UNION, KY - Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN wins the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 22nd Annual Ralph Latham Memorial on Saturday Night at Florence Speedway. The “Newport Nightmare” earned $10,000 for his first LOLMDS win of the season and becomes the 12th different winner in 17 races this year. Eddie Carrier Jr. of Salt Rock, WV finished second followed by Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA, Earl Pearson Jr of Jacksonville, FL and Rick Combs of Bethel, OH.
The race was action packed from start to finish as O’Neal and Owens would battle for the top spot from the start. O’Neal had stretched his lead to over a car length in just five short laps. Owens quickly made up ground on O’Neal as the two picked up the tail end of the field.
With heavy traffic in front of the duo, they would see Lanigan close the gap. Lanigan ran into trouble on lap 18 when he got too close to the burm on the inside of turns three and four trying to pass Owens on the inside, causing severe damage to the left front suspension of his car. The yellow flag would come out for the first time in the race for debris and at the same time Lanigan would slow on the backstretch and his night ended on the back of a wrecker.
On the restart, O’Neal, still in the lead, with Owens holding down second and a new threat as Carrier was close behind in third. O’Neal would set sail building a quick lead over Owens, who was now having to contend with Carrier to keep his runner-up slot.
At the halfway mark O’Neal looked to be unbeatable holding off all challenges that Owens had thrown at him. More lapped traffic would await O’Neal as Owens and Carrier closed down the advantage that he held. Jerry Rice advanced several position late in the race, only to slow and pull out, spoiling a possible late race bid for a top five finish.
Carrier would then overtake Owens for second making a nifty move and with 35 laps in the books it was O’Neal, Carrier, Owens, Combs and Birkhofer in the top five positions as those drivers had moved to the very top of the track against the outside wall. With ten laps to go Owens would hunt down Carrier racing past him as he was attempting to set up a showdown in the final laps.
With 44 laps scored O’Neal would exit turn four in the lead but suddenly O’Neal slowed and made a hard left turn into the infield as oil pump issues forced him from the race as he was headed to the five laps to go signal by the flagman. Owens who was right behind O’Neal when this occurred would now inherit the lead and have a clear track in front of him for the final five circuits.
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