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Saturday I switched gears from my normal sprint car chasing and headed to Eldora Speedway for one of the most prestigious late model races there is, the World 100. Being just my 5th World 100, it's always amazing how large of crowd there is that walks through the Eldora gates for this event. This year a new format was in place with shows on Thursday and Friday setting the qualifying times for Saturday's heats, along with the 2 highest averaged finishers in Thursday's and Fridays shows earning a spot on the World 100 as well. Along with the 2 fastest qualifiers from those nights not making the World 100 getting a spot in the A Main as well. I was very impressed with the track and how it had a nice cushion on top and a few racing grooves, looked like a sprint car style track with a decent cushion for those brave enough to run it.6 heats races, 15 laps in distance, down from the 20 laps last time I was there, maximum 20 cars per heat, the top 3 cars moving to the A Main.
The heat invert was 6. All restarts are double file. Heat 1 the battle started early as JR Hotovy worked into the lead. Having some heavy hitters breathing down his neck, Hotovy ran a great race surprising the large crowd by taking the win. Dale McDowell and Frank Heckenast earned transfer spots. If heat 1 was any indication of how the heats would be, everyone on hand was in for a treat as this was a good one.
In heat 2 it was the battle of the 3s early in the race. Matt Miller and Brian Shirley was having a great battle for the lead. Miller took the lead and was looking very strong. Miller makes a rare mistake and jumps the cushion as Shirley battles him hard for the lead. Josh Richards gets a flat and pulls to the inside of the track and stops. Shirley takes over the lead as Miller starts to fall back through the pack. As he falls, Duane Chamberlin and Earl Pearson Jr are making moves to the front. Shirley holds on just over Pearson, up from 9th, for the win. Chamberlain and Vic Hill battle hard on the last lap as Chamberlin takes 3rd, up from 11th. A great heat and all you hear is guys saying the can't pass with an invert like 6, someone forgot to tell Chamberlin and Pearson.
A excellent battle in heat 3 for the majority of the heat. Eddie Carrier Jr, Jeep VanWormer, Bub McCool, and Jonathan Davenport are battle hard. Jeep has looked good all week and came to win, running right on the edge of the cushion. Jeep gets a runs tries to slingshot from 3rd to 1st in turn 2 on the cushion. Jeep looks to have in made as the pack squeezes high Jeep runs out of room, slamming the wall hard off turn 2. Heavy damage to the 55 machine puts the crew to work as Jeep has the highest average finish from Thursday and Friday's show. Davenport makes some good moves and runs the cushion to the win over Carrier and McCool. With fenders already a flying, tempers flaring and just hard close racing, the heats were already the best I've witnessed in my handful of 100s and we was just half way through them.
Heat 4 lived up to how the night was with another great tight banging battle for the lead. One of the young guns Mason Zeigler zipped to the lead as a fierce battle for the lead quickly developed a few laps later. As they battled upfront a gaggle of cars was charging to the front. Michael Asberry, Chris Madden, Shannon Babb, and Scott Bloomquist all make charges towards a top 3 spot. As Zeigler leads, Shane Clanton applies heavy pressure as the 25 cars battle hard side by side nearly rubbing several times. Just over half way, huge contact off turn 2 as Zeigler and Clanton come together and take themselves right out of the race as Darrell Lanigan finds the lead. Lanigan takes the win over a fast Madden, up from 12th, and Jarad Landers. Another great race.
One of the youngest drivers that has quickly took the late model world by storm, Bobby Pierce brings a huge roar from the crowd as he races into the lead in heat 5. Local hero Jon Henry works into 2nd as the field spreads out in this one as the laps pass by. Pierce and Henry look very secure in their spot as Pierce opens a half a straight away lead on Henry and Henry is another 5 car lengths of the 3rd place battle. Just as it looks like things are under control, Brian Gray stops on the track for a yellow with 3 to go. Gray pulls in as the field slows. The restart is a free for all and a huge battle erupts. Pierce gets back in the lead as Henry gets the short end of the stick and gets shuffled back. Henry, Jimmy Owens, Jimmy Mars, and Jeff Babcock battle. Pierce holds on for the popular win over Mars, and Babcock who makes a late race move for the final transfer spot over no other than Owens.
