By Kevin Kovac,
World of Outlaws Late Model Series P.R. Director

CONCORD, NC - September 29, 2009 - What a finish: A former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champion and the tour's youngest star combined to produce a thrilling ending to Saturday night's fifth annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals presented by SuperClean.

A bold last-lap charge around the outside of Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway's third and fourth turns proved decisive for 2006 WoO LMS titlist Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who turned back a dramatic bid by 20-year-old Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., to capture the unsanctioned 100-lap event.

McCreadie, 34, pocketed $40,000 for the biggest win of his dirt Late Model career while denying Richards what would have been his first signature, crown-jewel triumph.

"To be honest," an overjoyed McCreadie said following the memorable A-Main, "I'd be lying if I didn't think that one wasn't the best race of my life."

Indeed, McCreadie had to run his familiar Sweeteners Plus Rocket car for all it was worth to stave off Richards. After three-time WoO LMS champion Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., brought out a caution flag on lap 99 to set up a green-white-checkered finish, McCreadie, who had seized control of the lead after NASCAR Sprint Cup star Tony Stewart relinquished the top spot due to a flat right-rear tire on lap 67, watched Richards slide underneath him to assume command with the white flag flying.

McCreadie let it all hang out rounding turns three and four for the final time, tossing his No. 39 around the extreme outside of the famed half-mile oval. He carried enough momentum - and Richards scrubbed off just enough speed on the inside of turn four - to reach the finish line first.

"We can sit up here and call it skill," McCreadie said of his on-the-edge pass for the win. "I just stabbed and sticked and it just happened to work out this time."

Richards, who scored his first-ever victory at Knoxville in a 25-lap semi-feature on Thursday night, could only think about what might have been after settling for a heartbreaking second-place finish worth $20,000.

"When I passed (McCreadie) for the lead I caught some of that oil (from Moyer's mechanical) that was run in on the bottom of turn four and my car just latched to the ground," said Richards, who drove his father Mark's Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket.
"I was trying to do the same thing the last lap, but I guess I just missed it. I felt my car start skating a little bit and I knew I was done.

"There's so many things you should've, could've done. I just chose the wrong one I guess."

During the post-race press conference, McCreadie spoke highly of dirt Late Model racing in general and WoO LMS regulars Richards and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., who finished a close third, in particular.

A question about Stewart got T-Mac talking about the competitiveness of dirt Late Model racing and the drivers in it. He noted that Stewart developed his bid-ending flat tire on lap 67 after the NASCAR invader slid into McCreadie's door while battling for the lead - a miscue that McCreadie said could have resulted from Stewart's limited time behind the wheel of a dirt Late Model.

"A lot of people think (Stewart) might be the best there ever is," said McCreadie.
"This division is the best there is in racing right now. You can't just jump in these things and be perfect."

As for Richards and Babb, McCreadie gestured toward them and said, "These two guys are class acts. I wouldn't pick two other guys I'd want to be sitting up here with."

GRIDIRON PARTY: Where did McCreadie go on Sunday to continue celebrating his Knoxville Nationals triumph?

Well, McCreadie headed to St. Louis with Integra Shocks representative Brian Daugherty to watch his beloved Buffalo Bills play the St. Louis Rams at the Edward Jones Dome. He kept the good times rolling by cheering the Bills to a 31-14 victory that extended their record to 4-0.

OUTLAWS AT KNOXVILLE: Richards was one of three 2008 WoO LMS regulars to finish in the top five in the Knoxville Nationals, leading Babb (third place) and Rick Eckert of York, Pa. (fifth) in the final rundown.

Babb had his Bowyer Dirt Motorsports Rocket right behind McCreadie and Richards at the checkered flag, hoping for an opening to steal the win.

"I had the best seat in the house for those last couple laps," said Babb, who started 13th. "I didn't know what was gonna happen."

Eckert was also in the late-race mix with his Raye Vest-owned GRT car, securing a $7,500 fifth-place finish after starting 15th.

The news wasn't as good for WoO LMS points leader Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and defending champion Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky.

Lanigan started from the pole position in the 100 after scoring a semi-feature win on Friday night, but a smoking valve-cover gasket forced him to pit on the pace laps and power-steering woes prompted him to retire after just seven circuits. He finished 29th.

Francis, meanwhile, started 11th in the A-Main but lasted a mere four laps because a blown right-rear tire caused his Dale Beitler-owned car to flip. He landed on his wheels and wasn't injured, but his heavily-damaged machine was carted off on a flatbed truck.

BAD NIGHT, GOOD NIGHT: WoO LMS stalwart Chub Frank stayed close to his Bear Lake, Pa., home for weekend action, entering the United Late Model Series program at McKean County Raceway in East Smethport, Pa.

The visit to the one-third-mile oval didn't start out well for the 46-year-old Frank. During a heat race for Friday night's preliminary feature an unidentified piece of debris flew into his cockpit and slammed his helmet, momentarily knocking Frank out and causing him to hit the homestretch wall with great force.

While the unique Day Glo-orange tinged 'Chub's Army' car that Frank debuted during the recent World 100 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, sustained heavy damage and will be transported to Rocket Chassis in Shinnston, W.Va., for frame repair, 'Chubzilla' was shaken but otherwise uninjured. His night of racing was over, but he remained at the track and later visited Victory Lane to congratulate his former mechanic Rick 'Boom' Briggs, who won the evening's 30-lap headliner.

Frank returned to MCR on Saturday night with his two-year-old car called 'Old Faithful' and fared much better, finishing second in the 50-lap A-Main to...Briggs, who completed a sweep of the weekend with a career-high $12,000 victory. Frank and Briggs started alongside each other on the front row and swapped the lead several times early in the race before Briggs gradually asserted control.

MECHANIC MAKES GOOD: Bear Lake, Pa.'s Briggs was, of course, the 2004 WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year award when he traveled the tour as Frank's head wrench, but he's concentrated more on his driving career in recent seasons.

The 37-year-old talent has been a familiar face on the WoO LMS this year, entering 11 events with his No. 99b. He experienced one especially trying moment - a wild flip during hot laps for the tour show on June 22 at Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway that left him with a concussion and on the sidelines for nearly a month - but also picked up valuable seat time racing with the country's best drivers.

Briggs, who houses his car at Frank's shop, has busted out over the past month. He was victorious on Sept. 21 at Little Valley (N.Y.) Speedway and then swept the three-day McKean County meet, winning a Thursday-night 'King of the Hill' match race and features the next two evenings.

"It was a weekend you'll never forget," a still beaming Briggs said on Monday morning while working at Frank's garage. "To have everything go so perfect for three straight nights just doesn't happen too often. It's like a dream come true."

Briggs gave the credit for his success to Frank and WoO LMS traveler Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., who spent several days at Frank's shop following the tour's Labor Day show at Tri-City Speedway in Franklin, Pa., and has been helping Frank and Briggs with setup ideas.

"The help I've gotten from Chub and Clanton is the reason why my car is going as good as it is," said Briggs, who would like to someday follow the WoO LMS in pursuit of the Rookie of the Year award. "They're making me a better driver."

MISFORTUNE: Clanton did his racing over the weekend at Columbus (Miss.) Speedway and nearly captured his second consecutive Magnolia 100 title.

The red-hot 33-year-old standout dominated Saturday night's unsanctioned event after grabbing the lead on lap eight, but a flat right-rear tire with just six laps remaining ended his bid and propelled Chris Wall of Holden, La., to the $20,008 victory.

Clanton, who settled for an eighth-place finish after making a pit stop for a new tire, was done in by a broken throttle spring on his Rocket No. 25. The malfunction occurred early in the 100 and forced him to use his foot to pull up the gas pedal throughout the distance; as a result, he had to slide through the corners harder than he would have liked to scrub off speed and ultimately wore out his tire.

SHORT DAY: Still racing with a cast on the right wrist that he broke during World 100 heat-race action on Sept. 6, WoO LMS star Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., was running second early in Sunday's Alabama State Championship feature at East Alabama Motor Speedway in Phenix City, Ala., when terminal engine woes ended his hopes.

Smith also put his crewman Aaron Ridley in his backup car for the event, but Ridley hit the wall during the feature and did not finish.

MODIFIED MEN: New York WoO LMS followers Tim Fuller and Vic Coffey jumped into their DIRTcar big-block Modifieds for Saturday night's Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series BPG National 200 at Rolling Wheels Raceway in Elbridge, N.Y., but didn't enjoy memorable outings.

Coffey had the best finish of the pair, placing 15th in an event that was shortened to 128 laps by rain. Fuller won a heat and appeared to be on the move to the front after the halfway mark, but a flat tire on lap 110 left him with a 19th-place finish.

NEXT UP: The WoO LMS returns to action on Tues., Oct. 7, at Fayetteville (N.C.) Motor Speedway (the completion of an event postponed by rain on Aug. 15) and Wed., Oct. 8, at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (the Armour Vienna Sausage Southern Showdown that will be contested 'topless,' ie., with roofs removed from the cars for the first time in WoO LMS history).


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