Post by Dirt Master on Jun 13, 2007 8:39:01 GMT -5
Contact: DIRT MotorSportsT d/b/a World Racing Group
Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
704-254-7929 . kkovac@dirtmotorsports.com
Fuller Overtakes Carrier In Final Laps For First-Ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series Victory Tuesday At River Cities Speedway
GRAND FORKS, ND - June 12, 2007 - Tim Fuller has officially arrived as a dirt Late Model racer.
The DIRTcar big-block Modified veteran from Watertown, N.Y., made his mark on the full-fender division in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night, passing Eddie Carrier Jr. for the lead with four laps remaining and then holding on to capture the 'Seven Clans Casino 50' at River Cities Speedway.
It was the first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series triumph for Fuller, a 38-year-old who is leading the tour's 2007 Rookie of the Year chase.
"This is unreal," an ecstatic Fuller said while signing autographs at his trailer after collecting $10,250 for his night's work (including the $250 top-WoO LMS rookie bonus). "We've been struggling and had some pretty rough outings (with the dirt Late Model), but we always thought we were making progress.
"Then, all of a sudden - bang! Here we are with a win."
Salt Rock, W.Va.'s Carrier settled for second place after leading laps 1-45, a mere 0.367 of a second behind Fuller at the checkered flag.
Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., finished third despite starting 24th because mechanical problems during his heat victory forced him to switch to a backup car.
Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., completed the top five.
Fuller, who started sixth in New Yorker John Wight's Gypsum Express Rocket No. 19, announced his status as a contender when he slid up to second place with a lap-15 sweep by Clanton and polesitter Rick Eckert of York, Pa.
The pursuit of Carrier's Grover Motorsports Rocket, however, seemed fruitless to Fuller until slower cars entered the picture.
"I was just letting him go because I had to wait to get into lapped traffic," Fuller said of Carrier. "He just fired so good (on restarts) and ran hard every lap.
"I couldn't run that pace, so I kept trying to save the tires on my car and wait for that opportunity to pass him on the bottom."
The moment of truth finally presented itself to Fuller on lap 46. With Carrier's momentum dulled by a lapped car, Fuller swept into the lead as the lap was scored.
"I saw my time to pounce," said Fuller, whose car was powered by a Custom Racing Engine. "Of course, the guy in second place always has the advantage in those situations. Whatever the leader does, you're gonna do the opposite."
Fuller made contact with a lapped car on the backstretch seconds after taking the lead, nearly allowing Carrier to cut low and regain command. But Fuller maintained control and kept Carrier at bay over the remaining circuits.
A former Mr. DIRTcar Modified champion and winner of the $50,000 prize for capturing the prestigious Eckerd 200 Modified race at the Syracuse (N.Y.) Mile, Fuller made good on a promise to win a WoO LMS event.
"I felt a (WoO) win was gonna happen for us, but I didn't know when," said Fuller, whose victory came in his 19th career WoO LMS A-Main start. "I'm kind of surprised it's come this quickly, but it does show that if we do this thing long enough, we're gonna get the hang of it eventually.
"I told John (Wight), 'If you stick with me long enough, we're gonna figure this (division) out.'"
Fuller registered his first WoO LMS victory in a shorter time frame than Carrier, the tour's 2006 Rookie of the Year who is still looking for his initial series triumph.
But Carrier, 36, knows he came oh-so-close to a coveted WoO LMS feature win.
"When we got to lap 25, I was wanting it to rain so the race would be over," smmiled Carrier, who came off the outside pole to lead the race's first 45 laps.
Carrier was doomed by slower traffic.
"I got behind a lapped car that was running the groove I was running," Carrier said of the event's deciding moment. "I got under him two or three times and I figured he'd let me get by, but I finally left an opening and Fuller took advantage of it to get by me."
Carrier battled furiously to regain command from Fuller amid lapped traffic over the final circuits, but his bid fell short.
"I tried to move down to see if I could find something to drive back by him," said Carrier, who recorded a career-best WoO LMS finish (his previous high was a third on May 13 at Illinois's Lincoln Speedway). "It didn't work, but we're happy with second considering how we've been going lately."
The driver who very nearly stole the show from Fuller and Carrier in the closing laps was Babb, who made a stirring charge forward from the 24th starting spot in his Billy Moyer Sr.-owned Car City Rayburn.
