LOCUST GROVE, Ark. (Aug. 18) — Former race winner Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., will make up the front row of Saturday’s 25th annual Comp Cams Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway.

Winning Friday’s first heat race, McCreadie, the 2008 Topless 100 champion, earned the pole position for Saturday’s $40,000-to-win main event. Inheriting the win in the night's third heat race when Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., was declared light at the scales, O’Neal will line up outside the front row of the 100-lap feature.

Friday’s other heat race winners were Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., and Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn. The pair make up the second row of Saturday’s feature lineup. Along with Bloomquist, Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., forfeited a transfer position when he was declared light at the scales following the night’s final heat race.

The top four cars from each of Friday’s heat races transferred to the main event, setting the first eight rows of the starting grid. Saturday’s program will include a pair of consolation races to set the remainder of the field.

Preliminary notes and results:

Fourth heat

Running side-by-side down the backstretch, Jimmy Owens edged ahead of fellow front-row starter Darrell Lanigan to take and early lead. With Owens stretching his lead early, hometown drivers Wendell Wallace and Jared Landers battled for the third-place spot. Owens dominated the 15-lap distance to win the heat, with Lanigan finishing second. Wallace and Landers grabbed the final two transfer spots. While Wallace ran third, he was later disqualified for being light at the scales, giving the transfer spot to Moyer Jr.

Finish (top four transfer): Jimmy Owens, Darrell Lanigan, Jared Landers, Billy Moyer Jr., Robbie Stuart, Hunter Rasdon, Travis Ashley, Tanner Kellick, Boom Briggs. Disqualified: Wendell Wallace.

Third heat

Polesitter Scott Bloomquist shot to the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Billy Moyer and Don O’Neal battling for the runner-up spot. Racing side-by-side, O’Neal pulled ahead of Moyer to run in second on lap four. As the race reached the halfway mark, another battle ensued for the final transfer spot between Robert Baker and Garrett Alberson. A yellow flag waved on lap nine with third-running Moyer slowed in turn four with a left-rear flat. Bloomquist held his lead through the resort, with Kyle Beard challenging Alberson for the final transfer spot. Another yellow flag flew on lap 13 when Beard spun in turn four, with Scott Crippler spinning to avoid contact. Bloomquist won the heat, with O’Neal, Baker and Alberson transferring to the main event. While Bloomquist was first at the checkers, he was disqualified for being light at the scales.

Finish (top four transfer): Don O’Neal, Robert Baker, Garrett Alberson, Billy Moyer, Jon Mitchell, Timothy Culp, B.J. Robinson, Kyle Beard, Scott Crigler. Disqualified: Scott Bloomquist

Second heat

Polesitter Hudson O’Neal edged ahead of fellow front-row starter Josh Richards to take and early lead. A yellow flag flew on lap six when Brandon Wilson spun in turn four. With O’Neal slipping out of the groove in turn two, Richards pulled ahead down the backstretch to take the lead lap nine. The top-two distanced themselves from the field late-race, with Gregg Satterlee edging out Bobby Pierce to run third.

Finish (top four transfer): Josh Richards, Hudson O’Neal, Gregg Satterlee, Bobby Pierce, Steve Francis, Jack Sullivan, Chandler Petty, Robby Moore, Brandon Wilson, Dean Carpenter

First heat

Polesitter Tim McCreadie charged to the lead at the drop of the green flag, with fourth-starting Mike Marlar working around the bottom of the racetrack to run in third. A yellow flag waved on lap four when third-running Marlar slowed on the backstretch. Using momentum from the restart, Earl Pearson Jr. attempted to reel in McCreadie for the lead, with the top-two cars distancing themselves from the field. McCreadie won the heat race, with Pearson, Shannon Babb and Dennis Erb Jr. transferring to the feature.

Finish (top four transfer): Tim McCreadie, Earl Pearson Jr., Shannon Babb, Dennis Erb Jr., David Breazeale, Austin Rettig, Gavin Landers, Zachary McMillan, Shannon Scott, Mike Marlar

