Richards wins Outlaws feature

Sports

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.

comments powered by Disqus

September 3, 2010

Anonymous Press-Republican The Press Republican Fri Sep 03, 2010, 03:23 AM EDT

AKWESASNE — Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., registered the biggest win of his career on Wednesday night, capturing the rescheduled World of Outlaws Late Model Series 'Battle At Eastern Door' at Mohawk International Raceway.

The triumph was important to the 22-year-old sensation for many reasons. It ended his summer slump, brought him a personal-high feature-win payoff of $20,775, pushed him back into the WoO LMS points lead and, most notably, gave him his long-awaited first 100-lap A-Main checkered flag as a dirt Late Model driver.

"It feels great to finally win one of these 100-lappers," said Richards, who earned his series-leading seventh victory of the 2010 season. "This isn't a crown-jewel event, but it's a 100-lapper and that's all that matters. We finally got one under our belt after seven years of trying and hopefully we can win some more now."

Richards authored a memorable march to his milestone extra-distance score, recovering from a slow start to steer his Mark Richards Racing Enterprises/Seubert Calf Ranches Rocket car forward from the 10th starting position to pass 2006 tour champion Tim McCreadie of Watertown for the lead on lap 79. The defending WoO LMS titlist dominated the remainder of the distance, crossing the finish line 3.314 seconds ahead of McCreadie's Sweeteners Plus Racing Rocket mount.

WoO LMS rookie Austin Hubbard, 18, of Seaford, Del., settled for third place in Dale Beitler's Rocket after running as high as second and briefly challenging McCreadie for the lead. Rick Eckert of York, Pa., improved one position from his fifth starting spot to place fourth in his Team Zero by Bloomquist car, and fifth place was claimed by 2008 series champ Darrell Lanigan of Union, Ky., who entered the event leading the points standings by two markers over Richards but ended it trailing his young rival by eight points.

Richards admitted after the race, which was postponed by rain on its original Aug. 21 date, that he had his doubts about reaching Victory Lane and regaining the points lead.

"The last time we were here (for qualifying on Aug. 20) I felt terrible," said Richards, who timed 19th-fastest and finished fourth in a heat race. "When we went out tonight for hot laps I was way too tight, and in the second session I felt absolutely terrible. Then, with the way I felt early (in the 100), I figured we'd finish 10th or 15th because I wasn't really going anywhere.

"But our car really came to us. Mid-race to late-race, it was just like a switch flipped. I could really catch the brown (moisture) off (turn) two and keep my speed up, and all of a sudden we started coming on."

McCreadie, 36, was no match for Richards. He led laps 27-78 but had to be content with his fifth runner-up finish of the 2010 tour, keeping him third in the points standings, 48 points behind Richards.

"Maybe we went a little too hard on the left-rear tire," said McCreadie, whose last start at Mohawk was in a DIRTcar 358-Modified event more than a decade ago. "Josh was several steps softer than I was, and I'd say he was better everywhere (on the track). He drove by us.

"It was an awesome track," he added, hailing the speedway's preparation. "You couldn't hold the fastest car back tonight, that's for sure."

Foster wins Bandit title

Joey Foster captured his 11th Bandit feature win of the season as part of the "Battle at Eastern Door 100" racing program. The win assured foster of the 2010 Bandit track championship going into tonight's final night of points racing.

Frenchie's Chevrolet will present the Labor Day Shootout 50 for 358 Modifieds with all four 2010 track champions to be crowned tonight. Post time is 7:45 p.m.

In other Wednesday night action, P.J. Peters led all 50 laps to capture the win in the caution-filled Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock championship tour event race, besting Dave Bissonnette and Louie Jackson; four out of the top five spots in the Pro Stock tour race went to MIR regulars.

Bandits (12 laps)

Joey Foster, Dan Desnoyers, Ernie Cree, Owen White, Peter Cename, Derek Colbert, Gary Sharlow, Scott Mere, Trevor Jones, Tammy Rogers, Trent Benedict, Joseph Barnes, Jason Crites, Darryl Mitchell, Brad Fish, Henry Lamica, Bennett White, John Green, Thunder Anderson Jr. DNS: Andrew Fish.

Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship Series Race #4

Eastern Door 50 (50 laps)

P.J. Peters, Dave Bissonnette, Louie Jackson, Chip Smith Jr., Corey Wheeler, Ghislain Valade, Ricky Thompson, Jody Swamp, Pete Stefanski, Rob Yetman, Stephane Lebrun, Jocelyn Roy, Claudia Tarbell, Allen Peters, Rod Tarbell, Dion Oakes, Scott Kocher, Rocky Warner, Joey Ladouceur, Buddy Hencke, David Papineau, Roger Levesque, Mikey Blais, Thunder Anderson, Billy Woodward Jr., Roch Aubin, Dave Sawatis, Guy Viens, William Adams. DNS: Harvey Arquette, Francois Adam, Ryan Stabler.

World Of Outlaws Late Models Battle At Eastern Door 100 (100 laps)

Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie, Austin Hubbard, Rick Eckert, Darrell Lanigan, Tim Fuller, Chub Frank, Dale Planck, Vic Coffey, Steve Francis, Billy Decker, Carey Terrance, Clint Smith, Shane Clanton, Peter Mantha Jr., Rick 'Boom' Briggs, Jill George, Ricky Elliott, Roy Tarbell, Larry Wight, Dan Stone, Russell King, Alan Fink, Greg Oakes. DNS: Ron Davies.