Late Model portion of UMP’s Fall Nationals at Eldora on Oct. 6, 2012. … In total, he’s started nine 100-lappers at the Big E.
Chris Ferguson, Mount Holly, N.C.
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Ferguson set fast time at last year’s World 100, posting a new track record at 14.866 seconds. … Fergy made both Eldora crown jewels last season, but retired early in each of them. … The North Carolina driver recently debuted a new XR1 Rocket Chassis.
Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 2 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Devin’s father, Donnie Moran, won four World 100s, the 1996 Dream and the Eldora Million. … Devin has made three 100-lappers at Eldora, but never finished better than 23rd.
Terry Phillips, Springfield, Mo.
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 6 (2013)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 2
Dream top 10s: 4
Notes: Phillips led the first 52 laps at the 2013 World 100 before settling for a sixth-place finish. … His most recent top-five finish in the Dream came in 2006.
Kent Robinson, Bloomington, Ind.
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 3 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: In 2014, K-Rob won a Dream preliminary feature on Thursday and finished fifth in a prelim the following night. … A former ALMS winner at Eldora, Robinson also claimed a heat race and finished sixth in the 2014 World 100. … Robinson has a trio of modified victories at Eldora, with the most recent coming in 2013.
Brian Shirley, Chatham, Ill.
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 4 (2012)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: The last time Shirley made the Dream, he won a heat race and started from the pole in 2012; he wound up 20th in the final rundown. … Shirley won the Late Model portion of Eldora’s UMP Fall Nationals in 2010. … Shirley will make his first Eldora laps in a Longhorn Chassis.
Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, Pa.
Odds: 60-1
Dream starts (most recent): 2 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Zeigler ripped through the field at the 2014 World 100, but one impatient mistake eliminated him, costing him a golden opportunity at victory.
Jeff Babcock, Wayne, Ohio
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Babcock was the fastest of 120 qualifiers at the 2014 World 100. … He won Eldora's ALMS-sanctioned Johnny Appleseed Classic in 2013 and finished runner-up in this season’s running on Memorial Day weekend. … Babcock also owns 12 modified victories at Eldora.
Duane Chamberlain, Richmond, Ind.
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): 3 (2013)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Chamberlain has two ALMS wins at Eldora, including one on April 16, 2016. … Chamberlain won a heat race at the 2013 Dream; he later made his lone World 100 start that year, finishing 13th.
Scott James, Bright, Ind.
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): 7 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 3
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: Scott Bloomquist overtook James in the final stages of the 2006 Dream, forcing him to settle with a tough runner-up finish. … James won an ALMS event at the track on July 28, 1999. … James finished fourth in Eldora’s Johnny Appleseed Classic on May 29, 2016.
Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville, Ark.
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Moyer Jr.’s lone 100-lap start in an Eldora crown jewel came at the 2012 World 100, where he ranked 19th.
Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon, Iowa
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: 1
Notes: Simpson won a heat race and led 39 laps at the 2012 World 100, but mechanical trouble sidelined him with a 17th-place finish. … He was fifth in a Dream preliminary feature last summer.
Chris Simpson, Oxford, Iowa
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): 2 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: For the second straight season, Simpson will pilot a Childress Racing entry at the Dream; he failed to qualify in 2015. … Two years back, Simpson ran third in a Dream prelim.
Randy Weaver, Crossville, Tenn.
Odds: 75-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Feeling the effects, Weaver has not competed since an April rollover accident in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series action at East Alabama Motor Speedway. ... Weaver made his first Dream start last year. … In a 2014 World 100 prelim, he finished runner-up to Dale McDowell.
Chris Brown, Spring, Texas
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2011)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Making two career starts in Eldora 100-lappers, Brown finished 22nd in the 2015 World 100 and 21st in the 2011 Dream. … After following the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2015, Brown joined Lance Landers Motorsports this season to race as a teammate and mentor to Gavin Landers. … Piloting a Sweet-Bloomquist Race Car, Brown finished 10th in the Show-Me 100 on Memorial Day weekend.
R.J. Conley, Wheelersburg, Ohio
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 3 (2008)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 2
Dream top 10s: 2
Notes: Conley has cracked two straight World 100 feature fields. … He’s twice finished third in the Dream, most recently in 2006.
Devin Gilpin, Columbus, Ind.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Gilpin is a two-time modified winner at Eldora. … He seeks his first Late Model start in an Eldora crown jewel.
Ryan Gustin, Marshalltown, Iowa
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2014)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Gustin drew a lap-32 caution and finished 25th in his lone previous Dream start.
Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2011)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Heckenast finished 15th the 2015 World 100, which marked the most recent of his three 100-lap starts at Eldora. … At the 2014 World 100, Heckenast finished fifth in a preliminary feature. … Aligning with Marshall Green and Shane Clanton, Heckenast recently debuted a new Capital Race Car.
Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Headlining a wild afternoon heat race, Junghans tangled with Jason Feger during World 100 prelims last fall. … He seeks his first start in an Eldora crown jewel.
Jason Krohn, Slayton, Minn.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Krohn seeks his first start in an Eldora crown jewel event. … Last weekend, he claimed a pair of victories on the OneMain WISSOTA Challenge Series at Dakota State Fair Speedway in Huron, S.D., collecting in excess of $15,000.
Cody Mahoney, Madison, Ind.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: A former Dream-winning crew chief with Don O'Neal, Mahoney seeks his first start behind the wheel in an Eldora crown jewel.
Tim Manville, Highland, Ill.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Manville made his first Eldora 100-lapper at the 2015 World 100.
Donald McIntosh, Dawsonville, Ga.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: McIntosh seeks his first start in an Eldora crown jewel. … He’s already been crowned the Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals champion in 2016.
Brandon Overton, Appling, Ga.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2015)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Overton made his first Dream in 2015, one year after starting his first World 100; he finished 19th in each event.
Casey Roberts, Toccoa, Ga.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 1 (2010)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: At the 2010 Dream, Roberts won a heat race and started sixth, but was the race’s first retiree. … Later that fall, he finished 12th in the World 100.
Rodney Sanders, Happy, Texas
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Stepping away from modified competition for a second straight week, Sanders seeks his first start in an Eldora crown jewel event. … He’s finished among the top five in his last five Super Late Model starts.
Rusty Schlenk, McClure, Ohio
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Schlenk, who leads the Sunoco American Late Model Series points standings, won a series event at Eldora on April 18, 2015.
Ricky Thornton Jr., Chandler, Ariz.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: An Arizona transplant, Thornton will pilot the Wisconsin-based No. 33 of J.R. Haley at the Big E. … He seeks his first start in an Eldora crown jewel event.
Wendell Wallace, Batesville, Ark.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): 8 (2008)
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: 2
Dream top 10s: 3
Notes: The fourth-place finisher in the Eldora Million, Wallace is also a former Dream fast-timer and heat race winner. … He hasn’t recorded a top-five finish in the Dream since 2002.
R.C. Whitwell, Tucson, Ariz.
Odds: 100-1
Dream starts (most recent): None
Dream wins: None
Dream top fives: None
Dream top 10s: None
Notes: Set to pilot a Mike Wedelstadt-owned MB Customs entry, Whitwell seeks his first start in an Eldora crown jewel.
Field
Odds: 30-1
