JAMAICA, Va. — Jeremy Miller had just one thought racing through his mind after winning Friday night’s 50-lap Rumble on the River IV at Virginia Motor Speedway.
“I just said to myself, ‘We finally did it!’” remarked Miller, a 37-year-old regional star from Gettysburg, Pa., who made the 50-lap event his long-awaited first-career World of Outlaws Late Model Series victory. “I know for a fact — because I’ve been through plenty of disappointments — that a win in this series doesn’t come easy, so it’s an awesome feeling to do this.”
A hard-luck WoO LMS A-Main loser on three occasions last year, Miller got the job done in truly memorable fashion at Bill Sawyer’s pristine half-mile oval. He overtook red-hot dirt-late-model legend Billy Moyer for the lead on lap 36 and repelled late-race pressure from Moyer and defending WoO LMS champion Steve Francis to emerge triumphant to the tune of $10,650, including the $500 WoO LMS Bonus Bucks prize for being the highest-finishing driver who hadn’t previously won a tour event.
The pole-sitting Francis settled for second in Dale Beitler’s Reliable Painting/Valvoline Rocket, 2.051 seconds behind Miller. Moyer, meanwhile, plummeted to 17th in the final rundown after his Victory Circle M1 Chassis suffered a blown left-rear tire on lap 45.
Josh Richards finished third in the Mark Richards Racing Enterprises Rocket after starting eighth, moving him within 12 points of Moyer’s WoO LMS points-leading total. Fifth-starter Clint Smith placed fourth and third-starter Shane Clanton was fifth.
Moyer, who led a majority of the distance, saw his three-race WoO LMS win streak come to an end, adding even more luster to Miller’s emotional victory. A Moyer triumph would have allowed him to match the WoO LMS modern-era (2004-present) consecutive-win record of four in a row set by Rick Eckert of York, Pa., in 2006.
Moyer was the fast-timer for the second time in five events this season, turning a lap of 17.338 seconds.
The finish:
Jeremy Miller, Steve Francis, Josh Richards, Clint Smith, Shane Clanton, Rick Eckert,  Vic Coffey, Chub Frank, Tim Fuller, Ricky Elliott,  Shannon Babb, Darrell Lanigan, Jason Covert, Jamie Lathroum, Billy Decker, Keith Jackson, Billy Moyer,  John Blankenship, Joe Isabell, Austin Hubbard,  Kenny Pettyjohn, D.J. Myers,  Danny Johnson, Brian Shirley.