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Bloomquist gets career win 600 at Diamond Nationals

By Lyndal Scranton (Wheatland, MO) -- One of dirt racing's all-time greats scored a milestone victory Saturday night and, in the process, completed a sweep of the season's two biggest Late Model races at Lucas Oil Speedway.

Scott Bloomquist overtook Jimmy Owens to complete lap 32 and went on to capture the 50-lap Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series CMH Diamond Nationals for career victory No. 600.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lloyd Collins/Fast Track Photos -- http://www.FastTrackPhotos.com

"We earned that one. It feels really good," the 54-year-old from Mooresburg, Tennessee, said after emerging from his car to a cascade of noise from the big crowd. "It takes everybody. When you look at all the names on this car, they mean so much to us.

"You go though ups and downs and a lot of things through a full career. You learn from a lot of things. We're surely closer to our winter years in life than our spring."

It's been a long, winding and winning road for Bloomquist. The native of Fort Dodge, Iowa, took home $12,000 and a diamond ring for the latest triumph in a career spanning nearing four decades.

Rookie Mason Zeigler finished second with Earl Pearson Jr. third and Will Vaught fourth. Owens, after leading the first 31 laps, faded to fifth.

For Bloomquist, who won the Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway on May 26, it was his sixth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season and 92nd of his a racing career that began in 1980 in Corona, California.

Zeigler gave futile chase over the final 18 laps and could only chuckle and pay tribute to Bloomquist in a post-race interview.

"I had the car to win tonight," Zeigler said. "I just got out-drove by a 60-year-old with arthritis."

Zeigler was kiddingly referring to Bloomquist and a shoulder injury that briefly sidelined a few weeks after the Show-Me 100. One diagnosis seemed to have Bloomquist headed for season-ending shoulder surgery. Another offered a differing opinion and he returned to racing.

"I think we can take what we learned with this arm and go forward with that," Bloomquist said. "Sometimes you've got to get a second opinion and we're happy to be out here."

Owens got the jump from his outside front-row starting position and set a blistering pace at the front, catching heavy lapped traffic by lap 15.

Bloomquist took advantage and closed to within a couple of car lengths of Owens when the race's second caution flag waved on lap 27 as Payton Looney came to a stop in turn four.

Zeigler slipped past Bloomquist on the restart with Will Vaught in fourth and Earl Pearson Jr. in fifth. Meanwhile, 22nd-starting Davenport worked his way to seventh, just behind Bobby Pierce.

A lap-30 caution for debris again bunched the field and that's when Bloomquist made his move. He passed Zeigler and pulled alongside Owens after the green flew, but was not quite able to make the pass for the lead stick.

Bloomquist did make it stick on the next lap, passing Owens as the two came to the start-finish line to complete lap 32. He dominated from there, pulling away to win by about a straightaway's margin.

"We had to work a little bit for it," Bloomquist said. "Jimmy was pretty good. We racd pretty hard out there. He wasn't going to give nothing. We earned that one."

Bloomquist praised crew chief Cody Mallory saying the two "put in ridiculous hours" on the car.

"There's been a whole lot of races where it's just him and I that go to the races," Bloomquist said. "We're gonna keep working hard and we'll hopefully keep knocking them down. We have a lot of racing to come."

Fuqua earns Modified win in a thriller: Darron Fuqua beat Jon Sheets in a classic battle to capture the $1,000-to-win, 30-lap Pitts Homes USRA Modified feature. It was Fuqua's seventh victory of the season at Lucas Oil Speedway and Sheets' third runner-up finish.

"That was a hell of a race," Fuqua said. "I didn't know if I was going to get him or not. I have to thank Jon Sheets for driving me so good. Last week we raced hard. I just look forward to next week."

It was also Fuqua's 14th feature victory overall this season as he continues to lead the USRA Modified national points. While not quite as dramatic as last week's last-lap pass of Sheets, this one was another thriller for the Mayetta, Kansas driver.

Fuqua took over the lead coming out of turn four to complete lap 20, but had to hold off repeated battles the rest of the way. But again, as the duo weaved through lapped traffic, it was Sheets taking the checkers and Sheets settling for second for the third time in four weeks.

"We're close. He's No. 1 in the nation for a reason," Sheets said.

Lance Town finished third with Joe Duvall fourth.

LUCAS OIL SPEEDWAY RESULTS (July 13, 2018)

12th annual CMH Diamond Nationals

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt/Lucas Oil MLRA Series

A Feature - 1, Scott Bloomquist. 2, Mason Zeigler. 3, Earl Pearson Jr. 4, Will Vaught. 5, Jimmy Owens. 6, Jonathan Davenport. 7, Bobby Pierce. 8, Logan Martin. 9, Chad Simpson. 10, Hudson O'Neal. 11, Don O'Neal. 12, Tim McCreadie. 13, Josh Richards. 14, Dennis Erb Jr. 15, Kyle Bronson. 16, Mitch McGrath. 17, Terry Phillips. 18, Darrell Lanigan. 19, Clay Daly. 20, Sdcott Crigler. 21, Austin Rettig. 22, Gregg Satterlee. 23, Jeff Roth. 24, Tony Jackson Jr. 25, Payton Looney.

B Feature - 1, Tony Jackson Jr. 2, Josh Richards. 3, Tim McCreadie. 4, Darrell Lanigan. 5, Terry Phillips. 6, Jonathan Davenport. 7, Gregg Satterlee. 8, Joey Moriarty. 9, Hudson O'Neal. 10, Jeff Roth. 11, Joey Stark. 12, Reid Millard. 13, Blonde Bomber Mitchell. 14, Austin Siebert.

Heat 1 - 1, Clay Daly. 2, Earl Pearson Jr. 3, Payton Looney. 4, Kyle Bronson. 5, Tony Jackson Jr. 6, Gregg Satterlee. 7, Jeremy Grady. DNS Hudson O'Neal.

Heat 2 - 1, Scott Bloomquist. 2, Don O'Neal. 3, Chad Simpson. 4, Mitch McGrath. 5, Tim McCreadie. 6, Blonde Bomber Mitchell. 7, Joey Stark. 8, Jonathan Davenport.

Heat 3 - 1, Jimmy Owens. 2, Will Vaught. 3, Dennis Erb Jr. 4, Bobby Pierce. 5, Josh Richards. 6, Terry Phillips. 7, Austin Siebert. 8, Reid Millard.

Heat 4 - 1, Mason Zeigler. 2, Logan Martin. 3, Austin Rettig. 4, Scott Crigler. 5, Darrell Lanigan. 6, Joey Moriarty. 7, Jeff Roth. DNS Joe Godsey.

Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds

A Feature - 1. Darron Fuqua Mayetta, Ks. 2. Jon Sheets Liberal, Mo. 3. Lance Town Wellsville, Ks. 4. Joe Duvall Claremore, Ok. 5. Chase Domer Nevada, Mo. 6. Chase Jones Eldorado Springs, Mo. 7. Ronnie Woods Mexico, Mo. 8. Jeff Cutshaw Bolivar, Mo. 9. Kenny Gaddis Diana, Tx. 10. Evan Hubert 11. Jason Pursley Hermitage, Mo. 12. Paden Phillips Chanute, Ks. 13. Sean Gaddis Diana, Tx. 14. Lucas Gibbs Udall, Ks. 15. Robert Reed Mexico, Mo. 16. Jeremy Greenwalt Potosi, Mo. 17. Tracy Wolf Buffalo, Mo. DNF. J D Kelley Walnut Grove, Mo. DNF. Tyler Wolff Fayetteville, Ar. DNF. Adam Kaltenbach Strafford, Mo.

Heat 1 - 1, Jon Sheets. 2, JD Kelley. 3, Chase Jones. 4, Ronnie Woods. 5, Joe Duvall. 6, Kenny Gaddis. 7, Sean Gaddis. 8, Paden Phillips. 9, Robert Reed. 10, Lucas Gibbs.

Heat 2 - 1, Lance Town. 2, Jeff Cutshaw. 3, Darron Fuqua. 4, Tyler Wolff. 5, Chase Domer. 6, Jason Pursley. 7, Evan Hubert. 8, Jeremy Greenwalt. 9, Tracy Wolf. 10, Adam Kaltenbach.

Up next: Fox 5 KRBK Presents a Special Veterans and Military Appreciation Night of the Lucas Oil Speedway Big Adventure RV Weekly Racing Series next Saturday. All Veterans and Military personnel with ID will be admitted FREE. The Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods will be featured in a 25-lap, $750-to-win main event. The Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models, Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds and Big O Tires Street Stocks also will be in action.

Grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. on Saturday with hot laps at 6:30 and opening ceremonies at 7.

Also at the speedway next Saturday, the Level 5 Off-Road Series returns to the off-road track. Classes include Pro Unlimited, Production 1000, RS1, Sportsman, and Youth. Practice is set to start at 10 a.m. with heat races at 11:30 a.m.

For ticket information on all events at Lucas Oil Speedway in 2018, contact admission director Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or by email at nichole@LucasOilSpeedway.com. Fans also can go online to purchase tickets for any event on the 2018 schedule.

Complete Lucas Oil Speedway event information, archived stories, ticket information and 2018 schedule can be found by visiting http://www.LucasOilSpeedway.com.

Lucas Oil Speedway is located at Highways 83 and 54 in Wheatland, Missouri. A campground with shower and bathroom facilities is also available. With its entrance located just outside the pit gate this sprawling scenic camping facility will continue to enhance the racing experience at the Diamond of Dirt Tracks.

Click http://www.LucasOilSpeedway.com for more information and detailed directions to the speedway or call the Track Hotline at (417) 282-5984.

In addition, fans can get social with Lucas Oil Speedway by following @LucasSpeedway on Twitter, clicking "Like" at http://www.facebook.com/LucasOilSpeedway and on http://www.youtube.com/LucasOilSpeedway

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