GREENWOOD, NE (September 18, 2020) - Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Point Leader Jimmy Owens continued his spectacular 2020 racing season by winning Friday Night's preliminary 30-lap event at I-80 Speedway. Owens took the lead from Tim McCreadie on lap 27 and went on for his 11th series win of the season. Brandon Overton who led early in the race finished in third followed by Devin Moran and Darrell Lanigan.
Overton led for the first nine laps of the race before the only caution flag in two nights of feature racing changed the complexion of the race. On the restart McCreadie cleared Overton for the lead. McCreadie pulled away from both Overton and Owens as he encountered lapped traffic, allowing his two nearest pursuers to close the gap. Owens was finally able to track down McCreadie, taking the lead with three laps to go.

Owens made his way to Lucas Oil Victory Lane for the 75th time in his career, setting himself up for a good starting spot in Saturday's $30,000-to-win finale. "I was moving around quite a bit on the track and we were in the catbirds seat for once, running in second. Timmy was just a sitting duck up there; he didn't know where to go. I was able to move around enough to get this Ramirez Rocket up front. This should give us a lot of momentum for tomorrow night. This win says a lot for our crew, they busted their tails all week to get ready to come out here. We had to work for three days straight to get everything ready to come out here. It's like a 16-hour drive out here and everybody pulled together and here we are."

McCreadie was more than satisfied with his second place finish. "It's so hard to lead here. It's such a big track and wide, the grooves come and go. Brandon's out there leading away, I thought he wouldn't change up much. On the restart it looked like that little bit of dust off of two cleaned up to where it wasn't dirty any more. We were good for a while once we got the lead, I didn't find the line on the track until I was passed. We work hard every night to try to get better. We took a stab at it tonight. I don't know how we will run tomorrow, but the car's pretty comfortable."

Overton led the first seven laps of the race before yielding to McCreadie. He was seeking his 20th overall win of the season, but came home in third. "On the restart that top there in one and two and three and four started to clean up. There was a fine line there, then Jimmy moved up and got by me. He got me going into three and I just got up there too late. Our car was good, it was way better than last night. We should be locked into tomorrow night with a good starting spot."  

The winner's Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and is sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Tommy Pope Construction, Boomtest Well Service, General Tire, Red Line Oil, Ohlins Shocks, Champion Spark Plugs, and Midwest Sheet Metal.

Completing the top ten were Ricky Thornton, Jr., Ryan Gustin, Kyle Strickler, Josh Richards, and Brandon Sheppard.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
Optima Batteries I-80 Nationals - Presented by General Tire
Friday, September 18th, 2020
I-80 Speedway - Greenwood, NE

Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Brandon Overton / 14.529 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Tim McCreadie / 14.554 seconds

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 18 from Heat Points Transfer):  1. 76-Brandon Overton[6]; 2. 29V-Darrell Lanigan[5]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[1]; 4. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[8]; 5. 04-Tad Pospisil[4]; 6. 2S-Stormy Scott[3]; 7. 16-Tyler Bruening[7]; 8. 53-Andrew Kosiski[9]; 9. 98J-Jason Rauen[2]; 10. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[10]; 11. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[11]

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 18 from Heat Points Transfer):  1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 18J-Chase Junghans[2]; 3. 20-Jimmy Owens[6]; 4. 1S-Brandon Sheppard[5]; 5. 71-Hudson O'Neal[4]; 6. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[3]; 7. 43-Jeremy Grady[9]; 8. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 9. 62-Justin Zeitner[7]; 10. 14J-Jake Neal[10]; 11. L88-Larry Clawson[11]

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (Top 18 from Heat Points Transfer): 1. 14-Josh Richards[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[6]; 3. 32-Bobby Pierce[4]; 4. 1C-Chad Simpson[2]; 5. 8-Kyle Strickler[5]; 6. 777-Jared Landers[3]; 7. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[7]; 8. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[8]; 9. 29D-Spencer Diercks[9]; 10. 3C-Mike Collins[10]; 11. 10C-Junior Coover[11]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (Top 18 from Heat Points Transfer): 1. 32S-Chris Simpson[1]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[6]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[4]; 4. 19R-Ryan Gustin[5]; 5. 44M-Chris Madden[7]; 6. 49-Jonathan Davenport[3]; 7. 81E-Tanner English[8]; 8. 98-Ben Schaller[9]; 9. 14M-Reid Millard[10]; 10. 25-Shane Clanton[2]

Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 777-Jared Landers[2]; 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[3]; 3. 2S-Stormy Scott[1]; 4. 16-Tyler Bruening[4]; 5. 22H-Daniel Hilsabeck[7]; 6. 62-Justin Zeitner[8]; 7. 98-Ben Schaller[9]; 8. 98J-Jason Rauen[5]; 9. 26JR-Corey Zeitner[12]; 10. 14M-Reid Millard[10]; 11. 10C-Junior Coover[13]; 12. (DNS) 25-Shane Clanton; 13. (DNS) 14J-Jake Neal

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[1]; 2. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 3. 44M-Chris Madden[3]; 4. 49-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[4]; 6. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[7]; 7. 53-Andrew Kosiski[8]; 8. 29D-Spencer Diercks[9]; 9. 3C-Mike Collins[11]; 10. 43-Jeremy Grady[6]; 11. 76B-Blair Nothdurft[10]; 12. L88-Larry Clawson[12]

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (30 Laps): 