Making his first-ever appearance at the high-banked, quarter-mile oval, Babb established a new dirt Late Model track record of 11.950 seconds in time trials and won a heat race. But while completing his heat the axle tube broke on his stout No. 18, forcing him to relinquish the seventh starting spot in the A-Main because he pressed a backup car into service.
"Instead of leaving something loose by rushing to fix the car, we got the backup car out," said Babb. "I was still pretty confident that we could do something from the back."
Babb, 33, was right.
"At the start I was way too tight," said Babb, whose car also sustained a bent right-side door in an early scrape with Mike Balcaen of Winnipeg, Manitoba. "But at the end it really came on for me."
Indeed, Babb went from ninth during a lap-33 caution period to a third-place finish. He reached third with a lap-48 pass of Clanton, but a slip left him unable to make a final run at a spectacular last-to-first performance.
"I really gave up about six car lengths when I pushed real bad in turn one (moments after passing Clanton)," said Babb. "If I wouldn't have done that, my mouth would've really been drooling (about overtaking Carrier and Fuller) on the last lap."
Babb's late assault took fourth-place finisher Clanton by surprise.
"I was right behind Fuller and Carrier (in lapped traffic) and trying to decide whether to go to the top or the bottom to take a shot at the win," said Clanton. "Then I looked over and saw Babb alongside, and I was like, Oh, man, where did he come from?"
Babb recovery helped him close within four points of WoO LMS leader Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., who finished seventh. Smith climbed as high as third, but a stumbling carburetor and a late loss of power steering caused him to fade.
Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., finished a steady sixth, followed by Smith; Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., whose car didn't handle correctly due to an incorrect tire choice; Rick Eckert of York, Pa., who had a new crewman at his side; and Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., who spun out of the top five following a turn-two scrape with Francis on lap 19 and pitted to change a left-rear flat tire on lap 26.
Three caution flags slowed the event.
Thirty-four cars entered the event, which marked the second straight year the WoO LMS visited River Cities Speedway.
Heat winners were Babb, Carrier, Francis and Clanton, while Doyle Erickson of Baglen, Minn., and Steve Anderson of Grand Forks, N.Dak., captured the B-Mains.
The WoO LMS continues a busy week of action with events on Thurs., June 14, at Deer Creek Speedway in Spring Valley, Minn.; Fri., June 15, at Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway; Sat., June 16, at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.; and Sun., June 17, at the Belleville (Kan.) High Banks.
For more info on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Results of WoO Late Model Series 'Seven Clans Casino 50' (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (6) Tim Fuller/50 $10,250
2. (2) Eddie Carrier Jr./50 $5,050
3. (24) Shannon Babb/50 $3,000
4. (4) Shane Clanton/50 $2,500
5. (8) Steve Francis/50 $2,000
6. (5) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,700
7. (7) Clint Smith/50 $1,400
8. (9) Chub Frank/50 $1,300
9. (1) Rick Eckert/50 $1,200
10. (3) Brian Shirley/50 $1,100
11. (12) Josh Richards/50 $1,050
12. (10) Mike Balcaen/50 $1,500
13. (13) Brad Seng/50 $950
14. (16) Joey Pederson/50 $900
15. (23) Kevin Sexton/48 $850
16. (18) Steve Anderson/48 $800
17. (22) Dave Tyrchniewicz/32 $770
18. (11) Ricky Weiss/31 $750
19. (15) Doyle Erickson/20 $730
20. (17) Mitch Johnson/17 $700
21. (20) James Sangrait Jr./8 $700
22. (14) Pat Doar/7 $700
23. (21) Roy Mitchell/7 $700
24. (19) Tom Corcoran/6 $700
Time of Race: 25 Mins., 41.226 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.367 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (Laps 19, 26, 33)
Lap Leaders: Carrier (1-45); Fuller (46-50)
Provisional Starters: Mitchell, Sexton
Rookie of the Race: Tim Fuller ($250)
WoO LMS 'Bonus Bucks' Winner: Mike Balcaen ($500)
National Interstate Insurance Fast Time Award: Babb ($100)
