8/8/2006
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Brian Birkhofer Barely Beats Hurst in Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Event at Dubuque
DUBUQUE, IA (August 8, 2006)- Muscatine, IA's Brian Birkhofer defended his home turf once more against some of the best dirt late model drivers in the nation on Tuesday Night at the Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway as he won his third Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event of '06 pocketing another $10,000 paycheck.
Birkhofer started sixth in the strong field of entrants and grab the lead from Steve Boley with five laps to go for the win. Birkhofer then had to hold off up and coming driver, Jeremiah Hurst for the win. 34 year old Birkhofer took his J&J Steel/Simon Trucking Driver Recruitment/ Daufeldt Transport/TB&Company/Bryant Roofing/McDonald's of the Quad Cities/S&S Concrete/Pratt Motorsports/ASI Racewear/Community Bank of Muscatine/J.C. Dubil Race Parts/Pro Power Engines/Rocket Chevrolet to victory lane just one car length in front of Hurst who hails from Dubuque, IA and drives the Capri College/Dubuque Federation of Labor/Rocket Monte Carlo as he came from the 19th starting spot to claim second. Steve Boley of West Liberty, IA who led the most laps in the feature was third in the Iowa-Illinois Taylor Insulation/Triple R Performance Engines/MasterSbilt Ford Taurus with Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN coming back from a pit stop to take fourth in the Randall Eller Motorsports/Independence Lumber/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo and Donnie Moran would complete the top five in the Donnie Moran Racing/Custom Cutters/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo. A total of 28 cars were on hand for the series' first ever vist to the Simmons Promotions, Inc. promoted facility. The event was sponsored by J.P. Schermann Inc. of Farley, IA and Bobcat of Waterloo.
Steve Francis and Don O'Neal made up the front row for the 50 lap A-Main, but they would not stay there long as Steve Boley roared from his third starting spot to grab the lead from O'Neal on the second go round. Earl Pearson, Jr. was already up to second with O'Neal falling to third as Francis and Brian Birkhofer would be the top five with four laps scored.
A caution after four laps was scored would slow the fast paced action round the speedy 3/8ths mile high banked track. There would be two more green flag laps until another yellow came out for Francis, who was running fourth at the time as he suffered a flat tire. On the restart Steve Casebolt would get crossed up as he had to check up for another car and that would bring out the yellow once more. It would cause a huge jumble in the top five running order as Pearson who was running in second and O'Neal who was in third both pitted and rejoined the field on the tail. That would move Birkhofer into second behind Boley. Scott Bloomquist, who started eighth, was one of the benefactors of Pearson and O'Neal pit stops as he would be third on the restart in front of Scott James and Ace Ihm.
As the green flag racing action would pick back up again as Boley would pull away from Birkhofer on the restart. The fifth caution for a slowing Pearson would once again stop the hotly contested event on lap 11. On the restart James would get by Bloomquist for third with Ihm hot on their heels. With 15 laps down it was Boley still showing the way with Birkhofer, James, Bloomquist and the 15th starting Ihm trying to track down Boley.
By the 16th lap Boley's lead had disintegrated as Birkhofer was now right on him in the race for the lead. But once Birkhofer began to challenge on the top side Boley would pull back away from Birkhofer using the low line on the race track and extend his lead to three car lengths by lap 19. Lap traffic would start to enter the picture as Boley picked up the tail end of the field for the first time in the race by lap 21.
Boley would handle traffic very well and in fact he would stretch his lead over Birkhofer to six lengths. The sixth caution of the event would come out on lap 23 when the high flying Ihm would lose fluid on the race track and see his night end on the back of a wrecker after a strong effort. At the halfway mark Boley was still the man in charge as the veteran driver would hold onto to the lead with Birkhofer still running in second, Bloomquist now back to third and O'Neal and Francis back from the tail to enter the top five.
Boley by the 27th circuit was on a roll extending his lead to as many as ten car lengths over Birkhofer. O'Neal would slid past Bloomquist for third on the 27th lap and two laps later the seventh caution of the race would come out for a flat tire on James' car. On the restart to begin lap 30 O'Neal would get by Birkhofer for second with Francis now up to fourth.
A car on the move was that of Jeremiah Hurst as the local driver who was making his first career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series start was on the charge from 19th as he would be running fifth by lap 32. Hurst was not done yet as he whipped past Francis a lap later for fourth place. The ninth and final caution of the race for a Francis flat on lap 37 would set the stage for an exciting finish.
