Brandon Sheppard Wins at Whynot Motorsports Park

Donald Bradsher Lands First Career Quick Time

MERIDIAN, MS- March 25, 2017- The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series visited Whynot Motorsports Park in Meridian, MS for the first time ever on March 24. A total of 45 Late Models appeared on the scene to test their luck and their skill at the House of Hook but it was ultimately Brandon Sheppard who took the checkers in the 50-lap feature and claimed his first Series win of the 2017 season.

Sheppard showed how consistent he and his Rocket crew will be this season as he placed fourth in qualifying and won his heat. Sheppard also struck a little bit of luck during the redraw as he pulled out wrench number one from the Craftsman tool box.

“I got to thank Mark [Richards] and all of the guys at Rocket for making this happen for me,” said Sheppard. “This is an awesome team and I am really excited for the rest of the year.”

Yet, Sheppard didn’t have an easy stroll to the lead as Billy Moyer Sr. started second in the Feature, shot to the lead early and held on to that position for 22 laps. Sheppard and Moyer ran door-to-door but with the help of some lap traffic, Sheppard pulled away.

Timothy Culp also used lap traffic to his advantage as he made his way from a sixth place start to compete with Moyer for second on lap 22 and then battled with Sheppard for first on lap 24. It was a juggling match between Sheppard and Culp until the last lap.

“Rodney gave us a great racetrack and shoot I am just tickled to death to be standing here right now,” said Culp. “To compete with these guys is just awesome. I got stuck on the bottom for a bit and I tried to roll onto the middle but if it wasn’t for those lap cars I think we might have had a little bit different of an outcome at the end.”

Chris Madden rounded out the podium as he found his way from a tenth place start to finish third in the Feature. In Victory Lane, Series Announcer Rick Eshelman reminded Madden that he is racking up the “points, points, points” this Season and Madden laughed and said we want to “win, win, win”.

The Feature wasn’t the only part of the night that had fans on their feet. The 3/10-mile 80-foot-wide track stayed true to its reputation of being really racey top to bottom all night long. To start the night out, Donald Bradsher put his name on the map as he claimed his first career Quick Time and almost defeated the current track record. Bradsher landed a 12.542 lap time and the Whynot Motorsports Park track record is a 12.510.

The Series is now headed to Billy Moyer Jr’s stomping grounds of Arkansas to race at I-30 Speedway on March 25.

World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series Statistical Report; Whynot Motorsports Park, March 24, 2017
Craftsman Club Feature: 1. 1- Brandon Sheppard[1]; 2. C8- Timothy Culp[6]; 3. 44- Chris Madden[10]; 4. 21- Billy Moyer[2]; 5. 18- Eric Wells[11]; 6. 91- Tyler Erb[5]; 7. 157- Mike Marlar[3]; 8. 18s- Jack Sullivan[9];  9. 1*- Chub Frank[12] 10. 7- Rick Eckert[16]; 11. 99j- Frank Heckenast Jr[4]; 12. 3s- Brian Shirley[7]; 13. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr[14]; 14. 14M- Morgan Bagley[17]; 15. 1C- Chad Thrash[22]; 16. 18c       – Chase Junghans[19]; 17. 9- Devin Moran[15]; 18. F5- Garrett Alberson[18]; 19. 2c- Joey Coulter[13]; 20. 96- Tanner English[20]; 21. 93- Donald Bradsher[8]; 22. R5- Chandler Petty[21]; 23. 25- Shane Clanton[23]; 24. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck[24]
Last Chance Showdown 1: 1. 14M- Morgan Bagley[2]; 2. 18c- Chase Junghans[3]; 3. R5- Chandler Petty[4]; 4. 25- Shane Clanton[9]; 5. 1R- BJ Robinson[6]; 6. 86- Brian Rickman[5]; 7. 86B- Kyle Beard[7]; 8. XL4- Luke Scott[10]; 9. 51- Dean Carpenter[12]; 10. 17- Billy Franklin[1]; 11.56- Jonathan Rowan[8]; 12. 77- Gavin Landers[11]; DNS. 7K- Shay Knight; DNS. 25M- Justin McRee; DNS. A8- Austin Arnold
Last Chance Showdown 2:  1. F5- Garrett Alberson[1]; 2. 96- Tanner English[2]; 3. 1C- Chad Thrash[11]; 4. 14z- Zach McMillan[3];  5. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck[4]; 6. 10- Michael Arnold; 7. 44W- Brett White[7]; 8. 86R- Rick Rickman[12]; 9. 27- Nick Thrash[11]; 10. 4- Brian Ligon[5]; 11. 995- Dwight Falcon Jr[8]; 12. G4- Shelby Sheedy[10]; 13. 6r-Robbie Stuart[14]; DNS. 1T- Terry Mosley
Heat 1:  1. C8- Timothy Culp[4];  2. 93- Donald Bradsher[1]; 3. 18s- Jack Sullivan[6]; 4. 2c- Joey Coulter[2]; 5. 17- Billy Franklin[10]; 6. 18c- Chase Junghans[5]; 7.86-Brian Rickman[7]; 8.86B- Kyle Beard[3]; 9. 25- Shane Clanton[8]; 10. 77- Gavin Landers[9]; 11. 7K- Shay Knight[12]; 12. A8- Austin Arnold[11]
Heat 2: 1. 1- Brandon Sheppard[2]; 2. 91- Tyler Erb[1]; 3. 44- Chris Madden[4]; 4. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr[3]; 5. 14M- Morgan Bagley[7];  6. R5- Chandler Petty[5];  7. 1R- BJ Robinson[6]; 8. 56-Jonathan Rowan[9]; 9. XL4- Luke Scott[8]; 10. 51-Dean Carpenter[10]; [DNS] 25M- Justin McRee
Heat 3: 1. 21- Billy Moyer[2]; 2. 3s- Brian Shirley[3]; 3. 18- Eric Wells[4]; 4. 9- Devin Moran[1]; 5. F5- Garrett Alberson[5]; 6. 14z- Zach McMillan[9]; 7. 4- Brian Ligon[6]; 8. 44W- Brett White[8]; 9. 10- Michael Arnold[7]; 10. 27 -Nick Thrash[10]; 11. 1T- Terry Mosley[11]
Heat 4: 1. 157- Mike Marlar[1]; 2. 99j- Frank Heckenast Jr[5]; 3. 1*- Chub Frank[3]; 4. 7- Rick Eckert[2]; 5. 96- Tanner English[4]; 6. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck[6]; 7. 1C- Chad Thrash[7]; 8. 995- Dwight Falcon Jr[10]; 9.G4-Shelby Sheedy[11]; 10. 86R- Rick Rickman[8]; 11. 6r- Robbie Stuart[9]
Qualifying Group A: 1. 93- Donald Bradsher, 12.542; 2. 9- Tyler Erb, 12.593; 3. 2c- Joey Coulter, 12.660; 4. 1- Brandon Sheppard, 12.683; 5. 86B- Kyle Beard, 12.709; 6. 21j- Billy Moyer Jr, 12.745; 7. C8- Timothy Culp, 12.796; 8. 44- Chris Madden, 12.871; 9. 18c- Chase Junghans, 12.944; 10. R5- Chandler Petty, 13.014; 11. 18s-Jack Sullivan, 13.015; 12. 1R- BJ Robinson, 13.027; 13. 86- Brian Rickman, 13.04; 14. 14M- Morgan Bagley, 13.058; 15. 25- Shane Clanton, 13.085; 16. XL4- Luke Scott, 13.105; 17. 77- Gavin Landers, 13.168; 18. 56- Jonathan Rowan, 13.349; 19. 17- Billy Franklin, 13.437; 20. 51- Dean Carpenter, 13.503;21. A8- Austin Arnold, 13.528; 22. 25M- Justin McRee, 13.687; 23. 7K- Shay Knight, 13.793
Qualifying Group B: 1. 9- Devin Moran, 12.680; 2. 157- Mike Marlar, 12.686; 3. 21- Billy Moyer, 12.711; 4. 7- Rick Eckert, 12.756;  5. 3s- Brian Shirley, 12.818; 6. 1*- Chub Frank, 12.936; 7. 18- Eric Wells, 12.976; 8. 96- Tanner English, 13.019; 9. F5- Garrett Alberson, 13.022; 10. 99j- Frank Heckenast Jr, 13.043; 11. 4- Brian Ligon, 13.098; 12. 4-Ds- Chad Hollenbeck, 13.215; 13. 10- Michael Arnold, 13.238; 14. 1C- Chad Thrash, 13.327; 15. 44W- Brett White, 13.329; 16. 86R- Rick Rickman, 13.367; 17. 14z- Zach McMillan, 13.371; 18. 6r- Robbie Stuart, 13.414; 19. 27- Nick Thrash, 13.538; 20. 995- Dwight Falcon Jr, 13.584; 21. 1T- Jerry Mosley, 14.249; 22. G4- Shelby Sheedy, 14.271
