MANSFIELD, Ohio (Aug. 24) — The 2018 season has been largely forgettable for Darrell Lanigan. He set himself up to turn it into a memorable one, however, by scoring a flag-to-flag victory in Friday night’s first 30-lap Dirt Million Duel at Mansfield Motor Speedway.

After repelling early threats from Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., and Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., Lanigan turned back a furious final-circuit challenge from longtime rival Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., to secure the $10,000 top prize and earn a ticket into Saturday evening’s 100-lap finale that boasts the second-richest first-place payoff in Dirt Late Model history.

“It definitely would make somebody’s year right here to win this,” said Lanigan, whose only previous triumph this season came in a June Dream preliminary feature at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio. “Our year’s been terrible, so if we could win something like this it would definitely make up for it.”

Lanigan, 48, started from the pole position and kept his Clint Bowyer Racing Club 29 Race Car in front for the entire distance, but Richards made a serious bid to steal the race on the last lap. With the white flag flying Richards dived into turn one underneath Lanigan, but without enough real estate on the bottom the defending Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion had to back off and settle for a runner-up finish, 0.682 of a second behind Lanigan at the checkered in his Best Performance Motorsports XR1 Rocket.

Marlar finished third, just a couple car lengths behind the leaders in his first start with a new Ronnie Delk-owned Longhorn machine. The 40-year-old World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series regular came from the fifth starting spot to grab second from Zeigler on a lap-seven restart and briefly drew close to Lanigan before bouncing in the turn-two cushion on lap 22 and losing the runner-up position to Richards.

Fourth place — and the final automatic transfer spot to Saturday’s Dirt Million Dash and the 100-lap A-main — went to Zeigler, who rallied after falling from second to fifth when he slid high in turn two on a lap-seven restart and soon afterward slipping as far back as ninth. He reached fourth on lap 26 when his side-by-side battle for the position with Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., ended with Owens smacking the turn-four cushion hard and needing wrecker service to return to the pit area.

Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, completed the top five. He started from the outside pole and ran in second place for the first lap

Lanigan knew Richards was hot on his tail on the race’s last tour, but he held his ground to keep Richards behind him.

“I could hear somebody … I didn’t see him there yet,” Lanigan said of Richards’s challenge. “He wasn’t all the way beside of me yet to give him the room. He’s a true competitor too, so he wasn’t gonna take me out.

“Our hot rod’s pretty good,” he added. “We kind of got the setup off (Anthony) Burroughs (the crew chief of Lanigan’s CBR teammate Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind.) and them and put it on here.”

Richards, 30, felt a miscalculation in his groove choice ultimately cost him more than his failed last-lap bid.

“I wish I would’ve moved up before,” said Richards, who started fourth. “I ran the bottom of (turns) three and four the whole time and just tried to stay smooth, and I moved up and actually got a little bit more speed.

“That last lap I probably should’ve went to the top and tried to get by him. (Charging the bottom) I just slammed on the brakes to make sure I didn’t take us both out. It’s good to be locked in tomorrow though.”

The 40-year-old Marlar was equally upbeat after his third-place finish moved him into Saturday eight-car Dirt Million Dash, which will set the first eight starting spots in the 100-lap feature that will pay at least $189,000 to win.

“I really thought we had a good shot at getting by there for the lead (early in the race),” Marlar said. “We had that caution (on lap 17) and I guess Darrell’s guys probably moved him down … then (later on lap 22) I just got my right-front bumper hub up on the cushion a little bit (losing second).

“But awesome night,” he continued. “I got me a third here and I’m in the show … and the first night on a new car.”

Caution flags flew on lap seven for Billy Moyer of Batesville, Ark., stopping in turn two; lap 17 for Brandon Sheppard of New Berlin, Ill., who slowed with a flat right-rear tire after a scrape with Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind.; lap 20 when R.J. Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, stopped on the backstretch with nosepiece damage to his car; and twice on lap 26, for Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., slowing on the homestretch with a flat right-rear tire while running inside the top 10 and on the restart for Owens smacking the cushion in turn four during his battle for fourth with Zeigler.

A red flag was needed on the first lap when Tim McCreadie of Watertown, N.Y., bounced running the high side of turns three and four, bicycled and executed a wild barrel-roll. His car came to rest on its wheels with significant damage but he climbed out under his own power.

