Don O’Neal and Mike Marlar on Front Row for Pittsburgher 100

Don O’Neal and Mike Marlar on Front Row for Pittsburgher 100

Story By: Jeremy Shields/LOLMDS

Photos By: Heath Lawson/LOLMDS

IMPERIAL, PA (October 6, 2017) Don O’Neal and Mike Marlar will make-up the front row for the 29th Annual Pittsburgher 100 on Saturday night at Pittsburgh’s Pennsylvania Motor Speedway. The $20,000-to-win event will be proceeded by two 12 lap B-Mains. The other two Friday night heat race winners were Michael Norris and Josh Richards, who will start alongside each other in row number two of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event.

Don O’Neal set a new track record in time trials with a lap of 16.919 seconds and zoomed to the lead in heat number one. He led all ten laps to earn the pole position for Saturday’s finale. O’Neal pilots the Clint Bowyer Dirt Motorsports, Peak Antifreeze and Coolant, Club 29 and is looking for his first win in the annual event. Steve Francis and Mason Ziegler had a spirited race for second with Francis pulling away from a side-by-side battle with Zeigler in the end. Zeigler was third, and former track champion Alex Ferree claimed the fourth and final transfer spot.

Michael Norris grabbed the top honors in heat number two. Norris earned a hard-fought win over current LOLMDS point leader, Tim McCreadie, who finished in second. Norris and McCreadie dueled the entire 10-lap distance as Norris took the win in his D&D Auto Salvage, Henry Racing Engines, Rocket. Mike Pegher Jr. and Rick Eckert earned starting spots into the Pittsburgher 100 by finishing third and fourth, respectively.

In the third heat, Mike Marlar overtook race lead Brandon Sheppard on the final lap to win in his Ronnie Delk-owned, Delk Equipment Sales, Rocket. Sheppard finished in second followed by Jason Covert and Darrell Lanigan.

The fourth and final heat saw defending Pittsburgher 100 winner Josh Richards take the win in the Best Performance Motorsports, Rocket and earns the fourth starting spot for tomorrow’s event. Hudson O’Neal; the current LOLMDS Rookie-of-the-Year point leader; held off 5-time Pittsburgher winner Scott Bloomquist at the line to take second. Bloomquist was third with Jared Miley transferring from his fourth finishing spot.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Race Summary
Friday, October 6th, 2017
29th Annual Pittsburgher 100
Pittsburgh’s PA Motor Speedway – Imperial, PA

Miller Welders Fast Time Group A: Don O’Neal / 16.919 seconds
Miller Welders Fast Time Group B: Mike Marlar / 17.025 seconds

Eibach Springs Heat Race #1 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Don O’Neal, Steve Francis, Mason Zeigler, Alex Ferree, Earl Pearson, Jr., Tommy Beck, Tony Musolino, Jon Hodgkiss, Keith Barbara

FK Rod Ends Heat Race #2 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Michael Norris, Tim McCreadie, Mike Pegher, Rick Eckert, Boom Briggs, Gregg Satterlee, Jake Gunn, Matt Dobnak, Tommy Schirnhofer, Jr.-DNS

Simpson Performance Products Heat Race #3 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Mike Marlar, Brandon Sheppard, Jason Covert, Darrell Lanigan, Dennis Erb, Jr., Russ King, Bump Headman, Derek Stefanick, Dan Angelicchio-DNS

QA1 Heat Race #4 Finish (10 Laps, Top 4 Transfer): Josh Richards, Hudson O’Neal, Scott Bloomquist, Jared Miley, Colton Flinner, Kelvin Kohan, John Weaver, Jimmy Owens

Penske Racing Shocks B-Main #1 Line Up (12 Laps, Top 3 Transfer):