OHSWEKEN, Ontario — Tim McCreadie reached victory lane in World of Outlaws Late Model Series competition for the first time in nearly two years Friday night at Ohsweken Speedway.
The 34-year-old from Watertown, N.Y., slid under Shane Clanton for the lead on lap 20 and never looked back. He sailed away from the pack to defeat Clanton by 4.901 seconds — a full-straightaway margin — in the event, which was postponed one day by rain.
How much did the $10,150 triumph mean to McCreadie?
“I was fortunate enough to win a Lucas (Series) race earlier this year, but to beat these boys — man, they’re the best on the planet,” McCreadie said after his first WoO LMS win since Aug. 4, 2006, at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pa. “It’s so satisfying to come back in here and win an Outlaw race.”
McCreadie, who parlayed his ’06 WoO LMS title into a Richard Childress Racing Driver Development deal that included several NASCAR Nationwide Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series starts last season, has returned to the dirt-late-model wars in 2008 with his pavement aspirations in limbo. He feels he’s picking up some steam as he puts his focus back on dirt-track action.
“We did some testing a week ago in Michigan,” said McCreadie, who won an unsanctioned special event June 12 at Merritt (Mich.) Speedway. “I had to put the pavement stuff in the past. If I never get back there again, that’s OK. It’s damn nice to race in front of these people (dirt fans) like this.”
Clanton, 32, started second and led laps 1-19, but was no match for McCreadie.
Rick Eckert finished third, with Tim Fuller and Darrell Lanigan rounding out the top five. Lanigan grabbed sole possession of the WoO LMS point lead for the first time this season.
The finish:
Tim McCreadie, Shane Clanton, Rick Eckert, Tim Fuller, Darrell Lanigan, Clint Smith, Ricky Elliott, Shannon Babb, Josh Richards, Danny Johnson, John Blankenship, Chris Ross, Dan Stone, Steve Francis, Chub Frank, Adam Ferri, Tony Knowles, Ed Carley, Jeff Isabell, Jr., Jeremy Miller, Neil Baggett, Sean Beardsley, Andrew Reaume, Chad Valone.