Magnolia Motor Speedway
Bloomquist, Moyer nab heat wins at the Mag
By James Essex
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt SeriesCOLUMBUS, Miss. (July 6) — Hall of Fame drivers Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., were among Friday’s heat winners at Magnolia Motor Speedway in preliminaries for the $20,000-to-win Clash at the Mag on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. | Video
Bloomquist and Moyer will be joined in Saturday’s redraw for the top four starting spots by fellow heat winners Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., along with reigning series champion and current points leader Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn.
A total of 50 Super Late Models were on hand for the Columbus Convention Center and Visitors Bureau-sponsored event at the 3/8-mile oval just west of town with Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., topping time trials with a 13.852-second lap.
The action continues Saturday at Magnolia with activities beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the Dirt Racing Outreach service in the grandstands. That will be followed by on-track action with two consolation races and the 100-lap main event.
In Friday’s first heat race, Bloomquist dominated all the way. Landers and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., battled for the runner-up spot for the entire race with Landers coming out ahead of O'Neal. Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., made a late-race charge to nab the fourth and final transfer spot.
In the second heat, Moyer was the man to beat as he took the lead at the start, holding off Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., who enters the event with two victories in the last three series races. A terrific race for fourth saw hometown driver Rick Rickman capture the final transfer spot exiting turn four.
In the third heat, Wallace jumped to the early lead and held a steady pace the rest of the way en route to the victory. A tremendous battle for second went on the entire 10-lap race with Klint Byars of Carrollton, Miss., finally taking over the second spot for good in the final laps. Home-state drivers Scott Dedwylder of Vosburg and Rodney Wing of Meridian took the third and fourth spots to transfer to the 100-lapper.
In the fourth and final heat, Owens took the lead at the drop of the green as he and 16-year-old Tyler Reddick of Corning, Calif., ran one and two the entire 10-lap distance. The battle for third was hotly contested between youngsters Eric Cooley of Fulton, Miss., and Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., as they ran side-by-side for the last half of the race with Cooley edging Moyer.
Heat race results
(10 laps; top four transfer)
First heat: Scott Bloomquist, Jared Landers, Don O'Neal, Jonathan Davenport, John Blankenship, Jamie Elam, Jimmy Cliburn, Scott Creel, Shane Harris, Joseph Joiner, Chris Hoomes, Bo Gordon. Scratched: Chris Wall.
Second heat: Billy Moyer, Mike Marlar, Steve Francis, Rick Rickman, Earl Pearson Jr., Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Neil Baggett, Dillon Wood, Mark Green, Larry Boutwell, Ray Cook. Scratched: Jered Smith.
Third heat: Wendell Wallace, Klint Byars, Scott Dedwylder, Rodney Wing, Chad Thrash, B.J. Robinson, Jason Cliburn, Brian Rickman, Shep Lucas, Ross Camponovo, Mike Palasini, Jr., Cale Finley, Richard Smith.
Fourth heat: Jimmy Owens, Tyler Reddick, Eric Cooley, Billy Moyer Jr., Eric Wells, Brad Neat, Timothy Culp, Robbie Stuart, Justin McRee, Leon Henderson, Todd Gray, Jason Wilson.
