The thrill of victory
BUFFALO TWP — Shane Clanton had met with frustration before in the Firecracker 100.
But his latest performance at Lernerville Speedway was one to remember.
The Late Model driver from Locust Grove, Ga., won the fourth annual World of Outlaws Late Model event Saturday night.
Clanton led the 100-lap race for the final 28 laps.
His best previous finish in the Firecracker was sixth in the inaugural event in 2007. He placed 24th in 2008 and 10th last year.
Saturday's event included 30 cars.
"This place has been bad for me in the past, but I love it now," Clanton said, smiling after earning the $30,000 that comes with taking the checkered flag. "We've been working our butts off and have been really consistent over the last month."
Clanton finished ahead of Darrell Lanigan and last year's champion, Jimmy Mars.
Lanigan didn't have much to say after placing second for the third consecutive year.
"I don't think we're supposed to win here," he offered. "I think we're supposed to run second every year."
Brady Smith led the feature for the first 19 laps before Friday night's winner, Tim McCreadie, took over the top spot.
From lap 24 through 71, the top three didn't change: McCreadie in first, Clanton in second and Smith in third.
On the 72nd lap, Lanigan moved into the third spot. One lap later, Clanton passed McCreadie for the lead following a caution flag brought out because of a stationary car on turn two.
It was the third and final caution flag of the race, the others coming on laps 19 and 22."I'd like to think that I would have caught (McCreadie) with no restart, but I don't know," said Clanton. "You need luck as much as a good race car, and we had both tonight"Smith, the early pace-setter, fell to 10th place. McCreadie, who led the pack for 53 laps, finished fourth.As for Mars, who won here last year, he was satisfied with his third-place finish."Do I wish I could've won? Of course," he said. "The cautions hurt me. I wasn't good on the restarts."But when you're running against the caliber of guys who were out there tonight, I'm happy with third," he added.Scott Bloomquist, who won the 2007 Firecracker, finished eighth.<B>Uncle Sam Feature </B>It was a position Brian Birkhofer didn't expect to be in.After all, he had taken the checkered flag in the 2008 Firecracker 100.But after placing sixth in both his heat race and B-Main on Saturday, the Muscatine, Iowa, resident was competing in the consolation race for those who didn't make the main event.He won the Uncle Sam 30-lap feature and the $3,000 that goes with it, and had a message for those rooting for him."There's a lot of great fans here wearing Brian Birkhofer shirts," he said. "I want to apologize to them for not making the big race tonight, but I'll be back."Sarver's Ken Schaltenbrand placed third in the 24-car Uncle Sam event after beginning the race in the back row.