CONTINGENCY WINNERS: Craftsman/Sears ($200 Cash): Brandon Sheppard, Eric Wells, Tyler Erb, Chub Frank, Rick Eckert,; Craftsman/Sears ($100 Cash): Timothy Culp; Comp Cams ($50 product certificate): Brandon Sheppard; MSD Ignition ($50 Cash): Brandon Sheppard; Quarter Master ($100 Product Certificate): Chris Madden; Wrisco (Three Sheets of aluminum): Brandon Sheppard;  Penske Racing Shocks ($50 Product Certificate): Chris Madden ; JE Pistons ($50 Cash): Eric Wells; VP Racing Fuels ($50 Cash): Chub Frank; Edelbrock ($50 Cash): Chub Frank; Comp Cams ($50 Cash): Billy Moyer Jr.; Cometic ($50 Cash): Billy Moyer Jr. ; JRI Shocks ($50 Cash): Billy Moyer Jr.; Superflow Dyno’s ($50 Cash): Joey Coulter; Quartermaster ($25 Product Certificate): Devin Moran; JE Pistons (One set of piston rings): Chase Junghans; Quartermaster ($50 Product Certificate): Joey Coulter; Arizona Sport Shirts ($100 Product Certificate): Donald Bradsher; JE Pistons (One set of piston rings): Donald Bradsher; MSD Ignition ($25 Cash): Chad Hollenbeck; QA-1 ($50 Cash): Tyler Erb; Rookie Bonus: Devin Moran; Bonus Bucks: Timothy Culp
SEASON WINNERS
Rick Eckert- 1 (Screven Motorsports Complex on Feb. 17
Chris Madden- 1 (Screven Motorsports Complex on Feb. 18)
Shane Clanton- 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 24)
Don O’Neal- 1 (Volusia Speedway Park on Feb. 25)
Brandon Sheppard- 1 (Whynot Motorsports Park on March 24)
Unofficial World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Championship Standings
Unofficial World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series Championship Standings
Pos. Car # Driver Points Trail By
1 1 Brandon Sheppard 630 0
2 7 Rick Eckert 606 24
3 44 Chris Madden 596 34
4 91 Tyler Erb 592 38
5 3S Brian Shirley 588 42
6 18 Eric Wells 580 50
7 1* Chub Frank 576 54
8 99JR Frank Heckenast Jr. 574 56
9 21JR Billy Moyer Jr. 562 68
10 9 Devin Moran 550 80
11 25 Shane Clanton 544 86
12 14M Morgan Bagley 542 88
13 2C Joey Coulter 522 108
14 18C Chase Junghans 470 160
15 93 Donald Bradsher 452 178
16 116 Brandon Overton 448 182
17 21 Ivedent Lloyd Jr. 374 256
18 B1 Brent Larson 346 284
19 2F Dennis Franklin 340 290
20 17M Dale McDowell 320 310
21 16T Tyler Bruening 310 320
22 0F Coleby Frye 300 330
23 101 Casey Roberts 274 356
24 4-D’s Chad Hollenbeck 274 356
25 0 Dale Hollidge 238 392
The World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series is brought to fans across the country by many important sponsors and partners, including: Arizona Sport Shirts (Official Apparel Company), Textron Off Road (Official Side-by-Side Vehicle), Craftsman (Official Tool), Hoosier Racing Tire (Official Tire), Morton Buildings (Official Building), Sears (Official Home Store),  The Kenny Wallace Dirt Racing Experience (Official Racing Experience, VP Racing Fuels (Official Racing Fuel) and DirtonDirt.com (Hard Charger Award); in addition to contingency sponsors, including: Cometic Gasket, Comp Cams, Edelbrock, JE Pistons, JRI Shocks, MSD, Penske Shocks, QA1, QuarterMaster, Superflow Dynos and Wrisco Aluminum (Exclusive Racing Aluminum); along with manufacturer sponsors, including: Capital Race Cars, Integra Shocks, Impact Racing Products, Intercomp, Racing Electronics, Rocket Chassis and TNT Rescue.
Founded in 1978, the World of Outlaws®, based in Concord, N.C., is the premier national touring series for dirt track racing in North America, featuring the most powerful cars on dirt, the World of Outlaws Craftsman Sprint Car Series and the World of Outlaws Craftsman Late Model Series. Annually, the two series race nearly 140 times at tracks across the United States and Canada. CBS Sports Network is the official broadcast partner of the World of Outlaws. DIRTVision® also broadcasts all World of Outlaws events over the Internet to fans around the world. Learn more about the World of Outlaws.

Sources: Kayla May/World of Outlaws Craftsman® Late Model Series PR
http://www.woolms.com/news/race-reports/267-2017-race-reports/2095-sheppard-wins-at-whynot