th<\/sup> starting spot to the lead in 18 circuits.<\/p>\nRichards actually surprised himself with his quick ascension through the field. He cracked the top five in three laps and reached second by lap nine, though he swapped the runner-up spot once with Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., before gaining control on lap 16.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew everybody gambled on tires a little bit,\u201d said Richards. \u201cWe just went with a softer compound and tried to stay slow and not wear anything out, and try to get one at a time as we could. I didn\u2019t expect to get up through there like we did, but I think everybody just kind of got bound up and slid and we were able to get quite a few cars early.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richards\u2019s move to grab second from Lanigan on lap 16 might have been the critical point of the race. After Richards dived to the inside of turns three and four and slid in front of Lanigan, contact between the two friendly rivals in turn four damaged the nosepiece of Lanigan\u2019s car. Three laps later Lanigan skated into the turn-three guardrail due to a left-front tire that was cut by his bent bodywork, bringing out the race\u2019s only caution flag.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were going down the backstraightaway and I just drove straight down to the bottom and Darrell went to the top,\u201d Richards said of the scrape with Lanigan. \u201cWell, he got turned and came straight back down to the bottom and ran into our left rear.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think there was a little bit of heat over that. I don\u2019t think he knew exactly what happened. I think he just thought I drove in there after he turned, but we were just racing. It\u2019s unfortunate that he got a car tore up, but I don\u2019t feel like we did anything wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lanigan, who started from the pole position and led the first circuit and laps 6-10, limped into the infield and retired after the caution flag flew on lap 19. He declined to comment on the situation with Richards.<\/p>\n
Moments after Lanigan left the track, O\u2019Neal, who started fifth and passed Lanigan for the lead on lap 11, also drove into the infield. A line of moisture began to trail behind his Larry Moring-owned car during the caution period; it was later determined to be fuel from a busted fuel pump.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that O\u2019Neal broke,\u201d said Richards, who led laps 20-30 without receiving a single challenge. \u201cI feel like we could\u2019ve gotten him anyway, but everything\u2019s been going our way. We\u2019ll take it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richards\u2019s victory was his third in as many days \u2013 he started the streak with a $20,000-plus triumph in Sunday\u2019s 75-lap WoO LMS event at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, Fla. \u2013 and the seventh of his career during the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit at Volusia. He moved into a tie for fourth on the alltime DIRTcar Nationals win list with veterans O\u2019Neal, Bloomquist and Rick Eckert of York, Pa.<\/p>\n
In addition, according to records compiled by racing historian Bob Markos, Richards became the sixth driver in the 42-year history of the UNOH DIRTcar Nationals by Summit to open the dirt Late Model portion of the meet with back-to-back wins. He joins a list that includes Moyer (1997, 2008), O\u2019Neal (2002, \u201803), Larry Moore (1981), Morgan Shepherd (1977) and Wayne Shugart (1973, \u201978).<\/p>\n
The A-Main\u2019s other leader was Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., who surged forward from the fourth starting spot to pass Lanigan for the top spot on lap two. McCreadie was in front on lap five when he jumped the cushion in turn two and slapped the outside wall, inflicting damage to his Warrior machine that forced him to cede the lead to Lanigan on lap six and pull off that circuit.<\/p>\n
Finishing in positions 6-10 were Tim Fuller of Watertown, N.Y.; Brady Smith of Solon Springs, Wis., who started 23rd<\/sup>; Bub McCool of Vicksburg, Miss., who didn\u2019t compete in Monday\u2019s program; 20-year-old Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., who recorded a career-best finish at Volusia; and 16-year-old Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill.<\/p>\nForty-seven cars were entered in the program, which utilized group qualifying to set the starting lineups for six heat races.<\/p>\n
Richards registered the fastest overall qualifying lap at 15.752 seconds. Other group fast-timers were Lanigan (15.952), Ron Davies of Warren, Pa. (16.065), Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla. (16.072), Billy Ogle Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn. (16.416) and Moyer (16.930).<\/p>\n