Pos

Start

Car #

Competitor

Hometown

Pay

1

4

20

Jimmy Owens

Newport, TN

$7,000 

2

2

39

Tim McCreadie

Watertown, NY

$4,000 

3

1

76

Brandon Overton

Evans, GA

$3,000 

4

3

9

Devin Moran

Dresden, OH

$2,000 

5

5

29V

Darrell Lanigan

Union, KY

$1,500 

6

9

20RT

Ricky Thornton Jr

Adel, IA

$1,000 

7

7

19R

Ryan Gustin

Marshalltown, IA

$900 

8

10

8

Kyle Strickler

Mooresville, NC

$800 

9

13

14

Josh Richards

Shinnston, WV

$700 

10

6

1S

Brandon Sheppard

New Berlin, IL

$600 

11

22

81E

Tanner English

Benton, KY

$580 

12

16

71

Hudson O'Neal

Martinsville, IN

$560 

13

8

32

Bobby Pierce

Oakwood, IL

$540 

14

20

21M

Billy Moyer Sr

Batesville, AR

$520 

15

24

44M

Chris Madden

Gray Court, SC

$500 

16

11

18J

Chase Junghans

Manhattan, KS

$490 

17

19

777

Jared Landers

Winston-Salem, NC

$480 

18

18

1C

Chad Simpson

Mt. Vernon, IA

$470 

19

21

99JR

Frank Heckenast Jr

Frankfort, IL

$460 

20

17

40B

Kyle Bronson

Brandon, FL

$450 

21

15

4

Tad Pospisil

Norfolk, NE

$440 

22

12

1T

Tyler Erb

New Waverly, TX

$430 

23

23

2S

Stormy Scott

Las Cruces, NM

$410 

24

14

32S

Chris Simpson

Oxford, IA

$400 


Race Statistics
Entrants
: 43
Lap Leaders: Brandon Overton (Laps 1 - 9); Tim McCreadie (Laps 10 - 26); Jimmy Owens (Laps 27 -30)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Jimmy Owens
Margin of Victory: 0.947 seconds
Cautions: Tyler Erb (Lap 9)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Track Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jimmy Owens, Tim McCreadie, Brandon Overton
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Tanner English (Advanced 11 Positions) 
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jimmy Owens
Allstar Performance Most Laps Led: Tim McCreadie (17 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Jimmy Owens
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: Tanner English
ARP Engine Builder of the Race: Vic Hill Racing Engines
Miller Welders Chassis Builder of the Race: Rocket Chassis
Outerwears Crew Chief of the Race: Jeff Strope
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Chris Madden (Lap #30 - 18.4846 seconds)
STEEL-IT Tough Break of the Race: Tyler Erb
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Brandon Overton
Time of Race: 12 minutes 28 seconds

I-80 Nationals Saturday Line Ups:
Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Line Up (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 


Row

Inside

Outside

1

71

Hudson O'Neal - Martinsville, IN

99JR

Frank Heckenast Jr - Frankfort, IL

2

1C

Chad Simpson - Mt. Vernon, IA

2S

Stormy Scott - Las Cruces, NM

3

04

Tad Pospisil - Norfolk, NE

16

Tyler Bruening - Decorah, IA

4

22H

Daniel Hilsabeck - Earlham, IA

98J

Jason Rauen - Farley, IA

5

98

Ben Schaller - Omaha, NE

29D

Spencer Diercks - Davenport, IA

6

3C

Mike Collins - New Orleans, LA

43

Jeremy Grady - Story City, IA

7

76B

Blair Nothdurft - Renner, SD

6D

Dylan Schmer - Aurora, NE



FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): 


Row

Inside

Outside

1

81E

Tanner English - Benton, KY

1T

Tyler Erb - New Waverly, TX

2

777

Jared Landers - Winston-Salem, NC

21

Billy Moyer Jr - Batesville, AR

3

56

Chris Spieker - Massena, IA

62

Justin Zeitner - Malvern, IA

4

1

Earl Pearson Jr - Jacksonville, FL

53

Andrew Kosiski - Lavista, NE

5

26JR

Corey Zeitner - Omaha, NE

14M

Reid Millard - Jefferson City, MO

6

L88

Larry Clawson - Kansas City, MO

14J

Jake Neal - Omaha, NE

7

10C

Junior Coover - Norfolk, NE

112

Tyler Smith - Gibbon, NE



Lucas Oil Feature Line Up (80 Laps):


Row

Inside

Outside

1

14

Josh Richards - Shinnston, WV

76

Brandon Overton - Evans, GA

2

20

Jimmy Owens - Newport, TN

39

Tim McCreadie - Watertown, NY

3

25

Shane Clanton - Zebulon, GA

8

Kyle Strickler - Mooresville, NC

4

9

Devin Moran - Dresden, OH

29V

Darrell Lanigan - Union, KY

5

44M

Chris Madden - Gray Court, SC

19R

Ryan Gustin - Marshalltown, IA

6

20RT

Ricky Thornton Jr - Adel, IA

1S

Brandon Sheppard - New Berlin, IL

7

32

Bobby Pierce - Oakwood, IL

32S

Chris Simpson - Oxford, IA

8

49

Jonathan Davenport - Blairsville, GA

18J

Chase Junghans - Manhattan, KS

9

21M

Billy Moyer Sr - Batesville, AR

40B

Kyle Bronson - Brandon, FL