PORTSMOUTH, OH (July 4, 2010) – Four-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion, Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, FL took home his 22nd career series win in grabbing the $10,000 to win Independence 50 on Sunday Night at Portsmouth Raceway Park before a gigantic crowd. Pearson took the lead from Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV on lap three. He went on to his fifth series win of the year. Series point’s leader, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN was second followed by Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC; Steve Shaver of Vienna, WV; and John Blankenship of Williamson, WV.
Pearson and Carrier made up the front row for the main event. The two second generation pilots went toe-to-toe for the first two laps of the race, crossing the start-finish line dead even. Pearson was able to forge ahead of Carrier on lap three as Bloomquist was in the third slot followed by Jason Covert and Josh McGuire. The 2009 Quarter Master Rookie of the Year for the LOLMDS, John Blankenship, then moved into the top five by lap after starting eighth. Up front, Pearson was starting to pull away from both Carrier and Bloomquist. He opened up a good-sized lead in the early stages of the race.
Carrier and Bloomquist were able to gain some time on Pearson as he was starting to pick-up the tail end of the field by the 12th circuit. Carrier and Bloomquist closed on him just as the first caution of the race came out for Steve Casebolt on lap 15. The restart saw Pearson work on extending his lead back out again as Carrier and Bloomquist were fighting hard for second. With 21 laps in the books, the second caution of the race flew for a slowing Eric Wells.
The restart saw Pearson take off from Carrier and Bloomquist as Ray Cook was now in the hunt. He had moved from the tenth starting spot to fourth, just ahead of Blankenship. On the restart Carrier got shuffled back in the field and Bloomquist moved to second and brought Cook with him. At the halfway mark, Pearson was still showing the way as Bloomquist and Cook were dicing it out for second. The battle for second continued for several more laps as Pearson had extended his race-lead to eight car lengths over the duo.
Pearson then had his lead shrink in a hurry as lapped traffic began slowing his momentum. Both Bloomquist and Cook cut into in his lead in a matter of a few laps. What was a good-sized lead was now down to two car lengths with ten laps to go as the top three were close together with no lapped cars between them.
The third caution of the race for defending track champion, Kenny Christy. This halted the action on lap 42. With eight laps to go, it looked like it was going to be a three-car shootout to the finish. Pearson was strong on the restarts and that allowed him to again build a comfortable margin over Bloomquist and Cook in the waning stages of the race.
A caution for a 360 spin by Donnie Moran was due to contact from another car on lap 46. Shortly after the final restart Carrier pulled off and headed to the pits. Pearson led the field to the checkers and it was his all-time series tying 22nd career victory. The feat matched Scott Bloomquist atop the all-time list. Pearson’s win also allowed him to keep pace with Bloomquist and Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN; who finished sixth as all three now have five series wins in 2010.
In Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Pearson completed the sweep of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Fourth of July Weekend in the state of Ohio. He won the night before at Muskingum County Speedway in Zanesville, OH. A tired, but elated Pearson emerged from his car and with a few words of encouragement from his son, Trey waved to the huge throng of fans on hand for the race. “First off I want to dedicate this win to my teammate, Brad Neat, he flipped qualifying and took a pretty good ride, he’s ok, but he had to go to a back-up car, what a way to celebrate the Fourth of July with this win and last night at Zanesville,” said Pearson.
“We started up there with Eddie Carrier Jr. and I knew when they watered the top of the track he was going to be tough, but we had a real good race for the lead there early on, the car worked extremely well, the track was in good shape, I saw that zero car (Bloomquist) up there on the scoreboard and Ray Cook there in third, so I knew I was in a for a tough race there, but the cautions helped us a few times when it cleared some lapped traffic that was in front of us, the car restarted well and we were able to hold them guys off,” said Pearson who remains in third in the series championship points standings.
Pearson who drives for 2000 NASCAR Cup Champion, Bobby Labonte drives a MasterSbilt Dodge Charger with a Larry Wallace Racing Engine and sponsored by Lucas Oil Products, Red Buck Cigars, PRC, Sunoco Race Fuels, Hoosier Racing Tires, Asi Racewear and Ohlins Shocks.
Bloomquist maintains his series points lead heading to the next series race in Columbus, MS next weekend took second for another good point’s night in his Miller Brothers Construction/Roush-Yates Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS. Third went to Cook in the D&R Racing/A+ Moving and Storage/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo SS with fourth going to Shaver in the K&L Rumley/Styers Curbing/Rocket Chassis with Blankenship notching a top five in the Coal America’s Energy/Custom Race Engines/Rocket Chassis entry.
Completing the top ten were 12th starting Jimmy Owens, Jackie Boggs of Grayson, KY; Jason Covert of York Haven, PA; Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN; and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA.
