MONDAY NIGHT JANUARY 28 Golden Isles Speedway

Madden fast after Bloomquist DQ'd


Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., was the fastest among 56 qualifiers at Golden Isles Speedway's Super Bowl of Racing IV after Scott Bloomquist's fast qualifying time was disallowed. Officials punching Bloomquist's tires with a durometer ruled his tires were too soft under UMP rules. His LM20 tire punched 35 on the durometer when 40 is required, according to UMP series director Sam Driggers. Bloomquist was scheduled to start on the tail of the first heat race, but he began loading his car and crew chief Tommy Hicks said they wouldn't race again until Tuesday.
Madden (16.028 seconds) will be among four drivers starting on the pole of eight-lap heat races at the UMP-sanctioned event. The other heat polesitters fastest in group qualifying: Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky. (16.224), Ed Basey of Evans, Ga. (16.290) and Earl Pearson Jr. (16.252).
Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., winner of the first two 50-lap features, will start third in the second heat race.


Scott Bloomquist time Dqd.
Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., the only driver to crack the 16-second mark in time trials, blistered the 4/10-mile Golden Isles Speedway oval to set fast time at the Super Bowl of Racing IV. Bloomquist (15.742 seconds) will be among four drivers starting on the pole of eight-lap heat races at the UMP-sanctioned event. The other heat polesitters fastest in group qualifying: Steve Francis of Ashland, Ky. (16.224), Ed Basey of Evans, Ga. (16.290) and Chris Madden (16.028), the second fastest qualifier overall.
Bloomquist has set fast time in two of the three Super Bowl events. Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., winner of the first two 50-lap features, will start third in the second heat race.


Pre-race notebook

The track was narrower in the turns for Monday's action. The infield tire barriers were pushed out about 20 feet and the track was packed down accordingly. ... A small crowd of perhaps a three hundred watched Monday's early events. ... An overwatered track pushed time trials back about an hour. With the wet track conditions, several drivers elected to skip the first hot-lap session, including red-hot Jimmy Owens. Because the track was greasy during the first session of hot laps, Super Late Models got a couple of extra laps in another session. ... Ricky Elliott's team were making transmission repairs that prevented him from practicing, but he got a few laps following practice to make sure his car was working. ... A non-qualifiers race is scheduled for the Super Late Models on Monday as well. ... Crate Late Models and modifieds are also on the card. ... The Super Late Models are the second of three features. ... Heat races have been reduced to eight laps instead of the 10 run in the first two events. ... Among the new drivers on hand for Monday's event: former UMP Summernationals champion Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., in a C.J. Rayburn house car, Derek Ellis of Chatsworth, Ga., Skip Arp of Georgetown, Tenn., in a Clint Smith backup car, Advance Auto Parts Thunder Series regular Tommy Kerr of Maryville, Tenn., and Shawn Beasley of Raeford, N.C. ... Steve Shaver scratched from qualifying.

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By Todd Turner
DirtonDirt.com chief writer