Justin Winters
In front of a mega crowd, Jacksonville, Fla.'s Earl Pearson Jr. (aka The Hurricane) led all 50 laps on Friday night at Boyd's Speedway to win his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race since the 2015 season.
The results will show Pearson led all 50 laps but the win never came easy as he had several challengers up front. West Virginia's Josh Richards charged from the 14th starting position to finish second in the Best Performance Motorsports, Dargie Racing Engines, Rocket, while Tennessee's own Jimmy Owens - in the Ramirez Motorsports, E3 Spark Plugs, Rocket, ran in the top three the entire race to finish in the third position.
Thirteenth starting Tim McCreadie of New York (who won the previous race at Boyd's two weeks ago), in the Sweeteners Plus, Pro Power Racing Engines, Longhorn, finished fourth, while fifteenth place starter Darrell Lanigan of Kentucky, in the I-Racing, Clint Bowyer Racing, Club 29, completed the top five.
Pearson made his way to victory lane for the 31st time in his career and was elated afterwards. "I saw McIntosh early on, it looked like he could run anywhere on the track," said Pearson. "Jimmy [Owens] was good tonight and Josh, [Richards] I know he came from deep in the pack. I was worried about him when he came to the leader board."
In local competition Friday, Cleveland's Justin Winters won the Sportsman feature and Jesse Lowe of Crossville, Tn. won the Crate Late Model race. According to the tracks web-site www.boydsspeedway.net action resumes next Saturday night with a full racing program.
Feature Finish (50 Laps):
|
FINISH
|
START
|
CAR #
|
DRIVER NAME
|
HOMETOWN
|
EARNINGS
|
|
1
|
1
|
1
|
Earl Pearson, Jr.
|
Jacksonville, FL
|
$10,900
|
|
2
|
14
|
1R
|
Josh Richards
|
Shinnston, WV
|
$6,300
|
|
3
|
3
|
20
|
Jimmy Owens
|
Newport, TN
|
$3,500
|
|
4
|
13
|
39
|
Tim McCreadie
|
Watertown, NY
|
$4,300
|
|
5
|
15
|
14
|
Darrell Lanigan
|
Union, KY
|
$2,950
|
|
6
|
6
|
0
|
Scott Bloomquist
|
Mooresburg, TN
|
$2,800
|
|
7
|
9
|
17m
|
Dale McDowell
|
Chickamauga, GA
|
$1,500
|
|
8
|
2
|
7m
|
Donald McIntosh
|
Dawsonville, GA
|
$1,300
|
|
9
|
7
|
49
|
Jonathan Davenport
|
Williamson, SC
|
$2,000
|
|
10
|
12
|
116
|
Brandon Overton
|
Evans, GA
|
$1,100
|
|
11
|
23
|
28E
|
Dennis Erb, Jr.
|
Carpentersville, IL
|
$1,775
|
|
12
|
19
|
15
|
Steve Francis
|
Bowling Green, KY
|
$1,750
|
|
13
|
8
|
157
|
Mike Marlar
|
Winfield, TN
|
$1,025
|
|
14
|
18
|
22
|
Gregg Satterlee
|
Rochester Mills, PA
|
$1,700
|
|
15
|
20
|
54
|
David Breazeale
|
Starkville, MS
|
$950
|
|
16
|
10
|
1J
|
Jason Hiett
|
Oxford, AL
|
$925
|
|
17
|
21
|
99B
|
Boom Briggs
|
Bear Lake, PA
|
$900
|
|
18
|
24
|
75
|
Colton Flinner
|
Allison Park, PA
|
$1,575
|
|
19
|
22
|
C8
|
Timothy Culp
|
Prattsville, AR
|
$850
|
|
20
|
16
|
71
|
Hudson O'Neal
|
Martinsville, IN
|
$825
|
|
21
|
5
|
18x
|
Michael Page
|
Villa Rica, GA
|
$800
|
|
22
|
11
|
99
|
Derek Ellis
|
Chatsworth, GA
|
$800
|
|
23
|
4
|
5
|
Don O'Neal
|
Martinsville, IN
|
$1,600
|
|
24
|
17
|
50
|
Shanon Buckingham
|
Morristown, TN
|
$800
|
Earl Pearson