ATTICA, OH (April 29, 2012) - No one was surprised to see BLS_18 win Sunday night's Smith Food's 50 at Attica Raceway Park.
But from the 8th starting spot? Even BLS_18 couldn't have thought up a more exciting way to get his fourth win of the season after he passed cars high, low, and in their driver's side door all night as he steadily marched up to the front.
"Ya like that Mav?" The jubilated 17-year-old said over the loudspeaker as he climbed out of his car, in reference to another driver that he knocked off the track earlier in the race. "I bet ya liked that, didn't ya, huh, huh?
"Oh and it feels great to win."
18, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, blasted through the field in his Mastersbilt chassis and sliced and diced his way through the pack before finally getting to the lead with just five laps to go. He then held off a furious charge from pole-sitter VLR_Shock to win by two car lengths in one of the most exciting races in Attica history.
The top four drivers BLS_18, VLR_Shock, VLR_JW, and WFO_Rainman were all under a blanket at the finish, but BLS_18 would sneak away with the victory. However, the post race ceremony quickly turned towards how he passed one car in particular during his march through the pack. After the race this incident reached a boiling point as BLS_18 called out WFO_Mav on the PA system.
The much older and larger Mav heard BLS_18's taunts and ripped off his neck brace and ran to victory lane where he confronted the driver of the 18 car before track officials could intervene. The Ohio driver was not happy after getting knocked off the track while running a strong third in his home state.
Mav shoved the interviewer out of the way and grabbed BLS_18 by the head and repeatedly slammed him over and over into the roll cage of the winning car while saying "You like that cheater, huh? Do you? Answer me dammit!"
WFO_Mav then tossed 18 into the victory lane podium before running away from the scene. He would not get far though as the track officials tackled him and wrestled the livid driver to the ground. BLS_18 struggled to his feet and began screaming obscenities in the direction Mav was hauled off to.
"Why does this happen to me, why!?" said BLS_18 after the fight. "I just asked him if he liked that hit I put on him, that's all. A simple question. Oh and what great officials we have here at Attica, they sit and watch him pound my head into my roll cage for three minutes and wait until he runs away to tackle him. Way to be on top of things, guys."
VLR_Shock settled for second place in his Barry Wright Race Cars Toyota, crossing the line 0.223 seconds behind BLS_18. But the Crossville, Tennessee driver was playing the "what if" game after starting on the pole for the fifty lap race.
"I just think I was too careful on the start. I tried to keep it at the bottom and give (outside pole-sitter) Rainman room up there and he ended up clearing me eventually to take the lead," said a disappointed VLR_Shock. "If I had it to do over again I would have slid up in front of him coming off turn two on the first lap and checked out, but I got stuck behind him and he was using the whole track so everyone caught us and made it dicey.
"I think we had the best car but it's hard to pass here sometimes. When I did clear him finally on the high side he flew in deep and I lifted to keep him from sliding into me and got passed by three cars. Oh well."
BLS_18 picked up his 51st career win at VLR, in what might have been the most exciting of his triumphs. The Wisconsin driver was running fourth with fifteen laps to go as a gaggle of cars traded the lead multiple times over the next few laps before 18 found himself out front.
"It feels really good to win four races in a season here at VLR, especially with the amount of competition we have now," said a bruised but excited BLS_18. "I tell you what doesn't feel good, though, this pop knot on the side of my head.
“To come from the back really shows what a great job they did preparing this track and getting it multi-grooved for us to put on a show for the fans.”
BLS_18 found himself mired deep in the starting field after finishing third in his heat race, but he began the A-Main confident he could climb forward. It didn’t take him long to realize he just might be able to still pull off a victory.
“It was hard to pass in the heat and I knew if Shock got clear of Rainman I'd probably not have a shot because he's been really fast here lately. But Rain got up there and made things interesting and allowed me and JW to catch them with about twenty to go. I passed Mav as clean as possible for third and he dove in and hit me so the next lap I showed him that I didn't like it by pushing him off the track.
"Then he comes over and just starts bashing my head into my car over and over and over like a little punk."
VLR_JW, of West Point, Mississippi, was fresh off celebrating his 29th birthday when he grabbed the fast time award one week after winning at Antioch Speedway. The veteran driver was one of four to lead multiple laps in the race but couldn't capitalize on a chance to win his second consecutive race after starting dead last.
