4/12/2008
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Eddie Carrier, Jr. the King of K-C Raceway Wins “Glockner 50”
CHILLICOTHE, OH (April 12, 2008) – Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV went toe to toe with one of the all-time greats in dirt track racing and emerged victorious as he captured the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series “Glockner 50” on Saturday Night at Jim Nier’s K-C Raceway. Carrier and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN had a duel for the ages for most of the last half the event with Carrier withstanding a last lap effort by Bloomquist as he took a two car length victory earning $10,000 for his third career Lucas Oil Series win. John Blankenship of Williamson, WV finished third followed by Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL and Earl Pearson, Jr. OF Jacksonville, FL
With the cameras of SPEED Channel on hand to tape the event Bloomquist and Carrier would start from the front row of the 50 lap main. On the initial start of the race Don O’Neal got caught up in a bottleneck as he climbed the front stretch wall rolling one time and landed back on the wheels of the Harrod Farms/ Rayburn. O’Neal would emerge from the wreck just fine, but his car had too much damage to continue in the race.
The second go round would see Bloomquist fire strong to the lead with Bart Hartman, Carrier, PRC fast timer Wayne Chinn and Terry Casey in tow. Hartman running his familiar high line then stormed past Bloomquist on the outside on the second circuit taking over the lead much to the appreciation of his home state crowd. The second caution would come out on lap four for a slowing Josh McGuire as a heated battle for the lead would be halted momentarily.
On the restart they would blast into an amazing four-wide for the lead with Hartman, Bloomquist, Carrier and Chinn exiting turn two on the wide and racy track as Hartman would still hold the point coming off of turn four to score lap five.
While the fans were enjoying an incredible tussle for the lead there would be a total of six caution flags over the next eight laps as the drivers could not get into the rhythm of things as cars were bringing out cautions by slowing down and not being able to get off the race track or a flat tire.
During this stretch run of yellows one of those involved Mike Marlar and Casey who were racing hard for the fourth slot got together on the backstretch with Marlar finally corralling his car before it went off the back side of the track entirely. Casey would suffer too much damage on his C.J. Rayburn race car as he went pit side ending his night.
The race would see chief starter Kenny Blade’s green flag for four good laps of racing with Hartman, Bloomquist, and 17th starting Dan Schlieper who had moved all the way up to third with Carrier and Blankenship also in the hunt at this point of the race.
Hartman’s lead would last until lap 16 when Bloomquist would use his preferred low line to take over the lead. Carrier, who then start to pick things up again right before the tenth caution (which was for Schlieper’s first flat) came out on lap 18 as he had overhauled Hartman for second.
On the restart to begin lap 19 Bloomquist was in front followed by Carrier, Hartman, Blankenship and Chinn, who was back in the top five after Schlieper pitted for fresh rubber.
The next set of green flag laps would take place from lap 19-23 and that would be a time that would set up the battle between Bloomquist and Carrier. Carrier would rocket to the lead using the extreme topside of the track as he went by Bloomquist coming off of turn number four on lap 21. Blankenship would race into third around Hartman with Chinn staying close in fifth.
Jeep VanWormer who was running inside the top ten would bring out caution number eleven on lap 23 as he would end up going to the pits and parking his car for the night. The race would see green for two laps until finally hitting the halfway mark with Carrier and Bloomquist racing side by side around the high-banked 3/8th mile track.
The race not only for the lead was becoming a classic but for a position in the top five was more exciting as Blankenship, Chinn, Earl Pearson Jr. and Billy Drake were involved in a terrific race for the third thru sixth spots.
The race for the lead would change hands again this time Bloomquist would be scored the leader of the race on lap 30 edging out Carrier at the scoring line. But Bloomquist’ car number atop the charts would last one lap as Carrier regained his momentum and went back in front just one lap later.
With a little over 15 laps to go in the race Chinn’s great effort would end as he made the sharp left turn into the infield on lap 34 giving up the position in the running order. A long stretch of green flag racing would see all eyes glued on the Carrier and Bloomquist race for the lead as it looked it in patented fashion Bloomquist was just waiting for something to happen to Carrier in the portion of the race.
The final caution would come out on lap 43 and this would set up a seven lap dash to the finish. The big question was could Carrier hold off one of the superstars in dirt track racing over the final seven laps? Carrier would go hammer down in his Grover Motorsports #28 car and he was not going to be denied as he opened up a four car length lead with five to go and just when it looked like Carrier had shut the door on Bloomquist the leader of Team Zero would regroup and set up one final last lap effort to steal the victory from Carrier.
With Carrier maintaining the top side Bloomquist would close to a car length on the back stretch as the duo entered turn number three. But Carrier had enough momentum and stayed off the wall and did not jump the cushion as he drove his car to the finish line to win by a little more than a car length over Bloomquist. Blankenship would cross the finish line in third followed by Drake and Pearson.
A much anticipated victory lane celebration would follow with Carrier climbing from his car for the SPEED Channel post race interview and then he spoke to the cheering crowd after a hard-fought race.
“The car was working good, the Hoosier tires were great, the Grover Racing Engines performed superb, we built this motor a few weeks ago and put it on the Dyno and we were real happy with the numbers it turned, it seemed liked after winning the Hillbilly last year things have really come together,” said the 37-year old racer in the Lucas Oil victory lane
“I want to thank all the fans for coming out here tonight, I know it was cold, but I think they saw a real good show,” which drew a loud applause from the crowd. “I kind of was laying back there at the start, I knew I didn’t want to get down there in the middle because it was kind of treacherous down there, I tried to stay up there on the top, actually the guys running bottom threw the dirt up there and made the top better,” said Carrier, whose biggest career win came last Labor Day Weekend when Carrier won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned “Hillbilly 100” which paid $25,000 to win.
