West Plains Motor Speedway - Show-Me 100 Final Results

For Immediate Release
May 23rd, 2009

Brian Birkhofer Wins First Career Show-Me 100 in Dominating Fashion at West Plains Motor Speedway on Saturday Night

WEST PLAINS, MO (May 23, 2009) - Brian Birkhofer of Muscatine, IA lapped up to the seventh place finishing car as he dominated the 17th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts Show-Me 100 Presented by DART Machinery. He pocketed $40,000 on Saturday Night at West Plains Motor Speedway in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctioned event. Jimmy Mars of Menomonie, WI used a late race caution to close behind Birkhofer in the waning laps, but Birkhofer was just too strong as he and Mars' MB Custom Chassis scored a one-two finish. Five-time Show-Me 100 winner Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN finished third followed by Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN and Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN who completed the top five.

Polesitter Jimmy Owens got a good start on fellow front row starter Scott Bloomquist on the initial start of the race, but a multi-car pileup on the opening lap brought out a red-flag as former race winner Terry Phillips left the race on a hook ending his night. On the restart, Owens won the race heading into turn number one with Bloomquist, Mars, Birkhofer, who started fifth and Jeremy Payne.

The Starting Field up of Drivers
Photo by Rick Schwallie

Owens quickly opened up a three top four car length lead over Bloomquist in the early going of the race as a battle for third was taking place between Mars and Birkhofer. Those two drivers would race side-by-side for four consecutive laps crossing the start-finish line dead even for position.

A caution came out for Brian Shirley with nine laps scored; Owens saw the lead he had built up over Bloomquist now gone. On the restart, there was a three-car pile-up in turn two which once again slowed the racing action. Owens led the field to the restart as both Mars and Birkhofer got by Bloomquist a lap into the restart.

Mars and Birkhofer dueled side-by- side as they closed on Owens who was still out in front, but his lead turned precarious as both Mars and Birkhofer were on the prowl. Birkhofer settled into second by lap 16 and then four laps later he grabbed the lead away from Owens on the 19th circuit.

Birkhofer then stretched out his lead over Owens as he started to pick-up the tail end of the field by lap 25, Mars moved into second passing Owens. Birkhofer was setting a torrid pace and with 30 laps down he held almost a straightaway lead over Mars, Owens, Bloomquist and O'Neal. With no caution flags to clear lapped traffic Birkhofer maneuvered his way around several cars from lap30-40 putting multiple cars in between him and second place running Mars.

As the race approached the half-way mark, Birkhofer had lapped up to the ninth position car as he was totally running away with the race at this point. Birkhofer had built a half-a-lap lead over Mars, who was having trouble negotiating traffic as he could not gain any ground on Birkhofer as "Birky" put two more of the top ten a lap down as there were only seven cars now on the lead lap.

The final caution of the race on lap 71 for a slowing Jeremy Payne was the break that Mars was looking for as with Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series rules all lapped cars would have to restart on the tail end of the field. Birkhofer was left with a clear track, but it also allowed Mars, Bloomquist, Owens, O'Neal, Ray Cook and Earl Pearson Jr. the only cars still on the lead lap to restart behind him in single-file order.

With 29 laps to go after the restart Birkhofer set sail again as he exploded out to a quick three car length lead over Mars and Bloomquist. Birkhofer, with his blistering pace closed quickly on the back of the field one more time with less than 20 laps remaining in the race.

With Birkhofer having to deal with cars directly in front of him, Mars took the opportunity to close the gap on Birkhofer. Mars was able to chase down Birkhofer with less than five laps to go, but passing Birkhofer would be another story as Mars was unable to get close enough to Birkhofer to try a last lap pass. Birkhofer crossed the finish line first to add another crown jewel event win to his impressive resume'.

In the Lucas Oil Victory Lane, Birkhofer was overcome with emotion in describing his win. He was starting for the seventh time in his career. "I just can't believe it, I have been wanting to win this race for a long time, the Gibsons' are a great family, they treat everybody so well and they have a great race track here, we just haven't had the luck in the past here, but this car was just a dream to drive," said the 37-year-old driver who earned his ninth career Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series victory.

SHOW-ME 100 Winner
photo by Rick Schwallie

"Man it's so great to have Jimmy (Mars) run second, this MB Custom Chassis we put about six laps on it in practice for the Diamond Nationals at Wheatland and this is the first time we have raced it and I can't imagine having a better race car than what we had tonight, the other car we've been running was good, but we thought we would bring this one out for the Show-Me and it turned out to be a very good decision," said Birkhofer.

"It feels great to win one of these crown jewel events like this, I want to thank Jeff Roby, Jimmy and Chris Mars, Bill Schlieper of Pro Power Engines, everyone at Lucas Oil for the series they have, it's an honor to come here and win this race and having Lucas Oil sanction it for the first time, thanks to them for helping the Gibson's promote this race," said the winner who has now won $70,000 in first place prize in the last three weeks racing in the State of Missouri has he earned $30,000 for winning the SuperClean Diamond Nationals at Lucas Oil Speedway back on May 9th.

Birkhofer's MB Custom Chassis Monte Carlo SS has a Pro Power Engine and is sponsored by J&J Steel, S&S Concrete, Daufeldt Transport, Etchenberger Trucking, Asi Racewear, 34Raceway.com, Integra Racing Shocks, Port City Racing, Hoosier Tires, McDonald's of the Quad Cities, VP Racing Fuels, McFarland Pain Clinic, Muscatine Tire and Wheel and Baileigh Industrial.

Mars crossed the line second in his Deppe Enterprises/Pro Power Engines/MB Custom Malibu with Bloomquist coming third in his Miller Brothers Coal/Vic Hill Racing Engines/Bloomquist Race Cars Monte Carlo SS. Completing the top five was Owens who led the first 18 laps in the Mike Reece/Reece Monuments/Bloomquist Race Cars Ford Fusion and O'Neal in the Racing United Marketing/Jay Dickens Racing Engines/MasterSbilt Monte Carlo SS.

Rounding out the top ten were Ray Cook, Earl Pearson Jr., Chris Madden, Billy Moyer and Brandon Kinzer.

To find out more about the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, log on to www.lucasdirt.com or call the series office at (951) 532-2503.

BRIAN BIRKHOFER
Photo by Rick Schwallie

Finish (Start) Car Number Driver Name
1. (5) #15B Brian Birkhofer
2. (4) #28M Jimmy Mars
3. (2) #0 Scott Bloomquist
4. (1) #20 Jimmy Owens
5. (9) #71 Don O'Neal
6. (13) #53 Ray Cook
7. (19) #44 Earl Pearson Jr.
8. (10) #44M Chris Madden
9. (12) #21 Billy Moyer
10. (6) #18K Brandon Kinzer
11. (11) #41N Brad Neat
12. (17) #s9 Dan Schlieper
13. (16) #55 Jeep VanWormer
14. (18) #83 Scott James
15. (20) #17M Dale McDowell
16. (21) #23 John Blankenship
17. (24) #5 Eric Jacobsen
18. (23) #41 Josh McGuire
19. (25) #54 David Breazeale
20. (3) #74 Jeremy Payne
21. (8) #88 Wendell Wallace
22. (22) #71W Chris Wall
23. (15 #3s Brian Shirley
24. (7) #c9 Steve Casebolt
25. (14) #75P Terry Phillips

Race Statistics

Entries: 66
Caution Flags: Brian Shirley (Lap 9); Eric Jacobsen, Chris Wall, Biran Shirley (Lap 10); Jeremy Payne (Lap 71)
Lap Leaders: Jimmy Owens (Start-18); Brian Birkhofer (19-21); Jimmy Mars (22); Brian Birkhofer (23-100)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Provisionals: Josh McGuire, Eric Jacobsen
Emergency Provisional: David Breazeale
PBM/Erson Cams Hard Charger of the Race: Earl Pearson Jr. (Started 19 and finished 7 - advanced 12 positions)
Allstar Performance Performer of the Race: Brian Birkhofer
K&N Filters Clean Pass of the Race: Brian Birkhofer
Quarter Master Rookie of the Race: Jeep VanWormer
Comp Cams Engine Builder of the Race: Pro Power Racing Engines
Time of the Race: 51 minutes 35 seconds

2009 Championship Points Standings
1. #0 Scott Bloomquist - Mooresburg, TN 1695
2. #21Billy Moyer - Batesville, AR 1590
3. #17M Dale McDowell - Chickamauga, GA 1540
4. #44 Earl Pearson Jr. - Jacksonville, FL 1505
5. #20 Jimmy Owens - Newport, TN 1485
6. #53 Ray Cook - Brasstown, NC 1445
7. #83 Scott James - Lawrencburg, IN 1430
8. #71 Don O'Neal - Martinsville, IN 1360
9. #c9 Steve Casebolt - Richmond, IN 1340
10. #41 Josh McGuire - Grayson, KY 1290
11. #55 Jeep VanWormer - Pinconning, MI 1285
12. #5 Eric Jacobsen - Seacliffe Beach, CA 1240
13. #41N Brad Neat - Dunnville, KY 1225
14. #23 John Blankenship - Williamson, WV 1185
15. #s9 Dan Schlieper - Sullivan, WI 1165
16. #54 David Breazeale - Four Corners, MS 1080
17. #00 Freddy Smith - Seymour, TN 950
21. #64 Michael Walker - Franklin, TN 780

2009 Rookie of the Year Points Standings
1. #55 Jeep VanWormer - Pinconning, MI 1285
2. #23 John Blankenship - Williamson, WV 1185
3. #54 David Breazeale - Four Corners, MS 1080
4. #64 Michael Walker - Franklin, TN 780