Owens Earns Hard Fought Win at Magnolia Motor Speedway

COLUMBUS, MS (June 19, 2020) – Current Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship Point Leader Jimmy Owens won a battle with Josh Richards on Friday Night of the General Tire Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel, at Magnolia Motor Speedway to take his second series win of the season. Owens yielded the lead to Richards on the 19th lap, but one circuit later he was back in front.

He pulled away from Richards to take his 66th career series win. Richards finished second followed by Tyler Erb, Frank Heckenast Jr., and the Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race, Michael Page in fifth. Richards started fifth on the grid and vaulted to the second spot on the opening lap behind Owens and battled with Tyler Erb for the runner-up slot. Richards and Erb went back-and-forth, with Richards gaining the advantage with 11 laps scored.

Richards began to pull away from Erb and started challenging Owens for the lead soon thereafter, especially after the fourth and final caution of the race with 12 laps complete. Richards tried several times to get by Owens as the two were using every available line around the 3/8th mile oval. Richards dropped to the inside of Owens coming off turn to take lead as the two Rocket Chassis drivers completed the 19th circuit. Richards slid high in turn one, opening the door for Owens to regain the lead for the final time.

 “After they prepped the track tonight before the feature, you didn’t know whether to go high or low. I knew the middle of the track was going to be good. I knew Josh was behind me and he’s got a great car, and also that he would challenge me hard. When he passed me and he scooted up the track, he left me the room I needed to get by,” said the 48-year-old Tennessee native, Jimmy Owens. Owens said he is ready for the challenge of Saturday Night’s $15,00 to win race.

“Tomorrow night’s 100 laps is a long way to go. I don’t know what we are going to get with the track. They are doing a great job prepping it. We don’t know where to run  and that makes it tough if you’re running out front. Hats off to the track prep crew and hats off to the fans for sticking this one out.” Richards; like Owens; was seeking his second series win of the year and was pleased with his second place run in the Clint Bowyer Racing-owned car. “When I got the lead on Jimmy, I should have rolled the middle in one and two but got too far up the track and left him too much room. Jimmy’s been great this year, congrats to him and his team on the win. It was good for us to start in the back last night. I could maneuver and really see what the car could do when the track gets slower. I am sure they are really going to work the track good tomorrow and we are going to have a good race.” 

Erb came home third for his second straight top-five performance. “Jimmy had the best car tonight. I thought the top was going to be better. The track was really racy for a long-time time, but those two got away from me. I was just trying to hang on for third. It should set us up for tomorrow night with a good starting position.” The winner’s Ramirez Motorsports Rocket Chassis Is powered by a Vic Hill Racing Engine and sponsored by Reece Monument Company, Tommy Pope Construction, Boomtest Well Service, General Tire, Red Line Oil, Ohlins Shocks, and Champion Spark Plugs. Completing the top ten were Shane Clanton, Tim McCreadie, Devin Moran, Jonathan Davenport, and Bobby Pierce.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 
Race Summary 
General Tire Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel
Friday, June 19th, 2020
Magnolia Motor Speedway – Columbus, MS

Lucas Oil Time Trials
Fast Time Group A: Jimmy Owens / 14.994 seconds (overall)
Fast Time Group B: Tyler Erb / 15.110 seconds 

Penske Race Shocks Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):  1. 20-Jimmy Owens[1]; 2. 99JR-Frank Heckenast Jr[2]; 3. 86-Kyle Beard[3]; 4. 50-Shanon Buckingham[4]; 5. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[6]; 6. 11J-Drew Armstrong[5]; 7. 1ST-Johnny Scott[8]; 8. 1BJ-BJ Robinson[7]; 9. 92M-Chad Mallett[9]

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):  1. 21B-Chris Brown[2]; 2. 9-Devin Moran[1]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[5]; 4. 10J-Joseph Joiner[3]; 5. C8-Timothy Culp[4]; 6. 111-Steven Roberts[7]; 7. 36-Logan Martin[6]; 8. 1C-Chad Thrash[8]; 9. (DNS) R5-Hunter Rasdon

Simpson Race Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 14-Josh Richards[1]; 2. 33-Scott Dedwylder[2]; 3. 18X-Michael Page[4]; 4. 1G-Devin Gilpin[5]; 5. 6R-Robbie Stuart[3]; 6. G4-Shelby Sheedy[7]; 7. 86R-Rick Rickman[8]; 8. 25M-Justin Mcree[6]

Ohlins Shocks Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 1T-Tyler Erb[1]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton[4]; 3. 4M-Michael Arnold[2]; 4. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[5]; 5. 33C-Eric Cooley[6]; 6. 16-Tyler Bruening[3]; 7. 54-David Breazeale[7]; 8. 7D-David Payne[9]; 9. 48-Jamie Elam[8]

General Tire Heat Race #5 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 21M-Billy Moyer Sr[1]; 2. 39-Tim McCreadie[3]; 3. 14M-Morgan Bagley[5]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[6]; 5. 32-Bobby Pierce[7]; 6. 1B-Ross Bailes[2]; 7. 84-Austin Smith[4]; 8. 14G-Joe Godsey[8]; 9. (DNS) 00-Jesse Stovall

Big River Steel Heat Race #6 Finish (10 Laps, Top 3 Transfer): 1. 11H-Spencer Hughes[1]; 2. 86B-Brian Rickman[2]; 3. 40B-Kyle Bronson[6]; 4. 212-Josh Putnam[3]; 5. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[7]; 6. 81E-Tanner English[5]; 7. 71-Hudson O’Neal[4]; 8. 31-Nick Thrash[8]

Tiger Rear Ends B-Main #1 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer):  1. 10J-Joseph Joiner[2]; 2. 11J-Drew Armstrong[5]; 3. 50-Shanon Buckingham[1]; 4. 1-Earl Pearson Jr[3]; 5. 1ST-Johnny Scott[7]; 6. 111-Steven Roberts[6]; 7. C8-Timothy Culp[4]; 8. 36-Logan Martin[8]; 9. 1BJ-BJ Robinson[9]; 10. 92M-Chad Mallett[11]; 11. (DNS) 1C-Chad Thrash; 12. (DNS) R5-Hunter Rasdon

FAST Shafts B-Main #2 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 1G-Devin Gilpin[1]; 2. 21XXX-Neil Baggett[2]; 3. 16-Tyler Bruening[6]; 4. 86R-Rick Rickman[7]; 5. 6R-Robbie Stuart[3]; 6. 25M-Justin Mcree[9]; 7. 33C-Eric Cooley[4]; 8. G4-Shelby Sheedy[5]; 9. 7D-David Payne[10]; 10. 48-Jamie Elam[11]; 11. (DNS) 54-David Breazeale

Arizona Sport Shirts B-Main #3 Finish (12 Laps, Top 2 Transfer): 1. 32-Bobby Pierce[3]; 2. 21-Billy Moyer Jr[4]; 3. 84-Austin Smith[7]; 4. 2S-Stormy Scott[1]; 5. 71-Hudson O’Neal[8]; 6. 81E-Tanner English[6]; 7. 14G-Joe Godsey[9]; 8. 31-Nick Thrash[10]; 9. 212-Josh Putnam[2]; 10. 1B-Ross Bailes[5]; 11. (DNS) 00-Jesse Stovall

Lucas Oil Feature Finish (25 Laps): 

Race Statistics
Entrants: 52
Lap Leaders: Jimmy Owens (Laps 1 – 18); Josh Richards (Lap 19); Jimmy Owens (Laps 20 – 25)
Wrisco Feature Winner: Jimmy Owens
Margin of Victory: 1.021 seconds
Cautions: Morgan Bagley (Lap 4); Scott Dedwylder, Michael Arnold (Lap 5); Brian Rickman (Lap 10); Devin Gilpin (Lap 12)
Series Provisionals: n/a
Fast Time Provisional: n/a
Series Emergency Provisionals: n/a
Big River Steel Podium Top 3: Jimmy Owens, Josh Richards, Tyler Erb
Optima Batteries Hard Charger of the Race: Michael Page (Advanced 12 Positions) 
Midwest Sheet Metal Spoiler Challenge Point Leader: Jimmy Owens
Allstar Performance Most Laps Led: Jimmy Owens (24 Laps)
Sunoco Race for Gas Highest Finisher: Jimmy Owens
Eibach Springs Rookie of the Race: n/a
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 (Jimmy Owens)
Dirty Girl Racewear Fastest Lap of the Race: Tyler Erb (Lap #3 – 15.2740 seconds)
STEEL-IT Tough Break of the Race: Morgan Bagley
PFC Brakes Pole Award: Jimmy Owens
Time of Race: 17 minutes 28 seconds

General Tire Clash at the Mag – presented by Big River Steel Point Standings and Tie Breakers: