Golden Isles Speedway
Bloomquist rebounds, wins at Golden Isles
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer
Scott Bloomquist in victory lane. (ronskinnerphotos.com)
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (Jan. 30) — Scott Bloomquist's only headlines at Golden Isles Speedway's Super Bowl of Racing IV resulted from Monday's controversial disqualification after he set fast time. The Hall of Fame driver from Mooresburg, Tenn., put those memories behind him on Wednesday with a flag-to-flag 50-lap victory in O'Reilly Southern All Star Series competition worth $10,000. Prelims | Slideshow
"I think we think we got things finally rolling," said Bloomquist, whose best previous finish in three Golden Isles starts was fifth on Jan. 25. "The tires were perfect and everything was good."
Bloomquist's only real challenge at the 4/10-mile oval came when Shane Clanton got hooked up in the high groove following a lap-nine restart, but Clanton's outside-to-inside swipe at the lead on the frontstretch was denied as Bloomquist pulled away.
"He seems to like that groove," Bloomquist said of Clanton. "I thought I heard him once or twice, but we just maintained and tried to be smooth and not make any bobbles."
Bloomquist did a good job of that through the middle of the race as he entered lapped traffic with polesitter Chris Madden and Clanton hot on his heels. The leader maneuvered through the slower cars to rebuild a comfortable margin before a lap-36 caution erased Bloomquist's lead. But with clear racetrack, Bloomquist edged away over the final 14 laps and won by a full straightaway over Madden, who also drove a Bloomquist Race Car.
Long-traveling Kelly Boen of Henderson, Colo., who started ninth, posted a rallying third-place finish. Three-time Super Bowl feature winner Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., who started fifth but got shuffled back to the 10th spot early, came alive on the lap-36 restart to go from seventh to fourth, where the Bloomquist Race Car pilot finished.
"Jimmy's been awful strong," Bloomquist said. "We started to wonder if we were going to get one of 'em. We thought he was going to get 'em all there for a while."
Fast qualifier Tim Fuller of Edwards, N.Y., who started seventh, stayed in the mix throughout the race and ended up fifth despite a flat tire on the last lap. Clanton faded to finish sixth and third-starting Terry Casey of New London, Wis., was among the frontrunners the first half of the race but dropped out with eight laps remaining.
Three cautions slowed the action, including two on laps nine and 13, both for Mark Vineyard spins in turn two. The lap-36 caution came out when Stacy Holmes spun and hit the turn-three wall, collecting Jason Fitzgerald.
Notebook
Bloomquist's self-designed chassis has a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsorship from Miller Bros. Coal, Hawkeye Trucking and Allstar Performance. ... Bloomquist's disqualification from Monday's UMP event for using illegal tires includes a month-long suspension from UMP competition, the series announced Wednesday. That will prevent Bloomquist from running in four UMP events at Volusia Speedway Park near Daytona during Florida Speedweeks. ... There were a few format changes with the switch to O'Reilly Southern All Star sanctioning for Wednesday's race. Group qualifying was shelved and there were six heats instead of four with three drivers transferring from each heat. Two consolations sent two drivers apiece into the feature and two provisionals were added, along with the winner of the non-qualifier's race. ... Although the Southern All Stars were originally scheduled to sanction events Wednesday through Friday, they'll also sanction Saturday's event. However, no points will be awarded on Saturday. ... Freddy Smith, after driving Brian Nuttal's backup car previously, was back in his traditional No. 00 on Wednesday night. He qualified but scratched from his heat race. ... Newcomers to Wednesday's action included Mark Vineyard of Powell, Tenn. (in Anthony White's backup car), Stacy Holmes of Munford, Ala. (last year's SAS rookie of the year in a new car), Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford, Pa., Steven Howard of Bloomingdale, Ga., Tony Knowles of Tyrone, Ga., Brent Dixon of Elberton, Ga., Anthony Hill of Carrollton, Ga. (runner-up in Talladega Short Track's Ice Bowl), Canadian Dave Tyrchniewicz of St. Andrews, Manitoba, and Randy Weaver of Crossville, Tenn. (in the PPM house car). ... Tyrchniewicz lost a driveshaft following his qualifying lap and scratched for the evening. ... Dan Schlieper was still out with a back injury, but Florida driver Michael Lloyd practiced in Schlieper's No. 9 and planned to enter Thursday's action in the car. ... Dave Hess Jr. of Waterford, Pa., could've tagged the tail for the feature event, but he found an oil leak after winning the non-qualifiers' race and elected to take the $500 from Callies. ... Patrick Sheltra of Indiantown, Fla., was added to the field as a promoter's option.
Dart Winternationals Point Standings (after five races)
1. Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn. - 1,1702. Shane Clanton (25), Locust Grove, Ga. - 1,015
3. Tim Fuller (19), Edwards, N.Y. - 955
4. Earl Pearson Jr. (44), Jacksonville, Fla. - 955
5. Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C. - 945
6. Steve Francis (19), Ashland, Ky. - 940
7. Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn. - 900
8. Kelly Boen (07), Henderson, Colo. - 895
9. Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark. - 890
10. Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va. - 865