On the final restart Boley would again sprint ahead of the field as Birkhofer continued to work the outside groove. By lap 39 Boley was at a two car length advantage over Birkhofer. O'Neal who was passed by Birkhofer after the final restart would see Hurst all over him for third. Hurst would get by O'Neal on lap 41 for the third spot. As the cars crossed the line to complete lap 44 Birkhofer was all over Boley in the race for the lead with Hurst closing quickly on the leaders. Birkhofer would switch lines on the race track and slid to the inside of Boley as the cars began lap 45.
Birkhofer would make the slid job work as he took the lead coming off of turn number two. Hurst would then pass Boley for second with four to go and start to track down Birkhofer. As the cars came off of turn four headed to the finish line Hurst would try the inside route but come up just one car length short of a career best win after a valiant effort. Boley would finish in third with O'Neal and Donnie Moran getting by Pearson with three laps to go to take a top five finish. "That was crazy" said the former World 100 winner in a post race interview.
"Steve Boley was great the whole race and I didn't know if we could get him or not, there at the end we changed lines and that made the difference, because he was going to commit to the bottom no matter what," said Birkhofer. "On the slide job, I don't think I touched him and he gave me room and I appreciate that," said Birkhofer who was joined in victory lane by his wife Allysa and sons Cruz and Creed. "That Jeremiah Hurst is some kind of racer, he's going to be real good, I thought he might get me there on that last lap but hats off to him for driving a great race."
The rest of top ten in finishing order were, Earl Pearson, Jr., Curt Martin, Andy Eckrich, Gary Webb and Frank Heckenast, Jr.
In preliminary action Scott James nabbed the Comp Cams Fast Qualifier Award with a quick lap of 15.65 seconds among the 28 entrants. The PBM Performance Products Heat Races went to Don O'Neal, Steve Francis and Steve Boley. The Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno B-Main was won by Michael England. The K&N Engineering "Clean Pass of the Race" went to Brian Birkhofer for his winning slide job pass of Steve Boley with just five laps to go in the feature. The K&N Engineering "Clean Pass of the Race" is awarded at each and every Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series show in 2006 and can be awarded for a pass in the heat race, B-main or the feature event.
The next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event will take place on Saturday Night, August 19 at the Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN for the 27th Annual Jackson 100 which will pay $15,000 to win. The cameras of SPEED Channel will be on hand to tape the event. It will be shown on a date and time to be announced in the future.
Race Summary Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Tuesday Night, August 8, 2006 Dubuque Fairgrounds Speedway-Dubuque, IA
Comp Cams Fast Time: Scott James - 15.65 seconds
PBM Performance Products First Heat: (10 Laps-Top 5 Advance): Don O'Neal, Earl Pearson, Jr., Scott James, Matt Miller, Curt Martin, Jason Rauen, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Gary Webb, Rick Wendling, Matt Leibfried
PBM Performance Products Second Heat: (10 Laps-Top 5 Advance): Steve Francis, Kerry Hansen, Scott Bloomquist, Dennis Erb, Jr., Andy Eckrich, Ron Barker, Michael England, Matt Furman, Jeff Larson
PBM Performance Products Third Heat: (10 Laps-Top 5 Advance): Steve Boley, Brian Birkhofer, Steve Casebolt, Freddy Smith, Steve "Ace" Ihm, Donnie Moran, Boone McLaughlin, Bobby Moyer, Jeremiah Hurst
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno B-Main: (12 Laps-Top 7 Advance): Michael England, Ron Barker, Donnie Moran, Jeremiah Hurst, Boone McLaughlin, Gary Webb, Jason Rauen, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Bobby Moyer, Rick Wendling, Jeff Larson, Matt Furman
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series A-Main: (50 Laps): Brian Birkhofer, Jeremiah Hurst, Steve Boley, Don O'Neal, Donnie Moran, Earl Pearson, Jr., Curt Martin, Andy Eckrich, Gary Webb, Frank Heckenast, Jr., Matt Furman, Boone McLaughlin, Steve Francis, Scott Bloomquist, Dennis Erb, Jr., Matt Miller, Steve Casebolt, Scott James, Steve "Ace" Ihm, Freddy Smith, Jason Rauen, Michael England, Kerry Hansen, Ron Barker
Race Statistics Entries: 28 Caution Flags: 9 Red Flags: 0 Lap Leaders: Don O'Neal 1 Steve Boley 2-44 Brian Birkhofer 45-50 Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Jeremiah Hurst (Started 19th and finished 2nd-advanced 17 positions) K&N Engineering Clean Pass of the Race: Brian Birkhofer Hawk Brake Tough Break: Freddy Smith Quarter Master Move of the Race: Donnie Moran On the Edge Graphics Fastest Non Qualifier: Matt Leibfried Weld Wheels Award: Matt Miller Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Race: Steve Casebolt Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Frank Heckenast, Jr. and Matt Furman
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields
