Shane Clanton wins Woo late Model

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Kevin Kovac, World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director
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Clanton Triumphant After Titanic Battle In ‘Summer Sizzler 50’ At Virginia Motor Speedway

JAMAICA, VA – July 20, 2007 – This time Shane Clanton got the job done.

Three months after finishing second in a World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at Virginia Motor Speedway despite leading nearly half the distance, Clanton returned to the pristine half-mile oval and emerged victorious in Friday night’s scintillating ‘Summer Sizzler 50.’

It was the second WoO LMS victory of the season for Clanton, who exorcised the demons associated with his April 14 loss to Moweaqua, Ill.’s Shannon Babb.

“That went through my mind tonight,” Clanton said when asked if he thought about his springtime defeat while leading Friday’s A-Main. “It’s always in the back of your mind when you come back to a track where you lost a race that you led for a bunch of laps.”

Clanton, 31, of Locust Grove, Ga., started from the outside pole in Ronnie Dobbins’s Custom-powered RSD Enterprises Rocket, but he had to scratch and claw for every cent of the $10,000 first prize. He was involved in each of the feature’s six lead changes – four with Jeremy Miller of Gettysburg, Pa., who fell from contention with mechanical trouble, and two with fellow WoO LMS regular Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky.

The final exchange of the top spot came on lap 45, when Clanton criss-crossed lanes with Lanigan off turn four while racing through lapped traffic and nosed in front at the start/finish line.

Clanton held on to win by 0.539 of a second over Lanigan, whose charge from the eighth starting spot in his gottarace.com Rocket fell short.

Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., finished a close third in the Gypsum Racing Rocket to earn the $250 top rookie bonus, while Jason Covert of York Haven, Pa., placed fourth in Barry Klinedinst’s Rocket and pocketed the $500 WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ award for being the highest-finishing driver who was not ranked in the top 12 of the WoO LMS points standings and has not won a tour feature.

WoO LMS points leader Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., was fifth after making a late advance in his Valvoline Rocket. He extended his points lead to 22 markers over Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., who missed the setup and finished 11th, and 40 points over Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., who placed a quiet eighth.

Clanton gave his sixth career WoO LMS victory some serious style points.

“It’s exciting when somebody can pull up underneath and pass you, and then you can get back by him for the win,” said a pumped-up Clanton. “Winning the Pittsburgher (100) last year (at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway) was pretty exciting for me because I beat Chub (Frank), who’s so good there. But this is a great feeling, a race I’ll never forget.”

Clanton led the race’s first 22 laps before being nipped at the line by Miller, who started fourth in the Buckler Motorsports Rocket.

Miller led laps 23 and 26-27 before his hopes took an abrupt about-face. After Clanton regained command on lap 28, Miller gradually slowed, eventually retiring while running third during the race’s third and final caution period, on lap 32.

“An oil line broke,” said the disappointed Miller. “It started shooting oil under the hood right when I got the lead, and then I started sliding and going backward.

“It was hard to pull out in that position – with the car running so well, and being the first time I ever led an Outlaws show. But it was the right thing to do.

“This is a new Bullock motor, so I didn’t want to hurt it,” he concluded. “We’ve only run it twice, and it’s working great. This thing gives me something I can battle with.”

Clanton’s battle for the checkered flag raged on with Lanigan, who was seeking his third WoO LMS win of the season.

Lanigan, 37, found the inside lane to his liking and slipped by Clanton for the lead on lap 42, but he stayed there for only three laps. He faltered for a moment in lapped traffic on lap 45 and ceded the top spot to Clanton, then couldn’t mount a comeback.

“I was good on the bottom to get the lead, but then we got up to those lapped cars,” said Lanigan. “They didn’t get out of the way, but they just stood their ground and they were sort of in my groove.

“I tried to go around them in the middle (lane), but there just was nothing there and I lost my momentum. Shane went way out there, where I should’ve went, and got the run he needed to pass me.”

Clanton was relieved to make a successful recovery.

“When Jeremy got by me (for the lead), I pushed the front end. That was my own fault,” said Clanton. “But when Darrell drove by on the bottom, I was like, ‘Dang, I don’t know what I’m gonna do now.’

“So I just started hammering the top, and by running the cushion I got back up to (Lanigan’s) quarter-panel. One time in lapped traffic I saw him sliding, so I just turned left and got by him.

“When he slid, I either had to let up so I wouldn’t run in the back of him, or turn left under him a little bit and cross him. I crossed him and it worked.”

