National Tour’s Winningest Driver Dominates Weekend Finale After Overheating Woes On Saturday Night
SELINSGROVE, PA – Sept. 1, 2013 – Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., gained a dose of redemption with a dominating victory in Sunday night’s 50-lap World of Outlaws Late Model Series National Open at Selinsgrove Speedway.
Twenty-four hours after dropping out of the weekend’s opening event due to an overheating engine, Lanigan stormed forward from the fourth starting spot to take the lead from Rick Eckert of York, Pa., on lap 14 and never looked back en route to his series-leading 10th win of the season.
Lanigan, 43, was never challenged once in command, cruising to the checkered flag in a race that ran non-stop following an opening-lap caution flag. He beat the 47-year-old Eckert to the finish line by 2.859 seconds to secure a paycheck worth $10,650.
Matt Cochran, 20, of Williamsport, Pa., defended the honor of Selinsgrove’s regular Late Model competitors with a strong third-place finish in just the second WoO LMS A-Main start of his career. He drove a Rocket car that he purchased earlier this summer from Lanigan, who assembles machines for several customers as part of his ‘Club 29’ business.
Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., maintained control of the WoO LMS points battle with a fourth-place finish after starting 10th and Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., started and finished fifth. The weekend ended with Richards leading Clanton by 96 points with seven events remaining on the 2013 schedule.
Lanigan saw his hopes for a second straight WoO LMS title take a major hit on Saturday night when a hot engine forced him to slow moments after he lost the lead to Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., on lap 17 of the 40-lap A-Main. He tried to continue after making a pit stop but retired shortly thereafter, pushing his deficit to Richards in the standings to triple digits.
Disappointed but undaunted, Lanigan and his crew went to work on Sunday to rectify their overheating problem. He knew his Rocket machine would be tough to beat on the sprawling half-mile oval if its Cornett engine didn’t heat up past the 300-degree mark like it did on Saturday, so keeping the powerplant cool was his number one priority.
“We just changed some stuff on it – the oil cooler and radiator again – to try and make it run cooler,” said Lanigan, who sits third in the points standings. “I think we found the problem in it.”
Indeed, Lanigan experienced no dire overheating while driving away from the pack on Sunday night. He built an edge of nearly a straightaway over Eckert, who started on the outside pole and led laps 1-13 before occupying second place for the final 37 circuits.
“I definitely had (the overheating) in the back of my mind,” said Lanigan, whose alltime-series-best 51st career win pushed him over the $200,000 mark in earnings for the 2013 season. “But I was keeping my eye on the gauge and it was staying pretty steady so I knew we was alright then.
“The car was phenomenal. We learned some things on tires last night that helped us tonight. There at the end the car was on a rail – I thought (the track surface) rubbered up actually.
“The car was so good all weekend,” he added. “I wish we could’ve stayed in (the A-Main) last night. I think we would’ve had that one too.”
Lanigan’s crewmen Jason Jameson and Adam Logan did pull off the hood of their car and pour water on the engine to cool it down before Lanigan reached Victory Lane, but that was just a precautionary measure.
Eckert, meanwhile, watched Lanigan’s post-race celebration from about 100 feet away. His fifth runner-up finish of the 2013 WoO LMS campaign left him slightly frustrated, but he managed to put on a happy face because his run came with many of his family members and fans in attendance at a track less than an hour-and-a-half from his home.
“That’s just about the story of our whole year,” Eckert said when asked to comment on his bridesmaid run. “We get close to winning, but we just can’t win.
“We were a little too soft on tire. I couldn’t maneuver very good in traffic – and traffic was pretty tough.”
Eckert was glad to get the chance to compete in a WoO LMS weekend at Selinsgrove, the track where he ran the first dirt Late Model race of his career nearly three decades ago.
“It was great to come back here and great to see all the people come out,” said Eckert, who has one WoO LMS triumph this season. “Hopefully (Selinsgrove promoter) Charlie (Paige) keeps doing this. This is a cool deal this late in the year.”
Cochran drew plenty of attention with his visit to the Victory Lane ceremonies as the race’s surprise third-place finisher. A feature winner just four times in his six-year dirt Late Model career – twice at Selinsgrove, twice at Clinton County Speedway in Lock Haven, Pa. – he turned heads with his performance.
