| Moyer On Top At JAX Raceway | JAX 2/18/20— Billy Moyer of Batesville, AR led wire-to-wire to win the United Dirt Track Racing Association Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Late Model 40-lap main event Friday night at Jax Raceway. Moyer’s Petroff Towing GRT/Clements Grand Prix was the dominant car from the time he unloaded it out of the transporter.
In addition to the $5,000 top prize in the main event, Moyer was the fast qualifier among the 36 entrants with a time around the 1/2-mile oil-dirt oval in 17.774 seconds. Moyer also won the first 12-lap Borla Performance Heat Race and led all 40 laps of the main event from the pole position.
“We took what we learned last night at the practice session and it worked well for us tonight,” Moyer said. “I think the car might have a little more in it for tomorrow night’s $10,000-to-win feature race.”
Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville pleased his hometown fans with a steady second-place finish in the Dunn-Benson Ford Warrior/Demon Mustang. Three-time Hav-A-Tampa Champion Scott Bloomquist finished third in the Lane Automotive Warrior/Custom Mustang.
Fourth went to Shannon Babb of Decatur, IL in the C&C Enterprises Rayburn/Pro Power Monte Carlo. Hav-A-Tampa point leader Steve Francis of Ashland, KY finished fifth in the Petroff Towing/Valvoline Oil Rocket/Russell Baker Monte Carlo.
Dan Schlieper of Pewaukee, WI took the sixth spot in the Performance Roofing Systems Rayburn/Pro Power Monte Carlo with seventh spot going to Donnie Moran of Dresden, OH in the McCullough Motorsports Mastersbilt/Fisher Grand Prix. Rick Eckert of York finished eighth in the Raye Vest Rocket/Custom Grand Prix.
Wendell Wallace of Batesville, AR finished ninth in the Monday Trucking GRT/Russell Baker Grand Prix, and Terry English of Benton, KY rounded out the top ten in the Mid Continental Fuels Rayburn/Hatfield Monte Carlo.
Moyer took the lead at the start of the race followed by Pearson from the inside front row, outside front row starter Moran, Bloomquist, and Schlieper. Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, IL spun his Rayburn/Hatfield Monte Carlo in turn three of the first lap to bring out the caution flag for a complete restart. The front four remained the same after the restart, with Babb moving up to fifth.
On the second lap, Steve Shaver of Parkersburg, WV hit a tire marker on the inside of the track in turn one to bring out the second caution flag. The impact caused enough damage to retire Shaver’s Simonton Windows Rayburn/Malcuit Grand Prix.
The restart saw Bloomquist and Babb pass Moran and drop him back to the fifth spot. By the third lap, Francis passed Moran to move into the top five. The caution came out again on lap 10 when Marshall Green of Dalton, GA stalled his Goddard Performance Warrior/Hatfield Monte Carlo in turn four.
Schlieper and Francis then put on a duel for the fifth spot, with Schlieper taking the position on lap 11, and Francis moving back into the top five on lap 28 after a caution period for debris on lap 27. The fifth-place finish by Francis extended his point lead over Eckert to 36 points.
Pearson and Bloomquist were able to close on Moyer when he encountered lapped traffic, but Moyer was up to the challenge and extend his lead after clearing the lapped cars. The victory moved Moyer from 12th to ninth in the Hav-A-Tampa point standings.
The 12-lap Borla Performance Heat Races were won by Moyer, Moran, Pearson and Bloomquist. Shaver won the Renegade Transporters 1st 12-lap Consolation Race, and Skip Arp of Georgetown, TN won the 12-lap Polaris ATVs Consolation Race in the Curtis Equipment GRT/Russell Baker Monte Carlo.
