Concord, NC — Former World of Outlaws Late Model Series champions Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., and Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., shined on Thursday night, sharing fast-time honors in the two rounds of time trials that kicked off the third annual World of Outlaws World Finals at The Dirt Track @ Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
A massive field of 80 dirt Late Models jammed the pit area for the blockbuster doubleheader, which also attracted 57 machines for the companion World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series meet. It was a record two-division total for the fall event.
Lanigan, 39, earned the pole position for the first heat race on Friday night by registering the fastest lap in the first round of Ohlins Shocks Time Trials. His clocking of 16.185 seconds just nipped Bloomquist, who led a group of his Team Zero by Bloomquist chassis mates in taking four of the top-five spots in the opening round of qualifying.
The fast-time award was Lanigan’s fifth of the 2009 WoO LMS season behind the wheel of his Rocket car.
Bloomquist, who turns 46 on Nov. 14, roared back in the second round of time trials, touring the four-tenths-mile oval in 15.912 seconds to register the fastest overall lap of the evening. The 2004 WoO LMS titlist’s performance earned him the pole starting spot in Saturday night’s first heat race as he seeks to win a World Finals A-Main for the third consecutive year.
Thursday’s first round of time trials set the lineups for Friday night’s heats, while the second round of qualifying was used to align Saturday night’s heats.
Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., and Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va. – the main combatants in this weekend’s battle for the $100,000 WoO LMS championship – were separated by less than a tenth of a second in both qualifying rounds. Francis timed seventh and 22nd, while Richards was 13th and 20th on the time-trial charts.
Francis enters the pair of 50-lap World Finals A-Mains holding a narrow four-point lead over Richards. Lanigan is 92 points behind Francis in third place and remains mathematically alive in the title hunt, but he will need Francis and Richards to experience bad luck in both races to repeat as champion.
Ironically, the top-three drivers in the WoO LMS points standings will start from the first three starting spots in Friday night’s first heat race. Lanigan and Francis will share the front row with Richards starting third.
The World Finals continue on Friday and Saturday, with hot laps scheduled to begin at 5:45 p.m. and racing set to take the green flag at 6:30 p.m.
Saturday night’s World Finals program will be televised live by the SPEED cable network from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET.