Indiana Speeweek opener results

Don O'Neal Claims Speedweek Opener

May 2, 2004 -- Martinsville's Don (the Real Deal) O'Neal opened the 2004 Indiana Dirt Late Model Speedweek with a rain-shortened victory at Haubstadt's Tri-State Speedway, Sunday night. O'Neal was pacing the field under caution when a rain shower soaked the oval and the Northern All Stars Late Model series officials dropped the checkers after 19 laps. Randy Korte was scored second and defending champion Kevin Claycomb third.

"I didn't want to see it start raining," O'Neal said in his pit afterwards. The victory gave him the early lead in the Indiana Dirt Late Model Speedweek standings and extended his point lead with the Northern Allstars.

Mark Voigt grabbed the early lead and O'Neal hustled under Claycomb for second on the first lap. With Claycomb working the top groove, O'Neal scrambled past Voigt on the third circuit, with Korte a close fourth. By lap 15, Voigt, Claycomb and Korte were in a heated battle for second and O'Neal was building a straightaway advantage. On lap 20, Voigt's right rear tire shredded, scattering debris on the backstretch and bringing out the caution flag. While track officials retrieved the fragments, a sudden downpour soaked the track, sending fans looking for shelter.

O'Neal found Tri-State's inside lane to his liking and was maintaining a straightaway lead while dicing through lapped cars before the last caution. "Everybody ran there all night long and it didn't seem to be getting slick," he said. O'Neal drives a Rayburn Chassis with Jay Dickens motors, and is sponsored by A1 Salvage, The Living Room Center and Blackwell Trucking.

Results:

Fast qualifier: Don O'Neal

Heat 1: Kevin Claycomb, Clay Baumann, Scott Hutchinson, Tait Davenport

Heat 2: Don O'Neal, Rohn Moon, Dennis Erb, Duke Whiseant

Heat 3: Randy Korte, Brian Shirley, Billy Faust, Steve Barnett

Heat 4: Mark Voigt, Rodney Melvin, Joe Morris, Chad Zobrist

Consy: Tim Prince, Jamie Wilson, Wes Steidinger, Steve Karnes

Feature (19 laps): 1. Don O'Neal, 2. Randy Korte, 3. Kevin Claycomb, 4. Rohn Moon, 5. Duke Whiseant, 6. Rodney Melvin, 7. Dennis Erb, 8. Steve Barnett, 9. Brian Shirley, 10. Billy Faust, 11. Joe Morris, 12. Jamie Wilson, 13. Wes Steidinger, 14. Chad Zobrist, 15. Steve Sheppard Jr., 16. Tim Prince, 17. Zach Carney, 18. Mark Voigt, 19. Steve Karnes, 20. Clay Baumann, 21. Tait Davenport, 22. Scott Hutchinson.

Indiana Dirt Late Model Speedweek Points: 1. Don O'Neal 60, 2. Randy Korte 58, 3. Kevin Claycomb 56, 4. Rohn Moon 54, 5. Rodney Melvin 52

The next event is Wednesday, May 5, at Twin Cities Raceway Park. It is presented by T.E. Motorsports and is the second event of the Speedweek series. The program will include Twin Cities' Pure Stock division. Twin Cities Raceway Park is located just off Rt. 50 and Rt. 7 east of North Vernon, IN. Ticket prices are $15 general admission and $25 pits. Hot laps will start at 6:00 with racing at 7 pm. More information is online at www.twincitiesracing.net or phone (812) 346-4034 (track).

Featuring the Northern Allstars Late Model Series, Indiana Dirt Late Model Speedweek boasts a $4,100 point fund, and pays $2,000 to the Speedweek champion. Indiana Dirt Late Model Speedweek concludes with back-to-back races at Bloomington Speedway and Brownstown Speedway on Friday and Saturday. Each 30-lap feature will pay $2,000 to win and $200 to start. The point fund will award second through fifth in points: $1,000, $600, $300 and $200.

2004 Indiana Dirt Late Model Speedweek
May 2 Tri-State Speedway *DON O'NEAL*
May 5 Twin Cities Raceway ParkNorth Vernon, IN
May 7 Bloomington Speedway Bloomington, IN
May 8 Brownstown Speedway Brownstown, IN

Friday is Hometown Online Night at Bloomington Speedway. Seymour, IN's Hometown Online is a provider of computer and internet services for home and business. Hometown Online's products include wireless internet, broadband DSL, dialup access, home and business networking support and website hosting. More information about Hometown Online is available at www.htonline.net/, or by calling 812-524-1492.

Saturday's finale at Brownstown Speedway is sponsored by Bob Poynter Ford in Seymour, the family dealer for all Ford products.

More information about the Northern Allstars Late Model Series is available at www.northernallstars.org. Series sponsors include Hoosier Tire Midwest, Rocket Chassis, Citgo Racing Fuel, Peterson Aluminum, Dyers Rods, K-Motion Valve Springs, Mastersbilt Race Cars, GRT Race Cars, Competition Graphics, Kinser Custom Printing, Hypercoils, Allstar Performance, PPM Racing Products, Champ Pans, Bert Transmission, SpeedNet Direct, Scott Performance Wire, Sunoco Race Fuel.3 Shamrocks Web Design, Stealth Racing Carburetors, FS Fuel 24 and Negangard Enterprises.

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