After starting sixth and finding himself still running in the same spot at the race’s halfway mark, Cochran came alive. He reached fourth place on lap 31 and then dogged Richards until finally slipping past the two-time WoO LMS champion for third exiting turn four on lap 48.
“I can’t believe I was going as far forward as I was,” said Cochran, who used a hard tire compound that made his car faster the longer the race ran under green-flag conditions. “But the car was working excellent.”
Cochran credited his burgeoning relationship with Lanigan for making his career-highlight outing possible. He proudly accepted a congratulatory handshake from Lanigan after his post-race interview.
“He definitely is running well up here,” Lanigan said of Cochran. “He calls me about once a week and I help him out. I put him on our program and he runs well.
“I enjoy watching them guys (that are part of ‘Club 29’) be able to do that. He helps me sell parts and cars up here so he helps me out too.”
Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., finished sixth after running in the top five for more than half the distance and Satterlee placed a quiet seventh after winning the previous evening. Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., started and finished eighth, WoO LMS rookie Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas, was ninth and eight-time Selinsgrove champion Jeff Rine of Danville, Pa., advanced from the 17th starting spot to round out the top 10.
The race’s only caution flag flew on the opening lap when Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., slowed on the backstretch with a broken rearend.
Thirty-six cars were entered in the program, which was run under a threat of rain for the second consecutive night.
Ohlins Shocks Time Trials were split into ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups, with the first half competing for starting positions in heats 1-2 and the second half racing against the clock to align heats 3-4.
Clanton’s lap of 19.244 seconds in Group ‘A’ was the quickest overall of the qualifying session. He earned his third fast-time honor of 2013.
Heat winners were Clanton, McCreadie, Coleby Frye of Dover, Pa. (first-ever WoO LMS heat victory) and Lanigan. The B-Mains were captured by Rine and Dylan Yoder of Selinsgrove, Pa.
The WoO LMS will be off for a weekend – during which eight of the tour’s 11 regulars plan to compete in the DIRTcar UMP-sanctioned World 100 on Sept. 5-7 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio – before returning to action with a doubleheader in the Midwest. The circuit will visit Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill., on Fri., Sept. 13, and Federated Auto Parts Raceway at I-55 in Pevely, Mo., on Sat., Sept. 14.
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws .
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series Late Model National Open Presented by Jeff’s Auto Body & Recycling Center at Selinsgrove Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Darrell Lanigan/50 $10,650
2. (2) Rick Eckert/50 $5,750
3. (6) Matt Cochran/50 $3,500
4. (10) Josh Richards/50 $3,150
5. (5) Shane Clanton/50 $2,550
6. (3) Dan Stone/50 $1,700
7. (9) Gregg Satterlee/50 $1,550
8. (8) Tim McCreadie/50 $2,000
9. (11) Morgan Bagley/50 $2,000
10. (17) Jeff Rine/50 $1,100
11. (1) Eric Wells/50 $1,600
12. (7) Coleby Frye/49 $1,050
13. (14) Vic Coffey/49 $950
14. (18) Dylan Yoder/49 $1,000
15. (19) Bub McCool/49 $1,400
16. (21) Jim Yoder/49 $800
17. (15) Bryan Bernheisel/49 $770
18. (24) Chad Hollenbeck/49 $750
19. (23) Tim Fuller/48 $1,280
20. (13) Jimmy Mars/38 $700
21. (22) Clint Smith/22 $1,250
22. (20) Kenny Pettyjohn/21 $700
23. (16) Donnie Schick/17 $700
24. (25) Jim Bernheisel/1 $700
25. (12) Chub Frank/0 $1,275
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 20 Mins., 25.512 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 2.859 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 1 (start)
Lap Leaders: Eckert (1-13); Lanigan (14-50)
Provisional Starters: Fuller, Hollenbeck (WoO); J. Bernheisel (track)
Rookie of the Race: Bagley ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Cochran ($500)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
Group ‘A’
1. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, GA 19.244
2. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 19.366
3. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 19.442
4. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 19.457
5. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 19.602
6. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 19.652
7. 28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI 19.747
8. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 19.768
9. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 19.776
10. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 19.787
11. 15-Scott Flickinger/Elliottsburg, PA 19.789
12. 2J-Jeff Rine/Danville, PA 19.812
