Eldora Speedway

Handicapping Eldora's 45th annual World 100

September 8, 2015, 11:46 am

By Andy Savary

DirtonDirt.com staff writer

Handicapping the 45th World 100 at Eldora Speedway, a $48,000-to-win, UMP DIRTcar-sanctioned crown jewel event at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, scheduled for Sept. 10-12 (complete World 100 coverage):

Favorites

3-1: Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn.

5-1: Jonathan Davenport (6), Blairsville, Ga.

10-1: Dale McDowell (17m), Chickamauga, Ga.

10-1: Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn.

Comments: Bloomquist (four times), Owens (twice) and McDowell (2005) are all former World 100 winners. … All four drivers have won Eldora’s Dirt Late Model Dream. … Bloomquist, the apparent Dream winner in June, came up 25 pounds light at the scales, lifting Davenport to victory. … Davenport scored victories on all three nights of June’s Dream, while Bloomquist won one of Thursday's preliminaries. ... Davenport, McDowell and Owens each won a World 100 preliminary feature in 2014. … Bloomquist, McDowell and Owens were the podium finishers in last year’s World 100. … Bloomquist (9.0), Owens (10.0) and McDowell (10.1) have each been among the five best average finishers in the World 100 over the past decade; each driver has made nine starts. … All four drivers are former World 100 heat race winners and all four have set fast time in an Eldora crown jewel. … Bloomquist has crossed the finish line second, first, third, third, first and first (before a later disqualification) in his last six 100-lap events at Eldora. … Bloomquist enters on a five-race winning streak with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, including a $25,000 Hillbilly 100 triumph Sunday. … Davenport has amassed 17 total victories during his 2015 season that ranks among the richest ever. … Davenport has won four of his last five starts at Eldora overall. … In three 100-lap starts this season, McDowell has finished third, fourth and fourth. … McDowell won his last start Sept. 5 at Dixie Speedway. … Owens is the last driver to set fast time and later go on to win Saturday’s 100-lapper; he topped 203 qualifiers before his 2007 victory. … Owens has won the most heat races (five) and led the most World 100 laps (187) of any driver over the past decade.

Contenders

20-1: Shane Clanton (25), Zebulon, Ga.

20-1: Matt Miller (3), Whitehouse, Ohio

20-1: Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark.

25-1: Dennis Erb Jr. (28), Carpentersville, Ill.

25-1: Darrell Lanigan (29), Union, Ky.

25-1: Don O’Neal (5), Martinsville, Ind.

25-1: Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va.

30-1: Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn.

30-1: Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla.

Comments: One of just six drivers to triumph in both Eldora crown jewels, Clanton won the World 100 in 2008 and Dream in 2012. … An career-long Eldora standout, Miller has won the 2005 Dream, multiple Big E crown jewel prelims and an ALMS event at the track for six straight seasons (and counting). … Moyer’s six globes are the most of any driver. … Moyer won Sunday's ALMS-sanctioned Baltes Classic at Eldora. … Erb won a Friday prelim and Saturday heat race in June before finishing third in the Dream. … The 2003 Dream winner, Lanigan won a World 100 prelim in 2013. … Lanigan has an averaged finish of 10th in nine race starts over the past decade, tied for second best. … O’Neal has missed the last two World 100s, but in June, the 2011 Dream winner won a heat race and finished eighth on Saturday. … The fifth-place finisher in 2013, Richards missed the World 100 weekend last season because of a nerve injury. … Last year’s World 100 polesitter, Marlar collected over $50,000 in purse money during August following a switch to Capital Race Cars. … A non-factor in preliminary action, Pearson, the 2006 World 100 champion, salvaged his Dream XXI weekend with a charge from 18th to third in Saturday’s 100-lapper.

Veterans

40-1: Rick Eckert (7), York, Pa.

40-1: Chris Madden (44), Gray Court, S.C.

40-1: Jimmy Mars (28), Menomonie, Wis.

40-1: Jeep Van Wormer (55), Pinconning, Mich.

50-1: Shannon Babb (18), Moweaqua, Ill.

50-1: Eddie Carrier Jr. (28), Salt Rock, W.Va.

60-1: John Blankenship (23), Williamson, W.Va.

60-1: Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y.

70-1: Jackie Boggs (4b), Grayson, Ky.

70-1: Steve Casebolt (c9), Richmond, Ind.

70-1: Steve Francis (15), Ashland, Ky.

70-1: Chub Frank (1*), Bear Lake, Pa.

70-1: Terry Phillips (75), Springfield, Mo.

80-1: Scott James (83), Bright, Ind.

80-1: Brad Neat (41), Dunnville, Ky.

80-1: Brian Shirley (3s), Chatham, Ill.

