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Numbers tell story after 19 Speedweeks events
By Todd Turner and Joshua Joiner
DirtonDirt.com
Track co-owner Bubba Clem joins Josh Richards in victory lane in Ocala, Fla. (Jason Shank)
A by-the-numbers review of Georgia-Florida Speedweeks action for Super Late Models, made up of Feb. 8-23 action at Screven Motor Speedway in Sylvania, Ga.; Waycross (Ga.) Motor Speedway; North Florida Speedway in Lake City; East Bay Raceway Park in Gibsonton, Fla.; Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla.; and Volusia Speedway Park in Barberville, Fla.:
0: Rollover accidents, six fewer than 2012.
.062: Of a second margin for Tim McCreadie in his Feb. 20 victory at Volusia, the closest of any Speedweeks finish.
1: Rainout in 16 consecutive days of racing. It came in East Bay’s Thursday night event, giving fans and competitors a night off on Valentine’s Day and setting up a Saturday doubleheader.
2: Races with lead changes in the final two laps. Donnie Moran of Dresden, Ohio, led less than two laps in his victory at Waycross while Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., slipped by Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., just before the white flag Feb. 16 at Ocala.
3: Teenagers finishing in the top 10 on Feb. 11 at East Bay with 16-year-old Bobby Pierce (fifth), 17-year-old Tyler Reddick (sixth) and 18-year-old Devin Moran (eighth).
3: Drivers that won multiple events at one track: Dennis Erb Jr. at East Bay, Darrell Lanigan at Ocala and Josh Richards at Volusia.
4: Drivers entering Ocala’s $20,000 finale on Feb. 17 after racing in East Bay’s finale the previous night. Those were Jimmy Owens, Don O’Neal, Steve Francis and Jared Landers.
4: Victories for Josh Richards and Darrell Lanigan, tied for the most among all drivers. Richards won at Screven, Ocala and two at Volusia, while Lanigan won three in a row at three tracks — one at North Florida, then two straight in Ocala — before capturing the Volusia finale.
5: Tracks where Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., competed, the most of any driver. Fourteen drivers competed at four racetracks.
5: Drivers finishing East Bay's finale without having to pit for a fresh right-rear tire.
7: Preliminary race victories for Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., most of any driver. Four drivers — Don O’Neal, Darrell Lanigan, Josh Richards and Scott Bloomquist — had six preliminary or non-qualifier victories.
9: Top-five finishes for Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., in 11 feature starts, most of any driver. No other driver had more than six.
13: Feature starts for Vic Coffey of Caledonia, N.Y., most of any driver. Steve Franics had 12 starts and no other driver had more than 11. Coffey competed at four tracks with a best finish of fifth during East Bay’s daytime affair Feb. 16.
13.771: Seconds, Josh Richards’ track qualifying record at Bubba Raceway Park during the Bubba Army Winternationals opener on Feb. 15. Richards lowered the previous time of 13.938 seconds set by Darrell Lanigan last season.
14: Georgia drivers who entered at least one Speedweeks event, most of any state. Pennsylvania was second with 12 entries.
15: Entries at Waycross, fewest of any Speedweeks event.
19: Complete race Super Late Model programs, the most of all time for Georgia-Florida Speedweeks.
20: Number of Speedweeks drivers who didn’t make a single feature lineup, 25 fewer than last year.
22: States represented at Speedweeks, not including Canadian Ricky Weiss of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
28: Official lead changes in 19 feature events, led by four apiece for races at Volusia (three times) and Ocala.
36: Drivers posting at least one top-five finish, five more than last year. Of the 36 drivers, 15 had a single top-five finish.
38: Average age of Speedweeks winners with only one (three-time winner Josh Richards) under the age of 37 and only three (Richards, Shane Clanton and Tim McCreadie) under 40.
39.5: Average car count at East Bay, three and a half fewer than last year and 23 fewer than 2011.
39.9: Average Super Late Model car count for 19 Speedweeks events, nearly 13 fewer than last year.
50: Average car count at Volusia, 18 fewer than last February.
55: Entries Feb. 20 at Volusia, most of any Speedweeks event but down 24 cars from 2012’s biggest car count, also at Volusia.
70: Combined ages of the top three finishers Feb. 19 at Volusia with Josh Richards (24), Eric Wells (24) and Stormy Scott (23).
107: Drivers who competed in at least one Speedweeks event, 40 fewer than in 2012. The all-time record was 175 drivers in 2004.
61,900: Dollars earned in feature purses for Josh Richards, most of any driver and $11,000 more than Darrell Lanigan’s Speedweeks-high in 2012.
175,000: Dollars in winning purses up for grabs.
Corrections: Fixes winningest drivers with Josh Richards and Darrell Lanigan tied with four victories apiece; adds Steve Francis with 12 starts, one fewer than Vic Coffey.
