LOCUST GROVE, AR (August 22, 2010) – Jared Landers of Batesville, AR scored the first Late Model victory of his career on Sunday Afternoon as he captured the $40,000 to win 18th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 at Batesville Motor Speedway. Landers, a veteran open wheel modified driver, took the lead from Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL with three laps to go in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event. Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN edged out Pearson at the finish line for second, followed by Pearson, Terry Phillips of Springfield, MO and Brady Smith of Solon Springs, WI.
“I don’t know what to say,” said the 29-year-old driver in victory lane, “This is my first Late Model win, to do it here on my home- track and in front of my fans; it’s something I’ll always remember,” said Landers. “I have to thank Shane McDowell and all of my crew; they did a great job all day long; thanks to Boater Sports, Mark Martin KIA, and Mark Martin Chevrolet for all of their help along with Warrior Race Cars and Earnhardt-Childress Racing Engines … this is unbelievable.”
The afternoon heat and the baked track surface forced every team that finished the race to pit at least once for fresh rubber. Don O’Neal led the first 43 laps of the race until yielding to polesitter, Chris Madden. Madden then held the top spot until ninth-starting Scott Bloomquist took over the lead on lap 46. Bloomquist and Madden then ran one-two through several caution flags. Madden re-gained the point from Bloomquist on lap 57, but Bloomquist came back five laps later to re-take the lead. Bloomquist held the top spot until a lap 84-restart when Landers slipped under him on the backstretch to take over the lead, much to delight of the crowd.
Bloomquist began to fade as he slowed on lap 87 to bring out a caution. He darted into the pits to change tires. Bloomquist had been the only car on the track that had not pitted. On the restart, Landers was challenged by both Pearson and Owens. Pearson slipped by Landers on lap 95 for the lead, but Landers came back with authority to take over the top spot for the final three circuits. Landers went on to hold off both Pearson and Owens as the three almost came across the finish side-by-side.
Owens, in the Reece Monument Company, Mark Martin Ford sponsored Bloomquist Race Cars entry nipped Pearson at the line for second, but said afterwards he should have pitted a little earlier. “We came in the pits a little sooner than I anticipated,” said Owens.
Completing the top ten were Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, GA; Dan Schlieper of Sullivan, WI; Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA; Eric Wells of Hazard, KY; and Steve Casebolt of Richmond, IN.
Next weekend the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will be back in action on Friday Night, August 27th at Lawrenceburg (N) Speedway and on Saturday Night, August 28th at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY for the 10th Annual “Bluegrass Classic.” Both events will pay $10,000 to win. For more information, go to www.lawrenceburgspeedway.com and www.bluegrass-speedway.com.
For the latest breaking news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Race Summary Friday Night, August 20th, 2010 , Saturday Night, August 21st, 2010 & Sunday, August 22nd, 2010 18th Annual COMP Cams Topless 100 Batesville Motor Speedway – Batesville, AR
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: Chris Madden / 13.254 seconds (Overall and Group A)
Don O’Neal / 13.932 seconds (Group B)
Wiles Driveshaft’s First Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Chris Madden, Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, Bub McCool, Brian Birkhofer, Chris Wall, Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Mars, Chad Simpson, Brandon Smith, RC Whitwell, Austin Rettig, Tyler Reddick, Phil Edmondson
AFCO Racing Products Second Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Jonathan Davenport, Scott Bloomquist, Dan Schlieper, Ray Moore, Mike Marlar, Bran Neat, Robbie Stuart, Richie Tosh, Klint Byars, Mark Stephens, Dwight Falcon, Jon Kirby
Allstar Performance Third Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Dale McDowell, Wendell Wallace, Earl Pearson Jr., Eric Wells, Billy Moyer Jr., Chris Simpson, Kyle Beard, Rylan Long, Jason Utter, Kyle Cummings, Wade Byars, Odie Green
Superflow Fourth Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Don O’Neal, Jon Mitchell, Shannon Babb, Steve Casebolt, Bill Frye, Keith Foss, Raymond Merrill, Josh Danzy, Scott Creel, Dalton Alexander, Al Purkey
Wiles Driveshaft’s Fifth Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Ray Cook, Jeremy Payne, Jason Cliburn, Dennis Erb Jr., Billy Moyer, Tim Isenberg, Chase Washington, Eric Turner, Donald Bradsher, Shane Harris, Jimmy Miller, Bo Gordon
