LMS: Tim Mccreadie Captures “Spring Shootout” Victory
May 17, 2008
LaSalle, IL - Watertown, NY’s Tim McCreadie captured the “Spring Shootout” on Saturday Night at the LaSalle Speedway as he won his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race since February 8, 2005. McCreadie took the lead for good on lap 26 after a side-by-side battle which took place for several laps between himself and Brady Smith. McCreadie’s last Lucas Oil Series win came at East Bay Raceway Park and his win at LaSalle allowed him to become the 11th different winner in 15 series events held in 2008.
Jason Feger started from the pole and led the first 13 laps on a well-prepared race track that saw racing all over the place. Feger, who was looking for the biggest win of his career, relinquished the point to McCreadie who had started alongside him on the front row.
Smith moved by Feger on lap 16 for second and then set his sights on McCreadie. Both drivers were using two different lines around the track as Smith caught up to McCreadie and took over the lead on lap 23. The two then went back and forth for three laps until McCreadie was able to clear Smith.
The race went caution free from lap 11 on as McCreadie pulled away from Smith over the last half of the race as he went on to score the $10,000 win. Smith was able to close ever so slightly in traffic, but McCreadie had built a sizable lead over Smith that held up the finish. John Blankenship came from ninth to finish third followed by Rick Eckert and Steve Francis.
Completing the top ten were Feger, Jeep VanWormer, Earl Pearson Jr., Bart Hartman and Matt Miller.
In Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series preliminary action Bart Hartman topped the 39 car field in PRC Time Trials with a lap of 12.842 seconds. Heat race winners were Jason Feger, Tim McCreadie, Brady Smith and Scott James. Hartman and Brian Birkhofer were B-Main Winners.
