Owens, reigning World 100 and North-South 100 winner would remain unchallenged as he sped on for the victory in the Mike Reece owned/Reece Monument Company/Gantte Appraisals/VP Racing Fuels/PRC/Red Line Oil/Wear Development/Mike’s Mini Late Models/Alwee Trucking Company/Cornett Engines sponsored Bloomquist Race Cars Ford Fusion.
Standing in Lucas Oil Victory Lane, the 36-year-old driver captured his seventh career series win on Saturday Night at Florence commented, “that was a real good show there, O’Neal got out in front and then Eddie Carrier (Jr.) got by me and I raced him hard we touched there on the backstretch I thought I was clear, but I got into him a little bit and I apologize for that, the deal with Lanigan I don’t really know what happened there I came down a little and he was there.” Owens who took over the top spot with six laps to go said he couldn’t say what happened to O’Neal’s car. “I didn’t see anything come off of it nor did it appear he was leaking anything, he had a real good car and we were gaining on him so fast there when he pulled out I guess we were just in the right place at the right time.”
Owens was also highly complementary of the Florence Speedway track crew led by Preston Sandlin. “The track was just super, you could run anywhere on it, I was a little worried there starting in the daytime, but it worked out real well and thanks to everyone here for giving us a racy track,” Owens said.
Carrier Jr. in the Carl Grover Motorsports/Engines Inc. /Rocket Ford Fusion finished second, followed by Birkhofer in his J&J Steel/Pro Power Engines/Mars-Birkhofer Monte Carlo SS. Pearson with his fourth place finish now holds a 55 points advantage over Steve Casebolt, who finished sixth. Pearson was in the Bobby Labonte Racing/Larry Wallace Engines/MasterSbilt Dodge Charger as he crossed the finish line ahead of Rick Combs who ran in the top five the entire distance. Combs was wheeling the Speedweasels/Cropper Racing Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo SS.
Completing the top ten were Steve Casebolt, John Gill, Josh Williams, Brad Neat and Wayne Chinn.
In preliminary action at Florence R.J. Conley topped the 58 entrants in PRC Time Trials with a fast lap of 16.356 seconds. The heat races were won by Darrell Lanigan, Don O’Neal, Jimmy Owens, Rick Combs, Jerry Rice and Eddie Carrier Jr. The B-Mains were taken by Victor Lee and Robby Hensley.
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