Lanigan tops Bagley for Fourth Career NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 Victory at Deer Creek Speedway
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Points Leader Collects $11,600 for Eighth Win of 2014
SPRING VALLEY, Minn. – July 13, 2014 – Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., raced to his fourth career victory in Deer Creek Speedway‘s NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 Sunday evening, earning $11,600 for his eighth World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory of the season.
Lanigan, the two-time WoO LMS champion and current series points leader, advanced from his fourth starting spot and drove his Gotta Race-sponsored Club 29 Race Car by polesitter Morgan Bagley of Tyler, Texas, on lap 23 of the 50-lap event on his way to winning Minnesota’s biggest Late Model race for the second straight year.
Lanigan crossed the finish line 1.319 seconds ahead of Bagley, who settled for the runner-up finish after leading laps 4-22. Fifth-starting Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., was just behind Bagley in third, while second-starting Rick Eckert of York, Pa., slid back to fourth after leading the race’s first three laps. Eighth-starting Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., rounded out the top five after running as high as third midway through the race.
Lanigan’s 61st career WoO LMS victory came in the second leg of the series’ four-race Wild West Tour and helped to ease the disappointment of a missed opportunity in the Wild West Tour opener Thursday night at Hibbing (Minn.) Raceway when Lanigan fell to third after leading the first half of the race.
“We definitely let one get away the other night,” said Lanigan, who stretched his WoO LMS points lead to an even 200 points with the victory. “That was our own fault. But we’re having a great year, so I ain’t complaining.
“The car was great tonight; we could go anywhere we wanted to. Went a little harder than they did on tires, and I think it paid off in the end.”
Looking for his first career WoO LMS victory, Bagley topped an early battle with Eckert to put his P&W Sales-sponsored Rocket Chassis out front on lap four. He fought hard to turn back Lanigan’s challenge around the 20-lap mark but couldn’t hold him off after the two leaders raced side-by-side through traffic for three laps.
Bagley mounted a challenge to retake the lead just after the halfway point and even pulled alongside Lanigan on lap 27. But a lap-29 caution slowed Bagley’s momentum, and Lanigan pulled away after the restart.
“It was good to get out and lead some laps and be competitive,” said Bagley, who recorded his career best WoO LMS A-Main finish and his second consecutive top five on the series. “It was a good race. I just zigged when I should’ve zagged there. I knew it was gonna be hard to beat Darrell regardless. But at least I got to follow him and drive hard. Maybe we’ll have something for him next time.
“We’ve been paying our dues and that’s part of it. We’re just gonna keep on digging and fine tuning. We’ve got a good team and hopefully (a victory) will come here pretty quick because everybody on this team deserves it.”
Fuller continued his recent resurgence in his Kennedy Motorsports Rocket Chassis with a solid performance that began with lowering Deer Creek’s Late Model track record in qualifying. After settling into fifth early in the main event, he later took third in a heated mid-race battle with Eckert and Wells, but he couldn’t catch the leaders in the closing laps.
“It was a real good night,” said Fuller, who plans to follow the remainder of the WoO LMS schedule after missing much of the first half of the season. “We just weren’t as good as Darrell and (Bagley). We’ve been running good, and you hang around the top five long enough and you’re gonna grab some wins.”
The Wild West Tour continues Tuesday (July 15) with a visit to Brown County Speedway in Aberdeen, S.D., for the third-mile oval’s first WoO LMS event since 2008. River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., hosts the Wild West Tour finale Friday (July 18).
For more information on the WoO LMS, visit www.worldofoutlaws.com.
Fans can also follow the WoO LMS on Twitter at Twitter.com/WoOLateModels and Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldofOutlaws.
