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Daily Dirt 03/28/2024 13:47:29

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March 24
Whynot Motorsports Park,
Meridian, MS
Sanction: World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series - $10,000
Information provided by: Series reports (last updated March 25, 8:59 pm)
B-Shepp outduels Moyer, Culp for Whynot win
  1. Brandon Sheppard
  2. Timothy Culp
  3. Chris Madden
  4. Billy Moyer
  5. Eric Wells
  6. Tyler Erb
  7. Mike Marlar
  8. Jack Sullivan
  9. Chub Frank
  10. Rick Eckert
  11. Frank Heckenast Jr.
  12. Brian Shirley
  13. Billy Moyer Jr.
  14. Morgan Bagley
  15. Chad Thrash
  16. Chase Junghans
  17. Devin Moran
  18. Garrett Alberson
  19. Joey Coulter
  20. Tanner English
  21. Donald Bradsher
  22. Chandler Petty
  23. Shane Clanton
  24. Chad Hollenbeck
presented by
Heath Lawson/heathlawsonphotos.com
Brandon Sheppard captured a $10,000 World of Outlaws victory at Whynot Motorsports Park Friday.
What won the race: Regaining the lead from sixth-starting Timothy Culp of Sheridan, Ark., on lap 37, polesitter Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., paced the final circuits to capture a 50-lap World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series victory worth $10,000. Sheppard grabbed the lead for the first time on lap 20 from Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., but lost it to Culp on lap 31 before summoning the speed to move back in front for good.
On the move: Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., charged from the 10th starting spot to finish third.
Winner's sponsors: Sheppard's Mark Richards Racing Enterprises XR1 Rocket Chassis House car is powered by a Durham Race Engine and sponsored by Valvoline, Ace Metal Works, Seubert Calf Ranches, Gunter's Honey and Hoosier Racing Tire.
Points chase: Standings after Whynot: 1. Brandon Sheppard (630 points); 2. Rick Eckert (606); 3. Chris Madden (596); 4. Tyler Erb (592); 5. Brian Shirley (588); 6. Eric Wells (580); 7. Chub Frank (576); 8. Frank Heckenast Jr. (574); 9. Billy Moyer Jr. (562); 10. Devin Moran (550); 11. Shane Clanton (544); 12. Morgan Bagley (542).
Car count: 45
Fast qualifier: Donald Bradsher
Time: 12.542 seconds
Polesitter: Brandon Sheppard
Heat race winners: Timothy Culp, Brandon Sheppard, Billy Moyer, Mike Marlar
Consolation race winners: Morgan Bagley, Garrett Alberson
Provisional starters: Shane Clanton, Chad Hollenbeck
Next series race: March 26, Lone Star Speedway (Kilgore, TX) $8,000
Editor's note: Results and race details are unofficial.
From series and staff reports

MERIDIAN, Miss. (March 24) — Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., earned every cent of his $10,000 prize for winning Friday night’s 50-lap World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series A-main at Whynot Motorsports Park.

Outdueling first Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., and later Timothy Culp of Prattsville, Ark., the 24-year-old driver of Mark Richards’s Rocket Chassis house car emerged triumphant in a hotly-contested race that ran caution-free from start-to-finish.

“I’ve never been here before,” a sweat-soaked Sheppard said after the frenetic feature, “and it’s a pretty awesome racetrack.”

Sheppard, who started from the pole position, was outgunned for the lead at the initial green flag by Moyer, but he hung tough and overtook the 59-year-old Hall of Famer for the top spot on lap 20. Then Sheppard had to deal with the 27-year-old Culp, who grabbed second from Moyer on lap 24 and surged into the lead using the inside lane on the 31st circuit.

The ensuing first-place battle between twentysomethings saw Sheppard regain command with a powerful outside move on lap 37 and stay there to the finish, turning back a furious challenge from Culp with three laps remaining to secure his first WoO triumph of 2017 in the national tour’s first-ever visit to the 3/8-mile oval.

