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2012 CMP News & Announcements |
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 Canandaigua, NY – June 26, 2012 – The record watch is clearly in focus for Darrell Lanigan on the World of Outlaws Late Model Series. Win number seven this season arrived Tuesday night at Canandaigua Motorsports Park in Upstate New York and the Union, Ky. veteran has 24 races around the rest of country to set the record straight.
“Its too early to look at anything, records or points, there's a long way to go and anything can happen,” downplayed Lanigan, 42, after scoring his fifth win in the last eight races to extend his points lead in quest of a second WoO LMS Championship. “We just go race to race and see what we can win.”
Joining Lanigan in victory lane for Canandaigua's lone mid-week show of the season presented by Ballantyne RV & Marine and Sweeteners Plus, Inc. were Original Pizza Logs Big-Block Modified Invitational winners Dave Rauscher and Peter Britten, and Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman victor Dave Marcuccilli; each capturing their first checkered flags of the 2012 campaign at the Ontario County Fairgrounds.
Third time was a charm for Lanigan, who finished fourth in 2008 and sixth in 2009, the only other appearances made by the national touring group at the historic half-mile clay oval nestled in the heart of the Empire State's Finger Lakes Region.
The 2008 Outlaws Series points champion crossed the finish line nearly three seconds ahead of area favorites Tim McCreadie and Tim Fuller, both from Watertown, and southern all-stars Clint Smith from Georgia and Bub McCool from Mississippi. McCreadie (14) and Fuller (2) both own Big-Block feature wins at Canandaigua, where T-Mac captured the A-Main in '09.
“This was definitely a good car. We fell back there a little bit in the beginning, just lost some positions getting on the wrong spot of the race track, but rallied back there on top. Man, this car was good,” remarked Lanigan, who's only other series win in NYS was at Rolling Wheels Raceway Park in Elbridge.
The 'Bluegrass Bandit' needs just three more wins to break the season mark of nine shared by Scott Bloomquist and Josh Richards, and six more to set the all-time series standard of 39 career victories. Richards, the inaugural CMP winner in '08, is also the only driver to repeat as WoO LMS champion and Lanigan is in the driver's seat to match that feat in 2012 when the 43-race schedule concludes in November.
Securing his pole-position start after the top-six heat race qualifiers redrew, Shane Clanton led off the 40-lap headline event with 23 full-fender foes in tow. Lanigan began sixth on the grid and fell back a spot early in the main before finding the fast way around in his black Port City Racing no. 29 GottaRace.com Cornett-powered Rocket entry.
McCreadie jockeyed with Sweeteners Plus teammate Vic Coffey at the drop of the initial green, chasing Clanton until the leaders reached traffic just 10-laps into the caution-free affair. Lanigan had cracked the Top-five a quarter of the way through, pulling alongside T-Mac as the scoreboard clicked off 15 complete.
Lanigan grabbed second on lap 16 and reeled in Clanton to forge the final lead change on the 23rd circuit. McCreadie disposed of Clanton on lap 31 and the next time around fifth-place starter Fuller moved into third, although nearly a straightaway still separated the north country neighbors from leader Lanigan.
Without a yellow flag to fall in their favor, the two Tims settled for second and third-place finishes ahead of Smith while McCool edged Clanton at the stripe for fifth and Coffey settled for sixth, one spot short of his outcome in the '09 finale.
Pennsylvanian Rick Eckert, who claimed fast-time honors for the second time in 2012 with a lap of 17.972 seconds in Ohlins Shocks Time Trials, rallied to finish ninth after motor issues relegated him to 23rd on the starting grid.
“The car was just awesome, couldn't ask for anything better from the crew,” Lanigan added. “The track was definitely smooth, you could race all over the place. And that little bit of water up top really held my groove.”
Completing his CMP trifecta ---1st in '09, 2nd in '12, 3rd in '08--- in home territory, McCreadie was gracious in the winner's circle, thanking the Canandaigua fans for their support at a track he once competed on every Saturday.
“Darrell had a really good car, I'll just tip our caps and go on and try to win the next one,” figured McCreadie, himself a three-time winner this season, after improving to third in the Outlaws point standings. “He had on a different right-rear (tire), that probably made the difference. I just faded. Moved up to the top and he just drove by me and I'm like 'damn.' He was that good, and we were that close.”
Divulged Fuller at the end of the night, “The motor really sounds bad right now with that spark plug missing, but the track conditions were actually perfect tonight for being on seven cylinders. I'm happy that the motor lived through the end.”
