Bloomquist avoids flats, ends brief Batesville skid

Scott Bloomquist
Scott Bloomquist

LOCUST GROVE -- Scott Bloomquist was in a Batesville slump? Who knew?

But Saturday night at Batesville Motor Speedway, where Bloomquist has always been strong and dominant at times, he won for the first time in more than four years, cruising to a $20,000 victory in the Bad Boy Mowers 98.

LOCUST GROVE – Saturday night’s feature race results from the Bad Boy Mowers 98 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series/Comp Cams Super Dirt Series event at Batesville Motor Speedway with finishing position, driver, hometown, starting position in parentheses, laps completed and earnings:

  1. Scott Bloomquist, Mooresburg, Tenn. (2), 98, $20,000

  2. Earl Pearson Jr., Jacksonville, Fla. (6), 98, $10,000

  3. Don O’Neal, Martinsville, Ind. (12), 98, $6,000

  4. Jared Landers, Batesville (4), 98, $4,000

  5. Brandon Sheppard, New Berlin, Ill. (13), 98, $3,500

  6. Steve Francis, Ashland, Ky. (7), 98, $2,500

  7. Darrell Lanigan, Union, Ky. (15), 98, $2,100

  8. Dennis Erb Jr., Carpentersville, Ill. (21), 98, $2,000

  9. Tim McCreadie, Watertown, N.Y. (16),98, $1,800

  10. Jack Sullivan, Greenbrier (10), 98, $1,750

  11. Jonathan Davenport, Blairsville, Ga. (3), 98, $1,650

  12. Jimmy Owens, Newport, Tenn. (8), 98, $1,600

  13. Kyle Beard, Trumann (24), 98, $1,550

  14. Garrett Alberson, Las Cruces, N.M. (14), 98, $1,500

  15. Chris Brown, Spring, Texas (17), 97, $1,450

  16. Colton Flinner, Allison Park, Pa. (23), 95, $1,400

  17. Gavin Landers, Batesville (19), 62, $1,350

  18. Jeremy Payne, Springfield, Mo. (5), 57, $1,300

  19. Wendell Wallace, Batesville (1), 54, $1,250

  20. Shannon Babb, Moweaqua, Ill. (22), $1,200

  21. Billy Moyer, Batesville (11), 49, $1,200

  22. Hunter Rasdon, Jonesboro (26), 46, $1,200

  23. Billy Moyer Jr., Batesville (9), 44, $1,200

  24. David Payne, Cabot (25), 43, $1,200

  25. Austin Rettig, Sikeston, Mo. (18), 35, $1,200

  26. Chandler Petty, Cabot (20), 16, $1,200

Lap leaders – Wallace 1-5, Bloomquist 6-98. Top qualifier – Bloomquist, 13.702 seconds (98.526 mph). Heat winners – Wallace, Davenport, Bloomquist, J.Landers. B-Main winners – Brown, Rettig. Nonqualifying Arkansans – Travis Ashley, Batesville; Robert Baker, Bryant; Scott Crigler, Monticello; Timothy Culp, Sheridan; Jake Davis, Hackett; Jimmy Miller, Conway; Brandon Smith, Floral; Brandon Wilson, Fort Smith.

"This is a place we always like to see come up on the calendar for sure," he said.

Bloomquist's most recent victory at Batesville had been in August 2011, when he won his record fourth Topless 100. The Mooresburg, Tenn., resident also pocketed $100,000 after winning the Alltel 100 modified race in 2004.

As is typical for Batesville's major events, Saturday night's race turned into a battle of tire attrition. Bloomquist, runner-up Earl Pearson Jr. of Jacksonville, Fla., and third-place finisher Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., were the handful of drivers who were able to avoid tire issues in the 98-lap main event.

"There was a lot crumbs, a lot of rocks on the race track, and the rocks are sharp," Bloomquist said. "I think that's why you were seeing so many flats. Guys weren't actually wearing tires out as much as they were just slicing them."

Polesitter Wendell Wallace of Batesville took the lead at the green flag. But Bloomquist, who started on the outside of the front row, soon hounded Wallace for the top spot. The two drivers raced side by side for three laps before Bloomquist took the lead on the sixth lap.

From there, Bloomquist began to drive away from the field. But the tire issues soon became evident, starting when Jonesboro's Hunter Rasdon brought out the caution with a flat on lap 20.

All but one of the race's 12 caution periods were caused by flat tires.

"I thought the high groove was probably the best line, but I knew there were too many of those little sharp rocks up there," Bloomquist said. " I didn't want to chance it, so I focused on staying middle to low on the race track and be sure to finish the race."

Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., challenged Bloomquist on each restart after the multiple cautions, but each time he was quickly turned away. Seven laps before the checkered flag, Davenport was also struck by a flat tire and had to pit.

Pearson, who started sixth, took over the second spot, but he said he had nothing for Bloomquist.

"With about 20 laps to go, we all got single-file and it would have been really tough to pass anyway," said Pearson, who earned his best Batesville finish. "Everyone had been running over things on the race track and cutting tires, so we just saved what we had and went on. He (Bloomquist) was going to have to make a big mistake, which he doesn't do too often."

Batesville's Jared Landers ran in the top five for the first half of the race before he also was forced to the pits with a flat during a lap-49 caution. But he charged through the field in the closing laps and finished fourth.

Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., was fifth and Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky., finished sixth. Rounding out the top 10 was Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., Dennis Erb Jr. of Carpentersville, Ill., Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., and Greenbrier's Jack Sullivan, who also never pitted for tires.

Sports on 04/18/2016

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