13. 119-Jim Bernheisel/Lebanon, PA 20.139
14. 26-Jerry Bard/Shippensburg, PA 20.196
15. 24J-Jim Yoder/Selinsgrove, PA 20.216
16. 61T-Kenny Trevitz/Winfield, PA 20.445
17. 9-Hayes Mattern/Beavertown, PA 20.637
18. c33-Chris Casner/Mifflintown, PA 21.067
Group ‘B’
1. F1-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA 19.477
2. 16-Matt Cochran/Williamsport, PA 19.618
3. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 19.624
4. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 19.641
5. 38-Kenny Pettyjohn/Millsboro, DE 19.756
6. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 19.866
7. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 19.884
8. 6-Jamie Lathroum/Mechanicsville, MD 19.885
9. 4DS-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 20.089
10. 6s-Donnie Schick/Middleburg, PA 20.113
11. 24Y-Dylan Yoder/Selinsgrove, PA 20.201
12. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 20.220
13. 21-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA 20.320
14. 99z-Dave Zona/Montrose, PA 20.371
15. 119B-Bryan Bernheisel/Jonestown, PA 20.440
16. 72-Pancho Lawler/Glenville, PA 20.637
17. 88-Tony Adams/Sunbury, PA 20.658
18. 90-Kyle Rhoads/Sunbury, PA 21.586
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Wells, Satterlee, Mars, Fuller, J. Bernheisel, J. Yoder, Flickinger, Mattern
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McCreadie, Eckert, Richards, Coffey, Rine, McCool, Bard, Trevitz, Casner
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Frye, Stone, Bagley, B. Bernheisel, K. Pettyjohn, D. Yoder, Hollenbeck, Adams, Lux
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Lanigan, Cochran, Frank, Schick, Zona, Smith, Lawler, Rhoads, Lathroum
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Rine, McCool, J. Yoder, Flickinger, Casner, Trevitz, Bard, Fuller, J. Bernheisel (DNS) Mattern
B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): D. Yoder, Pettyjohn, C. Smith, Hollenbeck, Zona, Lathroum, Lawler, Adams, Rhoads, Lux
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners (awards presented to noted finisher/qualifier or next highest displaying decal:
Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash to fast qualifier): Rick Eckert
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner): Bub McCool/Dylan Yoder
VP Race Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award: (One VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main): Scott Flickinger
Wrisco Aluminum (3 sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner only): Darrell Lanigan
Armor All (One case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main): Matt Cochran
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Rick Eckert
QuarterMaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Rick Eckert
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Rick Eckert
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
Roush Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Josh Richards
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
American Race Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
VP Race Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Edelbrock Manifolds ($50 cash to 9th-finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 11th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Coleby Frye
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Dylan Yoder
Super Flow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Dylan Yoder
QuarterMaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 16th-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Jim Yoder
Klotz Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Donnie Schick
QuarterMaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim Fuller
Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Jimmy Mars
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Clint Smith
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Donnie Schick
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
XS Power ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Darrell Lanigan
Roush Yates ($25 gift card to driver who leads most laps in the A-Main): Darrell Lanigan
Reliable Painting Award (one free tire): Rick Eckert
2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of Sept. 1 – 41 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Josh Richards 5696
2. Shane Clanton 5600 (-96)
3. Darrell Lanigan 5582 (-114)
4. Rick Eckert 5488 (-208)
5. Tim McCreadie 5302 (-394)
6. Eric Wells 5162 (-534)
7. Tim Fuller 5140 (-556)
8. Chub Frank 5072 (-624)
9. Bub McCool 5034 (-662)
10. Morgan Bagley 5002 (-694)
11. Clint Smith 4754 (-942)
12. Dan Stone 2486 (-3210)
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: American Racing Custom Wheels (Official Custom Wheel), Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), KMC (Official Custom Truck Wheel), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors: Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.