RIPLEY, W.Va. (Sept. 6) — Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., extended his Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win streak Sunday night at I-77 Raceway Park, capturing his fifth consecutive tour victory in the 47th annual Hillbilly 100.
Regaining the lead when Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., tagged the turn-four wall on lap 79, Bloomquist led the final circuits to earn a $25,000 payday in the series richest one-day event. Notching his second career Hillbilly 100 victory, Bloomquist became the race’s fourth different winner in as many events at I-77.
“I knew we were good,” Bloomquist said in victory lane. “We just hung with him (O’Neal). The car was real maneuverable. I felt like if we could get back by him, we’d be OK. But it’s really tough to pass lapped traffic here, so I wasn’t real happy after that start. But everything turned out good.”
Charging to the front of the field at the drop of the green flag, Bloomquist fell to O’Neal on a lap-39 restart. The 2010 Hillbilly 100 winner was challenging the O’Neal for the lead when the defending Lucas Oil Series champion brushed the wall with less than 25 laps remaining in the 100-lapper.
“I didn’t know if he got in it or not, we were getting in position,” Bloomquist said. “I’d actually moved up in three and four and run even higher than he was through the center of the corner and was getting a run at him and felt like I was going to be able to get him even if he hadn’t done that.”
O’Neal edged ahead of Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., and Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, in a tight battle for the runner-up spot. Davenport held on to finish third, with 10th-starting Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., grabbing the fourth-place spot. Moran rounded out the top-five.
“We tried,” O’Neal said after the race. “Scott (Bloomquist) was good all night. We just happened to get him on that restart there and I thought maybe if we got out front we could stay there. I just wasn’t’ quite good enough in lapped traffic to get around them pretty quick and that really hurt us.”
But after a 2015 season of ups and downs, the second-place run was a strong close to the weekend for O’Neal, who posted top-five finishes in series events at Attica Raceway Park and Portsmouth Raceway Park.
“What a turnaround,” O’Neal said. “It started at Pittsburgh last week, had a good run. And then had three solid runs all weekend here. So I’m really proud of all the team. All the guys worked hard and they’re the ones turning it around.”
Davenport, improved from his sixth starting spot to finish third after a close battle for the podium position.
“We was about everywhere on the racetrack, we was going back and forth,” Davenport said. “Fell back and would come back, fell back, so we salvaged a pretty good run. This here ain’t my cup of tea. It’s a cool racetrack, but this slow stuff sucks. I can’t wait to get to Eldora next week.”
Notes: Robbie Bostic drew the first caution on lap 20. … Front-runner Jimmy Owens slowed with a flat tire to draw a caution on lap 25. … A yellow flag waved for Dennis Erb Jr. on lap 29. … Kenney Newhouse drew a caution on lap 31. … Another yellow flew for Jared Landers on lap 37. … The final yellow flag waved when Tyler Carpenter spun on lap 39.
Preliminary results:
Consolation results
First consolation (top three transfer): Jared Landers, Travis Brookover, Zack Dohm, Rick Williams, Derek Doll, Paul Wilmots, Steve Lucas, Mike Benedum, Coleton Perine, Jeff Mazwell, Kody Frame, Chris Reed, Robbie Jewell
Second consolation (top three transfer): Steve Casebolt, Corey Conley, Corey DeLancey, J.P. Roberts, Randy Armes, Robbie Bostic, David Gibson, Kevin Layne, Craig Wolford, Cody Rogers, Byron Meeks, Tim Dohm, Kenney Newhouse, Colton Collins, Joseph Cox
Heat race results
First heat (top four transfer): Scott Bloomquist, Devin Moran, Earl Pearson Jr., Dennis Erb Jr., Travis Brookover, Jared Landers, Zack Dohm, Mike Benedum, Coleton Perine, Steve Lucas, Jeff Maxwell, Robbie Jewel
Second heat (top four transfer): Don O’Neal, Chris Brown, Eddie Carrier Jr., Freddie Carpenter, Rick Williams, Paul Wilmots, Derek Doll, Chris Reed, Kody Frame, Dylan Bledsoe, Brock Morris
Third heat (top four transfer): Jimmy Owens, Jonathan Davenport, Steve Francis, Brandon Sheppard, Tim Dohm, Steve Casebolt, Kenney Newhouse, Randy Armes, J.P. Roberts, Robbie Bostic, Byron Meeks, Joseph Cox
Fourth heat (top four transfer): Tyler Carpenter, Colton Burdette, Austin Kirkpatrick, Chris Garnes, Corey Conley, Corey DeLancey, Kevin Layne, David Gibson, Cody Rogers, Colton Collins, Craig Wolford
Heat race lineups
(15 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Earl Pearson Jr., Scott Bloomquist
Row 2: Devin Moran, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 3: Jared Landers, Travis Brookover
Row 4: Steve Lucas, Zack Dohm
Row 5: Mike Benedum, Coleton Perine
Row 6: Jeff Maxwell
Second heat
Row 1: Don O’Neal, Eddie Carrier Jr.
