Weiss pockets $50,000 LOLMDS North/South 100 payday

UNION, Ky. - Ricky Weiss scored the biggest win of his racing career on Saturday night capturing the Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 at Florence Speedway in Union, Kentucky.

Weiss withstood a battle with Hudson O’Neal in the final ten laps to record his first career crown jewel win and his first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory.

Tim McCreadie made a late-race charge to take second from O’Neal. Jimmy Owens finished in fourth and current points leader Jonathan Davenport from Blairsville, Georgia finished fifth.

O’Neal led the first seven laps of the race before Earl Pearson, Jr. took control. Pearson, Jr. and Weiss ran first and second for most of the race until Pearson was forced to pit under a caution flag with a left-rear flat tire. Weiss became the new leader and controlled the race until O’Neal made a charge for the lead on lap 90.

The final caution came out, and with nine laps left on the ensuing restart, Weiss pulled away from O’Neal while McCreadie began gaining ground on the leaders. Weiss managed to hold off McCreadie, who went by O’Neal on the final lap to capture the runner-up spot.

The 29-year-old Canadian racer, who finished second last month in the Silver Dollar Nationals at I-80 Speedway, was thrilled to finally get his first win.

“It will take a while to sink in,” he said. “Thanks to Shawn (Gage) and Cody (Mallory), Scott Bloomquist, and everybody else on this team. It’s finally paid off. We have gotten better and better. I want to thank Vic Hill, this motor ran great. These Sweet-Bloomquist Race Cars, there are none better in my opinion. It’s definitely helped my program.”

Weiss became the fifteenth different winner on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series in 2018.

“Being door-to-door with those guys tonight, like I said it may be a few days for it to sink in,” said Weiss. “We had a good race there with Earl Pearson, Jr.). I listened to Scott (Bloomquist) before the race and he told me not to slide the tires. It’s a long race, under the caution I was trying to tell my crew guys that he (Pearson) was getting a flat tire. Then to run door-to-door with Hudson, I know it’s his last-race of the year and he probably wanted to win it more than anyone.”\

Dale McDowell, Zack Dohm, Scott Bloomquist, Darrell Lanigan and Mason Zeigler rounded out the top ten.

For more information on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, visit LucasDirt.com.

Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Florence Speedway – Union, KY
Sunoco Race Fuels North/South 100 – August 11, 2018