Richards Takes Two Straight At Atomic

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO-Aug. 22, 2015 – Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., put on another stellar performance Saturday night at Atomic Speedway, leading all 50 laps of the night’s main event to complete a sweep of the 3/8-mile oval’s World of Outlaws Late Model Series doubleheader weekend. Joel Watson, Conneaut, Ohio, won the torrid Precision Grading AMRA Modified Main, while Gary Park made it a clean sweep in the C & M Racing Equipment Sport Mods.
The three-time WoO LMS champion Richards left no doubt as to who was the dominant car at Atomic’s two-race event in driving his Valvoline Rocket Chassis house car to a lead of more than eight seconds in Saturday’s caution-free race. Richards, 27, earned $10,150 for his eighth WoO LMS victory of the season and his fourth in the national tour’s past five events.
“This car was a dream to drive,” said Richards, “I love coming here to this awesome track. To drive all over it and move around like that, it was a lot of fun.”
Richards crossed the finish line 8.471 seconds ahead of WoO LMS points leader Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., while Jared Hawkins of Fairmont, W.Va., settled for third after challenging Richards through the race’s early portions. Devin Moran of Dresden, Ohio, was fourth with R.J. Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, rounding out the top five.
Starting from the fifth position, Clanton steadily moved forward in his Weldbank Energy Capital Race Cars house car before taking the second spot from Hawkins on lap 47.
Although he fell short of the victory, Clanton continued to march toward his first-career WoO LMS title with his fifth consecutive top-five WoO LMS finish and his third straight finish among the top three. His lead over Richards at the top of the WoO LMS standings sits at 158 points with eight races remaining on the season.
“It took me so long to get by a couple guys there and lapped traffic was pretty tough with the cushion as big as it was in one and two,” Clanton said. “I didn’t wanna take no chances. We needed to finish where we were and come home second.”
After starting alongside Richards on the front row, Hawkins was the only driver to provide Richards a serious challenge. Hawkins’ Rocket machine kept pace with Richards through the early laps with Hawkins even taking a few looks under Richards when the leaders reached lapped traffic around lap 10.
But Hawkins couldn’t maintain Richards’ pace and faded late. He settled for third in completing a solid weekend.
“I was surprised I was keeping up with him because I was really pushing it,” Hawkins said of his attempt to keep pace with Richards early in the race. “I’m sure I burnt my stuff up there. Those last 20 laps were a handful.
Jason Montgomery of Jackson, Ohio, was sixth in the final rundown, with Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., taking seventh. Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., was eighth with Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C., and Chase Junghans of Manhattan, Kan., rounding out the race’s top 10 finishers.
In the modified main, five cars were eliminated in 9 car pile-up on the first lap. Second place Dave Fireball Pinkerton and another car made contact sending Pinkerton into the wall and spinning in front of the charging field. Among those claimed in the melee were Travis Dickson, Kenny Johnson, Jess Hartman, Nathan Loney, and Dave Jameson.
The next restart was incident free with Greggie Oliver blasting into the early lead to lead the first lap and set up a wild six-lap scramble for number one. Watson and Oliver exchanged slide jobs with third place Moorehouse climbing into the mix, sometimes pushing the envelope of a three-wide battle. By the halfway mark Watson began to pull away, leaving Oliver and Moorehouse to fight for second.
Late in the race Philip Bapst and Aaron Pendleton dueled wildly with Bapst taking fifth Bob Crace, Jr.Rounding out the top ten were Watson, Greggie Oliver, Kevin Moorehouse, Bob Crace, Jr., Philip Bapst, Aaron Pendleton, Jimmy Lennex, Donnie Miller, Brandon Oliver, and Clint Keenan.
Watson said, “We came a long, long way but it was worth the trip. The track was great, my crew is great and I have to thank all of them (crew) and all my sponsors. It seems like everytime I come out they have to hammer out the sides.”
In the C & M Racing equipment sport mods, Gary Park made it a clean sweep by taking fast time, winning his heat and winning a torrid battle for position in the feature. Park, away from racing for seven years, put his homebuilt mount back into victory lane.
Park battled Jamie Adams and Bob Crace, Jr. much of the way. The trio swapped positions with much regularity. Park started to pull away in the latter stages of the race, only to have the caution fly at lap 13. Everything rotated back to the last lap, so Adams and Crace lined up behind Park on the restart.
A three-lap shootout tested Park’s patience, but the veteran went elbows-up to bring home the win.