“If it wasn’t for my car owner Carl Grover, none of this would be possible we build our own engines there at the shop (in Ona, WV) and of course my dad he does a great job with the team,” as Lil’ Eddie he accepted the K&N Filters “Clean Pass of the Race” Award and his dad (Eddie, Sr.) took the Integra Crew Chief of the Race honors.
Carrier’s Grover Motorsports Rocket Ford Fusion is powered by a Grover Ford Engine and sponsored by Engines, Inc, Hoosier Racing Tires, VP Racing Fuels and Blue Ridge Machinery and Tools. Carrier’s win allowed him to become the 7th different winner in the first eleven Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events in 2008.
Bloomquist brought his Miller Brothers Coal/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet home second followed by Blankenship in the Don Blankenship/Busch Beer/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS, Drake in the Executive Homes/Mullvain Motors/MasterSbilt GTO and Pearson in the Bobby Labonte Racing/LifeLong Locks/MasterSbilt Dodge Charger.
Completing the top ten were Matt Miller, Donnie Moran, Bart Hartman, Dan Schlieper and Steve Casebolt.
In preliminary action at K-C, Wayne Chinn took his first career PRC Fast Time Award with a 14.483 clocking in qualifications among the 52 entrants on hand. Chinn, Eddie Carrier Jr., Bart Hartman and Scott Bloomquist won heat races with Dan Schlieper and Doug Drown posting B-mains triumphs.
The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will next be in action on Friday and Saturday, April 25th and 26th. On Friday Night the series makes its first ever visit to Bedford Speedway in Bedford, PA for a $7,000 to win event and on Saturday Night heads to Hagerstown Speedway in Hagerstown, MD for the $10,000 to win “Stanley Schetrompf Memorial”.
For up to date news on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series you can log onto www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Saturday Night, April 12, 2008
K-C Raceway - Chillicothe, OH
PRC Fast Time: Wayne Chinn/14.483 seconds
Hawk Brake First Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Wayne Chinn, Terry Casey, John Blankenship, Rick Combs, Dan Schlieper, Tim Dohm, Ben Adkins, Chris Garnes, Terry Hicks, Larry Kingseed, Kenny Christy, Damon Eller, Mike Meyers
Hawk Brake Second Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Eddie Carrier Jr., Mike Marlar, Jeep VanWormer, Mike Wilson, Shannon Thornsberry, Jeff Houser, Nick Corbitt, Rob Stambaugh, Steve Shaver, Chris Combs, Josh McGuire, Steve Francis, Jared Hawkins - DNS
AFCO Racing Products Third Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Bart Hartman, Billy Drake, Matt Miller, Justin Rattliff, Darrell Lanigan, Scott James, John Mason, Steve Casebolt, Rod Conley, Dean Boyd, Joe Ramey, Donnie Stewart, Brandon Fouts - DNS
Tiger Rear Ends Fourth Heat (10 Laps-Top 4 Advance): Scott Bloomquist, RJ Conley, Earl Pearson Jr., Donnie Moran, Doug Drown, Bobby Kitchen, Delmas Conley, KC Burdette, Greg Anderson, Don O'Neal, Rick Aukland, Russ Frohnapfel, Dan Shrigley
Mason Racin' Rebel Shock Dyno First B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Dan Schlieper, Josh McGuire, Ben Adkins, Tim Dohm, Rob Stambaugh, Terry Hicks, Kenny Christy, Larry Kingseed, Mike Meyers, Shannon Thornsberry, Chris Garnes, Chris Combs, Steve Francis, Jeff Houser, Nick Corbitt, Steve Shaver - DNS, Damon Eller - DNS, Jared Hawkins - DNS
Quarter Master Second B-Main (12 Laps-Top 3 Advance): Doug Drown, Don O'Neal, Darrell Lanigan, John Mason, Delmas Conley, Greg Anderson, Rod Conley, Dean Boyd, Donnie Stewart, Joe Ramey, KC Burdette, Scott James, Rick Aukland, Steve Casebolt, Russ Frohnapfel, Bobby Kitchen, Brandon Fouts - DNS, Dan Shrigley - DNS
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Glockner 50 Feature Finish (50 Laps): Eddie Carrier Jr., Scott Bloomquist, John Blankenship, Billy Drake, Earl Pearson Jr., Matt Miller, Donnie Moran, Bart Hartman, Dan Schlieper, Steve Casebolt, Justin Rattliff, Ben Adkins, Wayne Chinn, Jeep VanWormer, Darrell Lanigan, RJ Conley, Mike Marlar, Rick Combs, Terry Casey, Mike Wilson, Josh McGuire, Doug Drown, Don O'Neal, Scott James
Race Statistics
Entries: 52
Caution Flags: 12
Lap Leaders: Bloomquist 1, 10, 16-20, 24, 30-31; Hartman 2-9, 11-15; Eddie Carrier Jr. 21-23, 28-29, 32-50
Series Provisionals: Steve Casebolt, Scott James
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Steve Casebolt (Started 23rd and finished 10th-advanced 13 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Billy Drake
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Eddie Carrier Jr.
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: John Blankenship
ASI Racewear Lucky 7 Award: Donnie Moran
Integra Crew Chief of the Race: Eddie Carrier Sr. (Eddie Carrier Jr.)
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Grover Engines
Time of the Race: 1 hour
Submitted By: Jeremy Shields