RESULTS
HAV-A-TAMPA DIRT RACING SERIES
MAIN EVENT (40 laps): pos start car# driver hometown car laps $won 1. 1 21 Billy Moyer Batesville,AR Pont 40 $5,200 2. 3 1 Earl Pearson Jr. Jacksonville,FL Ford 40 $3,000 3. 4 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg,TN Ford 40 $2,500 4. 5 18 Shannon Babb Decatur,IL Chev 40 $1,750 5. 7 15 Steve Francis Ashland,KY Chev 40 $2,000 6. 6 s9 Dan Schlieper Pewaukee,WI Chev 40 $1,750 7. 2 99 Donnie Moran Dresden,OH Pont 40 $1,500 8. 9 24 Rick Eckert York,PA Pont 40 $1,400 9. 8 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville,AR Pont 40 $1,300 10. 13 96 Terry English Benton,KY Chev 40 $900 11. 12 1m Jimmy Mars Elk Mound,WI Chev 40 $600 12. 10 00 Freddy Smith Knoxville,TN Chev 40 $1,075 13. 15 17m Dale McDowell Rossville,GA Chev 40 $875 14. 19 E1 Mike Balzano Parkersburg,WV Chev 40 $1,025 15. 20 53 Ray Cook Brasstown,NC Ford 40 $700 16. 16 66 Bill Frye Greenbrier,AR Pont 40 $975 17. 21 12 Jason Smith Laurel,MS Ford 39 $450 18. 22 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville,IL Chev 39 $1,075 19. 23 84 Roger Best Maryville,TN Chev 39 $400 20. 24 17e Lance Elson Wellsburg,WV Chev 38 $400 21. 14 111 Bo Shirley Gadsden,AL Pont 35 $400 22. 18 31 Skip Arp Georgetown,TN Chev 21 $600 23. 12 89 Marshall Green Dalton,GA Chev 10 $400 24. 17 30 Steve Shaver Parkersburg,WV Pont 1 $600
Lap Leaders: Moyer 1-40 Cautions: 4 Provisionals: Best, Elson Hav-A-Tampa Shootout Invitees: Babb, Best, Elson, Shirley, Green
QUALIFICATIONS: pos car# driver hometown chassis car engine time 1. 21 Billy Moyer Batesville,AR GRT Grand Prix Clements 17.774 2. 99m Donnie Moran Dresden,OH MasterSbilt Grand Prix Fisher 17.855 3. 1 Earl Pearson Jr. Jacksonville,FL Warrior Taurus Demon 17.976 4. 0 Scott Bloomquist Mooresburg,TN Warrior Mustang Custom 18.207 5. 96 Terry English Benton,KY Rayburn Monte Carlo Hatfield 18.213 6. 00 Freddy Smith Knoxville,TN GRT Monte Carlo Custom 18.219 7. 15 Steve Francis Ashland,KY Rocket Monte Carlo Russell Baker 18.35 8. 6m Wendell Wallace Batesville,AR GRT Grand Prix Russell Baker 18.39 9. 18 Shannon Babb Decatur,IL Rayburn Monte Carlo Pro Power 18.400 10. s9 Dan Schlieper Pewaukee,WI Rayburn Monte Carlo Pro Power 18.405 11. 1m Jimmy Mars Elk Mound,WI Rocket Monte Carlo Chevy 18.455 12. 89 Marshall Green Dalton,GA Warrior Monte Carlo Hatfield 18.474 13. 24 Rick Eckert York,PA Rocket Grand Prix Custom 18.505 14. 111 Bo Shirley Gadsden,AL Stinger Grand Prix Russell Baker 18.519 15. 31 Skip Arp Georgetown,TN GRT Monte Carlo Russell Baker 18.544 16. 66 Bill Frye Greenbrier,AR Warrior Grand Prix Custom 18.545 17. 17le Lance Elson (R) Wellsburg,WV Mastersbilt Grand Prix Fisher 18.553 18. E1 Mike Balzano Parkersburg,WV Rocket Monte Carlo Russell Baker 18.594 19. 17m Dale McDowell Rossville,GA GRT Monte Carlo Custom 18.647 20. 