GIBSONTON, Fla. -- Coming off of a spectacular 2006 racing season, Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN is beginning the 2007 in grand style as he came home in first taking the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series A-Main event on the final night of the Series visit to East Bay Raceway Park for the 31st Annual Winternationals. The race taped for cameras of SPEED would see excitement throughout the 75 lap affair with Bloomquist winning at East Bay for the first time since February 2, 1990 as he inherited the lead on lap 62 when race leader Shannon Babb slowed in turn two and left the race.

Bloomquist in his own self designed Bloomquist Race Cars Chevrolet sponsored by Miller Brothers Coal/Hawkeye Trucking/Allstar Performance/VP Racing Fuels/Arizona Sport Shirts/Vic Hill Racing Engines powered Chevrolet picked up his 12th career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win. Tim McCreadie would charge from the 17th starting spot to finish second in the Sweeteners Plus/Pro Power Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo with Matt Miller of Waterville, OH placing third in the Moring Motorsports/MDI Environmental/Rocket Monte Carlo. Finishing out the top five in the finale was 20th starting Terry English of Benton, KY in the Petroff Towing/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo and Billy Drake of Bloomington, IL in the Creative Kitchens and Bath/Mullvain Motors/C.J. Rayburn GTO. A total of 86 entrants were on hand for the event which was run before a standing room crowd.

Scott James and Jimmy Mars were the front row starters for the $12,000 to win event with Mars taking the point at the wave of the green flag. Mars, James and Matt Miller would quickly open some room between themselves and the rest of the field as the trio was setting a torrid pace. Mars was already picking up the tail end of the field by lap seven and was getting ready to lap cars when the first caution of the race appeared on lap ten.

With the restart it would be Mars in front followed by James, Miller, Billy Drake and Dan Schlieper. The race would go green for one more circuit until a caution for a slowed Steve Francis would halt the action. On the restart Mars again would set a blistering pace with Schlieper on the move coming from fifth to second on lap 15 dropping James to third.

Terry Casey then went to fourth as Schlieper was not done yet as he took over the lead with a slide job on Mars on lap 16. There were two back to back cautions after lap 16 were scored with Schlieper on the point for the restart of the race. For the next five laps of green flag racing Schlieper was distancing himself from James, who was in second and Shannon Babb, who was on the move in third.

Steve Shaver would slow in turn four on lap 29 bringing out caution number six of the race. With 45 laps to go Schlieper would see Babb join him in the race for the lead as both had their cars hooked up on the top side of the race track. Mike Marlar slowed on lap 36 which brought out another caution and under the yellow flag James, who was running third behind Schlieper and Babb would head pitside with a smoking car.

On the restart Babb would challenge Schlieper for the lead with traffic again looming ahead of the pacesetters Babb was looking for an avenue around Schlieper. On lap 46 while still the leader of the race Schlieper would come to a halt in turn number two with a problem that would relegate him to the tail of the field. Babb would now be the new leader of the race with 11th place starter, Scott Bloomquist now running second followed by McCreadie, Miller and Casey.

Babb would start to put several lengths on Bloomquist as he was setting up for a 25 lap march to the finish. A quick pace by Babb allowed him to put a couple of lapped cars between himself and Bloomquist by lap 55. Babb had about a six car length lead over Bloomquist with 15 laps to go when Babb would bring out the ninth caution of the race when he slowed in turn number two. Babb’s car had been smoking for a couple of laps as his chance for the win went by the wayside. Bloomquist then would pick up the lead with Miller, McCreadie, English and Drake the top five. Miller and McCreadie would race side by side for second until McCreadie would clear Miller for second on lap 70 after a final restart after a caution. Casey, who was running fourth at the time he dropped out of the race at this point leaving the battle to remain in the top five to Bloomquist, McCreadie, Miller, English and Drake.

This last yellow would set up a six lap showdown for the race win. With Bloomquist on the point he would pick up the pace in the last six laps as it looked like he was going to get away from McCreadie and Miller and cruise on for the win, but McCreadie had other ideas as he would set up a last lap charge which allowed him to close on Bloomquist very quickly on the white flag lap, but heading to the finish line Bloomquist would hold his advantage and take his first victory at East Bay in 17 years.

McCreadie finished second with Miller, English and Drake rounding out the top five. “I can’t say enough about the track it was in excellent shape tonight, most of the guys have been here since Monday so I felt a little behind the eight ball when I got here, but we worked until 6 a.m. this morning getting the car ready and it really paid off.” “Dan and Shannon were real strong tonight, but I saw smoke from Shannon’s car for a few laps there and I didn’t know how much longer he was going to last,” said Bloomquist. “I especially want to thank Bob and Barb Miller for all of their support, it was great to see them here and a big thank to all of our other great sponsors who make this possible.”

Completing the top ten were Jimmy Mars, 25th starting, Earl Pearson, Jr., 26th starting, Don O’Neal, Eddie Carrier, Jr. and Dan Schlieper.

Schlieper clinched the 2007 DART Machinery Winternationals Points by claiming the 10th spot in the final rundown. Schlieper was very good all week long in his Miller Brothers Coal/Hawkeye Trucking/Uncle Buck/Five Star Race Car Bodies/Allstar Performance/VP Racing Fuels/Integra Racing Shocks/Weld Racing/Out Pace Racing Products/Pro Power Engines/C.J. Rayburn Ford Fusion as he claimed the week long championship over Terry English, Matt Miller, Steve Francis and Don O’Neal.

In preliminary events leading up to the main event finale Shannon Babb was the LifeLong Locks Fast Time Award for the second time in three nights as he set the fastest overall qualifying time of 14.653 seconds over the 89 entrants on hand. The Hawk Brake and Quarter Master sponsored heat races were won by Steve Francis, Dan Schlieper, Jimmy Mars, Billy Drake, Matt Miller, Scott James, Terry Casey and Eric Jacobsen. The Mason Racin’ Rebel Shock Dyno and Penske Shocks sponsored B-mains went to Tim McCreadie, Donnie Moran, Steve Shaver and Terry English.

The next Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series event will be on Saturday Night, March 31st at the Brownstown Speedway in Brownstown, IN for the Annual “Indiana Icebreaker” which pays $10,000 to win. For more information on this event you can log on to www.brownstownspeedway.com. And www.lucasdirt.com.