Comments: Eckert ('99 Dream), Mars ('96 Dream), Blankenship ('13 World 100), Casebolt ('07 Dream), Francis (’99 World 100) and Frank (’04 World 100) are all former Eldora crown jewel winners. … Eckert has quietly started eight of the last 10 World 100s and carries momentum from a $30,000 Firecracker 100 victory. … After a four-month break from competition, Madden returned to action Sunday at Cherokee Speedway, debuting a new Longhorn Chassis with a runner-up finish. … Madden has notched four World 100 heat race victories over the past decade, tied for the second most. … Sunday’s Baltes Classic runner-up and a recent winner at Oshkosh and Fairbury, Mars ran third in last year’s World 100 before being swept up in an accident. … Another past World 100 prelim winner, Van Wormer won an ALMS race during the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series visit to Eldora on July 21. … Babb, who lost the 2005 World 100 at the scales, is less than a month removed from a $40,000 Topless 100 victory. … Carrier was runner-up after a chaotic finish to the 2011 World 100. … Unsure if he’ll enter, Blankenship has made just a few starts this season after disbanding his race program over the offseason. … McCreadie won Friday’s first prelim during the 2013 World 100 weekend. … Boggs’s late father, Jackie, won the World 100 in 1995. … Launching from the pole, Phillips led the first 52 laps of the 2013 World 100 and ultimately finished sixth. … Phillips debuted a new Black Diamond Chassis on Labor Day weekend. … James led extensively during the 2006 Dream before Bloomquist dropped him to a second-place finish in the 100-lapper's closing stages. … Neat is three years removed from a career-best third-place performance in the World 100. … A former heat race winner and sixth-place finisher, Shirley won a consolation race scramble during the 2014 World 100.

Sleepers

40-1: Jason Feger (25), Bloomington, Ill.

40-1: Jared Landers (777), Batesville, Ark.

50-1: Chris Ferguson (22), Mount Holly, N.C.

50-1: Kent Robinson (7r), Bloomington, Ind.

50-1: Brandon Sheppard (B5), New Berlin, Ill.

50-1: Randy Weaver (116), Crossville, Tenn.

60-1: Dustin Linville (D8), Bryantsville, Ky.

60-1: Jesse Stovall (00), Billings, Mo.

70-1: Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan.

70-1: Devin Moran (99m), Dresden, Ohio

70-1: Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark.

70-1: Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill.

70-1: Josh Rice (11), Verona, Ky.

70-1: Gregg Satterlee (22), Rochester Mills, Pa.

70-1: Matt Westfall (54), Pleasant Hill, Ohio

70-1: Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa.

80-1: Chris Brown (21), Spring, Texas

80-1: Doug Drown (240), Wooster, Ohio

80-1: Ryan Gustin (19r), Marshalltown, Iowa

80-1: Jared Hawkins (37), Fairmont, W.Va.

80-1: Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill.

80-1: Chad Simpson (25), Mount Vernon, Iowa

80-1: Chris Simpson (R5), Oxford, Iowa

Comments: Feger finished among the top five in two of the past three World 100s. … Landers led early in June’s Dream before falling to seventh over the race’s second half. … Enjoying a career-best season with 11 victories, Ferguson has set fast time in nearly half of his events. … Robinson won a heat race and finished sixth during last year’s World 100. … Sheppard won Saturday’s fourth heat race during the Dream. … After taking a month off, Weaver enters fresh and with victories in 11 of his 20 starts the season. … Though he missed June’s Dream weekend with a broken wrist and cracked forearm, Linville has multiple victories since returning to action, including two over Labor Day weekend. … Stovall has a double-digit victory total and scored top-five finishes in both the Show-Me 100 and Silver Dollar Nationals. … Junghans has performed well in long-distance races during his sophomore campaign with the World of Outlaws. … Moran guns for his first start in the World 100, a race that his father, Donnie, won four times (in addition to his victories in the Dream and Eldora Million). … Moyer Jr. has won six times in his last seven starts dating back to Aug. 21. … In July, Pierce placed second while driving a truck during NASCAR’s 1-800-Car Cash Mudsummer Classic. … Rice, 17, opened eyes with a sixth-place finish in his first Dream. … Satterlee finished a career-best eighth in the 2014 World 100. … Westfall, a Late Model rookie, was the fastest of 84 qualifiers at the Dream. … After storming forward from 21st, Zeigler spun in turn three while trying to take the lead on lap 61 of last year’s World 100. … Brown led 84 laps of the Topless 100 before dropping to fourth at the finish. … With 16 victories, Drown is Ohio’s winningest weekly Late Model racer this season. … Hawkins won special events in each of the past two months, including the $10,000 Jim Dunn Memorial on Aug. 1. … Chad Simpson led laps 3-41 in the 2012 World 100 before fellow Iowan Brian Birkhofer overtook him en route to victory.

Darkhorses

100-1: Garrett Alberson (F5), Las Cruces, N.M.

100-1: Morgan Bagley (14m), Longview, Texas

100-1: Boom Briggs (99b), Bear Lake, Pa.

