Tough Night at Eldora for Tony Stewart and Josh Richards
Earl Pearson Jr. knew he was part of something special on Friday night at Eldora Speedway.
He made the record books, of course, winning the first-ever World of Outlaws Late Model Series event at the famed high-banked, half-mile oval.
But Pearson also came out on top of a scintillating feature that was arguably one of the most memorable in the history of both the WoO LMS and Eldora Speedway.
“I’ll tell you what – that was a heck of a race,” Pearson said after capturing the ‘Subway 50’ to record his second WoO LMS win of the 2007 season. “The fans should’ve enjoyed that.”
Pearson, 35, of Jacksonville, Fla., inherited the lead when Chub Frank of Bear Lake, Pa., and Eldora Speedway owner Tony Stewart tangled on lap 40 while battling for the top spot. But he had to fight down to the final turn to stay in front, fending off a furious charge by Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Ill., to pocket a $10,225 first prize for bagging the second event of National Interstate Speedweek.
Pearson, whose first career Eldora triumph came in last year’s World 100, took advantage of other drivers’ misfortune to position himself for a shot at the win.
First, Pearson, who started ninth in NASCAR star Bobby Labonte’s Life Long Locks MasterSbilt car, moved to third place when Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., relinquished the runner-up spot during a lap-26 caution period. Richards, who started from the pole position, led laps 3-16 and was fixing to turn up the heat on Frank when his Rocket No. 1 was sidelined by a broken jackshaft on its rearend. He finished 19th.
The race’s most critical moment came on lap 40. Stewart, driving a Tracker Boats/Bass Pro Shops-sponsored Rocket after rushing over from his Nextel Cup commitments at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, drew close to Frank’s Lester Buildings Rocket after beginning to mirror the leader’s high line and decided it was time to make a bid for the top spot.
Stewart dived hard to the inside entering turn three and attempted a ‘slider’ on Frank. He nosed ahead of Frank, but when he slid up the track in turn four contact with Frank’s left-front sent Stewart spinning into the outside wall.
Frank also went spinning down the homestretch, backing into the wall before coming to rest on the inside of turn one. He was able to continue after a quick pit stop and charged back to a seventh-place finish, but Stewart’s bid was done due to a heavily damaged front end.
In an interview with SPEED pit reporter Mark Kenyon after emerging from his wrecked car, Stewart conceded that his ‘slider’ didn’t work as he had hoped. He said he thought he had cleared Frank, but that was obviously contradicted by the contact. He ended the evening in 16th place.
Pearson gladly accepted the free pass to the lead.
“We weren’t the fastest car here by any means,” said Pearson. “We passed some good cars, but some good cars fell out. It was just our turn I guess.
“We’ll take it, though. Anytime you come here and win a race, and outrun some of the guys we outran, it’s huge.”
Forty-nine cars were signed in for the event, which appeared to be in jeopardy of being postponed when a thunderstorm struck the track minutes before 5 o’clock.
Heavy rain fell for nearly a half-hour, but the skies proceeded to clear and track crews had the surface ready for hot laps to begin by 7 p.m.
Stewart arrived too late for practice, but he nonetheless went out and won the $100 National Interstate Insurance Fast Time Award with a blistering lap of 15.254 seconds. It was the second-fastest dirt Late Model circuit in Eldora history.
Heat winners were Stewart, Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., Frank and Clint Smith, and the B-Mains were captured by Brian Shirley of Chatham, Ill., and Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark.
The event was taped for broadcast on the SPEED cable network on Sun., Aug. 19, from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET.
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