Moyer Sweeps Knoxville - Race Results and Story
Saturday, October 2, 2010
By Bob Wilson
KNOXVILLE, Iowa (September 2) Billy Moyer of Batesville, Arkansas captured the 7th Annual Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals at Knoxville Raceway Saturday night. Moyer, who had also won the two nights of preliminary features, took home $40,000 prize money in front of the largest crowd ever for this event.
In a race which had trouble getting started because of caution flags, pole sitter Scott Bloomquist found himself in the lead after the first ten laps. Moyer, a front row starter was right behind him. When Bloomquist began experimenting with different lines, Moyer pulled even and on lap twelve slid for the lead in turn two. From that point on, only one driver took a lap away from leader to the end of the 100-lap race.
Behind Moyer, Darrell Lanigan and Bloomquist locked horns with Lanigan getting the upper hand. By the ten-mile mark Earl Pearson Jr. had also moved into contention but a scrape with the turn two wall cost him several spots. He then faded backwards.
With Moyer in control of the race, Josh Richards was next to become a player in the front runners. He and Lanigan battled back and forth until Richards secured the runner-up spot just after lap 25. Lanigan then found Bloomquist again seeking to advance and finally turned over that spot on the thirtieth circuit.
Moyer always kept with his low line around this big half-mile dirt oval as he ran low through turns 1, 2 and 3. Heading into turn four he would drift up to the top and then power down the front chute. He never varied from this line unless he found himself in lap traffic.
A yellow on lap 37 saw Pearson duck into the pits but whatever his problems were he was never competitive and finished down the line at the finish.
On the restart, Moyer again resumed control of the race which would go green for twenty laps. Bloomquist and Richards continued to battle behind him until Richards took control on lap 44. It then became a Bloomquist- Lanigan tussle as the latter won out when the cars sailed through the half-way point. Moyer could only muster a slim five car-length advantage at that point.
Lap 57 saw a yellow for a stopped car and it was at this point that fifth running Bloomquist came pitside. When the race resumed Bloomquist was still in the pits and was forced to go a lap down. He too would finish deep in the grid.
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The restart saw Moyer again resume his control of the race as Shannon Babb now caught fire and moved to third. Once there, he and Richards struggled for the runner-up spot with Babb finally assuming it on lap 65. Two laps later the red was thrown for a rare fuel stop. Track officials were concerned that all the laps under yellow might drain fuel tanks before the cars hit fifty miles.
A series of caution flags on laps 69, 70 and 71 slowed the race but once it went green again it would stay that way to the finish. This was the section of the race which saw Richards try to seriously challenge Moyer but he could never make a bid to pass. Both Richards and Lanigan had sent Babb to fourth where he would stay out of contention. Moyer, Richards and Lanigan raced through lap traffic with each of the three looking like a contender for the win.
Lap 80 found Moyer with only a five car-length advantage but soon the point man would begin putting a lap car between himself and second-running Richards. At lap 90 three lap cars were between the first and second placedrivers and with an open track, Moyer again built a comfortable lead.
As the laps wound to an end, Richards once again chased the leader but when the checkered flags flew, Moyer was nearly a full chute in front (or 3.450 seconds by electronic scoring). Richards claimed second and $20,000 while Lanigan held for third to grab $10,000. $8,500 and fourth went to Steve Francis as Rookie of the Race, Will Vaught came from 22nd to take fifth and $7,500. Rounding out the top 10 were Babb, Jimmy Mars the B Main winner, Tim McCready, Brady Smith and race rookie Austin Hubbard.
Moyer, who is the hottest driver in the nation, scored his 24th feature event win on the season. Of note too is that he also won on a track in which his father scored a supermodified win nearly fifty years earlier. For a driver who keeps talking retirement, this season is looking like a vintage year for the Iowa native.
In the $2,000 to win modified feature, Todd Shute looked to be on his way to a 25-lap victory. He led laps 2-21 but his ride began to smoke at about lap 18. When the yellow flew on that 21st circuit the smoke became thicker and he had to pull pitside with a sick engine. Three cautions later found second running Darin Duffy inheriting the lead and the Hazelton, Iowa driver held on to take the win. Brian Mullen, Rich Smith, Jeremy Mills and Richie Gustin formed the top five finishers.
KNOXVILLE RACEWAY, Knoxville, IA
October 2, 2010
Late Models RESULTS
C Feature, 15 laps, 4:34.4 (New Track Record): 1. John Duty, Portland OR; 2. Rickey Frankel, Quincy IL; 3. Kerry Hansen, Spencer WI; 4. Mike Fryer, Freeport IL; 5. Joel Callahan, Dubuque IA; 6. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown IA; 7. Mike Wallace, Carter Lake IA; 8. Chad Chenoweth, Huron SD; 9. Junior Coover, Norfolk NE; 10. Alonzo Grosse, Council Bluffs IA;
B Feature , 20 laps, 6:28.2 (New Track Record): 1. Jimmy Mars, Menomonie WI; 2. Brad Neat, Dunnville KY; 3. Jack Sullivan, Greenbrier AR; 4. Jason Rauen, Farley IA; 5. Rob Moss, Iowa City IA; 6. Chris Simpson, Marion IA; 7. Mark Burgtorf, Quincy IL; 8. Andy Eckrich, Iowa City IA; 9. Ryan Newman, South Bend IN; 10. Jeremiah Hurst, Dubuque IA; 11. John Blankenship, Williamson WV; 12. Nick Marolf, Moscow IA; 13. John Duty, Portland OR; 14. Chris Spieker, Massena IA; 15. Rich Bell, Sheffield IL; 16. Jake Meier, Tipton IA; 17. Jeff Guengerich, Washington IA; 18. Boone McLaughlin, Mediapolis IA; 19. Mike Fryer, Freeport IL; 20. Joel Callahan, Dubuque IA; 21. Kerry Hansen, Spencer WI; 22. Darrel DeFrance, Marshalltown IA; 23. Eddie Kirchoff, Gillette WY;
A Feature , 100 laps, No Time: 1. Billy Moyer, Batesville AR; 2. Josh Richards, Shinnston WV; 3. Darrell Lanigan, Union KY; 4. Steve Francis, Ashland KY; 5. Will Vaught, Crane MO; 6. Shannon Babb, Moweaqua IL; 7. Jimmy Mars, Menomonie WI; 8. Tim McCreadie, Watertown NY; 9. Brady Smith, Solon Springs WI; 10. Austin Hubbard, Seaford DE; 11. Jimmy Owens, Newport IN; 12. Kelly Boen, Henderson CO; 13. Chad Simpson, Mount Vernon IA; 14. Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville FL; 15. Rick Eckert, York PA; 16. Matt Miller, Whitehouse OH; 17. Brian Shirley, Chatham IL; 18. Dan Schlieper, Sullivan WI; 19. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg TN; 20. Brad Neat, Dunnville KY; 21. Ryan Newman, South Bend IN; 22. Jack Sullivan, Greenbrier AR; 23. Denny Eckrich, Oxford IA; 24. Jason Rauen, Farley IA; 25. Jason Utter, Columbus Junction IA; 26. Chris Simpson, Marion IA; 27. Darren Miller, Milledgeville IL; 28. Brian Birkhofer, Muscatine IA; 29. Rob Moss, Iowa City IA; 30. Bub McCool, Vicksburg MS; 31. Scott James, Lawrenceburg IN. Lap Leaders: Bloomquist 1-11; Moyer 12-19; Lanigan 20; Moyer 21-100
Modifieds RESULTS
B Feature , 15 laps, No Time: 1. Greg Cox, Altoona IA; 2. JJ Wise, Manly IA; 3. Jake Durbin, Perry IA; 4. Shawn Jerovetz, Sobieski WI; 5. Jerry Wilinski, Seymour WI; 6. Josh Gilman, Earlham IA; 7. Tyler VandeKamp, Knoxville IA; 8. Mike OLear, Marshalltown IA; 9. Jeff Waterman, Quincy IL; 10. Eric Dailey, Armstrong IA; 11. Josh Foster, Montrose IA; 12. Jimmy Gustin, Marshalltown IA; 13. Jason Snyder, Dunkerton IA; 14. Ron Pope, Mason City IA; 15. Rob Hughes, Humboldt IA; 16. Mike Jergens, Plover IA;
A Feature , 25 laps, No Time: 1. Darren Duffy, Hazleton IA; 2. Brian Mullen, Seymour WI; 3. Rich Smith, Davenport IA; 4. Jeremy Mills, Garner IA; 5. Richie Gustin, Gilman IA; 6. Ryan Ruter, Kanawha IA; 7. JD Auringer, Evansdale IA; 8. Mark Schulte, Delhi IA; 9. Josh Gilman, Earlham IA; 10. JJ Wise, Manly IA; 11. Bill Davis Jr., Des Moines IA; 12. Clint Hatelstad, Glencoe MN; 13. Greg Cox, Altoona IA; 14. Mark Elliott, Webster City IA; 15. Shawn Jerovetz, Sobieski WI; 16. Mike Long, Keokuk IA; 17. Jon Snyder, Ames IA; 18. Todd Shute, Des Moines IA; 19. Randy Havlik, Madrid IA; 20. Tyler VandeKamp, Knoxville IA; 21. Mike OLear, Marshalltown IA; 22. Jake Durbin, Perry IA; 23. Jerry Wilinski, Seymour WI. Lap Leaders: Durbin 1; Shute 2-21; Duffy 22-25
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