| Wednesday, February 4, 2004 | |
| Francis Wins First World of Outlaws Late Model Event | Full-fender competition Tuesday at Volusia Speedway Park marked the beginning of a new era in auto racing and Steve Francis entered his name in the record book as he opened Raceweeks '04 with a 30-lap triumph in the inaugural World of Outlaws Late Model Series A-Main event.
Steve Francis earlier in 2004
Three-time Renegade STARS champion Francis from Ashland, Ky. collected a $5,000 first-place check following a dominating flag-to-flag performance that culminated with his first-ever win at the Barberville half-miler.
"It's great to start out well right off the bat," said Francis, 36, who scored the decisive victory aboard his self-owned Mopar Performance-Valvoline-Freeport Recyclers backed Dodge Intrepid entry, with the familiar no. 15 Rocket chassis housing a Stanton engine. "I'm even happy for Mark (Richards) coming home second with his new team, it was a good time all night long."
Francis served as the Rocket house car driver for Richards the past two years. Second-generation standout Bart Hartman from Zanesville, Ohio picked up the ride as Francis elected to set out on his own prior to the start of the 2004 race season.
"I was concerned with tires as we went a little softer than most of the other guys out there tonight," said Francis, who placed second in the final point standings when the last World of Outlaws-sanctioned Late Model Series was run 15 years ago under group founder Ted Johnson. "The car kept getting tighter and tighter as the race went on but the track was the most racey I've ever seen and that made it a lot of fun getting around."
With the final 10 laps run straight through under green, the 'Kentucky Colonel' opened up a 10 car-length cushion to finish ahead of runner-up Hartman, Shannon Babb, Dale McDowell and Wendell Wallace when the final checkered flag flew.
Francis was fast throughout the night, posting the best time (16.761 sec., 107.392 mph) in qualifying out of 54 cars that ran under the clock. After capturing the initial heat race he placed second behind Dan Schlieper in the dash that pitted the top-two heat race finishers and set up the front four rows to begin the A-Main.
Preliminary round winners also included Rick Eckert, Babb and Wallace, with Jackie Boggs and Darrell Lanigan claiming last chance races. Provisional starters Rick Aukland and John Blankenship were added to the field although mechanical damage suffered in the consolation round forced Blankenship to remain pitside during the finale.
Francis out-dragged Schlieper at the drop of the green and began to separate himself on the 23-car starting grid. Third-place starter Hartman ducked under Schlieper down the back straightaway on lap seven and set his sights on the high-flying Francis machine.
The first of two yellow flags waved on lap 10 when veteran Chub Frank ---winner just two nights earlier at Oglethorpe (Ga.) Speedway--- looped his Star 1 mount all alone between turns one and two, collecting Floridian Robbie Blair and Tim Dohm in the aftermath.
On the ensuing restart a rare red flag was dropped for a multi-car scramble on the front stretch that resulted in Darrell Lanigan getting upside down. The incident unfolded when Scott Bloomquist forced Billy Moyer high rounding turn four with Clint Smith tagging the Moyer machine as it slid up a lane. The chain-reaction that followed behind involved Chuck Harper, R.J. Conley and Vic Coffey, who ended up wedged underneath the no. 29 Lanigan entry as it came to rest just past the starter's stand.
The second restart was successful with Francis leading Hartman, Eckert, Schlieper, McDowell and Wallace. Eckert moved into second by the midway point but his bid to track down the leader was foiled when he cut a right front tire to incur the final caution period on lap 21.
Back under green flag conditions Francis wasted little time regaining a commanding lead over Hartman, although Illinois traveler Babb put on a stellar showing as the laps dwindled. Chasing the high line, Babb bolted past Wallace on lap 22 and three laps later mirrored the move around McDowell to salvage third-place on the final scoresheet.
Five-time national champion Bloomquist, Moyer, Boggs, Schlieper and Mike Balzano rounded out the top-10 with 18 cars completing the entire 15-mile distance.
"I was getting ready for a charge at the end by Rick (Eckert) but it just never happened," said Francis, after taking center stage for his dominating performance that opened up the 33rd Winter Nationals at the popular Barberville speedplant. "That last yellow opened up the track ahead and nothing else got in our way. This is really a great way to start the week and get the new traveling tour off the ground."
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series returns to Volusia on Wednesday and runs two more shows on Friday and Sunday. The nation's top full-fender stars battle in the fourth and final round on Sunday as a $12,000-to-win 50-lap championship event is saved for the finale under the lights.
WORLD OF OUTLAWS LATE MODEL SERIES
SUMMARY EVENT NO. 1
FEATURE(30-LAPS): STEVE FRANCIS, Bart Hartman, Shannon Babb, Dale McDowell, Wendell Wallace, Scott Bloomquist, Billy Moyer, Jackie Boggs, Dan Schlieper, Mike Balzano, Mike Marlar, Kenny Schrader, Rick Aukland, R.J. Conley, Rick Eckert, Tim Dohm, Dennis Erb,Jr., Chuck Harper, Robbie Blair, Chub Frank, Clint Smith, Darrell Lanigan, Vic Coffey; DNS-John Blankenship.
FAST TIME TRIAL: Steve Francis (16.761 sec./107.392 mph).
HEAT 1: Francis, Schlieper, Smith, Schrader.
HEAT 2: Eckert, Hartman, Bloomquist, Balzano.
HEAT 3: Babb, McDowell, Conley, Marlar.
HEAT 4: Wallace, Moyer, Harper, Erb.
LAST CHANCE 1: Boggs, Blair, Dohm.
LAST CHANCE 2: Lanigan, Frank, Coffey.
DASH: Schlieper, Francis, Hartman, McDowell, Eckert, Moyer, Babb, Wallace.
PROVISIONALS: Aukland, Blankenship.
TOP-10 FLORIDA POINT STANDINGS: 600-Steve Francis, 588-Shannon Babb, 583-Bart Hartman, 572-Wendell Wallace, 565-Dale McDowell, 559-Billy Moyer, 548-Scott Bloomquist, 542-Rick Eckert, 541-Dan Schlieper, 539-Kenny Schrader.
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