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series NAPA Auto Parts Gopher 50 at Deer Creek Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
1. (4) Darrell Lanigan/50 $11,600
2. (1) Morgan Bagley/50 $5,600
3. (5) Tim Fuller/50 $3,000
4. (2) Rick Eckert/50 $3,050
5. (8) Eric Wells/50 $2,550
6. (10) Shane Clanton/50 $2,250
7. (3) Frank Heckenast Jr./50 $2,350
8. (7) Jimmy Mars/50 $1,350
9. (24) Lance Matthees/50 $1,850
10. (18) Chub Frank/50 $1,650
11. (11) Chase Junghans/50 $1,550
12. (15) Tyler Bruening/50 $1,000
13. (9) Boom Briggs/49 $1,550
14. (14) Clint Smith/48 $1,450
15. (21) Adam Hensel/40 $850
16. (6) Tim McCreadie/29 $1,400
17. (17) Jason Krohn/29 $770
18. (16) Rodney Sanders/24 $750
19. (13) Brady Smith/24 $730
20. (20) Mike Fryer/24 $700
21. (22) Pat Doar/18 $700
22. (12) Jordan Yaggy/17 $700
23. (19) Nick Herrick/15 $700
24. (23) John Winge/6 $725
* Earnings include Winners Circle program and cash contingency award bonuses
Time of Race: 20 Mins., 13 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.319 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 3 (laps 7, 24, 29)
Lap Leaders: Eckert (1-3); Bagley (4-22); Lanigan (23-50)
Provisional Starters: Winge, Matthees
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: Matthees ($500)
WoO LMS Rookie Bonus: Heckenast ($250)
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
1. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, N.Y., 13.900
2. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, Ky., 14.017
3. 1-Rick Eckert/York, Pa., 14.076
4. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, N.Y., 14.079
5. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, Ky., 14.118
6. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr./Frankfort, Ill., 14.192
7. 25-Shane Clanton/Zebulon, Ga., 14.290
8. 14m-Morgan Bagley/Tyler, Texas, 14.353
9. 16-Tyler Bruening/Decorah, Iowa, 14.385
10. 28m-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, Wis., 14.389
11. 90-Lance Matthees/Winona, Minn., 14.390
12. 99B-Boom Briggs/Bear Lake, Pa., 14.396
13. 20-Rodney Sanders/Happy, Texas, 14.431
14. 18c-Chase Junghans/Manhattan, Kan., 14.471
15. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, Pa., 14.518
16. 2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, Wis., 14.539
17. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, Ga., 14.561
18. 77-Jordan Yaggy/Rochester, Minn., 14.584
19. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, Wis., 14.596
20. 60-Dustin Virkus/Clarkfield, Minn., 14.601
21. 33x-Adam Hensel/Baldwyn, Minn., 14.662
22. 58-A.J. Diemel/Elk Mound, Wis., 14.671
23. 7k-Jason Krohn/Slayton, Minn., 14.725
24. 5m-Mike Fryer/Freeport, Ill., 14.743
25. 85-John Kaanta/Elk Mound, Wis., 14.839
26. 6-Nick Herrick/ West Concord, Minn., 15.001
27. 17j-JohnWinge/ Sioux Falls S.D., 15.259
28. 96-Doug Herrick/West Concord, Minn., 15.373
29. 35-Jerry Bloom/Rochester, Minn., 16.000
No time: 24-Brett Swedberg/ Shawano, Wis.,
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): McCreadie, Fuller, Mars, Clanton, B. Smith, Sanders, Diemel, Doar, Kaanta, D. Herrick.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Lanigan, Bagley, Wells, Junghans, C. Smith, Krohn, N. Herrick, Virkus, Bloom, Matthees.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 6 Transfer): Heckenast, Eckert, Briggs, Yaggy, Bruening, Chub, Fryer, Hensel, Winge.
B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 4 Transfer): N.Herrick, Fryer, Hensel, Doar, Kaanta, Virkus, Swedburg, Bloom, Winge, D.Herrick, Diemel, Matthees
World of Outlaws Late Model Series Contingency Award Winners (awards presented to noted finisher/qualifier or next highest displaying decal):
Ohlins Shocks ($50 cash to fast qualifier): Frank Heckenast Jr.
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Morgan Bagley
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Morgan Bagley
Quartermaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner): Eric Wells
Wrisco (three sheets of aluminum/certificate to A-Main winner): Darrell Lanigan
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
Penske Racing Shocks ($50 to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Lance Matthees
Roush-Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Rick Eckert
Mobil 1 ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Frank Heckenast Jr.
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
Lincoln Welders ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Shane Clanton
American Racing Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Lance Matthees
VP Racing Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Jimmy Mars
Edelbrock ($50 cash to 9th-place finisher in A-Main): Lance Matthees
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Cometic ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Boom Briggs
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Boom Briggs
Superflow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
Quartermaster ($25 certificate to 15th-place finisher in A-Main): Adam Hensel
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 16th-place finisher in A-Main): Tim McCreadie
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Rodney Sanders
Quartermaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Brady Smith
Arizona Sports Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Jordan Yaggy
JE Pistons (one set of rings certificate to 21st-place finisher in A-Main): Pat Doar
Roush-Yates ($50 certificate to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Jordan Yaggy
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): John Winge
Armor All (one case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO driver): Jimmy Mars
2014 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Point Standings as of July 13 – 19 A-Mains completed (rank/driver/points/deficit to leader):
1. Darrell Lanigan 2820
2. Rick Eckert 2620 (-200)
3. Tim McCreadie 2592 (-228)
4. Morgan Bagley 2540 (-280)
5. Chub Frank 2516 (-304)
6. Shane Clanton 2470 (-350)
7. Eric Wells 2460 (-360)
8. Frankie Heckenast Jr. 2404 (-416)
9. Clint Smith 2370 (-450)
10. Chase Junghans 2262 (-558)
11. Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs 2232 (-588)
12. Mike Marlar 1330 (-1490)
The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: American Racing Custom Wheels (Official Custom Wheel), Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), KMC (Official Custom Truck Wheel), Lincoln Welder (Official Welder), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), VP Racing Fuel (Official Racing Fuel), DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award) and McCarthy’s One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning (Raye Vest Memorial Pill Draw Award); in addition to contingency sponsors: Butlerbuilt, Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis and TNT Rescue.