AFCO Racing Products Sixth Heat (20 Laps- Top 3 Advance): Jared Landers, Brady Smith, Terry Phillips, Andrew McKay, Jack Sullivan, John Blankenship, Stacy Taylor, Jeremy Glasgow, Dewaine Hottinger, Curtis Cook, Brian Ritchie, Leon Henderson, Gary Christian
Hawk Brake First B-Main (20 Laps- Top 2 Advance): Ray Moore, Brian Birkhofer, Eric Wells, Billy Moyer Jr., Rylan Long, Robbie Stuart, Dwight Falcon, Kyle Beard, Brandon Smith, Wade Byars, Chris Wall, RC Whitwell, Brad Neat, Jason Utter, Odie Green, Chris Simpson, Phil Edmondson, Richie Tosh, Klint Byars, Mike Marlar-DNS, Jimmy Mars-DNS, Chad Simpson-DNS, Mark Stephens-DNS, Austin Rettig-DNS, Tyler Reddick-DNS, Jimmy Owens-DNS, Kyle Cummings-DNS, Jon Kirby-DNS
Performance Rod and Custom (PRC) Second B-Main (20 Laps- Top 2 Advance): Billy Moyer, Steve Casebolt, Dennis Erb Jr., John Blankenship, Tim Isenberg, Keith Foss, Scott Creel, Josh Danzy, Donald Bradsher, Bill Frye, Eric turner, Shane Harris, Jimmy Miller, Chase Washington, Brian Ritchie, Dalton Alexander, Andrew McKay, Curtis Cook, Jack Sullivan, Raymond Merrill-DNS, Stcay Taylor-DNS, Jeremy Glasgow-DNS, Dewaine Hottinger-DNS, Al Purkey-DNS, Leon Henderson-DNS, Bo Gordon-DNS, Gary Christian-DNS
Feature Finish – 100 Laps
| FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN |
| 1 | 6 | 777 | Jared Landers | Lexington, NC |
| 2 | 23 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN |
| 3 | 17 | 44 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL |
| 4 | 18 | 75 | Terry Phillips | Springfield, MO |
| 5 | 12 | 2 | Brady Smith | Solon Springs, WI |
| 6 | 3 | 49 | Jonathan Davenport | Blairsville, GA |
| 7 | 15 | s9 | Dan Schlieper | Sullivan, WI |
| 8 | 5 | 17m | Dale McDowell | Chickamauga, GA |
| 9 | 25 | 18e | Eric Wells | Hazard, KY |
| 10 | 22 | c9 | Steve Casebolt | Richmond, IN |
| 11 | 1 | 44m | Chris Madden | Gaffney, SC |
| 12 | 9 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN |
| 13 | 4 | 53 | Ray Cook | Brasstown, NC |
| 14 | 13 | 57J | Bub McCool | Vicksburg, MS |
| 15 | 10 | 74 | Jeremy Payne | Springfield, MO |
| 16 | 14 | 18 | Shannon Babb | Mowequa, IL |
| 17 | 2 | 71 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN |
| 18 | 8 | 5x | Jon Mitchell | Texarkana, TX |
| 19 | 24 | 71w | Chris Wall | Springfield, LA |
| 20 | 19 | 93m | Ray Moore | Haughton, LA |
| 21 | 20 | 21 | Billy Moyer | Batesville, AR |
| 22 | 7 | 18 | Ronny Lee Hollingsworth | Northport, AL |
| 23 | 11 | 88 | Wendell Wallace | Batesville, AR |
| 24 | 21 | 15b | Brian Birkhofer | Muscatine, IA |
| 25 | 16 | 888 | Jason Cliburn | Star, MS |
Race StatisticsEntrants: 73 Lap Leaders: Don O’Neal (Laps 1-43); Chris Madden (Laps 43-44); Scott Bloomquist (Laps 46-56); Chris Madden (Laps 57-71); Scott Bloomquist (Laps 62-83); Jared Landers (Laps 84-94); Earl Pearson Jr. (Laps 95-97); Jared Landers (Laps 98-100_ Caution Flags: Chris Wall (Lap 17); Jason Cliburn (Lap 42); Jon Mitchell (Lap 52); Dan Schlieper (Lap 56); Dale McDowell (Lap 76); Jeremy Payne (Lap 78); Billy Moyer (Lap 81); Chris Madden (Lap 83); Don O’Neal (Lap 87) Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Jimmy Owens, Chris Wall Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: Eric Wells PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Jimmy Owens (Started 23rd; Finished 2nd; Advanced 21 positions) Ohlin’s Shocks Performer of the Race: Jared Landers K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Earl Pearson Jr. Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Eric Wells Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: ECR Race Engines Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: John Blankenship DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Shane McDowell (Jared Landers) Time of Race: 78 minutes, 02 seconds
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings
| POS | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | POINTS |
| 1 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | 5560 |
| 2 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | 5390 |
| 3 | 44 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | 5355 |
| 4 | 53 | Ray Cook | Brasstown, NC | 5000 |
| 5 | 71 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | 4895 |
| 6 | 17m | Dale McDowell | Chickamauga, GA | 4665 |
| 7 | s9 | Dan Schlieper | Sullivan, WI | 4300 |
| 8 | c9 | Steve Casebolt | Richmond, IN | 4290 |
| 9 | 71w | Chris Wall | Springfield, LA | 4250 |
| 10 | 18e | Eric Wells | Hazard, KY | 4170 |
| 11 | 23 | John Blankenship | Williamson, WV | 4165 |
| 12 | 41n | Brad Neat | Dunnville, KY | 3940 |
| 13 | 9t | Tim Isenberg | Marshfield, WI | 3490 |
| 14 | 11t | Tyler Reddick | Corning, CA | 3120 |