Fayetteville Motor Speedway
Fayetteville's WoO race pushed back to Oct. 7
By Kevin Kovac
World of Outlaws Late Model SeriesFAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 15) — The completion of the first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Fayetteville Motor Speedway will have to wait until Oct. 7. Rain struck the 4/10-mile oval during the first of two consolation races on Friday night, forcing track and series officials to postpone the remainder of the program until the fall.
The new date sets up a Tuesday-Wednesday doubleheader in North Carolina for the World of Outlaws tour, which is scheduled to contest the Armour Vienna Sausage Southern Showdown on Oct. 8 at the Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord.
Thirty-eight cars were signed in for Friday night’s action, which began with storms dancing around the area but narrowly missing Fayetteville. The threat of rain prompted WoO officials to institute one-lap time trials in order to speed up the program. With a big crowd looking on, Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., blistered the track in qualifying, turning a lap of 17.697 seconds to register his series-leading fourth fast-time honor of the season.
Heat race winners were WoO points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who passed Clanton on the final lap; Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.; Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; and Dean Bowen of Whiteville, N.C.
Precipitation began to fall after a multicar tangle sent Michael Ray Mason of Spring Lake, N.C., into the turn-four wall on the second lap of the first consolation. Officials waited out the weather about 45 minutes before making the decision to postpone the remainder of the card to Oct. 7.
WoO racing will pick up on Oct. 7 where it left off on Friday night. The program will include the final 10 laps of the first consolation, which was led by G.R. Smith of Cornelius, N.C., when the rain arrived; the complete second 12-lap consolation; and the 50-lap, $10,000-to-win main event.
The top 16 starting positions in the feature are set. Lanigan drew the pole position and will share the front row with Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga.
The series will continue its weekend in the Southeast on Saturday, Aug. 16, with a first-ever visit to Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga.
Time trials
Heat race results
First heat: Lanigan, Clanton, Coffey, Eckert, Mason, Clint Smith, Neighbors, Lucas, Jeff Isabell Jr., Madden.
Second heat: Francis, Beasley, C. Blackwell, Babb, G.R. Smith, Weeks, Tucker, Joe Isabell, Fitzgerald, Taylor.
Third heat: Fuller, Davenport, Frank, Robinson, Hubbard, Gibbons, Richards, Chuck Smith Jr., Labonte.
Fourth heat: Bowen, Autry, T. Blackwell, J. Smith, Blankenship, Shuffield, Boahn, Mitchell, Beardsley.