Clanton kept Lanigan at bay over the final five laps by running the inside groove in an efficient manner.

“I didn’t know I had to slow down that much through (turns) three and four to stay on the bottom off the corner,” said Clanton. “Once I did that, I was pretty good.”

Lanigan was a surprisingly upbeat runner-up.

“That actually was a pretty fun race,” said Lanigan. “No one wants to finish second, but when you can race that hard, that fast, and that clean with somebody, you’re not too upset.

“When you’re out there with people you can trust, you can do that stuff,” he noted when asked about his close battle with Clanton.

Fuller, 39, never led a lap despite starting from the pole position. He was hampered by a car that didn’t perform well on restarts.

“I don’t know why they fired better than me on restarts,” Fuller said of Clanton and Lanigan. “I was really good on the bottom, but I needed laps to get going – and by then, I was already too far behind them.”

Finishing in positions 6-10 were Ricky Elliott of Seaford, Del., who lost a top-five spot to Francis in the final laps; Booper Bare of Rockbridge Baths, Va., who made his first WoO LMS appearance of the season; Smith; Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill.; and Gary Stuhler of Greencastle, Pa., who drove Jerry Foster’s DirTek No. 5.

The race’s three caution flags were caused by Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., who spun between turns three and four on lap 18; a three-car tangle on lap 22 involving Austin Hubbard of Seaford, Del., Jack Pencil of Bedford, Pa., and Roland Mann of Chaptico, Md.; and David Williams of Avenue, Md., who stopped on lap 32.

Thirty-five dirt Late Models entered the event.

Miller earned the $100 National Interstate Insurance Fast Time Award for his qualifying lap of 17.845 seconds, and he also picked up the $50 National Interstate Insurance Hard Luck Award for his misfortune in the feature.

Heat winners were Frank, Richards, Clanton and Smith, and the B-Mains were captured by Rick Eckert of York, Pa., and Stuhler.

The WoO LMS continues its weekend of action with events on Sat., July 21, at Hagerstown (Md.) Speedway (the $12,000-to-win 60th Anniversary Classic) and Sun., July 22, at Eriez Speedway in Hammett, Pa.

For more info on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.

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

1. (2) Shane Clanton/50 $10,000
2. (8) Darrell Lanigan/50 $5,000
3. (1) Tim Fuller/50 $3,250
4. (13) Jason Covert/50 $3,000
5. (11) Steve Francis/50 $2,000
6. (6) Ricky Elliott/50 $1,700
7. (15) Booper Bare/50 $1,400
8. (3) Clint Smith/50 $1,300
9. (10) Brian Shirley/50 $1,200
10. (18) Gary Stuhler/50 $1,100
11. (5) Chub Frank/50 $1,050
12. (17) Rick Eckert/50 $1,000
13. (12) Bo Feathers/50 $950
14. (7) Josh Richards/50 $900
15. (22) Billy Decker/50 $850
16. (19) Darryl Hills/50 $800
17. (16) Allen Brannon/50 $770
18. (21) Roland Mann/49 $750
19. (20) Jack Pencil/48 $730
20. (23) Dan Stone/42 $700
21. (4) Jeremy Miller/32 $850
22. (9) David Williams/31 $700
23. (24) Austin Hubbard/24 $700
24. (14) Sean Cosgrove/19 $700

Time of Race: 25 Mins., 47.103 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.539 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (Laps 18, 22, 32)
Lap Leaders: Clanton (1-22); Miller (23); Clanton (24-25); Miller (26-27); Clanton (28-41); Lanigan (42-44); Clanton (45-50)
Provisional Starters: Stone, Hubbard
Rookie of the Race: Fuller ($250)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Covert ($500)
National Interstate Insurance Fast Time Award: Jeremy Miller ($100)
National Interstate Insurance Hard Luck Award: Jeremy Miller ($50)