Preliminary results and notes:

First Duel feature lineup

Row 1: Darrell Lanigan, Tyler Erb
Row 2: Mason Zeigler, Josh Richards
Row 3: Mike Marlar, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 4: Jimmy Owens, Bobby Pierce
Row 5: Chase Junghans, Tim McCreadie
Row 6: R.J. Conley, Billy Moyer
Row 7: Brandon Sheppard, Nick Hoffman
Row 8: Frank Heckenast Jr., Steve Casebolt
Row 9: Billy Moyer Jr., Kyle Bronson
Row 10: Max Blair, Kent Robinson
Row 11: Scott Bloomquist, Gordy Gundaker

Second consolation

Polesitter Kyle Bronson lead the opening lap, as third-starting Brandon Overton slipped ahead of front-row starter Tyler Carpenter to take second. Bronson began pulling away early, with Overton running a solid second. A yellow flag waved on lap seven when second-running Overton slowed on the backstretch with a flat right-rear tire. Gaining momentum from the restart, fourth-starting Kent Robinson shot past Carpenter, challenging Bronson at the front of the field. Bronson held on to win the consolation, with Robinson taking the second and final transfer spot.

Finish (top two transfer): Kyle Bronson, Kent Robinson, Tyler Carpenter, Brandon Overton, Mike Maresca, Dan Angelicchio, Austin Rettig, Alex Ferree, Dave Hornikel.

First consolation

Polesitter Billy Moyer Jr. charged to an early lead, as fifth-starting Chris Simpson battled Jared Miley for fourth. With the top two cars distancing themselves from the field, second-running Max Blair closed the gap between himself and Moyer at the halfway mark. Blair’s charge would fall short, as Moyer pulled away late-race. Moyer won the consolation, with Blair holding off Miley to finish second and transfer to the feature.

Finish (top two transfer): Billy Moyer Jr., Max Blair, Jared Miley, Chris Simpson, Gordy Gundaker, Ryan Unzicker, Matt Irey, Nick Davis, Greg Oakes, Benjamin Mott, D.J. Miller.

First Duel consolation lineups

(12 laps; top two transfer)
First consolation
Row 1: Billy Moyer Jr., Max Blair
Row 2: Nick Davis, Jared Miley
Row 3: Chris Simpson, Matt Irey
Row 4: Gordy Gundaker, Scott Bloomquist
Row 5: Ryan Unzicker, Greg Oakes
Row 6: D.J. Miller, Benjamin Mott
Second consolation
Row 1: Kyle Bronson, Tyler Carpenter
Row 2: Brandon Overton, Kent Robinson
Row 3: Mike Maresca, Dan Angelicchio
Row 4: Austin Rettig, Dave Hornikel
Row 5: Kyle Moore, Ryan Scott
Row 6: Alex Ferree

Fourth heat

Rolling around the outside of fellow front-row starter Bobby Pierce, Darrell Lanigan powered to an early lead, with Steve Casebolt slipping ahead of Pierce to take second. Casebolt and Pierce battled side-by-side, with Pierce edging ahead to run second at the halfway mark. Casebolt continued to fall back late-race, losing position to Billy Moyer. Lanigan pulled away to win the heat, with Pierce running second and Moyer finishing third. Casebolt held off Tyler Carpenter to take the fourth and final transfer spot.

Finish (top four transfer): Darrell Lanigan, Bobby Pierce, Billy Moyer, Steve Casebolt, Tyler Carpenter, Kent Robinson, Dan Angelicchio, Dave Hornikel, Ryan Scott.

Third heat

Polesitter Mason Zeigler charged to the front of the field at the drop of the green flag, with R.J. Conley and Jimmy Owens battling for second in the early running. As Zeigler stretched his lead on lap five, Owens slid ahead of Conley out of turn four to take second on lap six. A yellow flag waved on the sixth circuit when Kyle Moore slowed in turns one and two. Zeigler held off a charging Owens to win the heat, with Conley and Frank Heckenast Jr. grabbing feature transfer spots.

Finish (top four transfer): Mason Zeigler, Jimmy Owens, R.J. Conley, Frank Heckenast Jr., Kyle Bronson, Brandon Overton, Mike Maresca, Austin Rettig, Kyle Moore, Alex Ferree.

Second heat

Slipping under polesitter Mike Marlar down the backstretch, second-starting Tyler Erb lead the opening lap. The pair battled side-by-side through the first couple of circuits, pulling away from the rest of the field. Erb held on to win the heat, with Marlar running second. Tim McCreadie finished fourth, with Nick Hoffman running fourth to transfer to the feature.

Finish (top four transfer): Tyler Erb, Mike Marlar, Tim McCreadie, Nick Hoffman, Max Blair, Jared Miley, Matt Irey, Scott Bloomquist, Greg Oakes, Benjamin Mott.

First heat

Polesitter Josh Richards shot to an early lead, with a yellow flag waving on the second lap when Ryan Unzicker slowed on the frontstretch with a flat tire. Richards maintained his lead on the restart, with Brandon Sheppard reeling in third-running Chase Junghans at the halfway mark. A yellow flag flew on lap five when Gordy Gundaker slowed in turn three with a flat tire. Gaining momentum on the restart, Sheppard continued his charge but was unable to slip under Junghans on the final lap. Richards won the heat, with Pearson finishing second. Junghans and Sheppard grabbed the final two transfer spots.

Finish (top four transfer):  Josh Richards, Earl Pearson Jr., Chase Junghans, Brandon Sheppard, Billy Moyer Jr., Nick Davis, Chris Simpson, Gordy Gundaker, Ryan Unzicker, D.J. Miller.

First Duel heat lineups

(eight laps; top four transfer)
First heat
Row 1: Josh Richards, Earl Pearson Jr.
Row 2: Chase Junghans, Gordy Gundaker
Row 3: Brandon Sheppard, Chris Simpson
Row 4: Nick Davis, Billy Moyer Jr.
Row 5: D.J. Miller, Ryan Unzicker
Second heat
Row 1: Mike Marlar, Tyler Erb
Row 2: Tim McCreadie, Nick Hoffman
Row 3: Matt Irey, Max Blair
Row 4: Jared Miley, Greg Oakes
Row 5: Benjamin Mott, Scott Bloomquist
Third heat
Row 1: Mason Zeigler, R.J. Conley
Row 2: Jimmy Owens, Frank Heckenast Jr.
Row 3: Mike Maresca, Alex Ferree
Row 4: Kyle Bronson, Austin Rettig
Row 5: Kyle Moore, Brandon Overton
Fourth heat
Row 1: Bobby Pierce, Darrell Lanigan
Row 2: Billy Moyer, Steve Casebolt
Row 3: Tyler Carpenter, Kent Robinson
Row 4: Dave Hornikel, Dan Angelicchio
Row 5: Ryan Scott

Qualifying

Tripping the clock with a time of 16.727 seconds, Josh Richards of Shinnston, W.Va., was the fastest qualifier for Friday’s First Duel. He’ll start on the pole of the first heat race. Other heat race polesitters for the First Duel will be Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., Mason Zeigler of Chalk Hill, Pa., and Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill.

Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., clocked the quickest time in the First Duel but his time was disallowed after he was 13 pounds light at the scales the first time across and 15 pounds light on his second weigh. Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., also had his time disallowed after weighing in 11 pounds light at the scales on his first try, 13 pounds light his second time across.

First Duel pre-race notes

Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tenn., who will be the first driver out for qualifying, is debuting a new Longhorn Race Car for car owner Ronnie Delk. He’s exclusively run XR1 Rockets this season but Delk made the call to add a Longhorn assembled by Crossville, Tenn.’s Randy Weaver to the team’s stable. … Chris Simpson of Oxford, Iowa, is feeling good and ready to race one week after a undergoing a medical procedure to have kidney stones removed. … Billy Moyer Jr. of Batesville, Ark., has an experienced hand helping him out in the pits in the form of veteran Arkansas driver Jeff Floyd. … Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., is making his first start outside the Southeast since he began driving for Billy Franklin at the beginning of the summer. … Tyler Carpenter of Parkersburg, W.Va., finished fifth in the Dirt Million rewards points standings, giving him first dibs on a provisional for the 100-lapper should he not qualify on Saturday and one of the top four drivers in the points not transfer through Saturday’s heats. … Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., is working out of a trailer borrowed by Dwight and Manny Falcon with his distinctive rig still sidelined. … Mike Maresca of Potsdam, N.Y., is in action with the assistance of his crew chief Russ King of Bristolville, Ohio, who became a father for the first time last week when his wife, Ashley, delivered a baby girl named Ella.

Pre-race setup

The inaugural Dirt Million gets under way on Friday at Mansfield (Ohio) Motor Speedway with a pair of $10,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series events. The top four finishers from each of the two 30-lap features will be locked in to Saturday’s 100-lap main event.

With the event’s unique format, fans, sponsors and teams have helped grow Saturday’s crowd-funded feature purse through the purchase of tickets, camping reservations and pay-per-view packages. The winner’s share will pay more than $189,000, with the purse continuing to increase up until Saturday’s opening ceremonies.

Don O’Neal of Martinsville, Ind., was the winner of the July 1 Lucas Oil Series event at Mansfield. Drivers Max Blair of Centerville, Pa., Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., Bobby Pierce of Oakwood, Ill., and Benjamin Mott of Wadsworth, Ohio, are already locked in to Saturday’s Dirt Million finale through Driver Reward Points.

Friday’s show will include two complete Lucas Oil Series events. The field will be split into First and Second Duels, with each program including hot laps, time trials, four eight-lap heat races and consolations and a 30-lap feature. The top four finishers from each heat race will transfer to their respective feature, with the top two cars redrawing for their feature starting spot. The top two finishers from each consolation will transfer to their respective main event, with Lucas Oil Series provisionals making up the final row of each feature lineup if needed.

First Duel time trial results

Driver (car no.), hometown, time
Josh Richards (1), Shinnston, W.Va., 16.727
Mike Marlar (157), Winfield, Tenn., 16.834
Mason Zeigler (25z), Chalk Hill, Pa., 16.877
Bobby Pierce (32), Oakwood, Ill., 16.959
Earl Pearson Jr. (1), Jacksonville, Fla., 17.006
Tyler Erb (91), New Waverly, Texas, 17.015
R.J. Conley (71), Wheelersburg, Ohio, 17.022
Darrell Lanigan (14), Union, Ky., 17.022
Chase Junghans (18), Manhattan, Kan., 17.037
Tim McCreadie (39), Watertown, N.Y., 17.083
Jimmy Owens (20), Newport, Tenn., 17.112
Billy Moyer (21), Batesville, Ark., 17.158
Gordy Gundaker (11), St. Charles, Mo., 17.176
Nick Hoffman (2), Mooresville, N.C., 17.218
Steve Casebolt (C9), Richmond, Ind., 17.253
Brandon Sheppard (1), New Berlin, Ill., 17.269
Frank Heckenast Jr. (99jr), Frankfort, Ill., 17.283
Matt Irey (36), Ashland, Ohio, 17.321
Mike Maresca (7MM), Potsdam, N.Y., 17.383
Tyler Carpenter (28), Parkersburg, W.Va., 17.416
Chris Simpson (32), Oxford, Iowa, 17.417
Max Blair (111), Centreville, Pa., 17.426
Alex Ferree (4), Saxonburg, Pa., 17.436
Kent Robinson (7R), Bloomington, Ind., 17.473
Nick Davis (92), Millsboro, Del., 17.489
Jared Miley (H1), Pittsburgh, Pa., 17.496
Kyle Bronson (40B), Brandon, Fla., 17.520
Dave Hornikel (71H), Mansfield, Ohio, 17.586
Billy Moyer Jr. (21jr), Batesville, Ark., 17.597
Greg Oakes (22), Franklinville, N.Y., 17.695
Austin Rettig (94), Sikeston, Mo., 17.799
Dan Angelicchio (14A), Mount Pleasant, Pa., 18.094
D.J. Miller (185), Wooster, Ohio, 18.416
Benjamin Mott (1m), Wadsworth, Ohio, 18.477
Kyle Moore (11*), Mansfield, Ohio, 18.488,
Ryan Scott (0R), Pittsfield, Pa., 18.779
Ryan Unzicker (24), El Paso, Ill., 20.778
Scott Bloomquist (0), Mooresburg, Tenn., disallowed
Brandon Overton (76), Evans, Ga., disallowed

Friday’s schedule

5 p.m. - Drivers’ meeting (grandstands open)
5:30 p.m. - Hot laps
6 p.m. Time trials
7 p.m. - Opening ceremonies
- First Duel heat races (four heats; top four transfer, two redraw; eight laps)
- Second Duel heat races (four heats; top four transfer, two redraw; eight laps)
- First Duel consolation races (two consies transferring two drivers apiece; 12 laps)
- Second Duel consolation races (two consies transferring two drivers apiece; 12 laps)
Features
- First duel (30 laps; top four locked into Dirt Million dash redraw)
- Second duel (30 laps; top four locked into Dirt Million dash redraw)
11 p.m. - Eight drivers draw for Satuday’s dash starting positions