“Jeremie (Corcoran, CMP promoter) once again did a fantastic job with the track. This has always been a racy place, even more tonight. It was racy from top to bottom. Its a pleasure to come out and run at a place like this,” added Fuller, after posting his first Top-5 in the three WoO LMS events staged in wine country.
Choosing to celebrate his 57th birthday at the track, age was far from being a factor in the opening 12-lap segment for the Big-Block Modifieds as Rauscher led flag-to-flag. At less than half his age, 24-year Britten took advantage of his pole-position start to lead all 12 circuits in second non-stop dash that also took only four minutes.
“I might be the oldest guy out here, yes, more than my car number,” joked Rauscher, after puling his no. 48too Magee Transportation-Monadnock Disposal Services/Bicknell mount into Canandaigua's winner's circle for the very first time. “Have to thank Billy (Dunn) for selling me that number one spot, it helped a lot.”
Following a unique starting procedure, the 12 drivers participating in the Modified Invitational each drew a number. The only catch was that number had to be given up to another driver of choice. When Dunn selected #1, Rauscher was quick to show him a $50 bill and the pole was his to start round one.
Waterloo regular Rauscher wasted little time out-gunning front row partner Britten, who remained second for the entire distance finishing four car-lengths behind. Derrick Podsiadlo placed in the show position while last Saturday's winner Alan Johnson was the biggest mover, charging from ninth to fourth as Chad Homan filled out the front-five.
Rauscher redrew #2 meaning only the Top-2 were inverted to begin the 12-lap nightcap. Pole-winner Britten mirrored Rauscher's opening act maneuver, bolting out front at the start and never looking back. Johnson improved to second-place, Justin Haers climbed to third while Podsiadlo and Homan completed their Top-5 sweep for the night.
“Its a dash but still a win in front of a good crowd makes you feel good,” said Britten, from Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, some 9,000 miles from the U.S., and is contending for a second straight season at Canandaigua. “This is a good morale boost to get a win for once.”
“We tried a few different things here tonight. We've been struggling a bit lately, really not doing as good as we think we should be. The car felt better then its been for a fair while, hopefully we can keep it going and make the old man proud,” added Britten, whose father Paul passed away in early March.
Britten kept his foot down the whole way around aboard the JBR Motorsports no. 21a Adamsville Maintenance/Troyer ride, out-distancing Johnson and Haers by almost a full straightaway, while leaving Podsiadlo and Homan to battle it out further back.
Capping off the program with the fourth straight feature event run without a caution period, Marcuccilli led the distance to garner the first victory of his career at Canandaigua in the 25-lap Sportsman special offering show-up points.
“It feels awesome to finally win here, its a nice trophy to add to my collection,” beamed Marcuccilli, after the driver from Cayuga ran uncontested most of the way to register the overdue victory. “I was a little nervous starting up front. Been feeling pretty crappy the last few days and didn't even want to race Saturday but we ended up second. We got some help from some really good people and it showed tonight.”
It took Marcuccilli just 10 laps to build up a three-quarter straightaway lead, pushing his blue no. m1 Stormin-Currier Plastics-Crew Boyz Racing/Bicknell machine into traffic by the midway point. Steve Gray pulled off a successful 360-degree spin in turn two on lap 19, avoiding a possible yellow flag and helping preserve Marcuccilli's coveted victory over the final half-dozen circuits.
“We've been trying stuff all year, some nights we've just been out to lunch and didn't even belong out there being so bad,” noted Marcuccilli, who is now enjoying his first full season at the 'Land of Legends' and becomes the second first-time divisional winner in three days, joining A.J. Lloyd on the all-time list begun in 1987. “We've come here with a different car every week, a different set-up each time, and we finally hit on something that's working really good.”
“I don't know where the other guys were behind me, I just had a lot of fun out there tonight,” added Marcuccilli, who pulled away from Justin Henderson while Kevin Ridley edged defending season champion and current points leader Dan Wiesner at the stripe. Three-time feature winner Paul Guererri completed the final Top-5.
CMP hosts its final show of the month when Saturday night activity returns June 30. A huge fireworks display closes out an early 'Fourth of July' holiday card with 1-on-1 Spectator Drag Races joining a full program of Original Pizza Logs Big-Block Modified, Safety Awareness Solutions Sportsman, Parts Plus Street Stock, Pure Stock and New Legends Sportsman action. Pit gates unlock at 4pm, grandstands open at 5pm and the first qualifying heat goes green at 7pm.
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