Golden Isles Speedway
Jan. 29 prelims: Casey fastest among 58 entrants
By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writerBRUNSWICK, Ga. (Jan. 29) — Terry Casey of New London, Wis., was the fastest qualifier on the fourth night of Golden Isles Speedway's Super Bowl of Racing IV. Here's how the preliminary events played out:
Non-qualifiers' race
Rick Eckert outdueled Johnny Collins early in the race and pulled away for a 10-lap victory in the Callies Cranks-sponsored non-qualifiers' race. Eckert opted to start 25th in the main event rather than take the $500 winner's purse. Collins finished second with Dillon Wood, Brandon Cameron and Chuck Hummer further back. The race only had five starters and Eckert wasn't officially listed as a starter in the race made up of the third-place finishers in consolation races and eight other drivers by draw. Eckert started as an alternate when Darrell Lanigan and Michael England scratched.
Second consolation
Fourth-starting Tim McCreadie outdueled Michael England for a victory over the final two laps while Brady Smith, with England and Darrell Lanigan slowed by a lapped car, went from fourth to second in the last quarter-lap of the race. England and Lanigan banged together just before crossing the finish line as Lanigan spun across the line and England was sent into the infield. Rick Eckert finished fifth. England started outside the front row and was in control until McCreadie's low-side charge in the final laps. McCreadie took the lead on the eighth lap, England went back out front for the ninth lap, then McCreadie took control as the fireworks broke out exiting turn four on the final lap.
Finish: (1) Tim McCreadie, (2) Brady Smith, (3) Darrell Lanigan, (4) Michael England, (5) Rick Eckert, (6) Patrick Sheltra, (7) Clint Smith, (8) Ed Basey, (9) Anthony White, (10) Joe Isabell, (11) James Ward, (12) Jason McBride, (13) Dale Groves Jr., (14) Chuck Hummer, (15) Tyler Ivey.
First consolation
In a wild race slowed by five cautions, polesitter Billy Moyer survived to take a 10-lap victory. Fourth-starting Chris Madden took the second and final transfer spot from ninth-starting Johnny Collins on the sixth lap. Collins ended up third anead of fellow Florida drivers Jason Fitzgerald and Dillon Wood. Steve Shaver, who had taken the lead from Moyer on the third lap, was first penalized for jumping a start, then knocked out of the race altogether in a restart scramble in turn four that also involved Chris Madden before the field even reached the green flag. Earlier in the race, Shaver got under Moyer exiting turn two on the third lap and was leading when G.R. Smith spun in turn two on the fourth lap. On the lap-four restart, Frank pulled up with a flat tire and Collins took third before another caution on lap five for Chuck Smith Jr.'s spin. On the next start, Shaver was penalized for firing too soon. Chub Frank was running third when a mid-race flat tire forced him to the pits.
Finish: (1) Billy Moyer, (2) Chris Madden, (3) Johnny Collins, (4) Jason Fitzgerald, (5) Dillon Wood, (6) Donnie Moran, (7) Brandon Cameron, (8) Shawn Beasley, (9) Mike Collins, (10) Chuck Smith Jr., (11) Derek Ellis, (12) Wes Steidinger, (13) Steve Shaver, (14) Chub Frank, (15) Homer Leonard, (16) G.R. Smith, (17) Mark Andersen.
Fourth heat
Ivedent Lloyd Jr. led the final two laps when polesitter Justin Rattliff slipped up in turn four. Casey Roberts moved up to finish second ahead of Rattliff while Scott Bloomquist and Earl Pearson Jr. rounded out the top five transfer cars. Rattliff and fellow front-row starter Anthony White got together in turn four on the first lap, allowing the third-starting Lloyd to grab the lead. But while White faded from contention, Rattliff gathered his car up and worked back into the lead. He was on his way to victory when he got too high exiting turn two on the sixth lap, allowing Lloyd back past. Roberts dropped Rattliff to third in the caution-free race's waning moments. Bloomquist and the ninth-starting Pearson never got into the mix up front.
Finish: (1) Ivedent Lloyd Jr., (2) Casey Roberts, (3) Justin Rattliff, (4) Scott Bloomquist, (5) Earl Pearson Jr., (6) Michael England, (7) Tim McCreadie, (8) Clint Smith, (9) Jason McBride, (10) Joe Isabell, (11) Anthony White, (12) Dale Groves Jr., (13) Freddy Smith.
