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• Clanton Captures 2013 Season Opener At Screven

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Clanton Kicks Off 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series With ‘Winter Freeze’ Victory At Screven Motor Speedway

Georgian Dominates In Front Of Home State Fans, Wins For Car Owner’s New-Born Twins

By Kevin Kovac, WoO LMS P.R. Director

SYLVANIA, GA – Feb. 8, 2013 – Shane Clanton kicked off the 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series in memorable fashion, capturing Friday night’s 40-lap ‘Winter Freeze’ season opener at Screven Motor Speedway just hours after his car owner became the father of twins.

Racing in front of his home-state fans, the 37-year-old driver from Fayetteville, Ga., roared off the pole position to lead the entire distance in the Kennedy Motorsports Capital Race Car. He was never seriously challenged en route to pocketing $8,050 for his 17th career WoO LMS triumph and first in the tour’s lidlifter.

Two-time WoO LMS champion Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., finished second in the Rocket Chassis house car, 1.439 seconds behind Clanton. The 24-year-old star moved up from the third starting spot to run in the runner-up position for all 40 circuits.

Scott James of Bright, Ind., advanced from the ninth starting spot to place third in Sanford Goddard’s Warrior Chassis house car. Gregg Satterlee of Rochester Mills, Pa., matched his career-best WoO LMS finish of fourth in a Rocket and Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., held off defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., to complete the top five in a Capital Race Car.

Clanton, who finished third in the 2012 WoO LMS points standings but won just a single A-Main, had plenty of reasons to smile after his dominating performance. But it seemed he was most satisfied about putting a cherry on top of his car owner John Kennedy’s already unforgettable day.

As Clanton was traveling to Screven on Friday afternoon he learned that Kennedy’s wife had just given birth to twins – boy Grady and girl Keegan – in the couple’s hometown of Phoenix.

“We had a special gift today – our car owner had two babies,” said Clanton, who is in his second season driving for Kennedy Motorsports. “It’s special to dedicate this win to them. The babies’ mama said, ‘They need shoes already, so get up on the wheel.'”

Clanton did just that, controlling the race from start-to-finish. Unlike last year’s ‘Winter Freeze’ at Screven, he didn’t let a pole position start slip through his fingers.

“We looked in our notebook and didn’t do what we did last year,” said Clanton, who slipped backward at the start one year ago and settled for a disappointing fifth-place finish. “We did the opposite of what we did and it was good.

“This is the third year on our (Capital) car, so the more races we run, the better we can judge what we need to do at certain times and what we need to do for adjustments. Right now me and (chief mechanic) Jonathan (Owenby) are jelling pretty good at what we need to do to the car. We worked on a lot of stuff over the winter and have gotten better.”

Clanton would love for Friday’s performance at the three-eighths-mile oval to serve as a harbinger of a big season ahead.

“I hope it’s one those years like Lanigan had (in 2012),” said Clanton, who sits atop the WoO LMS points standings for the first time since he briefly held the spot after the seventh race of the 2009 season. “He started his year out with a win here last year so hopefully I can do the same thing.”

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Richards, who plans to return as a WoO LMS regular this season after leaving the tour early last year to compete on the NASCAR Nationwide Series, was satisfied with his second-place run.

“Clanton was definitely better,” said Richards. “I was just a little free. We experimented with a lot of stuff tonight and I feel like we had a really good car, but it’s hard when you try new things and don’t know how far to go. It’s a brand-new car and it felt great, but we just kind of maintained where we were all race, just held onto our track position. We gotta figure out what the car likes a little more.”

Two caution flags slowed the race. On lap one outside polesitter Dale McDowell of Chickamauga, Ga., slid sideways between turns one and two due to a broken left-front suspension, setting off a chain-reaction pileup that left Sweeteners Plus teammates Vic Coffey of Caledona, N.Y., and Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., crashed together and unable to continue. Later, on lap 12, Dan Stone of Thompson, Pa., stopped on the inside of turn one.

Lanigan, who started 14th, fell just short of breaking into the top five, placing sixth. WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender Morgan Bagley of Longview, Texas, was seventh; Clint Smith of Senoia, Ga., slipped from the fourth starting spot to eighth; Pat Doar of New Richmond, Wis., was ninth; and another rookie candidate, Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., finished 10th.

Thirty-nine cars were signed in for the start of the 10th WoO LMS season under the World Racing Group banner.

Richards was fastest in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials with a lap of 14.352 seconds. It was his 32nd career fast time honor, moving him within one of York, Pa.’s Rick Eckert on the tour’s alltime list.