8g Mike Mishoe Brunswick,GA Rayburn Monte Carlo Pro Power 18.648 21. 30 Steve Shaver Parkersburg,WV Rayburn Monte Carlo Malcuit 18.797 22. 12s Jason Smith Laurel,MS GRT Mustang Cornett 18.815 23. 53 Ray Cook Brasstown,NC GRT Mustang Cornett 18.854 24. 66b David Browning Jacksonville,FL GRT Camaro J&W 18.876 25. 64L Dan Leatherman Muskogee,OK GRT Monte Carlo Russell Baker 18.929 26. 84b Roger Best Maryville,TN Warrior Monte Carlo Clements 18.940 27. 28 Dennis Erb Jr. Carpentersville,ILL Rayburn Monte Carlo Hatfield 19.049 28. 17g Mike Gault (R) Gaffney,SC Warrior Grand Prix Clements 19.188 29. 4 Vernon Smith (R) Rome,GA Larry Shaw Monte Carlo RED 19.212 30. 1a Ronnie Adams Greenwood,LA GRT Mustang Cornett 19.246 31. w7 Thomas Ware Cynthianna,KY Rocket Monte Carlo Cropper 19.295 32. CV3 Clayton Christenberry Knoxville,TN GRT Monte Carlo Custom 19.365 33. 2 Mark Carter Blackshear,GA Grand Prix 19.421 34. 6 Duke Whiseant Texarkana,AR GRT Grand Prix Custom 19.444 35. 21k Dewayne Kiefer (R) St. Louis,MO Rayburn Monte Carlo Pro Power 19.458 36. 28r Bill Reed Knoxville,TN Fast Monte Carlo Clements 21.123
(R) - denotes rookie
BORLA PERFORMANCE 1ST HEAT (12 laps) — 1. Moyer; 2. Babb; 3. Eckert; 4. English; 5. Shaver; 6. Elson; 7. V. Smith; 8. Carter; 9. Leatherman. (top 4 finishers transfer to Main Event)
BORLA PERFORMANCE 2ND HEAT (12 laps) — 1. Moran; 2. Schlieper; 3. F. Smith; 4. Shirley; 5. Balzano; 6. Best; 7. J. Smith; 8. Adams; 9. Whiseant. (top 4 finishers transfer to Main Event)
BORLA PERFORMANCE 3RD HEAT (12 laps) — 1. Pearson; 2. Francis; 3. Mars; 4. McDowell; 5. Arp; 6. Erb; 7. Cook; 8. Ware; 9. Kiefer. (top 4 finishers transfer to Main Event)
BORLA PERFORMANCE 4TH HEAT (12 laps) — 1. Bloomquist; 2. Wallace; 3. Green; 4. Frye; 5. Mishoe; 6. Browning; 7. Christenberry; 8. Gault; 9. Reed. (top 4 finishers transfer to Main Event)
RENEGADE TRANSPORTERS 1ST CONSY (12 laps) — 1. Shaver; 2. Balzano; 3. J. Smith; 4. Elson; 5. Adams; 6. Whiseant; 7. Leatherman; 8. Carter; 9. Best. (top 3 finishers transfer to Main Event)
POLARIS ATVs 2ND CONSY (12 laps) — 1. Arp; 2. Cook; 3. Erb; 4. Mishoe; 5. Browning; 6. Ware; 7. Christenberry; 8. Gault; 9. Kiefer; 10. Reed. (top 3 finishers transfer to Main Event)
POINT STANDINGS (through 2/18/00): 1. Steve Francis – 923 2. Rick Eckert – 887 3. Donnie Moran – 882 4. Mike Balzano – 807 5. Scott Bloomquist – 802 6. Freddy Smith – 797 7. Wendell Wallace – 795 8. Dan Schlieper – 790 9. Billy Moyer – 782 10. Dennis Erb Jr. – 756 11. Bill Frye – 754 12. Skip Arp – 730 13. Steve Shaver – 716 14. Terry English – 712 15. Ray Cook – 705 16. Jimmy Mars – 641 17. Dale McDowell – 634 18. Jason Smith – 633 19. Shannon Babb – 575 20. Brian Birkhofer – 562
Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or send a letter to the editor!
|