DIRTcar Nationals

BARBERVILLE, FL – Feb. 11, 2010 – No one was surprised to see Josh Richards win Thursday night’s 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series season opener at Volusia Speedway Park.

But from the 17^th starting spot? Even Richards couldn’t have conjured up a more exciting way to kick off his WoO LMS title defense and capture the national tour’s lidlifter for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.

“I was not expecting that at all,” Richards said after putting on the most memorable performance of the 39^th annual DIRTcar Nationals by University of Northwestern Ohio. “To have a car that good, and to start so far back and be that dominant in a race against these guys – it’s just very rare. It’s an awesome feeling.”

Richards, 21, of Shinnston, W.Va., blasted through the field in the Rocket Chassis house car he drove to victory in last year’s opener, cracking the top five on a lap-15 restart and then sliding by Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., in succession to reach second on lap 19. He quickly ran down race-long leader Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., and sailed by the homestate driver on lap 27 to assume command for good.

Pearson settled for second place in the Bobby Labonte Motorsports MasterSbilt mount, crossing the finish line 4.320 seconds behind Richards. Brady Smith had his Team Zero by Bloomquist car hot on Pearson’s rear deck in the final laps and finished third, while McCreadie placed fourth in the Sweeteners Plus Rocket and 2007 WoO LMS champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., advanced from the 19^th starting spot to finish fifth in his Valvoline Rocket.

Results of WoO Late Model Series (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (17) Josh Richards/50 $10,675

2. (3) Earl Pearson Jr./50 $5,000

3. (6) Brady Smith/50 $3,500

4. (2) Tim McCreadie/50 $2,600

5. (19) Steve Francis/50 $2,650

6. (1) Dale McDowell/50 $1,700

7. (5) Billy Moyer/50 $1,500

8. (21) Tim Dohm/50 $1,800

9. (22) Dennis Erb Jr./50 $1,200

10. (24) Austin Hubbard/50 $1,850

11. (10) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,650

12. (18) Eddie Carrier Jr./50 $1,000

13. (7) Rick Eckert/50 $1,450

14. (25) Tim Fuller/50 $1,400

15. (23) Eric Jacobsen/50 $850

16. (15) Jack Sullivan/49 $800

17. (4) Shannon Babb/49 $770

18. (14) Chub Frank/49 $1,250

19. (26) Clint Smith/49 $1,230

20. (16) Brandon Kinzer/48 $700

21. (8) Jimmy Owens/36 $700

22. (11) John Blankenship/36 $700

23. (12) Brad Neat/35 $700

24. (29) Russell King/23 $500

25. (9) Chris Madden/19 $700

26. (27) Jason Feger/13 $700

27. (13) Jared Landers/13 $750

28. (20) Greg Johnson/13 $700

29. (28) Shane Clanton/0 $525

* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: 22 Mins., 13.879 Secs.

Margin of Victory: 4.320 Secs.

Yellow Flags: 4 (Laps 0, 15, 19, 37)

Lap Leaders: Pearson (1-26); Richards (27-50)

Provisional Starters: Fuller, C. Smith, Clanton, King (WoO); Feger (UMP)

Rookie of the Race: Hubbard ($250)

WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Dohm ($500)

Integra Shocks Crew Chief of the Race: Matt Barnes (Richards)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 777-Jared Landers/Batesville, AR 15.961

2. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 16.047

3. 1x-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR 16.055

4. 18-Shannon Babb/Moweaqua, IL 16.063

5. 23-John Blankenship/Williamson, WV 16.069

6. 41-Brad Neat/Dunnville, KY 16.095

7. 21-Billy Moyer/Batesville, AR 16.110

8. 20-Jimmy Owens/Newport, TN 16.117

9. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI 16.195

10. 18K-Brandon Kinzer/Allen, KY 16.206

11. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 16.236

12. 44P-Earl Pearson Jr./Jacksonville, FL 16.267

13. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 16.301

14. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 16.327

15. 44M-Chris Madden/Gaffney/SC 16.334

16. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 16.335

17. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 16.341

18. 4T-Tommy Kerr/Maryville, TN 16.355

19. 16T-Tyler Bruening/Decorah, IA 16.377

20. 28E-Dennis Erb Jr./Carpentersville, IL 16.380

21. 14-Kyle Berck/Marquette, NE 16.383

22. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 16.385

23. 88-Wendell Wallace/Batesville, AR 16.412

24. 12-Jordan Bland/Campbellsville, KY 16.419

25. 18W-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 16.424

26. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 16.480

27. C9-Steve Casebolt/Richmond, IN 16.491

28. 5s-Steve Sheppard Jr./New Berlin, IL 16.496

29. 17T-Tim Dohm/Cross Lanes, WV 16.514

30. 28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV 16.533

31. 9k-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY 16.554

32. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 16.556

33. 11R-Tyler Reddick/Corning, CA 16.561

34. 1V-Will Vaught/Crane, MO 16.606

35. 00-Randy Korte/Highland, IL 16.625

36. 19H-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 16.625

37. 16R-Justin Rattliff/Campbellsville, KY 16.668

38. 9-Dan Schlieper/Sullivan, WI 16.683

39. 26-Tony Knowles/Tyrone, GA 16.703

40. 5-Eric Jacobsen/Sea Cliff Beach, CA 16.736

41. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 16.757

42. 56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH 16.763

43. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 16.768

44. 7W-Ricky Weiss/Winnipeg, MAN 16.772

45. 46-Greg Johnson/Bedford, IN16.801

46. 23P-Patrick Sheltra/Indiantown, FL 16.849

47. 47-Tyler Ivey/Tallahassee, FL 17.023

48. 27-Jeff Beyers/Pana, IL 17.030

49. b5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 17.061

50. 15b-Brian Birkhofer/Muscatine, IA 17.072

51. 25F-Jason Feger/Bloomington, IL 17.278

52. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 17.441

53. 77-Jason McBride/Carbondale, IL 17.612

54. 40-Joe Callahan/Dubuque, IA 17.755

55. 19d-Ronnie DeHaven Jr./Winchester, VA 17.816

56. 13d-Jonathan DeHaven/Winchester, VA 17.845

57. 1P-Darren Peters/Fort Erie, ONT 17.911

58. 25z-Mason Ziegler/Chalk Hill, PA 18.011

59. 3c-Mike Collins/Carter Lake, IA 18.077

60. 99z-Dave Zona/Montrose, PA 18.102

61. 5M-Whitney McQueary/Liberty, KY 18.558

62. 27d-Donald Beyers/Pana, IL 18.647

63. 29R-Ronnie Rihn/Bloom, WI 18.778

64. 57-Chuck Julien/Apopka, FL 18.829

65. 99B-Rick Briggs/Bear Lake, PA 19.010

66. 16H-Mike Hammerle/St. Charles, MO 19.037

67. 22-Jill George/Cedar Falls, IA N/T

68. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA N/T

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Moyer, Eckert, Landers, Wells, Bruening, Stone, Knight, McQueary, B. Sheppard, Rattliff, R. DeHaven (DNS) George

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): McCreadie, Owens, Frank, Schlieper, Coffey, Francis, Erb, Weiss, J. DeHaven, D. Beyers, Birkhofer

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): B. Smith, Madden, Sullivan, Casebolt, Feger, Reddick, G. Johnson, Rihn, Peters, Berck, Knowles

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Babb, Lanigan, Kinzer, Jacobsen, Sheltra, S. Sheppard, Vaught, Robinson, Ziegler, Julien, C. Smith

Heat No. 5 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): McDowell, Blankenship, Richards, Dohm, Korte, Fuller, Briggs, Ivey, McBride, Collins, Wallace

Heat No. 6 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Pearson, Neat, Carrier, Hubbard, Kerr, King, Bland, J. Beyers, Callahan, Zona, Hammerle

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Francis, Erb, Schlieper, Stone, Knight, McQueary, Bruening, Wells, J. DeHaven, George, Coffey, B. Sheppard, Birkhofer, Weiss, R. DeHaven (DNS) D. Beyers, Rattliff

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): G. Johnson, Jacobsen, Casebolt, Sheltra, Reddick, Vaught, Knowles, C. Smith, Ziegler, Rihn, Peters, Julien, S. Sheppard, Robinson, Feger (DNS) Berck

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 2 Transfer): Dohm, Hubbard, Korte, Fuller, Ivey, Bland, Kerr, McBride, J. Beyers, Wallace, Collins, Zona, Briggs, Callahan, King, Hammerle