"I knew we had a good car but we had some bad luck in the heat race and had to come through the B," said JW. "We started dead last and finished third with a shot to win it so I can't ask for much more at a little track like this one. Passing seven cars is pretty good over a field like this."
WFO_Rainman, of East Moline, Illinois, finished fourth after leading the most laps from his outside pole starting position before fading back at the end when several drivers were able to get by. Still, the long time racer was happy with his result after admitedly not having the fastest car.
"I knew if Shock got past me on the start I was toast," said Rainman. "Luckily I was able to clear him on the high side up there and after that it was on. I just tried to control the pace and make it hard for them to get by me and for a minute I thought we'd get this x59 in victory lane but it wasn't to be."
Finishing in positions 5-10 was Blaze, of Detroit, Michigan, who started in ninth; Moyer; BLS_BW43, of Sparta, Michigan, who took over fourth in the points; VLR_McGee, of Spartanburg, South Carolina, who was running fifth with five to go; JFR_17, of Independence, Kansas, in his fifth straight VLR A Main; Lawrenceburg, Indiana driver VLR_Brad, in his fourth straight VLR A Main; and WFO_Mav who finished tenth and was hauled off to the county jail after beating up race winner VLR_18.
VLR_JW, who earned his second straight pole award, blistered the qualifying track record with a lap time of 11.491 for his fourth pole of the season.
Heat winners were WFO_Rainman, BLS_43, and VLR_Shock. The B-Mains were captured by VLR_McGee, and BLS_18.
The VLR tour continues its season next Sunday at the famous Boone Speedway in Boone, Iowa for the VLR Supernationals 75 lap main event at Boone 2k12 Tacky. Some of the top drivers in the business look to do battle at this 3/8 mile track with a lot on the line as just two races remain in the most competitive VLR season in history. VLR_Shock looks to nurse his points lead for his second VLR Championship but BLS_18 and VLR_JW look to close the gap while plenty more drivers look to pull off a huge victory.
A Main results (Position started in parenthesis)
1. (8th) BLS_18
2. (1st) VLR_Shock
3. (10th) VLR_JW
4. (2nd) WFO_Rainman
5. (9th) Blaze
6. (4th) BLS_BW43
7. (7th) VLR_McGee
8. (5th) JFR_17
9. (6th) VLR_Brad
10. (3rd) WFO_Mav
Heat 1 results:
x59, 45, VLR_McGee, JW, Jim, 17va, SRF_Dirt, RB, WCR_DM1
Heat 2 results:
BLS_43, JFR_17, BLS_18, DS5, v6, JFR_97, JO71, IFRT_3L
Heat 3 results:
VLR_0, VLR_49, BLZ, XCR*1, BLS_z13, 26w, Greezy, Squirrel, dnf
B Main 1:
participants: 9
1,V53,G5 Bloomquist,232.864105,11.571350,20,1008
2,BLZ,G5 Victory Circle,234.424484,11.623947,20,906
3,z13,G5 Bloomquist,235.038116,11.641479,20,603
4,DS5,G5 Mastersbilt,235.476425,11.588882,20,801
5,SRF_Dirt!,G5 Bloomquist,235.564087,11.641479,20,400
6,J97,G5 Barry Wright,236.756287,11.629005,20,501
7,IFRT_3L,G5 Bloomquist,238.088745,11.659012,20,375
8,WCR_DM1,G5 Rocket,243.260788,11.939529,19,350
DNF,Jim,G5 MB Custom,DNF,11.649078,7,0
B Main 2:
participants: 8
1,18,G5 Mastersbilt,232.320602,11.523766,20,1008
2,JW,G5 Rocket,232.513458,11.483688,20,904
3,I_RB!,G5 Victory Circle,234.196564,11.588882,20,401
4,XCR*1,G5 Rocket,234.319290,11.588882,20,801
5,17va,G5 Barry Wright,236.002396,11.641479,20,600
6, v6!,G5 Mastersbilt,236.353043,11.571350,20,700
7,26w,G5 Rocket,236.843948,11.606415,20,500
8,JO71,G5 Rocket,238.316666,11.623947,20,450