Heat winners were Richards, McDowell, Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y., and Clanton. The B-Mains were captured by Casey Barrow of Savannah, Ga., and Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C.

The ‘Winter Freeze’ weekend concludes on Saturday night (Feb. 9) with a 50-lap WoO LMS A-Main paying $10,000 to win.

Results of WoO Late Model Series ‘Winter Freeze’ Night 1 at Screven Motor Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):

1. (1) Shane Clanton/40 $8,050
2. (3) Josh Richards/40 $4,100
3. (9) Scott James/40 $3,300
4. (6) Gregg Satterlee/40 $2,350
5. (8) Casey Roberts/40 $2,050
6. (14) Darrell Lanigan/40 $1,750
7. (13) Morgan Bagley/40 $1,500
8. (3) Clint Smith/40 $1,350
9. (10) Pat Doar/40 $1,250
10. (21) Eric Wells/40 $1,200
11. (16) Brian Reese/40 $1,000
12. (7) Tim Fuller/40 $950
13. (18) Ray Cook/40 $850
14. (25) Chub Frank/40 $300
15. (20) Larry Timms/40 $750
16. (15) Kenny Pettyjohn/40 $700
17. (19) Dillon Wood/40 $710
18. (23) Rick Eckert/39 $740
19. (22) Sam Stile/39 $670
20. (26) Bub McCool/28 $60
21. (27) Kent Robinson/15 $50
22. (5) Ron Davies/12 $600
23. (11) Dan Stone/12 $600
24. (17) Casey Barrow/11 $600
25. (2) Dale McDowell/1 $625
26. (12) Vic Coffey/1 $650
27. (24) Tim McCreadie/1 $750

* Earnings include cash contingency award bonuses

Time of Race: l8 Mins., 13.209 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 1.439 Secs.
Yellow Flags: 2 (Laps 1, 12)
Lap Leaders: Clanton (1-40)
Provisional Starters: Eckert, McCreadie (WoO points); Frank, McCool, Robinson (WoO emergency)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner: James ($500)

Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):

1. 1-Josh Richards/Shinnston, WV 14.352
2. 29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY 14.368
3. 22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA 14.562
4. 101-Casey Roberts/Toccoa, GA 14.597
5. 18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY 14.664
6. 17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA 14.699
7. 19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY 14.723
8. 25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA 14.728
9. 1W-Dillon Wood/New Smyrna Beach, FL 14.732
10. 98-Casey Barrow/Savannah, GA 14.766
11. 21d-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA 14.771
12. 32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY 14.787
13. 1G-Scott James/Bright, IN 14.852
14. 71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA 14.872
15. 71-Larry Timms/Hodges, SC 14.873
16. 53-Ray Cook/Brasstown, NC 14.936
17. 3d-Chesley Dixon/Swainsboro, GA 14.974
18. 11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI 14.989
19. 1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA 14.990
20. 33-Brian Reese/Sharpsburg, GA 15.013
21. 44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA 15.035
22. 1N-Jordy Nipper/Macon, GA 15.085
23. 38-Kenny Pettyjohn/Millsboro, DE 15.086
24. 52-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE 15.100
25. 14M-Morgan Bagley/Longview, TX 15.131
26. 24-Rick Eckert/York, PA 15.175
27. d8-Dustin Mitchell/Pine Level, NC 15.184
28. 5b-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN 15.195
29. 39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY 15.212
30. 3-Philip Pittman/Vidalia, GA 15.244
31. 4ds-Chad Hollenbeck/Kingsley, PA 15.402
32. 2s-Sam Stile/Charleroi, PA 15.427
33. 7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN 15.490
34. b5-Brandon Sheppard/New Berlin, IL 15.641
35. 12-Hunter Peacock/Gray, GA 15.729
36. 57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS 15.751
37. 76-Brandon Overton/Evans, GA 15.894
38. 25B-Mike Benedum/Salem, WV 16.135
39. 50-Scott Phillips/Marlette, MI 16.144

Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, C. Smith, James, Bagley, Wood, Robinson, Dixon, Overton, Wells, McCreadie

Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): McDowell, Davies, Doar, Lanigan, Eckert, Barrow, Nipper, Sheppard, Benedum, P. Pittman

Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Fuller, Satterlee, Stone, Pettyjohn, Timms, Mitchell, Phillips, Hollenbeck, Frank, Peacock

Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Clanton, Roberts, Coffey, Reese, Marlar, Cook, Stile, McCool, Hubbard