For more information please call 740-703-9749 or visit the Atomic Speedway website at <<< www.atomicspeedway.net >>> or the Atomic Speedway facebook page. Atomic is located 12 miles South of Chillicothe, Ohio off SR 23, two miles out Blain Highway between Chillicothe, Ohio and Waverly, Ohio at Alma.
Upcoming Events:
Saturday August 22nd – World of Outlaw Late Models $10,000 to win plus AMRA Modifieds and Sport Mods
Saturday August 29th – USAC HPD Midgets, OVSCA Sprints, AMRA Late Models and Brushcreek Legends
Saturday September 5th – Fan Appreciation Night #2 – $5 General Admission – OVSCA Sprints, AMRA Modifieds, Race Saver 305 Sprints and Sport Mods plus Enduro
NEW DATEs ADDED!!!!
Saturday September 12th – AMRA Late Models, AMRA Modifieds, Sport Mods, Southern Ohio Lightning Mini Sprints, 100 Lap Enduro Championship
Another new date
Sept 26-All Star Sprints $5,000, AMRA Mods $1,500, Sport Mods
Final points race for AMRA championship
8/22/15 – Atomic Speedway
The SummarY:
Results of World of Outlaws Late Model Series at Atomic Speedway (Finishing Position/Start/Driver/Laps Completed/Money Won):
Overall Fast Time:
Tim Hattle Trucking Fast Time Award: 4B-Jackie Boggs, Grayson, Ky., 13.853
Ohlins Shocks Time Trial Results (Position/No./Driver/Hometown/Best Lap):
Group A
1. 18-Eric Wells, Hazard, Ky., 14.088
2. 37-Jared Hawkins, Fairmont, W.Va., 14.088
3. 21m-Jason Montgomery, Jackson, Ohio, 14.123
4. 99-Devin Moran, Dresden, Ohio, 14.148
5. 25z-Mason Zeigler, Chalk Hill, Pa., 14.179
6. 7-Rick Eckert, York, Pa., 14.195
7. 29-Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky., 14.200
8. c9-Steve Casebolt, Richmond, Ind., 14.272
9. 39-Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y., 14.347
10. 5-Brandon Overton, Evans, Ga., 14.390
11. 14m-Morgan Bagley, Longview, Texas, 14.410
12. 11-Billy Gullion, Waverly, Ohio, 14.417
13. 9F-Mark Frazier, Chillicothe, Ohio, 14.427
14. 1J-Davey Johnson, Imperial, Pa., 14.627
15. 47-Greg Oliver, Jackson, Ohio, 14.841
16. 36-Craig Wofford, hometown unavailable, 14.888
17. 29-Rocky Owens, Mansfield, Ohio, 15.150
18. 12-Derek Chaney, hometown unavailable, 15.929
Group B
1. 4B-Jackie Boggs, Grayson, Ky., 13.853
2. 1*-Chub Frank, Bear Lake, Pa., 14.035
3. 71c-R.J. Conley, Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.055
4. 1-Josh Richards, Shinnston, W.Va., 14.099
5. 99jr-Frank Heckenast Jr., Frankfort, Ill., 14.103
6. 22-Chris Ferguson, Mount Holly, N.C., 14.163
7. 25-Shane Clanton, Zebulon, Ga., 14.196
8. 18c-Chase Junghans, Manhattan, Kan., 14.241
9. P17-Ben Adkins, West Portsmouth, Ohio , 14.262
10. 22-Gregg Satterlee, Rochester Mills, Pa., 14.370
11. 77-Jordan Yaggy, Rochester, Minn., 14.463
12. 71R-Rod Conley, Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.521
13. 99B-Boom Briggs, Bear Lake, Pa., 14.536
14. 19-Chad Smith, Miamisburg, Ohio, 14.642
15. 71j-J.T. Conley, Wheelersburg, Ohio, 14.671
16. 93-Pancho Lawler, Glenville, Pa., 15.193
17. 45-Ross Frohnapfel, Columbus, Ohio, 15.643
Heat No. 1 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Montgomery, Wells, Zeigler, Lanigan, McCreadie, Bagley, Oliver, Frazier, Owens.
Heat No. 2 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Moran, Hawkins, Eckert, Casebolt, Overton, Gullion, Johnson, Wofford, Chaney.
Heat No. 3 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): R.J. Conley, Clanton, Boggs, Heckenast, Yaggy, J.T. Conley, Adkins, Briggs, Frohnapfel.