Third heat
Fifth-starting Steve Francis overtook Terry Casey with a high-side move on the sixth lap and held on the rest of the way. Casey finished a solid second with Matt Miller far back in third, just ahead of Darren Miller. Damon Eller rallied from his ninth starting spot to finish fifth. A single caution appeared on the fourth lap when the flagger threw an inadvertent yellow, anticipating a spin by Darrell Lanigan just as Francis was putting a move on Casey. The Millers of Matt and Darren touched on the first lap between turns three and four, but both were able to gather it up and continue.
Finish: (1) Steve Francis, (2) Terry Casey, (3) Matt Miller, (4) Darren Miller, (5) Damon Eller, (6) Darrell Lanigan, (7) Rick Eckert, (8) Patrick Sheltra, (9) Ed Basey, (10) Brady Smith, (11) James Ward, (12) Tyler Ivey, (13) Chuck Hummer, (14) Vic Coffey.
Second heat
Quickly overcoming a penalty for jumping a restart, Jimmy Owens swept around Tim Fuller on an early restart and led the rest of the way. Owens was docked a position for jumping a start but that was only a memory after Owens blew away the field to win by more than a quarter-lap margin. Ricky Elliott won a battle of big-block modified grads to finish second ahead of Tim Fuller while Tommy Kerr and Don O'Neal got the last two transfer spots. Chub Frank finished a length behind O'Neal in sixth. G.R. Smith was part of all three cautions, including on the second lap when Chris Madden ended up spinning in turn two and had to restart on the tail. Madden rallied back to finish seventh.
Finish: (1) Jimmy Owens, (2) Ricky Elliott, (3) Tim Fuller, (4) Tommy Kerr, (5) Don O'Neal, (6) Chub Frank, (7) Chris Madden, (8) Donnie Moran, (9) Mike Collins, (10) Brandon Cameron, (11) G.R. Smith, (12) Dillon Wood, (13) Derek Ellis, (14) Chuck Smith, (15) Chesley Dixon.
First heat
Polesitter Shane Clanton won a lead-swapping duel with fellow front-row starter Josh Richards for an eight-lap victory. Dennis Erb Jr. was also in the mix before settling for third while Randle Chupp and Kelly Boen rounded out the top five transfer spots in the caution-free event. Billy Moyer started third but ended up sixth to miss a transfer spot. Clanton fell back as far as third before moving back around Erb and outdueling Richards in the final laps.
Finish: (1) Shane Clanton, (2) Josh Richards, (3) Dennis Erb Jr., (4) Randle Chupp, (5) Kelly Boen, (6) Billy Moyer, (7) Steve Shaver, (8) Mark Andersen, (9) Jason Fitzgerald, (10) Johnny Collins, (11) Homer Leonard, (12) Shawn Beasley, (13) Skip Arp, (14) Wes Steidinger, (15) Shanon Buckingham.
Qualifying
Terry Casey of New London, Wis., topped 58 entrants in qualifying at Tuesday night's Super Bowl of Racing IV at Golden Isles Speedway. The unsanctioned event's group qualifying puts Casey on the pole position of the third heat race. Other drivers topping their groups in qualifying and earning heat-race pole positions were Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky., and Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., the winner of the Jan. 23 and 25 events at Golden Isles. | Super Bowl notebook
Among drivers qualifying back in the pack were last night's winner, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., last night's fast qualifier Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., and Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn.
Pre-race notes
Tuesday's $10,000-to-win Super Late Model race was originally scheduled to be sanctioned by UMP, but the track ran the event unsanctioned after a controversy developed over the tire rules and Scott Bloomquist's Monday disqualification. Because the track opened up the two-tire rule to allow any Hoosier tire, some of the softest rubber — Hoosier 1100s and 1200s — became hot property in the pits as teams scrambled to find tires they hadn't expected to be legal. ... Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, Wis., wasn't able to race after aggravating a back injury. Schlieper tried to hot-lap despite the injury, but his back locked up and forced him to pull off the track. In the pits, crew members removed the No. 9's roof so Schlieper could be pulled from the car and put onto a backboard, with assistance from the ambulance personnel. Schlieper was taken to the hospital to check out the injuries. ... Among new drivers on hand for Tuesday's action: Two-time Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series champion Anthony White of Clinton, Tenn.; Darren Miller of Chadwick, Ill.; and defending O'Reilly Southern All Star East champion Casey Roberts. ... Temperatures are warmer for Tuesday's action at about 55 degrees at the start of time trials.
