Portsmouth Raceway Park
McGuire grabs richest victory at Portsmouth
By James Essex
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Josh McGuire celebrates. (rickschwalliephotos.com)
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Aug. 30) — Josh McGuire of Grayson, Ky., started his racing career at nearby Portsmouth Raceway Park with a championship in the bomber division. Now the third-mile oval on the Ohio River is the site of his richest career victory. | Slideshow
McGuire won a mid-race duel with Terry Casey and led 66 of 75 laps of the Glockner Toyota River Days Rumble to earn $10,000 and his first career victory on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, finished second followed by Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, Wis., and Darren Miller of Milledgeville, Ill., in a caution-plagued feature. Casey and McGuire battled often side-by-side after Casey took the lead on lap 26, but he fell out on lap 34 with mechanical problems.
"That was a heck of a race. This is unbelievable," said the 27-year-old McGuire. "This new Rayburn car has been so good the last few races and George Caldwell of GCP Racing Engines builds a great motor. I don't know what happened to Casey, it looked like he lost power and I was looking into turn one and we got together. He was fast.
"I hope the fans enjoyed that one. I sure did. I got excited at about lap three of the race and then to wait through those caution flags was agonizing at the end, but it feels great to finally to win a Lucas Oil race here in front of the home crowd."
In front of a packed grandstand, Steve Shaver and McGuire started on the front row with McGuire bolting to the lead at the onset of the race with Shaver, Schlieper, Jeep Van Wormer and Mike Balzano running in the top five with a lap in the books. McGuire lengthened his lead to almost a full straightaway by lap five as he was setting a blistering pace. Schlieper then moved into second on lap six as he started to immediately close the gap as McGuire was starting to enter traffic.
Schlieper closed to the rear bumper of McGuire as McGuire was receiving his first serious threat of the race. The first caution came out on lap 12 for Justin Rattliff and that would bunch the field up behind McGuire, who had led all the way up to that point.
On the restart McGuire, Schlieper hounded the leader for a few laps until the second caution flew on lap 15 for a slowing Van Wormer, who was running fifth. The top five with 15 laps scored were McGuire, Schlieper, Shaver, Moran and R.J. Conley. On the restart, the 13th-starting Casey flashed into the top five and he was third by lap 17. Casey, making his first appearance at PRP, overtook Schlieper two circuits later and then took the point from Casey amid traffic on lap 26.
Casey and McGuire hooked up for a classic battle until the third caution came out on lap 34 for R.J. Conley. The ensuing restart would change the complexion of the race as Casey slowed on the frontstretch.
Back out front alone, McGuire faced challenges on several restarts the rest of the way. Schlieper first made his bid for the lead, then Moran moved into second on lap 47. Just as Moran was ready to challenge McGuire, a caution came out for a slowing Eddie Carrier Jr. on lap 49. Schlieper got by Moran again on the restart.
Schlieper and Moran battled side-by-side for second several laps as McGuire pulled away. A caution for debris on lap 61 would slow the field once more enabling Schlieper and Moran to line up side-by-side on the restart.
Casebolt then emerged from the pack as he jumped from fourth to second in a single lap. With McGuire still out front, Casebolt and Moran battled door-to-door five consecutive laps as the leader edged away.
Moran cleared Casebolt on lap 68 to regain second, but McGuire had built a lead of almost five lengths. Moran wasn't able to get close enough to take a final stab at the winner.
Notes: McGuire's C.J. Rayburn Race Car has a GCP Racing Engine and sponsorship from D.J.'s Kitchen Corner, Tri-State Flooring, Baby Cat Trucking, Budda Bert Transmissions, Long Architectural Sales, D&C Salyers, Glenny Glass, Ashland Specialists, K&N Filters,PRC, Ohlins, Hypercoils, Mason Starters and K&E Trucking. ... Rod Conley's 22nd-to-seventh run gave him the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger honors. ... The Lucas Oil series heads to Tyler County Speedway on Aug. 31 for the $40,000-to-win Hillbilly 100.
Lucas Oil @ Portsmouth: (1) Josh McGuire, (2) Donnie Moran, (3) Steve Casebolt, (4) Dan Schlieper, (5) Darren Miller, (6) Scott James, (7) Rod Conley, (8) Brad Neat, (9) Justin Rattliff, (10) Billy Drake, (11) Earl Pearson Jr., (12) Freddy Smith, (13) Jackie Boggs, (14) Steve Shaver, (15) Brian Shirley, (16) Davey Johnson, (17) Eddie Carrier Jr., (18) Terry Casey, (19) R.J. Conley, (20) Bart Hartman, (21) Audie Swartz, (22) Ben Adkins, (23) Mike Balzano, (24) Matt Miller, (25) Jeep Van Wormer. Fast qualifier (among 46 cars): McGuire, 14.244 seconds. Heat race winners: McGuire, Schlieper, Balzano, Shaver. Consolation winners: Casebolt, Carrier. Provisional starters: Drake, F. Smith, Swartz.