Row 2: Freddie Carpenter, Paul Wilmoth
Row 3: Rick Williams, Chris Brown
Row 4: Derek Doll, Brock Morris
Row 5: Dylan Bledsoe, Chris Reed
Row 6: Kody Frame
Third heat
Row 1: Jimmy Owens, Tim Dohm
Row 2: Steve Francis, Steve Casebolt
Row 3: Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Sheppard
Row 4: Randy Armes, Kenney Newhouse
Row 5: J.P. Roberts, Robbie Bostic
Row 6: Joseph Cox, Byron Meeks
Fourth heat
Row 1: Austin Kirkpatrick, Corey Conley
Row 2: Corey DeLancey, Colton Burdette
Row 3: Tyler Carpenter, David Gibson
Row 4: Craig Wolford, Cody Rogers
Row 5: Chris Garnes, Kevin Layne
Row 6: Colton Collins
Time trial results
Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla., 13.200
Don O’Neal (5), Martinsville, Ind., 13.284
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 13.309
Eddie Carrier Jr. (28), Salt Rock, W.Va., 13.442
Devin Moran (99m), Dresden, Ohio, 13.500
Freddie Carpenter (c4), Parkersburg, W.Va., 13.563
Dennis Erb Jr. (28e), Carpentersville, Ill., 13.612
Paul Wilmoth Jr. (B1), Clarksburg, W.Va., 13.680
Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark., 13.700
Rick Williams (12w), Beckley, W.Va., 13.775
Travis Brookover (12B), Troy, W.Va., 13.776
Chris Brown (21B), Spring, Texas, 13.783
Steve Lucas (5L), Charleston, W.Va., 13.805
Derek Doll (87), Pennsboro, W.Va., 13.846
Zack Dohm (17d), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 13.893
Brock Morris (316), Charleston, W.Va., 13.907
Mike Benedum (25), Salem, W.Va., 13.966
Dylan Bledsoe (19), Waterford, Ohio, 14.404
Coleton Perine (8), Lowell, Ohio, 14.450
Chris Reed (5x), Charleston, W.Va., 14.541
Jeff Maxwell (95), Ripley, W.Va., 14.818
Kody Frame (97), Elkview, W.Va., 15.046
Robbie Jewell (379), Ravenswood, W.Va., 15.134
Group B
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 13.590
Austin Kirkpatrick (11), Ocala, Fla., 13.651
Tim Dohm (6T), Cross Lanes, W.Va., 13.656
Corey Conley (14), Wellsburg, W.Va., 13.762
Steve Francis (15), Ashland, Ky., 13.784
Corey DeLancey (c2), Parkersburg, W.Va., 13.860
Steve Casebolt (c9), Richmond, Ind., 13.892
Colton Burdette (44), Parkersburg, W.Va., 13.908
Jonathan Davenport (6), Blairsville, Ga., 13.925
Tyler Carpenter (28T), Parkersburg, W.Va., 14.012
Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill., 14.085
David Gibson Jr. (32), Charleston, W.Va., 14.156
Randy Armes (8R), Long Bottom, Ohio, 14.170
Craig Wolford (36), St. Louisville, Ohio, 14.333
Kenney Newhouse (17N), Elkview, W.Va., 14.398
Cody Rogers (22), Spelter, W.Va. , 14.416
J.P. Roberts (9R), Gallipolis, Ohio, 14.554
Chris Garnes (42), Evans, W.Va., 14.569
Robbie Bostic (24R), Mineral Wells, W.Va., 14.580
Kevin Layne (41), Racine, Ohio, 14.583
Joseph Cox (41C), Beckley, W.Va., 14.830
Colton Collins (C7), Charleston, W.Va., 15.902
Byron Meeks (25M), Parkersburg, W.Va., 16.452