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 Saturday Night, July 4th, 2010 “Independence 50” Portsmouth Raceway Park – Portsmouth, OH
Red Buck Cigars Fast Time: Tim Dohm / 14.742 seconds
Wiles Driveshaft’s First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Earl Pearson Jr., Josh McGuire, Don O’Neal, Dale McDowell, Tim Dohm, Zack Dohm, Wayne Chinn, Brandon Fouts, Billy Guillion, David Powers, Eric Wells, Rod Conley, Daniel Williams, Kenneth Howell
AFCO Racing Products Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Jason Covert, Steve Shaver, Ben Adkins, Donnie Moran, Steve Francis, RJ Conley, Mark Frazier, Josh Bocook, Chris Wall, Craig Voxbergen, Paul Davis, Mick Sansom, Shawn Martin
Allstar Performance Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Jackie Boggs, Ray Cook, Matt Miller, Tim Isenberg, Tyler Reddick, Delmas Conley, D.J. Wells, Brett Wagner, Barry Doss, Devin Moran, Kenny Christy
SuperFlow Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, John Blankenship, Jimmy Owens, Steve Casebolt, Dan Schlieper, Terry Hicks, Michael Howard, Chris Wilson, Dustin Linville, Nick Bocook, Shannon Thornsberry, Jamie Ferguson, Brad Neat
Hawk Brake First B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Transfer): Steve Francis, RJ Conley, Zack Dohm, Wayne Chinn, Mark Frazier, Josh Bocook, Craig Vosbergen, Rod Conley, Shawn Martin, Mick Sonsom, Billy Guillion, Kenneth Howell, Chris Wall, Tim Dohm, Paul Davis, Eric Wells, Daniel Williams, Brandon Fouts, David Powers-DNS
Performance Rod and Custom (PRC) Second B-Main (12 Laps- Top 3 Transfer): Tim Isenberg, Dan Schlieper, Terry Hicks, D.J. Wells, Chris Wilson, Delmas Conley, Dustin Linville, Michael Howard, Nick Bocook, Kevin Wagner, Devin Moran, Jamie Ferguson, Brett Kennard, Shannon Thornsberry, Kenny Christy, Brad Neat, Tyler Reddick, Barry Doss-DNS
“Independence 50” Feature Finish
| FINISH | START | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN |
| 1 | 1 | 44 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL |
| 2 | 4 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN |
| 3 | 10 | 53 | Ray Cook | Brasstown, NC |
| 4 | 7 | 6 | Steve Shaver | Vienna, WV |
| 5 | 8 | 23 | John Blankenship | Williamson, WV |
| 6 | 12 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN |
| 7 | 6 | 4b | Jackie Boggs | Grayson, KY |
| 8 | 3 | 43a | Jason Covert | York Haven, PA |
| 9 | 9 | 71 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN |
| 10 | 13 | 17m | Dale McDowell | Chickamauga, GA |
| 11 | 14 | 7 | Matt Miller | Waterville, OH |
| 12 | 23 | 71w | Chris Wall | Holden, LA |
| 13 | 24 | 18e | Eric Wells | Hazard, KY |
| 14 | 18 | 9t | Tim Isenberg | Marshfield, WI |
| 15 | 20 | s9 | Dan Schlieper | Sullivan, WI |
| 16 | 16 | c9 | Steve Casebolt | Richmond, IN |
| 17 | 22 | 9 | Terry Hicks | Grayson, KY |
| 18 | 26 | 11t | Tyler Reddick | Corning, CA |
| 19 | 2 | 28 | Eddie Carrier, Jr. | Salt Rock, WV |
| 20 | 15 | 99 | Donnie Moran | Dresden, OH |
| 21 | 21 | 17d | Zack Dohm | Cross Lanes, WV |
| 22 | 19 | 71c | RJ Conley | Wheelersburg, OH |
| 23 | 11 | b7 | Ben Adkins | West Portsmouth, OH |
| 24 | 25 | c7 | Kenny Christy | Vanceburg, KY |
| 25 | 5 | 41 | Josh McGuire | Grayson, KY |
| 26 | 17 | 15 | Steve Francis | Ashland, KY |
Race StatisticsEntrants: 53 Lap Leaders: Eddie Carrier Jr. (Laps 1-2); Earl Pearson Jr. (Laps 3-50) Caution Flags: Steve Casebolt (Lap 15); Eric Wells (Lap 21); Matt Miller (Lap 21); Kenny Christy (Lap 42); Donnie Moran (Lap 46) Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Chris Wall, Eric Wells Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Emergency Provisional: Tyler Reddick PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Chris Wall (Started 23rd; Finished 12th; Advanced 11 positions) Ohlin’s Shocks Performer of the Race: Ray Cook K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: John Blankenship Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Chris Wall Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Larry Wallace Racing Engines Dominator Race Products Hard Luck Award: Steve Francis DirtonDirt.com Crew Chief of the Race: Darrell Posey (Chris Wall) Time of Race: 32 minutes, 37 seconds
Lucas Oil Championship Point Standings
| POS | CAR # | DRIVER NAME | HOMETOWN | POINTS |
| 1 | 0 | Scott Bloomquist | Mooresburg, TN | 3750 |
| 2 | 20 | Jimmy Owens | Newport, TN | 3580 |
| 3 | 44 | Earl Pearson, Jr. | Jacksonville, FL | 3445 |
| 4 | 53 | Ray Cook | Brasstown, NC | 3325 |
| 5 | 71 | Don O’Neal | Martinsville, IN | 3240 |
| 6 | 17m | Dale McDowell | Chickamauga, GA | 2990 |
| 7 | c9 | Steve Casebolt | Richmond, IN | 2910 |
| 8 | 71w | Chris Wall | Holden, LA | 2880 |
| 9 | s9 | Dan Schlieper | Sullivan, WI | 2845 |
| 10 | 18e | Eric Wells | Hazard, KY | 2815 |
| 11 | 23 | John Blankenship | Williamson, WV | 2705 |
| 12 | 41n | Brad Neat | Dunnville, KY | 2585 |
| 13 | 9t | Tim Isenberg | Marshfield, WI | 2190 |
| 14 | 11t | Tyler Reddick | Corning, CA | 2065 |