ROME, Ga. — Earl Pearson, Jr. won his fourth Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event of 2008 Friday night at Rome Speedway as he captured the $10,000-to-win Rome Rumble.
Pearson, driving for NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte grabbed the lead for good on lap eight as he went on to a convincing victory. Dale McDowell, who started seventh, climbed to second at the finish, followed by Jimmy Owens, 16th-starting Clint Smith and 24th-starting Justin Rattliff.
Pearson, who has clinched the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Championship for the fourth-consecutive season, started third. Chris Madden led the first four laps, but Madden and Pearson went door to door for two laps for the lead as Pearson led laps five and six. Madden led lap seven and Pearson took control on the eighth tour of the half-mile dirt track.
Pearson worked lapped traffic to perfection during the middle stages of the race, keeping McDowell behind him to the checkered flag.
“The car was just tremendous tonight,” Pearson said. “I can’t thank my crew enough, Randall, Matt, Keith and Devine, for the job they are doing getting this car ready to race each and every time, the track was excellent tonight, you could run anywhere on it and I want to thank Bobby Labonte for all of his help. I’m sure he will be happy with results here tonight.”
The finish:
Earl Pearson, Jr., Dale McDowell, Jimmy Owens, Clint Smith, Justin Rattliff, Billy Moyer, Brian Shirley, Shannon Babb, Billy Drake, Eric Jacobsen, Casey Roberts, Scott James, Aaron Ridley, Chris Madden, Steve Casebolt, Billy Ogle, Bart Hartman, Scott Bloomquist, Travis Pennington, Tommy Kerr, Josh McGuire, Wayne Chinn, Wendell Wallace, Shane Clanton.