Another good race in the 6th and final heat. John Blankenship makes a sweet 3 wide move early in the race to take the lead. As Blankenship leads, Terry Phillips comes out of nowhere and closes on Blankenship. Up from 9th, Phillips uses the middle line, compared to Blankenship's high line and takes the lead, late in the heat. Phillips takes the win as well as the pole position for the World 100. Blankenship, and another local racer, Jerry Bowersock race their way into the A Main.
The 2 B Mains transfer the top 5 to the World 100 main. In B 1, Tyler Reddick ripped from the pole from in one as he battles Vic Hill. As they battle, Chris Simpson charges towards the leader after starting 7th. Reddick has this one under control and takes the win with Simpson, Hill, Branden Sheppard, and Kent Robinson who held on to the last transfer spot in a good battle.
B 2, looked and sounded like what the battle for the World 100 main event should be having going on. Babb, Bloomquist, and Owens all battle for the lead. Owens takes the lead as Black Sunshine takes over 2nd and lap after lap runs beside Owens. The duo battle inches apart the final half of this one, in and out of lapped traffic. As they battle, Brian Birkhofer is trying to hold onto a transfer position with Babb, Morgan Bagley, and Greg Satterlee. Battles all over, the lead and the top 7 are duking it out. Bloomquist takes the lead on the last lap to take the over Owens. The battle for the transfer spots is settled on the last lap as well as Birkhofer, up from 9th, Babb, and Satterlee, up from 14th, raced hard and earned A Main positions.
After each B, there was a scramble for the drivers that didn't transfer out of the B for $1000 to win. Randy Weaver fell one spot short of an A Main starting spot but took the win in B scramble 1. Falling one spot short all night from making the World, his heat and B, Moran Bagley bought home the win in the B 2 scramble.
Phillips and Pierce lead the field to green in the 43rd annual World 100. Phillips pounced into the lead as the field raced past the flag stand but the battle would soon be on. Pierce was showing even at 16 years old, he's ready to run on the big stage, quickly racing side by side with Phillips. Lap 5, Pierce brings the crowd to the feet taking the lead. Phillips won't go away and runs fender to fender with Pierce. Bobby runs the high line while Terry more of the middle groove. The first 10 laps are in and the lead battle has been just feet apart the entire way. Lap 14, Phillips regains the lead. Terry opens up a slight gap now as Pierce falls back. Lap 21, Sheppard stops with a flat tire for a yellow. Restart, the battle rages for moment until Phillips breaks away once again with the lead. As Phillips leads, Blankenship moves into the top 5 and is looking real good as he has all night. Lap after lap, John is gaining on the leaders. As he works up, Bloomquist and Richards are making their own moves from deeper in the pack yet. As Phillips settles upfront, Blankenship now has him in sight, closing in in his real spoiler. Lap 53, Blankenship blast to the lead and pulls away. Lap 56, Shirley slows bringing the caution out. Restart, it's all Blankenship as he stretches his lead lap after lap. Bloomquist is in the top 10 now working towards the top 5 as Richards isn't far behind. With 30 to go, Lanigan is making is move now as Bloomquist is too, now in the top 5. Blankenship runs a smooth steady pace, even in traffic as Lanigan is coming lap after lap. 20 to go, it gets a little tighter upfront. 10 to go, Lanigan is within 8 car lengths as Bloomquist and Pierce are having a battle royal for 3rd. That's where the action is as they almost rub several times. Lanigan gets within 5 cars lengths just as Blankenship gets past a lapped car that Lanigan catches wrong and slows him just enough he can't get any closer. Blankenship takes his 1st World 100 win after charging up from 12th over Lanigan, Bloomquist, up from 22nd, Pierce who ran a hell of a race, and Richards rounds out the top 5 after starting 20th. A good race with 3 of the top 5 starting 12th or worse. Even if you are not a huge late model fan, you have to experience the World 100 at least once and hope the racing is like this years. Just the crowd, how into the event they are, and the format with the inverts and double file restarts make the drivers race, what ever fan wants to see. Plus, you see the who's who in late models as well as some talented young guns that are ready to make their name known. It's no wonder this event always Eldora's big show year in and year out.
Life's short, race hard!!!
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