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

1. 24-Jeremy Miller/Gettysburg, PA 17.845
2. 7-Darryl Hills/Great Mills, MD 17.867
3. 25-Shane Clanton/Locust Grove, GA 17.895
4. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 17.902
5. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 17.957
6. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 17.968
7. 45-Ricky Elliott/Seaford, DE 18.006
8. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 18.027
9. 43A-Jason Covert/York Haven, PA 18.053
10. 87-Walker Arthur/Forest, VA 18.084
11. 00b-Booper Bare/Rockbridge Baths, VA 18.115
12. 14-Jack Pencil/Bedford, PA 18.225
13. 11-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 18.226
14. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 18.269
15. 5-Gary Stuhler/Greencastle, PA 18.291
16. 00-Bo Feathers/Winchester, VA 18.304
17. 25w-David Williams/Avenue, MD 18.312
18. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 18.323
19. 15-Steve Francis/Ashland, KY 18.354
20. 08-Ray Love Jr./Faulker, MD 18.454
21. 3-Brent Robinson/Smithfield, VA 18.466
22. 64-Sean Cosgrove/Catharpin, VA 18.480
23. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 18.509
24. 30-Allen Brannon/Winchester, VA 18.541
25. 10-Ryan Hackett/LaPlata, MD 18.551
26. 3s-Brian Shirley/Chatham, IL 18.642
27. 91-Billy Decker/Unadilla, NY 18.696
28. 6-Jamie Lathroum/Mechanicsville, MD 18.772
29. 55-Roland Mann/Chaptico, MD 18.804
30. 03-Joey Love/Faulker, MD 18.870
31. 44G-Deane Guy/Clement, MD 18.965
32. 8-Jeff Pilkerton/Loveville, MD 19.028
33. 80-David Pettyjohn/Millsboro, DE 19.119
34. B1-Billy Tucker/King George, VA 19.276
35. KB-Kerry King/Delmar, DE 19.883

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Frank, Miller, Williams, Covert, Mann, Robinson, Hubbard, Hackett (DNS) D. Pettyjohn

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Fuller, Shirley, Cosgrove, Hills, Arthur, Eckert, Joey Love, Tucker

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Elliott, Francis, Bare, Stuhler, Decker, Stone, Guy, King

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Smith, Lanigan, Feathers, Brannon, Pencil, Pilkerton, Ray Love Jr., Lathroum

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Eckert, Hills, Mann, Robinson, Hackett, Arthur, Hubbard, Joey Love, Tucker

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Stuhler, Pencil, Decker, Lathroum, Pilkerton, Stone, Ray Love Jr., Guy, King

2007 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 20 - 27 features completed (rank/driver/wins/top-5s/top-10s/earnings/points/deficit to leader):

1. Steve Francis 1-14-24-$64,750-3,712 (-0)
2. Chub Frank 4-13-21-$79,380-3,690 (-22)
3. Clint Smith 3-12-21-$79,000-3,672 (-40)
4. Shane Clanton 2-9-18-$64,610-3,628 (-84)
5. Rick Eckert 0-9-18-$55,970-3,620 (-92)
6. Josh Richards 1-7-17-$51,890-3,602 (-110)
7. Darrell Lanigan 2-4-18-$55,840-3,399 (-313)
8. Tim Fuller 1-6-8-$49,250-3,041 (-671)
9. Shannon Babb 4-10-13-$69,190-2,932 (-780)
10. Brian Shirley 1-3-8-$38,490-2,635 (-1077)
11. Eddie Carrier Jr. 0-2-4-$22,720-2,439 (-1273)
12. Chris Madden 1-7-11-$68,990-2,229 (-1483)
13. Billy Moyer 1-9-11-$40,325-2,042 (-1670)
14. Brian Birkhofer 0-1-5-$17,810-1,624 (-2088)
15. John Blankenship 0-0-0-$10,570-1,588 (-2124)
16. Jimmy Mars 0-4-6-$22,830-1,322 (-2390)
17. Roy Mitchell 0-0-0-$5,560-1,261 (-2451)
18. Billy Decker 0-0-1-$7,280-1,192 (-2520)
19. Dennis Erb Jr. 2-4-6-$30,800-1,173 (-2539)
20. Ricky Elliott 0-0-3-$6,480-847 (-2865)

LISTEN ONLINE: If fans can’t get to a track to see the series, they can experience the excitement of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series live on DIRTvision.com through the DIRT Radio Network.

To listen to the free audio broadcasts, log on to www.dirtvision.com and click on the DIRT Radio Network logo.

Listeners will need Windows Media Player 9 or higher to listen to the DIRT Radio Network. For technical support or questions, e-mail [email protected].

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by several sponsors and partners, including National Interstate Insurance Company and contingency sponsors Wrisco Industries, Crane Cams, Ohlins Shocks, Quarter-Master, Hawk Brake, MSD Ignitions, Eibach Springs and Integra Shocks.
 
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