B-Main No. 1 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Barrow, Wood, Wells, Eckert, Dixon, Sheppard, Nipper, Benedum, McCreadie, Robinson, Pittman (DNS) Overton

B-Main No. 2 (12 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Cook, Timms, Stile, Mitchell, Hollenbeck, Phillips, Frank, McCool (DNS) Marlar, Hubbard, Peacock

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): Eric Wells
Eibach Springs (one free spring to each B-Main winner): Eric Wells/Larry Timms
VP Race Fuels ‘Nice Jugs’ Award: (One VP 5-gallon container to fastest qualifier who misses A-Main): Chesley Dixon
Wrisco Aluminum (3 sheets of aluminum to A-Main winner only): Shane Clanton
Armor All (One case of product to highest-finishing non-WoO team in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
Comp Cams ($50 certificate to A-Main winner): Shane Clanton
QuarterMaster ($100 certificate to A-Main winner, $50 certificate to 5th-place finish): Shane Clanton/Larry Timms
MSD Ignition ($50 cash to A-Main winner): Shane Clanton
STP ($50 cash to 2nd-place finisher in A-Main): Scott James
XS Power ($50 cash to 3rd-place finisher in A-Main): Scott James
Roush Yates ($50 cash to 4th-place finisher in A-Main): Gregg Satterlee
JE Pistons ($50 cash to 5th-place finisher in A-Main): Casey Roberts
Dominator ($50 cash to 6th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
American Race Wheels ($50 cash to 7th-place finisher in A-Main): Morgan Bagley
VP Race Fuels ($50 cash to 8th-place finisher in A-Main): Clint Smith
Edelbrock Manifolds ($50 cash to 9th-finisher in A-Main): Pat Doar
Comp Cams ($50 cash to 10th-place finisher in A-Main): Eric Wells
XS Power ($60 product certificate to 11th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
Cometic Gasket ($50 cash to 12th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
JRI Shocks ($50 cash to 13th-place finisher in A-Main): Sam Stile
Super Flow Dynos ($50 cash to 14th-place finisher in A-Main): Chub Frank
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 16th-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Kenny Pettyjohn
Klotz Lubricants ($50 cash to 17th-place finisher in A-Main): Dillon Wood
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 18th-place finisher in A-Main): Sam Stile
QuarterMaster ($50 certificate to 19th-place finisher in A-Main): Sam Stile
Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 certificate to 20th-place finisher in A-Main): Bub McCool
JE Pistons (one complete set of JE Pro Seal rings to 21st-place finisher in A-Main, redeemable w/next purchase of set): Dan Stone
Roush Yates ($50 gift card to 22nd-place finisher in A-Main): Sam Stile
MSD Ignition ($25 cash to 24th-place finisher in A-Main): Dale McDowell
XS Power ‘Power Move of the Race’ ($60 product certificate): Scott James
Roush Yates ($25 gift card to driver who leads most laps in the A-Main): Shane Clanton

The World of Outlaws Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Armor All (Official Car Care Products), Gravely Tractors (Official Lawn Equipment), Hoosier Racing Tires (Official Racing Tires), STP (Official Fuel Treatment), Vicci (Official Uniform), 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, Dominator Race Products, Edelbrock, Eibach Springs, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, Klotz Synthetic Lubricants, MSD Ignition, Ohlins Shocks, QuarterMaster, Roush Yates Performance Parts, Superflow Dynos, Wrisco Aluminum and XS Power Racing Batteries; along with manufacturer sponsors Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, GRT Chassis, Jake’s Carts, Longacre, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis, TNT Rescue, and Warrior Chassis.

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LIVE UPDATES 2/8: World of Outlaws Late Model Series ‘Winter Freeze’ Night 1 At Screven Motor Speedway

SYLVANIA, GA – Feb. 8, 2013 – The 2013 World of Outlaws Late Model Series campaign kicks off tonight with Round 1 of the second annual ‘Winter Freeze’ at Screven Motor Speedway, a three-eighths-mile oval about 45 minutes Northwest of Savannah.

With this year’s edition of the lidlifter restructured to feature two full evenings of competition, tonight’s program will be topped by a 40-lap A-Main paying $8,000 to win. Defending WoO LMS champion Darrell Lanigan won last year’s single ‘Winter Freeze’ feature at Screven.

For live updates of all the news, pit notes and results from tonight’s action, click the ‘Full Story’ link below. Be sure to refresh your browser throughout the night to see the latest information.

Super start for Shane

11:15 p.m. – Shane Clanton is back at his hauler, celebrating his victory in the 2013 WoO LMS season opener. He roared off the pole position to lead the entire 40-lap distance and pocket the $8,000 top prize.