National Interstate Insurance Hard Luck Award: Carrier ($50)
Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 11.950
2. 10-Mike Balcaen/Winnipeg, MAN 12.044
3. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 12.135
4. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 12.148
5. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 12.158
6. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 12.159
7. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 12.162
8. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 12.200
9. 7-Ricky Weiss/Winnipeg, MAN 12.240
10. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 12.307
11. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 12.337
12. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 12.360
13. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 12.370
14. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 12.404
15. 12s-Brad Seng/Grand Forks, ND 12.551
16. 7P-Joey Pederson/East Grand Forks, MN 12.590
17. 99-Doyle Erickson/Baglen, MN 12.634
18. 57-Kevin Sexton/Lorette, MAN 12.774
19. 9-Steve Anderson/Grand Forks, ND 12.817
20. 75Jr.-Cody Skytland/Edmore, ND 12.952
21. 54-Tom Balcaen/Winnipeg, MAN 12.963
22. 00-Mitch Johnson/Hickson, ND 12.977
23. U1-Dave Tyrchniewicz/Lockport, MAN 13.048
24. 52-James Sangrait Jr./Park River, ND 13.070
25. T1-Tom Corcoran/East Grand Forks, MN 13.124
26. 11s-Troy Schill/Grand Forks, ND 13.142
27. 4N-Nolan Olmstead/Roseau, MN 13.213
28. 5G-Scott Greer/East St. Paul, MAN 13.306
29. 8-Todd Truesdon/Kennedy, MN 13.325
30. 18H-Dustin Hapka/Grand Forks, ND 13.499
31. 22-Joe Johnson/West Fargo, ND 13.690
32. 93-Roy Mitchell/Rensselaer, IN 14.751
33. 21-Chad Corbett/Grand Forks, ND 14.851
34. 75-Dale Skytland/Edmore, ND 15.467
Heat No. 1 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Babb, Shirley. C. Smith, Weiss, Erickson, Corcoran, T. Balcaen, Truesdon, Corbett
Heat No. 2 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Carrier, Eckert, M. Balcaen, Doar, M. Johnson, Hapka, Schill, D. Skytland, Sexton
Heat No. 3 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Francis, Fuller, Frank, Seng, Anderson, Tyrchniewicz, J. Johnson, Olmstead
Heat No. 4 (10 laps - Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Lanigan, Richards, Pederson, Sangrait, Greer, C. Skytland, Mitchell
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Erickson, M. Johnson, Corcoran, T. Balcaen, Hapka, Schill, Sexton, Truesdon, D. Skytland, Corbett
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps - Top 3 Transfer): Anderson, Sangrait, Tyrchniewicz, C. Skytland, Olmstead, J. Johnson, Greer (DNS) Mitchell
2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of June 12 - 17 features completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):
1. Clint Smith 1-7-13-$43,050-2,336 (-0)
2. Shannon Babb 4-10-13-$64,920-2,332 (-4)
3. Steve Francis 0-8-14-$34,450-2,316 (-20)
4. Chub Frank 2-7-12-$42,880-2,300 (-36)
5. Josh Richards 1-5-10-$36,690-2,286 (-50)
6. Rick Eckert 0-4-12-$30,370-2,266 (-70)
7. Shane Clanton 0-4-8-$28,410-2,226 (-110)
8. Darrell Lanigan 0-0-10-$22,240-2,141 (-195)
9. Chris Madden 1-6-10-$53,390-2,083 (-253)
10. Eddie Carrier Jr. 0-2-4-$20,060-2,016 (-320)
11. Tim Fuller 1-2-2-$24,650-1,853 (-483)
12. John Blankenship 0-0-0-$10,460-1,513 (-823)
13. Brian Shirley 1-1-4-$19,070-1,483 (-853)
14. Billy Moyer 1-5-6-$27,525-1,332 (-1004)
15. Brian Birkhofer 0-1-4-$13,260-1,254 (-1082)
16. Jimmy Mars 0-4-6-$20,430-1,202 (-1134)
17. Dennis Erb Jr. 2-4-6-$30,800-1,173 (-1163)
18. Roy Mitchell 0-0-0-$2,650-768 (-1568)
19. Adam Hensel 0-0-0-$2,810-718 (-1618)
20. Earl Pearson Jr. 1-3-4-$19,610-665 (-1671)
LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can't get to a track to see the series, they can experience the excitement of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.
To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.
Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail customerservice@dirtvision.com.
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including National Interstate Insurance and contingency sponsors Wrisco Industries, Crane Cams, Ohlins Shocks, Quarter-Master, Hawk Brake, MSD Ignitions and Eibach Springs.