Magnolia Motor Speedway
Dacus outduels McCool, wins Governor's Cup at Magnolia
By Bryan Wimberley
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Dane Dacus (54) moves under Bub McCool (57j). (Scott Oglesby)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (June 6) — Dane Dacus made a low-side move on polesitter Bub McCool amid lapped traffic with nine laps remaining at Magnolia Motor Speedway and pulled away for a $5,000 victory in the sixth annual Coca-Cola Governor's Cup. The fourth-starting Dacus, of Lakeland, Tenn., earned $5,000 for the unsanctioned 50-lap victory. | Slideshow
"This place has always been pretty good to us in the past," said Dacus, who lists the 3/8-mile oval among his favorite tracks and won at Magnolia in a 2006 Firecracker Five Crown event.
McCool, of Vicksburg, Miss., swapped the lead with Dacus early in the race but settled for third after slipping behind seventh-starting Neil Baggett of Shannon, Miss., on the 43rd lap. Jimmy Cliburn of Star, Miss., advanced six positions to finish fourth and Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., rounded out the top five on the black-slick surface.
After the 27-year-old Dacus took over the lead on lap 41, he cruised the rest of the way, crossing the finish line three seconds ahead of Baggett in a race slowed by four cautions.
Notes: Dacus drives a GRT Race Car with a Pruitt Racing Engine and sponsorship from O.H. Hendricks Sheet Metal, TaylorMade Performance, Bill Frye Motorsports, Fair Oaks Ranch and All Star Graphics. ... Robbie Stuart of DeRidder, La., advanced from his 20th starting spot to finish seventh. ... The first of four cautions in the feature appeared just after the green flag dropped with a seven-car pileup that included Roger Shirley, Rodney Wing, Tim Davis, Dean Carpenter, Brian Rickman, Justin McRee and eventual runner-up Neil Baggett, whose car ended up against the outside wall. ... Kyle Beard and Shirley spun to draw another early caution. ... The final two cautions appeared on laps 43 (McRee spun in turn four) and 44 (16th-starting Scott Slay and Bub McCool tangled in a battle for third; Rick Rickman was also collected). ... The top 12 qualifiers were locked into the feature lineup with four finishers apiece from three consolations making up the rest of the starting field. ... The checkered flag fell at 10:56 p.m. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Chris Ragan of Ramer, Tenn., who's been on a recent hot streak; Allen Tippen of Minden, La., the O'Reilly SUPR points leader; along with Jim McDuffie, Scott Creel and Greg Fore. ... Evan Ellis of Plantersville, Miss., won the Crate Late Model feature. ... The next Super Late Model special at Magnolia is the Firecracker Four Crown Series, a $2,000-to-win event scheduled for July 4.
Governor's Cup: (1) Dane Dacus, (2) Neil Baggett, (3) Bub McCool, (4) Jimmy Cliburn, (5) Billy Moyer Jr., (6) Scott Dedwylder, (7) Robbie Stuart, (8) Shane Stephens, (9) Chad Thrash, (10) Anthony Burroughs, (11) Brian Rickman, (12) Charlie Henderson, (13) Roger Shirley, (14) Justin McRee, (15) Dean Carpenter, (16) Tim Davis, (17) Scott Slay, (18) Rick Rickman, (19) Shay Knight, (20) Rodney Wing, (21) Mike Boland, (22) Kyle Beard, (23) Jason Cliburn, (24) Clint Logan. Fast qualifier (among 35 cars): McCool, 15.287 seconds. Consolation race winners: Stephens, Burroughs, Thrash.