100-1: Duane Chamberlain (20c), Richmond, Ind.

100-1: Michael Chilton (97), Salvisa, Ky.

100-1: R.J. Conley (71), Wheelersburg, Ohio

100-1: Devin Gilpin (1G), Columbus, Ind.

100-1: Jacob Hawkins (20h), Fairmont, W.Va.

100-1: Jon Henry (15), Ada, Ohio

100-1: Riley Hickman (R1), Ooltewah, Tenn.

100-1: Vic Hill (1), Mosheim, Tenn.

100-1: Austin Hubbard (32), Seaford, Del.

100-1: Brandon Kinzer (18), Allen, Ky.

100-1: Nick Latham (31), Winchester, Ohio

100-1: Cody Mahoney (4), Madison, Ind.

100-1: Donald McIntosh (7), Dawsonville, Ga.

100-1: Brandon Overton (76), Appling, Ga.

100-1: Justin Rattliff (16), Campbellsville, Ky.

100-1: James Rice (11r), Verona, Ky.

100-1: Rusty Schlenk (11), Weston, Ohio

100-1: Mike Spatola (89), Manhattan, Ill.

100-1: Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill.

100-1: Wendell Wallace (6m), Batesville, Ark.

100-1: Ricky Weiss (7w), Headingley, Manitoba

100-1: Eric Wells (18), Hazard, Ky.

Comments: Chamberlain (July 22) and Schlenk (April 18) have both won Eldora special events this season. … A World 100 heat race winner and top-10 finisher in 2010, Chilton was crowned champion of Ray Cook’s four-race Iron Man Speedweek over Labor Day weekend. … Conley has made nine starts in Eldora crown jewels and twice finished third in the Dream. … Gilpin has notched more than 30 modified victories this season. … Henry is a former Eldora track champion. … The current Southern All Star points leader, Hickman has 15 victories between his Super Late Model and Crate Late Model, including two Super Late Model victories over the holiday weekend. … Hill was the fastest of 195 World 100 qualifiers in 2006. … Hubbard plans to pilot a Chad Stapleton entry. … Mahoney won Brownstown Speedway’s Paul Crockett Memorial on Aug. 1. … McIntosh was crowned champion on the Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals earlier this season. … Tuning up for the World, Rattliff and Schlenk each scored sanctioned victories Sept. 5. ... Weiss is the current WISSOTA points leader. … Wells won the opening heat race at the 2009 World 100.

The field

Other potential World 100 entrants: Josh Adkins, Rob Anderzack, Walker Arthur, Michael Asberry, Phil Ausra, Neil Baggett, Tommy Bailey, Rich Bell, Mike Benedum, Jason Bodenhamer, Jerry Bowersock, Scott Bowersock, Kyle Bronson, Wayne Chinn, Matt Cochran, Benji Cole, Delmas Conley, J.T. Conley, Rod Conley, Ernie Cordier, Jason Croft, Timothy Culp, Curtis Deisenroth, Bryant Dickinson, A.J. Diemel, Brian Diveley, Mark Dotson, Brad Eitniear, Derek Ellis, Tanner English, Tyler Erb, Cecil Eunice, John Gill, Andrew Gordon, Don Gordon, Brian Gray, Kelly Guy, Rodney Hamblin, Don Hammer, Jeremy Hines, Jon Hodgkiss, J.R. Hotovy, Jason Hughes, Matt Irey, Davey Johnson, Greg Johnson, Jay Johnson, Tommy Kerr, Russ King, Austin Kirkpatrick, Scott Knepley, Butch Kruckeberg, Steve Lance, Tim Lance, Charles LaPlant, Brian Ledbetter, George Lee, Victor Lee, Bill Lewis, Brian Ligon, Lauren Longbrake, Alexander Malycke, Tim Manville, Dona Marcoullier, John Mayes, Mack McCarter, Ron McQuerry, Rodney Melvin, Dusty Moore, Benjamin Mott, Chris Nash, Dustin Neat, Rich Neiser, Ross Nicastri, Dustin Nobbe, Ted Nobbe, Casey Noonan, Jake O’Neil, Jason Papich, Andrew Reaume, Herb Reich, Brian Rickman, Rick Rickman, Jason Riggs, Curtis Roberts, Jeff Robertson, Brian Ruhlman, Chad Ruhlman, Doug Sanders, Rodney Sanders, Dan Schlieper, Aaron Scott, Stormy Scott, Dan Shepherd, Jim Shereck, Austin Siebert, Austin Smith, Chad Stapleton, Brandon Thirlby, Shannon Thornsberry, Kolby Vandenbergh, Ryan VanderVeen, Mark Voigt, Craig Vosbergen, Josh Walker, Kevin Weaver, Jason Welshan, McKay Wenger, Jeff Wolfenbarger, Terry Wolfenbarger and Jordan Yaggy.