Richards Claims Win Number 18 on the 2016 Season
Story By: KAYLA MAY / WoO LM SERIES MEDIA Photos By: PETE MacDONALD / RACERSGUIDE.COM
CONCORD, NC- October 29, 2016- Josh Richards claims Friday Nights World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Feature win at the 2016 Bad Boy Off Road World Finals. With one more series win in the books for 2016, Richards claims number 18 on the 2016 season setting the new World of Outlaws Late Model Series record for most wins in a single-season.
The previous single-season series record holder was Darrell Lanigan who took to The Dirt Track at Charlotte on Friday night and ran bumper-to-bumper with Richards for the majority of the race while they battled it out between the second and third positions.
“It was a hell of a race there at the end,” said Lanigan “We have a pretty good car there in the middle of the race and we got a little loose there coming off toward the end and Josh got by me on the restart – hats off to those guys they had good pieces too so we will come back tomorrow night and see if we can’t get something.”
Of the 50-Lap Feature it was Chris Madden who led most of the way with 45-laps hanging out in the top spot. With only a few laps left in the feature, Richards changed his strategy and decided to ride the cushion, passing both Lanigan and Madden taking him all the way to Victory Lane.
“I felt like we were pretty good early in the race. We were just a little free and we kind of just had to throw a Hail Mary there at the end and it worked out we were able to pull it off and win,” said Richards. “I don’t even know if it’s really sunk in yet, we just try to give 110% each and every day and to accumulate the year that we’ve had it has been a dream of mine and I guess I didn’t actually ever dream it would happen. I’m just glad to be able to race and do what I love to do and to be in this position where I can contend to win races and put on a show for the fans, that’s all I could ask for.”
Richards was not the only one on the track successfully hard-charging toward the front. Brandon Overton squeezed his way into the feature by winning the Last Chance Showdown for group two. Overton started deep in the field in the 20th-position for the Feature race. A handful of cautions caused the gaps in the field to tighten while Overton, using them to his advantage, continued to move up the chain.
When the checkered flag fell, Overton had gained 16 positions from his start in the Feature putting him in fourth.
“I already knew we had a good car and that we could do good [in the feature],” said Overton. “Tomorrow I am buried in the heat again and so I kind of have to start over and do the whole thing all over again but at least we know we have a car that can run in the top three or possibly win, we have a really good car.”
Although there is still another full day of racing at The Dirt Track at Charlotte, Richards has already claimed the 2016 World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Championship with more than a 280-point lead rounding out the season with 18-wins, 31 top 5’s, 35 top 10’s, 10 Fast Times, and 27 heat wins.
Mark Richards, Josh Richards’ father and team owner, has seen Josh grow not only as his son but also as a driver.
“It means a lot [to me] for him to break the record and keep adding to the wins, the all-time wins and also the year wins and hopefully we can get another tomorrow,” said Mark. “Every day is another day for us. This win is over now so we are going to tomorrow. I don’t really concentrate on the past, we are looking for tomorrow and the next race.”
Racing for the Richards is a family affair, wife Andrea who was on-hand to witness her husband break the single-season win mark added, “he puts so much blood sweat and tears into what we do it’s a very grueling sport and it’s pretty nonstop so it’s really special to see him accomplish that milestone and I am so proud of him.”
The World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series wrap up the 3-day Bad Boy Off Road World Finals Saturday at The Dirt Track at Charlotte. Tickets and pit passes for the 2016 Bad Boy Off Road World of Outlaws World Finals are still available by visiting the ticket booths at the Dirt Track at Charlotte.
If you are unable to make it to this premier event, www.DIRTvision.com will be covering all the action LIVE!
Craftsman Club Feature (50 – Laps): 1. 1- Josh Richards; 2. 44- Chris Madden; 3. 15L – Darrell Lanigan; 4. 76 – Brandon Overton; 5. 25- Shane Clanton; 6. 28E- Dennis Erb Jr.; 7. 39 – Tim McCreadie; 8. 17M- Dale McDowell; 9. 18c – Chase Junghans; 10. 18 – Eric Wells; 11. 16 – Steve Francis; 12. 22 – Chris Ferguson; 13. 2H – Nick Hoffman; 14. C9 – Steve Casebolt; 15. 15s – Donny Schatz; 16. 0 – Dale Hollidge; 17. 7 – Rick Eckert; 18. ’00 – Jesse Stovall; 19. 21JR- Billy Moyer Jr.; 20. 72c – Jason Covert; 21. 87 – Ross Bailes; 22. 41*- Chub Frank; 23. 11 – Austin Smith; 24. 2c – Joey Coulter; 25. 99jr – Frank Heckenast Jr.; 26. 91 – Tyler Erb; 27. 14M – Morgan Bagley; 28. 3s – Brain Shirley; 29. Tyler Carpenter; 30. 41B – Boom Briggs.