Heat race lineups

(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Tim McCreadie, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 2: Mike Marlar, Shannon Babb
Row 3: Gavin Landers, Dennis Erb Jr.
Row 4: David Breazeale, Austin Rettig
Row 5: Zach McMillan, Shannon Scott
Row 6: David Payne
Second heat
Row 1: Hudson O’Neal, Josh Richards
Row 2: Gregg Satterlee, Bobby Pierce
Row 3: Steve Francis, Chandler Petty
Row 4: Jack Sullivan, Dean Carpenter
Row 5: Brandon Wilson, Robby Moore
Third heat
Row 1: Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer
Row 2: Don O’Neal, Timothy Culp
Row 3: Garrett Alberson, Robert Baker
Row 4: Kyle Beard, Jon Mitchell
Row 5: Scott Crippler, B.J. Robinson
Fourth heat
Row 1: Darrell Lanigan, Jimmy Owens
Row 2: Billy Moyer Jr., Jared Landers
Row 3: Wendell Wallace, Robbie Stuart
Row 4: Hunter Rasdon, Tanner Kellick
Row 5: Boom Briggs, Travis Ashley

Pre-race notes

Despite morning rains, Thursday’s open practice went on as scheduled. … Besides Late Models, Friday’s program includes a full modified show. … In its last six Topless 100 events, Batesville has had six different winners. … Finishing runner-up in last weekend’s Sunoco North-South 100, Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., is aiming to make the Topless 100 lineup for the first time. … Among drivers boasting multiple Topless 100 victories are Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, lll., Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark. Of that group, Mars is the only driver not on hand for this weekend’s event. … Owens and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., made the overnight haul to Batesville after entering Thursday’s Ultimate Southeast event at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. Owens is a two-time Topless 100 winner, while Marlar finished runner-up to Babb back in 2015. … While hometown driver Billy Moyer tops the race’s all-time win list with four Topless 100 victories, it’s been 12 years since he last won his home track’s crown jewel event. … Making only a limited number of starts in 2017, hometown driver and 2010 Topless 100 winner Jared Landers is among weekend entrants. … Jack Sullivan of Greenbrier, Ark., tops the Comp Cam Super Dirt Series standings.

Pre-race setup

The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series makes its second and final stop at Batesville Motor Speedway on the 2017 season for the 25th annual Comp Cams Topless 100. The unique event, co-sanctioned by the Comp Cams Super Dirt Series, requires cars race roofless, allowing sectors a better view of the drivers in the cockpit.

With last year’s event rained out, 2015 champion Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., enters the weekend as the defending Topless 100 winner. Former Topless 100 winner Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who scored a victory in last weekend’s Sunoco North-South 100 at Florence Speedway, was the winner of the Lucas Oil Series April event at Batesville.

Friday’s program will include time trials and heat races that will set a portion of Saturday’s feature field. There will be four 15-lap heat races, with the top four from each transferring to the weekend's main event. Modifieds will also be in action with a complete racing program.

Time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Group A
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 13.393
Hudson O’Neal (71), Martinsville, Ind., 13.592
Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 13.779
Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla., 13.783
Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 13.799
Gregg Satterlee (22), Indiana, Pa., 13.944
Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill., 13.945
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 13.998
Gavin Landers (77), Batesville, Ark., 14.02
Steve Francis (15), Bowling Green, Ky., 14.043
Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill., 14.138
Chandler Petty (R5), Cabot, Ark., 14.186
David Breazeale (54), Four Corners, Miss., 14.199
Jack Sullivan (18), Greenbrier, Ark., 14.258
Austin Rettig (94), Sikeston, Mo., 14.275
Dean Carpenter (51), Coldwater, Miss., 14.45
Zach McMillan (14), Gladewater, Texas, 14.486
Brandon Wilson (00), Sheridan, Ark., 14.527
Shannon Scott (4), Henryetta, Okla., 14.743
Robby Moore (66), Paragould, Ark., 14.847
David Payne (7P), Cabot, Ark., no time
Group B
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., 13.605
Darrell Lanigan (14), Union, Ky., 13.689
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 13.759
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 13.815
Don O’Neal (5), Martinsville, Ind., 13.875
Billy Moyer Jr. (21), Batesville, Ark., 13.975
Timothy Culp (C8), Prattsville, Ark., 13.983
Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark., 14.053
Garrett Alberson (F5), Las Cruces, N.M., 14.104
Wendell Wallace (88), Batesville, Ark., 14.114
Robert Baker (71m), Bryant, Ark., 14.212
Robbie Stuart (6R), DeRidder, La., 14.277
Kyle Beard (86), Trumann, Ark., 14.302
Hunter Rasdon (R5), Jonesboro, Ark., 14.313
Jon Mitchell (5), Texarkana, Texas, 14.405
Tanner Kellick (3K), Mer Rouge, La., 14.474
Scott Crigler (12), Monticello, Ark., 14.602
Boom Briggs (99B), Bear Lake, Pa., 14.708
B.J. Robinson (1), Haughton, La., 14.748
Travis Ashley (997), Batesville, Ark., 15.126