Culp’s bid to reach victory lane for the first time in WoO competition fell short as he settled for a career-best series finish of second, 0.464 of a second behind Sheppard in his second start behind the wheel of an XR1 Rocket fielded by his father-in-law Mark Bennings. He was triumphant in his first outing with the car one week earlier at Ark-La-Tex Speedway in Vivian, La.

First-time WoO regular Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., made a steady march forward from the 10th starting spot without the help of a caution flag to finish third. He stole the position in the final laps from Moyer, who settled for a fourth-place finish. Eric Wells of Hazard, Ky., completed the top five in a strong advance from the 11th starting position.

The race’s outcome was in doubt in the closing circuits as Culp hugged the low side of the track to threaten Sheppard. Culp came within inches of leading lap 47 and was able to thrust ahead of Sheppard off turn two on lap 48, but Sheppard managed to circle the rim to hang on.

“Timmy was up underneath of me pretty good,” said Sheppard, who padded his points lead with his third top-five finish in five WoO A-mains. “He put on a heck of a race … thanks to him for racing me clean.

“I’m just really fortunate to be able to drive this Rocket house car,” he added. “It’s amazing. The team’s awesome. I can’t all them guys enough. These XR1 Rocket cars are awesome. It just shows by the consistency and the finishes.”

Culp showed no disappointment with his runner-up finish, which continued his rebound from a frustrating Georgia-Florida Speedweeks in February that was followed by a shift in his race team’s direction with the dissolution of his participation in the GRT house car program.

“Shoot, I’m just tickled to be up here and be able to compete with these guys,” Culp said. “I wish we could’ve got it done. Lapped cars kind of got me stuck on that bottom a couple times. I tried to roll that middle … I think if it weren’t for those lapped cars we could’ve maybe had a little different outcome.

“But shoot,” he continued. “To run second with this thing … it’s the second night on this car and we’ve got one win and a second. You can’t hardly beat that.”

Madden, 41, became stronger as the feature wore on but ran out of time to challenge the leaders.

“We had a good race car in the feature,” said Madden, who moved from fifth to third in the WoO points standings. “I’d like to have started a little further up front … it could’ve been a different story.”

Notes: Sheppard’s seventh career WoO feature win was his first since April 18, 2015, at Farmer City (Ill.) Raceway. It was his fourth Super Late Model victory of the young ’17 campaign; he won three times during Georgia-Florida Speedweeks. … All 24 feature starters were running at the finish with 17 drivers on the lead lap. … Shane Clanton of Zebulon, Ga., had a rough night, relying on a provisional to gain entry to the A-main and then starting and finishing 23rd. He struggled throughout the 50-lapper and was lapped twice, dropping the pre-season championship favorite to 11th in the points standings, 86 points behind Sheppard. … Chad Hollenbeck of Kingsley, Pa., was surprise addition to the WoO’s Deep South swing. He started the feature thanks to a points provisional and finished two laps down in 24th. … WoO rookie aspirant Donald Bradsher of Burlington, N.C., recorded his first-ever WoO fast-time honor in qualifying but wasn’t a factor in the feature, finishing one lap down in 21st. ... Seventh-place finisher and former Coors Light Fall Classic winner Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., piloted a new Rocket XR1. … The event was the first of a three-race weekend that also includes stops at I-30 Speedway in Little Rock, Ark., and Lone Star Speedway in Kilgore, Texas.

Feature lineup

Row 1: Sheppard, Moyer
Row 2: Marlar, Heckenast Jr.
Row 3: Erb, Culp
Row 4: Shirley, Bradsher
Row 5: Sullivan, Madden
Row 6: Wells, Frank
Row 7: Coulter, Moyer Jr.
Row 8: Moran, Eckert
Row 9: Bagley, Alberson
Row 10: Junghans, English
Row 11: Petty, Thrash
Row 12: Clanton, Hollenbeck
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