Josh Richards never mounted a serious challenge to Clanton, but the two-time WoO LMS champion finished second in a race slowed by just two caution flags. Scott James was third in the Warrior house car, followed by Pennsylvania’s Gregg Satterlee and Georgian Casey Roberts, who held off Darrell Lanigan to complete the top five.

A-Main Finish: 1. Shane Clanton, 2. Josh Richards, 3. Scott James, 4. Gregg Satterlee, 5. Casey Roberts, 6. Darrell Lanigan, 7. Morgan Bagley, 8. Clint Smith, 9. Pat Doar, 10. Eric Wells, 11. Brian Reese, 12. Tim Fuller, 13. Ray Cook, 14. Chub Frank, 15. Larry Timms, 16. Kenny Pettyjohn, 17. Dillon Wood, 18. Rick Eckert, 19. Sam Stile, 20. Bub McCool, 21. Kent Robinson, 22. Ron Davies, 23. Dan Stone, 24. Casey Barrow, 25. Dale McDowell, 26. Vic Coffey, 27. Tim McCreadie

Anticipation building

10:15 p.m. – The B-Mains are completed — Casey Barrow won the first over Dillon Wood and Eric Wells, and Ray Cook captured the second over Larry Timms and Sam Stile — and the eight-minute horn to line up the A-Main has been blown.

Rick Eckert and Tim McCreadie will use provisionals to start the A-Main. Drivers eligible for WoO LMS emergency provisionals are Chub Frank, Bub McCool and Kent Robinson.

Frank’s met a spectacular demise in the second B-Main. With two laps to go he attempted to pass Stile for the third and final transfer spot, but his low-side dive saw him clip the inner berm between turns three and four, sending his car into a mid-air, 360-degree snap spin. Frank actually stepped on the gas and continued after spinning, but he had to pull off because of a badly damaged nose. With his primary car already sidelined by a broken rearend, Frank’s crew is scrambling to patch up his machine to use his emergency provisional.

A-Main Starting Lineup:

Row 1: Shane Clanton/Dale McDowell
Row 2: Josh Richards/Clint Smith
Row 3: Ron Davies/Gregg Satterlee
Row 4: Tim Fuller/Casey Roberts
Row 5: Scott James/Pat Doar
Row 6: Dan Stone/Vic Coffey
Row 7: Morgan Bagley/Darrell Lanigan
Row 8: Kenny Pettyjohn/Brian Reese
Row 9: Casey Barrow/Ray Cook
Row 10: Dillon Wood/Larry Timms
Row 11: Eric Wells/Sam Stile
Row 12: Rick Eckert/Tim McCreadie
Row 13: Chub Frank/Bub McCool

 Clanton on the pole

9:35 p.m. – Shane Clanton drew the pole position for the 40-lap A-Main. He also started from the pole in last year’s 60-lap Winter Freeze headliner, but he made an incorrect tire selection and never led a lap nor was a serious factor, finishing fifth.

Dale McDowell will start from the outside pole. Josh Richards will take the green from third, followed by Clint Smith, Ron Davies, Gregg Satterlee, Tim Fuller and Casey Roberts.

Tonight’s pair of 12-lap B-Mains (transferring three from each) will soon be hitting the track. Mike Marlar is scheduled to start from the outside pole in the second B-Main, but he has indicated that he will scratch due to damage his car sustained in a heat incident. Tim McCreadie and Chub Frank, meanwhile, have switched to backup cars and will have to hustle forward to avoid using provisional starting spots for the first A-Main of 2013.

Post-heat notes

9:15 p.m. – Clint Smith finished second in the first heat to earn a redraw spot after getting a scare during time trials. He rolled to a stop on his first lap when his car’s carburetor flared up momentarily, but after it cooled down he fired the machine back up and he contined on… Darrell Lanigan experienced some rare struggles in the second heat, slipping from his pole starting spot to a fourth-place finish. He got out of shape in turn four running second early in the race, causing Ron Davies to get on the brakes hard and Jordy Nipper and Pat Doar to stack up trying to avoid the chain-reaction jam-up… Kent Robinson spun early in the first heat and failed to transfer… Scott James and Eric Wells tangled between turns one and two on a lap-four restart in heat one, sending Wells around. Wells was clipped by Tim McCreadie, who joined Wells in retiring from the race due to damage sustained… Chub Frank was running fourth in the third heat when he rolled to a stop on the homestretch with a broken rearend… After Ray Cook and Brian Reese came together between turns one and two during the fourth heat, Austin Hubbard was swept up in the incident and limped to the pit area with heavy right-side damage to his Baltimore Ravens-themed car…

Heats complete

9 p.m. – The checkered flag was thrown on the last of tonight’s four 10-lap heat races a few moments ago. Winners were Josh Richards, Dale McDowell and Kennedy Motorsports teammates Tim Fuller and Shane Clanton.