Heat No. 4 (10 laps – Top 4 Transfer): Richards, Frank, Ferguson, Satterlee, Junghans, Smith, Lawler, Rod Conley.
Last-Chance Showdown No. 1 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): McCreadie, Overton, Bagley, Gullion, Frazier, Owens, Wofford, Johnson, Oliver, Chaney.
Last-Chance Showdown No. 2 (10 laps – Top 3 Transfer): Junghans, J.T. Conley, Rod Conley, Adkins, Smith, Briggs, Lawler, Frohnapfel, Yaggy.
Feature:
1. (1) Josh Richards/50 $10,150
2. (5) Shane Clanton/50 $5,050
3. (2) Jared Hawkins/50 $3,000
4. (6) Devin Moran/50 $3,000
5. (8) R.J. Conley/50 $2,000
6. (4) Jason Montgomery/50 $1,850
7. (3) Eric Wells/50 $1,450
8. (7) Chub Frank/50 $1,400
9. (12) Chris Ferguson/50 $1,250
10. (18) Chase Junghans/50 $1,650
11. (10) Rick Eckert/50 $1,200
12. (13) Darrell Lanigan/50 $1,150
13. (16) Gregg Satterlee/50 $950
14. (9) Mason Zeigler/49 $950
15. (15) Frank Heckeneast Jr./49 $900
16. (17) Tim McCreadie/49 $950
17. (11) Jackie Boggs/49 $1,320
18. (22) Rod Conley/49 $750
19. (20) J.T. Conley/49 $730
20. (21) Morgan Bagley/49 $750
21. (23) Boom Briggs/48 $750
22. (19) Brandon Overton/40 $1,000
23. (14) Steve Casebolt/26 $700
24. (25) Greg Oliver/22 $725
25. (24) Jordan Yaggy/2 $700
Time of Race: 13 Mins., 27 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 8.471 Secs.
Yellow Flags: None
Lap Leaders: Richards (1-50)
Provisional Starters: Briggs (WoO), Yaggy (WoO), Oliver (track)
WoO LMS ‘Bonus Bucks’ Winner ($500): Moran
WoO LMS ‘Rookie of the Race” ($250): Overton
Precision Grading AMRA Modifieds- (30)
Fast Time: Greggie Oliver 15:723
Heat One: Pinkerton, Oliver, Brandon Oliver, Donnie Miller, Brettt Kennard, Eric Arledge, Frankie Hall, Bud Frazier DNS
Heat Two: Nathan Loney, Joel Watson, Bob Crace Jr., Jimmy Lennox, Zac Ackley, Jason Bilyeu, David Hittle, Jason Montgomery.
Heat Three: Travis Dickson, Kevin Moorehouse, Philip Bapst, Clint Keenan, Aaron Pendleton, Seth Daniels, Mike Conkle
Heat Four: Kenny Johnson, Jess Hartman, Brian Whiteman, David McWilliams,
Dave Jamison, Jeff Votaw, Rick Shutts
B-Main: Jason Montgomery, Aaron Pendleton, Jeff Votaw , David Hittle, Frankie Hall, Mike Conkle, Zac Ackley, Rick Shutts, Seth Daniels,Eric Arledge, and Bret Kennard.
Feature: Joel Watson, Greggie Oliver, Kevin Moorehouse, Bob Crace, Jr., Philip Bapst, Aaron Pendleton, Jimmy Lennex, Donnie Miller, Brandon Oliver, Clint Keenan, Jason Montgomery, Brian Whiteman, Dave McWilliams, David Hittle, Jeff Votaw, Dave Pinkerton, Nathan Loney, Travis Dickson, Kenny Johnson, and Jess Hartman.
C & M Racing Equip. Sport Mods (17)
Fast Time : Gary Park
Heat one: Gary Park, Jason Cottrill, Emily Jordan, Brennan Bobst, A. J. Ganino, Jay Dunaway, Roy Johnson, J. D. Broughton
Heat Two: Bob Cace, Jr., Steve Noble, Jamie Adams, Tony Seibert, Brust, Keith Shanks, Bill Young, Chase Fronapfel,
Feature: Gary Park, Jamie Adams, Bob Crace, Jason Cottrill, Tony Seibert, Emily Jordan, A. J. Ganino, Derek Davidson, Keith Shanks, Brennan Bobst, Steve Noble, Bill Young, J. D. Broughton, Chase Fronapfel, and J.D. Broughton.