Tim McCreadie of Watertown, NY inherited the top spot when race leader Don O’Neal broke a j-bar on his car on lap 78 as he went on to win the Sixth Annual Scorcher 100 “A Salute to America’s Coal Miners” on Thursday Night at Volunteer Speedway. He took his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory of the season, worth $20,000. Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN finished second to maintain his series points lead. Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN finished third to move into second place in points. He was followed by Chris Madden of Gaffney, SC who placed fourth with Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC taking home fifth.
Steve Casebolt and McCreadie started on the front row of the 100 lap event as McCreadie grabbed the lead at the start with O’Neal coming from fourth to second on the opening circuit. McCreadie and O’Neal were setting a blistering pace around the high banks as they entered traffic by the eighth circuit. O’Neal closed right in on the doorstep of McCreadie’s mount on lap eleven and then a lap later the two came across the scoring line side-by-side. O’Neal made the pass for the lead a lap later taking over the point for the first time officially in the race.
With 15 laps in the books, it was O’Neal in front followed by McCreadie, Jimmy Owens, Casebolt and Joe Armes. The race was going along smoothly until Tommy Kerr slowed coming off of turn number four bringing out the first caution of the event. On the restart O’Neal quickly distanced himself from McCreadie bolting to a three-car length lead over McCreadie.
On lap 24, 4-time series champion Earl Pearson, Jr. slowed and dropped out of the race while running in seventh with a broken rear end. The race stayed green as Pearson exited the track off of turn number two. O’Neal was maintaining a solid lead as McCreadie was comfortably in second as the two re-entered heavy traffic with 30 laps scored.
At the 38 lap mark the top four were all together now on the track as they were dicing through traffic as O’Neal, McCreadie, Owens and Bloomquist just as the race was starting to get very interesting in the race for the lead the third caution flew for Eric Jacobsen with 45 complete.
On the restart a three car wreck between the fifth place running Casebolt, Ray Cook and Kerr slowed the field momentarily. On the restart O’Neal was still strong out front leading McCreadie, Bloomquist, Owens and Mike Marlar, who was now fifth after starting 18th.
By the 60th circuit O’Neal started to enter traffic once more as the event entered a long stretch of green flag racing. The top five remained evenly spaced out and with 25 laps to go O’Neal still was looking like the car to beat. A fateful lap 78, O’Neal broke his j-bar in turn number two as he slowed and took his car to the infield ending a tremendous as his night on the sidelines with a DNF.
McCreadie then inherited the lead after O’Neal’s departure and with 22 laps to go in the race all he had to do was hold off Bloomquist and Owens, which is no easy task. While two cautions in the final 22 circuits kept Bloomquist and Owens close for a while, McCreadie would pull after the final caution on lap 84 and go on for his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series of the year as he became the 20th different winner in 32 races this year.
In the Lucas Oil Victory Lane, McCreadie was thankful for the opportunity to race again following his injuries at the Chili Bowl back in January. “Man I can’t thank the fans enough for their support when I was hurt, it’s been a frustrating road to get here, but I feel we have turned the corner, this track is tough not only on the body but the car was well, but the track was in great shape tonight, thanks to my crew they did a great job with the car, I feel bad for Don O’Neal and MasterSbilt they had a great car tonight and he was just running off with this thing until he broke, I want to thank Rocket Chassis, Pro Power Engines and everybody else for their help, thanks for everyone coming out tonight,” said the 35 -year- old racer who also has sponsorship from Sweeteners Plus, Integra Racing Shocks, VP Racing Fuels, Hoosier Tires and Coffey-McCreadie Enterprises Inc.
Bloomquist finished second to stretch his lead to 235 points in his Miller Brothers Coal/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS. Owens was third in his Mike Reece/Reece Monument Company/Bloomquist Race Cars Ford Fusion as he took over second place in the points ahead of Pearson.
Madden in his Century Plastics/Xtreme Customs and Cycles/Bloomquist Race Cars entry came home fourth followed by Cook, who recovered from a lap 45th altercation earned the PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race by coming home fifth in the D&R Racing/Hicks and Ingle Company General Contractors/MasterSbilt Race Cars entry.
Completing the top ten were Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN; Austin Dillon of Lewisville, NC; Vic Hill of Morristown, TN; Eric Jacobsen of Seacliffe Beach, CA; and Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, GA.
Finish (Start) Car Number Driver Name
1. (2) #39 Tim McCreadie
2. (5) #0 Scott Bloomquist
3. (8) #20 Jimmy Owens
4. (10) #44m Chris Madden
5. (21) #53 Ray Cook
6. (18) #157 Mike Marlar
7. (14) #3 Austin Dillon
8. (22) #1v Vic Hill
9. (7) #5 Eric Jacobsen
10. (13) #17m Dale McDowell
11. (19) #98 Shon Flanary
12. (9) #4t Tommy Kerr
13. (23) #23 John Blankenship
14. (11) #49 Jonathan Davenport
15. (16) #28E Dennis Erb Jr.
16. (4) #71 Don O’Neal
17. (1) #c9 Steve Casebolt
18. (17) #41N Brad Neat
19. (15) #44x Rick Rogers
20. (6) #201 Billy Ogle Jr.
21. (3) #77 Joe Armes
22. (20) #s9 Dan Schlieper
23. (24) #54 David Breazeale
24. (12) #44 Earl Pearson Jr.
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