Full heat results can be found here.

Rocket Man is back

8 p.m. – Josh Richards quickly reestablished himself in the WoO LMS hierarchy, setting fast time with a lap of 14.352 seconds. The driver he nipped for qualifying honors? Defending champion Darrell Lanigan, who was second-fastest at 14.368 seconds.

It appeared that Lanigan’s season might be getting off to an inauspicious start when he spun in turn four before completing his first time-trial lap, but after a caution flag was thrown he gathered himself and blasted to the provisional fast-time on his only remaining circuit. Richards bested him shortly thereafter, however.

Complete time-trial results can be seen be clicking here.

We’re rolling

7:05 p.m. – WoO LMS hot laps are underway for the 39 cars signed in for action.

The last driver to arrive was Ray Cook, the runner-up in last year’s Winter Freeze headliner. He drove into the pit area with his race car on an open trailer pulled by a box truck, which he scrambled to obtain after his regular hauler was stricken by mechanical trouble.

Pit crew shuffle

5:50 p.m. – Some familiar WoO LMS crewmember faces have been spotted in new places this weekend. Jason Quirin, who spent last season traveling the WoO LMS as a mechanic for Kent Robinson, is now working for 2013 Rookie of the Year candidate Eric Wells, joining Wells’s other crewman, Trey (‘Booger’) Wollum, on the road. Texas racer Morgan Bagley, another WoO LMS Rookie of the Year contender, has former WoO LMS Crew Chief of the Year Randall Edwards as his head mechanic and also has hired Nick Hoover, a 26-year-old who has worked for Jordan Bland, Russell King, car owner Dale Beitler, Brady Smith and Austin Hubbard over the past four years. And Barry Knapp, who served as a crewman for Tim Fuller during the 2009-10 seasons, is helping Fuller’s Kennedy Motorsports teammate, Shane Clanton — at least for the next two weeks.

Supporting his team

5:45 p.m. – Delaware‘s Austin Hubbard is a big fan of the Baltimore Ravens and he’s showing it this weekend. The 2010 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year has unloaded a new MasterSbilt car sporting a graphics scheme honoring the Super Bowl champion team, including the No. 52 worn by Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.

Hubbard’s father, Mike, and Hoosier Tire rep Bob Wirts attended last week’s Super Bowl in New Orleans with their wives. Mike Hubbard has a graphics business, so he decided to do a special car to celebrate the Ravens’ victory.

Hubbard, who will celebrate his 21st birthday on Feb. 17, has good memories of Screven. He won his first special dirt Late Model event here in January 2010, and two months later he captured his first-ever WoO LMS A-Main here as well. After both triumphs, of course, Hubbard played to the crowd with his famed ‘Ricky Bobby’ celebration, stripping out of his racing uniform and running down the homestretch wearing only his fireproof long underwear and helmet.

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Playing hurt

5:25 p.m. – Bub McCool is starting his sophomore season on the WoO LMS at less than 100 percent — physically, that is.

After slicing his right hand while opening a can of tomatoes earlier this week, McCool is sporting a line of 12 stitches across his palm. In addition, he recently injured his left leg below the knee while “messing around” with a deer that was in a ditch after he had hit it with his truck; he said he thinks he might have broken a bone in his leg, but it’s not hurting him too much so he’s refrained from visiting a doctor for x-rays at the moment.

“I should be O.K.,” said McCool, the 2012 WoO LMS Rookie of the Year. “I’ll wrap up my hand when I go out there (on the track), and my leg isn’t too bad.”

Improved conditions

3:55 p.m. – What a difference a year makes. Last year’s ‘Winter Freeze’ was true to its title — with temperatures dipping to the freezing point and steady 25-35-mph winds blowing all day and night, everyone in attendance labeled the event as one of the coldest, if not the coldest, they had ever experienced. Wind chills were in the teens when last year’s A-Main began.

But this year the weather is much more comfortable. After heavy rain washed out last night’s practice session (and UNOH All-Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car show), the skies have turned sunny and temperatures are in the 60s. There’s a cool breeze and temperatures will be seasonably chilly tonight, but there’s thankfully no artic conditions to contend with.

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