Last-Chance Showdown Group No. 1(10 Laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. 18- Eric Wells, 2. 0 – Dale Hollidge, 3. 22* – G.R. Smith, 4. 7r – Ross Robinson, 5. 71 – Hudson O’Neal, 6. 49R – Brain Ruhlman, 7. 22E – Russell Erwin, 8. 92 – Nick Davis, 9. 93 – Donald Bradsher, 10. 1G- Ryan King, 11. 89 – Dustin Mitchell, 12. 31- Bob Gordon – 13. 32 – Daulton Wilson, 14. 111-Steven Roberts, 15. 3s – Brain Shirley, 16. 82 – Andy Fries, 17. 2c – Joey Coulter.
Last-Chance Showdown Group No. 2(10 Laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. 76 – Brandon Overton, 2. 2H – Nick Hoffman, 3. 5 – Don O’Neal, 4. 111B- Max Blair, 5. C8 – Timothy Culp, 6. 40 – Kyle Bronson, 7. 25F – Jason Feger, 8. 15s – Donny Schatz, 9. 72 – Dan Stone, 10. 23 – Michael Rouse, 11. 91 – Tyler Erb, 12. Doug Sanders, 13. ’09 – Johnny Pursley, 14. 15 – Dean Bowen, 16. ’07 – Brian Ledbetter. DNS – 1M- Willie Milliken.
Last-Chance Showdown Group No. 3(10 Laps – Top 2 Transfer): 1. 16- Steve Francis, 2. 87 – Ross Bailes, 3. 25z – Mason Zeigler, 4. 6 – Jonathan Davenport, 5. 4-D’s- Chad Hollenbeck, 6. 41*- Chub Frank, 7. 77 – Jordan Yaggy, 8. R1 – Riley Hickman, 9. 2M – Allen Murray, 10. 14H – Tyler Horst, 11. 24 – Kenny Moreland, 12. 93L – Pancho Lawler, 13. 18s – Robbie Scott, 14. 41B- Boom Briggs, 15. 6s – Blake Spencer, 16. P3 – Jeff Robertson.
Friday Qualifying, Group 1: 1. 39- Tim McCreadie, 14.761; 2. 44- Chris Madden, 14.766; 3. 25- Shane Clanton 14.893; 4. 0 Dale Hollidge 14.980; 5. 11- Austin Smith 14.999; 6. 15s-Donny Schatz, 15.010; 7. 28E Dennis Erb Jr., 15.022; 8. 99jr- Frank Heckenast Jr., 15.050; 9. 21JR- Billy Moyer Jr., 15.115; 10. 22- Chris Ferguson, 15.166; 11- 93 Donald Bradsher, 15.212; 12- C9- Steve Casebolt, 15.212; 13. 111-Steven Roberts, 15.214; 14. 22*- G.R. Smith, 15.216; 15. 111B- Max Blair, 15.216; 16. 18- Eric Wells, 15.226; 17. 71- Hudson O’Neal, 15.237; 18. 40- Kyle Bronson, 15.215; 19-49R Brian Ruhlman, 15.286; 20. 22E- Russel Erwin, 15.326; 21. C8- Timothy Culp, 15.350; 22.1V Jeremy Miller, 15.353; 23. 3s- Brian Shirley, 15.378; 24. 91- Tyler Erb, 15.378; 25. 32- Daulton Wilson, 15.490; 26. 7r- Ross Robinson, 15.512; 27. 76- Brandon Overton, 15.529; 28. D8- Dustin Mitchell, 15.601; 29. 82- Andy Fries, 15.618; 30. 89w- Justin Williams; 31. 1G- Ryan King, 15.790; 32. 31- Bob Gordon, 15.853; 33. 42- Doug Sanders, 15.950; 34. 92- Nick Davis, 16.431; 35. 2c- Joey Coulter (DNS)
