ROSSBURG, Ohio - Tim McCreadie left Rossburg, Ohio’s Eldora Speedway with the biggest win of his career on Saturday night, after scoring his first World 100 victory.
The Watertown, New York veteran and 2006 World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series Champion took the lead from polesitter Devin Gilpin on lap 45 and would survive a restart with 16 laps to go to secure the victory, worth $51,000.
“You just don’t know when things like this will go your way. You just keep struggling and trying and hoping that it’ll all work out and tonight it did,” an emotional McCreadie said in victory lane. “We’re not here to just be here. We’re here to try to win and tonight was our night. The struggles have been tough. It’s been hard on the crew guys, it’s been hard on me, it’s been hard on the family, it’s been hard on everybody.
“We changed the car around from this afternoon. We went to work and tried to make the car drive better and it worked. As heartbreaking as last week was with missing Oswego, it hurt my feelings. Maybe that’s the way life goes though you have to lose something that you really cherish for something that arguably is bigger. This place means a lot to a lot of people. I don’t always see it because I didn’t come from here. But I understand it, especially now.”
Gilpin and two-time World 100 winner Brian Birkhofer brought the field to the green flag, with Gilpin beating Birkhofer to the first corner to grab the early lead while the rest of the field jockeyed for position behind him.
McCreadie, who started fifth, methodically picked his way up to the podium and would trail Shane Clanton, who started ahead of him in third, as both went by Birkhofer for second and third respectively.
McCreadie slipped past Clanton for second and set his sights on Gilpin, who had built up a sizable lead. Soon McCreadie was on Gilpin’s back bumper and the battle was on for the lead. Five laps before the halfway point of the race, McCreadie made what would be the winning pass on lap 45 by sliding past Gilpin and pulling away from the field.
McCreadie went on to score the win, with Jimmy Owensin second, Tyler Erb in third, Scott Bloomquist in fourth and Brandon Overton in fifth.
Gilpin, Josh Richards, Dale McDowell, Earl Pearson, Jr. and Kent Robinson rounded out the top ten.
Eldora Speedway – Rossburg, Ohio
World 100 – October 13, 2018
1. 39-Tim McCreadie
2. 20-Jimmy Owens
3. 91-Tyler Erb
4. O-Scott Bloomquist
5. 76-Brandon Overton
6. 1G-Devin Gilpin
7. 1R-Josh Richards
8. 17M-Dale McDowell
9. 1P-Earl Pearson, Jr.
10. 7R-Kent Robinson
11. 18J-Chase Junghans
12. 25C-Shane Clanton
13. 40B-Kyle Bronson
14. 32P-Bobby Pierce
15. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
16. 9-Devin Moran
17. 97C-Michael Chilton
18. 5-Don O’Neal
19. 50-Shanon Buckingham
20. 21-Billy Moyer
21. 1-Brandon Sheppard
22. 71R-Rod Conley
23. 28M-Jimmy Mars
24. 49-Jonathan Davenport
25. 30-Brian Birkhofer
26. 17D-Zack Dohm
27. 157-Mike Marlar
28. 25Z-Mason Zeigler
29. 3s-Brian Shirley
30. 32S-Chris Simpson
