The DIRTcar Nationals would continue at Volusia Speedway Park on Friday night, February 18th under mostly sunny skies and continued warm temperatures as things have improved here toward the later half of the week. The World Of Outlaws Late Models would be at it again on Friday along with round four of the Big Block Modified action.
Friday night would find car counts going in opposite directions as somewhat surprisingly, the Late Model count continues to build while the Big Block numbers slipped a bit between necessary driver absences and mechanical issues that shut down a couple teams. The Late Models would find a week long high with fifty nine signing in to race with nearly everyone that has raced here this week still on hand plus Pennsylvania's Michael Norris caught a ride in Jeff Mathews back up car. And Norris was quite impressive as he managed to make the main later against that big field.
The Big Blocks were down to thirty seven cars with the most notable absence being top contender Stewart Friesen who was at the "Big Track" taking on the field in the NASCAR Truck event. He is, however, expected to return for the finale on Saturday.
The night's action produced a "feel good" finish as the "Everyman favorite", Illinois' Dennis Erb Jr, the "One Man Band" along with his long time cohort Heather Lynn, would hold off a strong field of drivers to get his second win of the Florida races and add ten grand to his checking account. He would also become the fifth different winner this week here. In the Big Blocks, continued balance was shown as for the fourth straight night, a new winner emerged with Max McLaughlin return to the powerful Al Heinke team producing their first win of the week.
There were some changes going on in the Late Model pits as several weeks or wear and tear plus some disappoints in performance have seen some make changes. Josh Richards, who has struggled mightily this week, actually put his doors on one of Boom Briggs cars' and tried that on Friday. He still ended up having to rely on a provisional start and barely eked out a top twenty finish.
Brandon Overton had to go to a back up car after blowing two engines in his primary car this week. He was, however, still fast as he set quick time of the night by nearly three tenth of a second over the rest of the field. He also won a great heat race duel over Chris Madden and would be challenging for second in the feature until a flat tire would end any chances of victory. Another very fast car here this week, that of Ashton Winger, would also see his changes fade early with his own tire issues.
The usual format of six heats and three Last Chance races would set the running order for the forty lap main and once again, several of the WoO regulars would struggle and need provisional or emergency provisional starts in order to make the main. This would swell the starting field to thirty cars once again as the regular WoO racers continue to take a beating from all the traveling stars in Florida in February.
Erb Jr, however, is a WoO regular and while one wouldn't expect the veteran driver of the short tracks in Illinois to be at his best on a big track like VSP, he would show his mettle on this night, leading all but one lap when he was passed by another Illinois driver, Brandon Sheppard, for just a single lap.
Erb Jr would get the jump on yet another Illinois driver, Frankie Heckenast, at the start and lead the first twenty two laps of the race. He was hotly pursued by Overton and Darrell Lanigan in the early going until Sheppard got up on the banking and started to move forward. B-Shepp's week has been an up and down one but he looked like the high side was finally going to work for him on this night. Following the yellow for Winger's tire issue, Sheppard would blow past both Lanigan and Overton and take over second and begin to close on Erb Jr.
Finally, on lap twenty three, Sheppard surged into the lead down the front chute. However, Erb Jr fought right back and would retake the lead and as has happened so often in this month, Sheppard started to make a slow fade the last half of the race.
Erb Jr most had to worry about Chase Junghans the last ten laps of the race. Junghans, who started out his Florida campaign by running miserably, has really picked up his game the last couple of nights and as the laps ran down, he was closing quickly on Erb Jr with a couple of lapped cars in the way. It really looked like Dennis might be vulnerable to a last lap charge but fortunately for him, Spencer Hughes, who had been running at the back of the pack and in Erb Jr's groove, pulled high up the track in turn three and Dennis was able to pass him. I don't know if Hughes got a signal or he just felt he might be in the way, but his move was key to Erb Jr having to avoid a possible showdown.
For Erb Jr, it was his second win so far this year in Florida, perhaps almost matching the number of wins already that he usually gets during a year. Erb Jr seldom gets wins but he is a steady runner and a driver that races a huge number of events each year and has been doing so for a long time as the ultimate blue collar racer minus the big backing of some teams. Any win by him is always a popular one for the fans who understand his grit and determination, year after year. Lanigan would continue his strong runs of the week too with a top three finish. Darrell, who has gone through highs and lows in this sport too, seems to have a good handle on what could be a great rebound year for him.
Tonight's order of events would find the Big Blocks wrapping up the night with their thirty lap main event. Twenty six of them would take the green flag and a new winner would emerge when "Mad" Max McLaughlin would grab the lead for good on lap seventeen and then hold of his team mate Jimmy Phelps for the win.
McLaughlin had shown speed early, timing in quickest and being just one of two drivers under eighteen seconds in qualifying. But even though he started in the front row, he was beat in the early going by Demetrios Drellos who would get the jump on him and lead the opening eleven laps. Mat Williamson would get by him for second also but a key yellow when Matt Sheppard slowed with a flat tire was key to his success.
He got a great restart and edged past Williamson and then pulled in to challenge Drellos for the lead. They ran hard, side by side for a couple laps before McLaughlin could claim the top spot. Phelps would pick up the pace, getting past Larry Wight for third and then challenging Williamson for second.
The top three were running close together when the final yellow waved with only six laps to go when Peter Britten had bad luck for the second time in the race as a tire went down.
The restart was key as Williamson got a great break, too good as it turned out as he was called for a jump and moved back one spot, moving Phelps to second for another attempt to get the race back under green.
The final laps would see McLaughlin in control as he would lead Phelps and a perturbed Williamson home for the win. One two of the starters were not around on the track at the finish.
With spectacular starter Dave Farney absent from the tower on this night, Larry Woodruff would step and fill his shoes admirably on a night when he would eat more dust than at any other time this week.
It was announced at the driver's meetings that a prayer service for pit personnel would be held on Saturday. Ironically it will be held in turn one at the Beer Tent! Attendance is expected to be spectacular.
As the week runs down, officials are really starting to get things figured out as to how to save time. The first race took the green shortly after 7 pm and all racing was complete shortly after 10 pm. Saturday night will see ten extra laps tacked on to each of the feature races.
The crowd was massive again on Friday night as it has been all week and it seems to me that most of the entire Florida adventure has seen big crowds on hand, hopefully a portent of the season to come in the rest of the country.
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