BLOOMINGTON, IN (November 5, 2010)- BLS_DK used an impressive combination of speed and consistency to fight off several drivers attempts to overtake the Vancouver, Wa. racer in the closing laps of Friday night’s Crate race at Bloomington Speedway in Indiana.

DK fought off challenges from WFO_ICE, VLR_18, WFO_Rainman, and VLR_Shock throughout the final laps to secure his first ever win in a VLR series in exciting fashion as VLR_18’s bid for the victory came up just short out of turn three on the final lap.

DK was virtually flawless throughout the race after working past outside pole-sitter VLR_Shock on the first lap and trading the lead with WFO_ICE several times before eventually finding himself in victory lane after 50 laps of heart pounding racing.

“There’s always a doubt (that you won’t win), but you just gotta drive for everything you got,” an excited DK said after the race in the VLR victory lane.

Brookfield, Wi. driver VLR_18 settled for second place, just two car lengths behind DK, after making contact with the veteran driver in the final corner of the race. WFO_Rainman of East Moline, Ill. was close behind in third at the finish, followed by VLR_Shock of Crossville, Tn., and VLR_AMP of Welland, Ontario, Canada in fifth.

“I don’t make it a goal to try to go for the lead early,” said the West Coast Warrior, who fought off some of the biggest names in the VLR Crates series. “I try to ride and hope somebody makes a mistake and it opens the door for me.

“If you see a hole you gotta go for it sometimes, especially on a little tight track like this.”

DK, who drove with an all-new paint scheme on his car for the race, understood the scale of his victory and was thankful to be in victory lane.

“Anybody that shows up for these races and makes the feature, I worry about them all,” said DK in victory lane. “They’re all good racers, I mean anybody can turn fast laps, it’s just how consistent can you be?

“I had the WFO guys run me pretty darn clean, which really helped a lot.”

DK swapped the lead with WFO_ICE several times in the closing laps, but it appeared that with seven to go DK slid up the track and made slight contact with ICE’s #97 car which was then hit from behind by WFO_Rainman resulting in ICE’s car being too damaged to continue.

“I had the lead, DK and Rain wrecked there behind me,” described ICE. “DK got a nose under me and nudged me up a little bit. We were side by side down the front-straight and I tried to keep it as low as I could. When I went in the corner it got a little tail whip and I didn’t have time to save it and it went around.

“I’m just glad I took no one else out in the process.”

WFO_ICE was still overall pleased with the racing that went on for the lead before trouble fell upon him.

 

“It was fierce up there,” said ICE, who led several laps before the woes in the final laps. “It was good racing; I got behind DK on the start and kinda rode behind him. Rain got around me and I got back around him, then I got around DK and lead about fifteen laps. Then I just became a victim of short track racing.”

DK’s victory was possibly the most difficult win anyone has had to earn all season, as it appeared that five different drivers had a shot at the victory at the end of the race, but DK was able to fend off all of the threats to pick up his first victory in a VLR series.

Perhaps the biggest threat to his win following the demise of WFO_ICE’s chance to win was VLR_18, who loomed large behind DK in the final laps, before bumping him in the last turn and taking the lead before slowing and allowing DK to pass by and take the victory at the line after the contact. However, DK harbored no ill feelings towards the 16-year-old following the race.

“Wheel has been pretty cool lately,” said DK. “That (letting him by after the contact) tells me a lot about his character, so respect with me goes a long way.”

VLR_18 had the win, but voluntarily gave it up to DK after the contact on the final lap and was thrilled to finish second after coming from the seventh starting position.

“We ran good in the A Main and had to come from the back yet again,” said the hard-charging VLR_18. “I got up there and rode behind those three guys (DK, ICE, and Rainman) while they were battling and it paid off when Rain and ICE got together and I caught up to DK.

“I tried a bump and run in the last corner but it didn’t work out and he got the win. It was a good race.”

WFO_Rainman spent the final laps trying to catch back up to BLS_DK and VLR_18 after his contact with WFO_ICE with eight to go left him too far back to make a serious sprint for the win.

“I was surprised to run up there that good, honestly,” said Rainman, who started fourth in his purple x59 machine. “It was a good run, it was fun.”

Rainman certainly liked his chances to win after briefly taking over the second on a couple of occasions, but never could find the right place to make a pass for the lead in the A Main.

“It’s such a tight track, I mean it’s kinda hard (to pass),” said Rainman. “I mean you could go in there and move someone out of the way a little bit, but it’s still hard to do that cleanly. It’s a little short track and your going so damn fast.”

“It was a really fun race, though, I liked it.”

VLR_Shock started on the outside pole and briefly took the lead on the first lap before being knocked up the track when BLS_DK got loose under him and he fell back to fifth place where he was then bumped out of the way by BLS_Jsn and fell to last. The points-leader then rallied to finish fourth at the stripe.

“I was just really mad there. Not so much at DK because I knew that was an accident,” said the 22-year-old driver from Tennessee. “But when Jason hit me it seemed like it was intentional and I was just really mad after that. It took me out of a shot to win.

“We had some words after the race but we talked again after we had calmed down and all is good between us now – I think.”

Canadian driver VLR_AMP was pleased with his fifth-place finish in his Kodak Chevrolet. It was his best finish of the season in the VLR Crates and moved him to sixth place in the current point standings.

“I had a decently good car, I shoulda been a little higher if I started up front,” said AMP, who started ninth. “Coming from ninth to fifth isn’t that bad. I mean, it’s my first top five of the season, I’ve been having a little bad luck. But I really can’t complain about it, it was a good night.

“I’m still trying to pick up a top five in points, still got a good chance at it.”

Finishing in positions 6-10 were defending champion VLR_McGee of Spartanburg, S.C.; Doit 2 of Arkansas; BLS_Jsn of Kokomo, In., who fell back after starting fifth; BLS_OK; and WFO_ICE of Tahlequah, Ok., who resigned from the race with six laps to go after leading just a couple of laps before.

Nineteen drivers showed up for the first ever crate race on the newly resurfaced Bloomington Speedway on a crisp, cool night following an off week in the tour.

Heat winners were VLR_Shock, Doit 2, and BLS_DK. The B-Mains were taken by VLR_18 and VLR_McGee

The VLR Crates tour will be back in action this coming Friday in Union, Kentucky as the stars and cars try their hand at taming the ½ mile Florence Speedway in what is sure to be another exciting race.

For more information on the VLR Crates tour, please visit www.crates.teamvlr.com

Top 10 Results of VLR Late Model series "Hawldoshaler 50" (Finishing Position/Start/Driver):

1. (1) BLS_DK
2. (7) VLR_18
3. (4) WFO_Rainman
4. (2) VLR_Shock
5. (9) VLR_AMP
6. (8) VLR_McGee
7. (6) Doit 2
8. (5) BLS_Jsn!
9. (10) BLS_OK
10. (3) WFO_ICE

Time of Race: 9:10.72
Margin of Victory: 0.22 Secs.
Rookie of the Race: VLR_AMP
SuperClean Fast Time Award: WFO_Rainman 10.84
SuperClean Hard Luck Award: WFO_ICE