Heat winners were O\u2019Neal, Zeigler, Bloomquist, Lanigan, McCreadie and Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark. The B-Mains were captured by Kenny Pettyjohn of Millsboro, Del., Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, Wis., and Davies, and Jared Landers of Batesville, Ark., topped the 5-lap Bulrush Dash for non-qualifiers.<\/p>\n
The DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit continues on Wednesday night (Feb. 20) with the 40-lap UMP Late Model finale that offers a $10,000 top prize. The Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds will also be on hand for the division\u2019s first of four straight race nights. Race time is 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
For more information on the DIRTcar Nationals by UNOH, log on to www.DIRTcarNationals.com.<\/p>\n
DIRTcar UMP Late Model 30-Lap A-Main Finish (Finish Pos.\/Start Pos.\/Driver\/Laps Completed):<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
1. (11) Josh Richards\/30<\/p>\n
2. (9) Eric Wells\/30<\/p>\n
3. (13) Stormy Scott\/30<\/p>\n
4. (7) Billy Moyer\/30<\/p>\n
5. (2) Scott Bloomquist\/30<\/p>\n
6. (10) Tim Fuller\/30<\/p>\n
7. (23) Brady Smith\/30<\/p>\n
8. (17) Bub McCool\/30<\/p>\n
9. (6) Mason Zeigler\/30<\/p>\n
10. (8) Bobby Pierce\/30<\/p>\n
11. (15) Earl Pearson Jr.\/30<\/p>\n
12. (22) Stacy Boles\/30<\/p>\n
13. (20) Jimmy Mars\/30<\/p>\n
14. (14) Donnie Moran\/29<\/p>\n
15. (26) Brandon Sheppard\/29<\/p>\n
16. (16) Morgan Bagley\/29<\/p>\n
17. (18) Ricky Weiss\/29<\/p>\n
18. (24) Michael Norris\/28<\/p>\n
19. (21) Ron Davies\/20<\/p>\n
20. (5) Don O\u2019Neal\/19<\/p>\n
21. (1) Darrell Lanigan\/19<\/p>\n
22. (12) Steve Francis\/18<\/p>\n
23. (19) Kenny Pettyjohn\/18<\/p>\n
24. (3) Billy Moyer Jr.\/9<\/p>\n
25. (4) Tim McCreadie\/6<\/p>\n
26. (25) Eddie Carrier Jr.\/2<\/p>\n
Heat No. 1 (8 laps \u2013 Top 3 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Don O\u2019Neal, 2. Billy Moyer, 3. Stormy Scott, 4. Kenny Pettyjohn, 5. Dennis Erb Jr., 6. Vic Coffey, 7. Jason McBride, 8. Chuck Julien<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Heat No. 2 (8 laps \u2013 Top 3 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Mason Zeigler, 2. Bobby Pierce, 3. Donnie Moran, 4. Stacy Boles, 5. Billy Ogle Jr., 6. Kent Robinson, 7. Dan Stone, 8. Clint Smith<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Heat No. 3 (8 laps \u2013 Top 3 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Scott Bloomquist, 2. Eric Wells, 3. Earl Pearson Jr., 4. Jimmy Mars, 5. Jared Landers, 6. Chad Hollenbeck, 7. Eddie Carrier Jr., 8. Jerry Lierly<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Heat No. 4 (8 laps \u2013 Top 3 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Darrell Lanigan, 2. Tim Fuller, 3. Morgan Bagley, 4. Brady Smith, 5. Chub Frank, 6. Brandon Sheppard, 7. Joey Coulter, 8. Todd Frank<\/p>\nHeat No. 5 (8 laps \u2013 Top 3 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Tim McCreadie, 2. Josh Richards, 3. Bub McCool, 4. Eric Jacobsen, 5. Casey Roberts, 6. Mike Benedum, 7. Gregg Satterlee, 8. Justin Rattliff<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Heat No. 6 (8 laps \u2013 Top 3 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Billy Moyer Jr., 2. Steve Francis, 3. Ricky Weiss, 4. Ron Davies, 5. Mike Norris, 6. Michael Walker, 7. Mike Hammerle<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
B-Main No. 1 (10 laps \u2013 Top 2 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Kenny Pettyjohn, 2. Stacy Boles, 3. Billy Ogle Jr., 4. Dennis Erb Jr., 5. Vic Coffey, 6. Dan Stone, 7. Kent Robinson, 8. Clint Smith, 9. Jason McBride, 10. Chuck Julien<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
B-Main No. 2 (10 laps \u2013 Top 2 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Jimmy Mars, 2. Brady Smith, 3. Chub Frank, 4. Brandon Sheppard, 5. Joey Coulter, 6. Jared Landers, 7. Chad Hollenbeck, 8. Todd Frank (DNS) Eddie Carrier Jr., Jerry Lierly<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
B-Main No. 3 (10 laps \u2013 Top 2 Transfer): <\/strong> 1. Ron Davies, 2. Michael Norris, 3. Casey Roberts, 4. Eric Jacobsen, 5. Gregg Satterlee, 6. Mike Benedum, 7. Justin Rattliff, 8. Michael Walker, 9. Mike Hammerle<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Click here for more photos from Volusia Speedway Park! Red-Hot West Virginian Rolls Forward From 11th Starting Spot To Capture Tuesday\u2019s $7,000 Top Prize BARBERVILLE, FL \u2013 Feb. 19, 2013 \u2013 There appears to be no stopping Josh Richards during the 42nd UNOH DIRTcar Nationals Presented by Summit Racing Equipment. With another spectacular charge forward […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[383,304,774,337,210,322,55,380,223],"division":[],"series":[],"regions":[],"class_list":["post-14532","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-late-models","tag-bubba-raceway-park","tag-dirtcar","tag-dirtcar-nationals","tag-feature","tag-featured","tag-modified","tag-modifieds-2","tag-ump","tag-volusia-speedway"],"yoast_head":"\n
Richards Two-For-Two In DIRTcar UMP Super Late Model Action During UNOH DIRTcar Nationals By Summit - DIRTcar Racing<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n