Friday Qualifying, Group 2: 1. 1- Josh Richards, 14.809; 2. 17M- Dale McDowell, 14.946; 3. 15L- Darrell Lanigan, 15.096; 4. 5- Don O’Neal, 15.179; 5. 72c- Jason Covert; 6. 00- Jesse Stovall, 15.259; 7. 7- Rick Eckert, 15.276; 8. 18c- Chase Junghans, 15.291; 9. 18s- Robbie Scott, 15.306; 10. 28- Tyler Carpenter, 15.321; 11. 25z- Mason Zeigler, 15.338; 12. 4-D’s- Chad Hollenbeck, 15.367; 13. 1M- Willie Milliken, 15.398; 14. 1* Chub Frank, 15.435; 15. 87- Ross Bailes, 15.442; 16. 25F- Jason Feger, 15.444; 17. 14H- Tyler Horst, 15.469; 18. 14M- Morgan Bagley, 15.482; 19. 2H Nick Hoffman, 15.488; 20. 16- Steve Francis, 15.525; 21. R1- Riley Hickman, 15.562; 22. 15- Dean Bowen, 15.566; 23. 6- Jonathan Davenport, 15.576; 24. 24- Kenny Morelan, 15.608; 25. 23- Michael Rouse, 15.651; 26. 93L- Pancho Lawler, 15.677; 27. 77- Jordan Yaggy, 15.682; 28. ’09- Johnny Pursley, 15.752; 29. 2M- Allen Murray, 15.797; 30. 99B- Boom Briggs, 15.838; 31. Brian Ledbetter, 16.250; 32. 62- Blake Spencer, 16.442; 33. P3- Jeff Robertson, 17.626; DQ. 72- Dan Stone, 15.534.
Heat 1 (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. – 39- Tim Mcreadie, 2. 28E – Dennis Erb Jr., 3. 22- Chris Ferguson, 4. 18 – Eric Wells, 5. 111- Steven Roberts, 6. 0 Dale Hollidge, 7. 49R – Brian Ruhlman, 8. 1G – Ryan King, 9. 92 – Nick Davis, 10. 89- Dustin Mitchell, 11. 32 – Daulton Wilson.
Heat 2 (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. 44- Chris Madden, 2. 11- Austin Smith – 3. 99jr – Frank Hechenast Jr., 4. 22*- G.R. Smith, 5. 22E – Russell Erwin, 6. 71 – Hudson O’Neal, 7. 93 – Donald Bradsher, 8. 2c – Joey Coulter, 9. 3s – Brain Shirley, 10. 7r – Ross Robinson, 11. 31- Bob Gordon, 12. 82- Andy Fries.
Heat 3 (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. 25 – Shane Clanton, 2. 21JR – Billy Moyer Jr., 3. C9- Steve Casebolt, 4. 76 – Brandon Overton, 5. 111B – Max Blair, 6. C8 – Timothy Culp, 7. 40 – Kyle Bronson, 8. 15s – Donny Schatz, 9. 42 – Doug Sanders, 10. 89w – Justin Williams, 11. 91- Tyler Erb.
Heat 4 (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1 – Josh Richards, 2. 7 – Rick Eckart, 3. 28- Tyler Carpenter, 4. 2H – Nick Hoffman, 5. 5 – Don O’Neal, 6. 25F – Jason Feger, 7. ’09- Johnny Pursley, 8. 72 – Dan Stone, 9. 23 – Michael Rouse, 10. ’07- Brain Ledbetter, 11. 15- Dean Bowen, 12. 1M – Willie Milliken.
Heat 5 (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. 17M – Dale McDowell, 2. 18c – Chase Junghans, 3. 72c – Jason Covert, 4. 25z – Mason Zeigler, 5. 16- Steve Francis, 6. 41* – Chub Frank, 7. 6 – Jonathan Davenport, 8. 14H – Tyler Horst, 9. 93L – Pancho Lawler, 10. 2M – Allen Murray, 11. 6s – Blake Spencer.
Heat 6 (10 Laps – Top 3 Transfer): 1. 15L – Darrell Lanigan, 2. 00 – Jesse Stovall, 3. 14M – Morgan Bagley, 4. 87 – Ross Bailes, 5. 4-D’s – Chad Hollenbeck 6. 77 – Jordan Yaggy, 7. 24 – Kenny Moreland, 8. R1 – Riley Hickman, 9. 18S – Robbie Scott, 10. 41B – Boom Briggs, 11. P3 – Jeff Robertson.
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Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, N.C., is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.
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