Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway
Brady Smith tops KLMS for first Lucas Oil win
By James Essex
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Brady Smith celebrates at KLMS. (rickschwalliephotos.com)
CALVERT CITY, Ky. (May 3) — Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., powered past Darren Miller of Chadwick, Ill., on a lap-20 restart and never looked back at Kentucky Lake Motor Speedway in notching his first-ever Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory. Smith earned $9,999 in the third annual 99 Extravaganza, 50-lap feature at the 3/8-mile western Kentucky oval. | Slideshow
"It's been a long-time coming," the 30-year-old Smith said in victory lane. "Darren Miller is a great race car driver and he pushed up their a little bit in turn two and we were able to get around him."
Billy Drake of Bloomington, Ill., who took a series provisional charged all the way from the tail, finished second followed by Miller, Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., and series points leader Earl Pearson Jr., competing for the first time since fracturing his right wrist two weeks earlier.
Bart Hartman led the first lap until Miller, who was driving a Victory Circle M1 Chassis by Moyer for just the second time this year, took the point on the second lap. Miller then led until Smith, who started third, made a mad dash past Miller on the restart just before the race's midway point.
Smith withstood five caution flags over a 10-lap period in holding on for the victory.
Notes: Winner Brady Smith's Bloomquist Race Car is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by AMSOIL, Big Red Motorsports and Mid-States Equipment. ... Smith's win made him the eighth different winner in the first 12 Lucas Oil Series events in 2008. ... The race was slowed by 11 cautions. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Jason Feger, Jeff Walston, Dylan Thompson, James Ward, Frank Heckenast Jr, David Gentry and Ronny Lee Hollingsworth. ... Friday's action at KLMS was canceled because of severe weather. ... The series heads to Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Mo., on May 9-10 for the Super Clean Diamond Nationals, a $40,000-to-win event.
Lucas Oil @ KLMS: (1) Brady Smith, (2) Billy Drake, (3) Darren Miller, (4) Steve Casebolt, (5) Earl Pearson Jr., (6) Terry English, (7) Matt Miller, (8) Wes Steidinger, (9) Justin Rattliff, (10) Jimmy Owens, (11) Dennis Erb Jr., (12) John Mason, (13) Wayne Chinn, (14) Jeff Walston, (15) Brad Neat, (16) Bart Hartman, (17) Dan Schlieper, (18) Don O'Neal, (19) Kevin Claycomb, (20) Scott James, (21) Terry Casey, (22) Donnie Moran, (23) Freddy Smith, (24) Kevin Cole. Fast qualifier (among 43 cars): Schlieper, 15.259 seconds. Heat race winners: Hartman, D. Miller, M. Miller, B. Smith. Consolation winners: Steidinger, English. Provisional starters: Rattliff, Drake.
