August 1
I-30 Speedway,
Little Rock, AR
Sanction: Southern Outlaw Late Model Series - $1,000
Information provided by: Series and track reports (last updated August 2, 8:15 pm)
Findley gets first Late Model win at I-30
- Drake Findley
- Buddy Wilkins
- Rick Hearnsberger
- Cole Farmer
- Terry Henson
- Ross Farmer
- Wesley Wise
- Eckie Harrison
- Brayden Proctor
- David Nichols
- Tim Baker
- Leon Cloninger
- Bobby Blankenship
- Eddie Hoyer
Jennifer Newkirk
Drake Findley heads for victory at I-30 Speedway near Little Rock.
What won the race: In a race marred by a competitor's heart attack that led to his death, Drake Findley of Bryant, Ark., raced to his first-ever Late Model victory in Saturday's Southern Outlaw Late Model Series event at I-30 Speedway. Findley snapped defending series champion Rick Hearnsberger's six-race win streak on the tour.
Key notes: Leon Cloninger of Plumerville Ark., suffered a heart attack with four laps remaining in the feature and was taken to a nearby hospital, according to his nephew Jeff Cloninger. The series announced the next day that Cloninger, 55, died. ... The feature was declared complete. ... Findley pulled double-duty at the event, finishing 10th in the night's IMCA modified feature. ... Third-finishing Rick Hearnsberger of Arkadelphia, Ark., had won the first four events on this year's tour along with the tour's final two events of 2019. ... Boyd Black, Jim Holliday and Paul McAllister scratched from the feature. ... The series returns to I-30 on Sept. 19. … The tour’s event scheduled for Aug. 8 at Texarkana (Ark.) 67 Speedway has been moved up one day.
On the move: Leon Cloninger of Plumerville, Ark., received the track’s hard charger award after starting 14th and finishing 12th.
Winner's sponsors: Findley's Larry Shaw Race Car is sponsored by Dave Roberts, Gary Carpenter Construction, KR Performance Fuels, Barlow, Rock City Kicks, PRP Suspension, CP Motorsports and Winning Edge Carburetion.
Points chase: Defending series champion Rick Hearnsberger of Arkadelphia, Ark. led the standings entering the event.
Current weather: Scattered Clouds, 84°F
Car count: 17
Heat race winners: Rick Hearnsberger, Wesley Wise
Next series race: August 7, Texarkana 67 Speedway (Texarkana, AR) $1,000
Editor's note: Updates with Cloninger’s death.