Tim McCreadie celebrates in victory lane after winning Saturday night’s Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series race at Lernerville Speedway. Photo: LOLMDS Media
Tim McCreadie took the lead at the start of the 16th Annual Firecracker 100 on Saturday Night at Lernerville Speedway in Sarver, Pennsylvania.
He never looked back in taking the $50,000 victory in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned event.
Even though the margin of victory was only 0.459 seconds in front of Evans, Georgia’s Brandon Overton at the finish line, McCreadie had total control over the event for most of the distance. McCreadie had a close call on the final lap with lapped traffic and that allowed Overton to close the gap in a hurry, which at one point was more than half a straightaway out in front.
Overton, the two-time and defending race winner was looking to tie Scott Bloomquist for the most wins in the event’s history by cutting more than 2 seconds off McCreadie’s lead but fell just short of stealing the win away.
Mike Marlar finished in third, with Brandon Sheppard in fourth, and Earl Pearson, Jr. in fifth.
McCreadie jumped to the lead at the start of the 100-lap event with Sheppard taking the second spot. It was a close battle up front with Pearson making it a three-car race for the lead early on. Pearson moved past Sheppard for second on lap five and stayed there until Sheppard returned the favor on the 11th circuit.
With McCreadie seemingly in control of the race his lead was shrinking as he was maneuvering through heavy lapped traffic. Sheppard had cut his lead down to where he was just two car lengths behind McCreadie when the caution flew on lap 57.
On the restart Overton was the benefactor as he got by Sheppard on lap 61 to take the second position.
By lap 64 Marlar was around Sheppard to take third as the current points leader fell to fourth. McCreadie built what looked like an insurmountable lead as he was on cruise control. Heading to the white flag lap McCreadie had an issue in turn four with traffic that allowed Overton to make a run at him on the final lap but fell just short of the win.
“Like I said earlier, racing this close to home for me all of these fans up here are people I used to see out at the band,” said McCreadie. “I love this place this is a big win for my team. I want to thank Donald and Gena Bradsher for giving me this chance, Philip Snellen my crew chief, and all of my crew guys. They work their tails off every week to give me a great car to drive and it was pretty much flawless tonight.”
Ricky Thornton, Jr., Garrett Alberson, Daulton Wilson, Gregg Satterlee, and Mark Whitener rounded out the top 10.
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series
Lernerville Speedway – Sarver, PA
Firecracker 100 – June 25, 2022
1. 39-Tim McCreadie
2. 76-Brandon Overton
3. 157-Mike Marlar
4. 1-Brandon Sheppard
5. 46-Earl Pearson Jr
6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton, Jr.
7. 58-Garrett Alberson
8. 18D-Daulton Wilson
9. 22-Gregg Satterlee
10. 58W-Mark Whitener
11. 22F-Chris Ferguson
12. 71-Hudson O’Neal
13. 20-Jimmy Owens
14. 0E-Rick Eckert
15. 1T-Tyler Erb
16. 89-Ashton Winger
17. 11-Spencer Hughes
18. 8-Kyle Strickler
19. 49-Jonathan Davenport
20. 1*-Chub Frank
21. 0-Scott Bloomquist
22. 10M-Jared Miley
23. 7-Ross Robinson
24. 94C-Charles Powell
25. 21L-Matt Lux
26. 1C-Alex Ferree
27. 2D-Dan Stone
28. 72-Michael Norris
29. J4-John Garvin, Jr.
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