17th Lucas Oil Late Model Knoxville Nationals - Thursday

[Dlmfan123]

That must feel like a win for EPJ.

He hit the wall pretty hard on the opening lap

[T-MAC 39 FAN]

That must feel like a win for EPJ.

I was thinking the same. Prolly felt good to just run up front

[Shiny Side Up 18]

[dirtcrazy4u]

EPJ is one of the classiest guys you would ever want to meet. He stuck it out with dunn-Benson basically when they cut there program back and longhorns where not a good car. The black Diamond deal was and is a joke, they mite be a decent crate car but that's even stretching it. I have no idea why it happened but I'm sure glad it did for EPJ. Strong run, night 1, someone tie a tail on the 46 so it can wave as he goes by.

[MRM]

I get ya on the heat invert and top 3 transfer. Just don't see how they get the feature line up. Weiss won his heat and is on the pole but O'Neal won and starts 18th.

Crazy lineup for sure.

[cjsracing]

Crazy lineup for sure.

for the prelim features - the top 8 in points after TT and heats are inverted. That is why both group's fast timers (Strickler and Larson) started 7 and 8. After the top 8 invert the rest are lined up straight up by TT and Heat points.

Hudson started back in the feature because even though he won his heat he timed bad. Time trial points are worth more than heat points.

Hope that makes sense.

[vande07]

for the prelim features - the top 8 in points after TT and heats are inverted. That is why both group's fast timers (Strickler and Larson) started 7 and 8. After the top 8 invert the rest are lined up straight up by TT and Heat points.

Hudson started back in the feature because even though he won his heat he timed bad. Time trial points are worth more than heat points.

Hope that makes sense.

This is partially correct.

Format for prelim nights is Time Trials (2 groups), 6 heats (top 6 in each heat are inverted by time), top 3 to feature, everyone else to B main.

B mains are lined up straight up by time, top 3 to tail of feature.

Feature is inverted 8 by time (group A qualifying inside row, Group B qualifying outside row), with remainder of transfer cars straight up by time starting in row 5 (again, qualifying groups on inside and outside row).

POINTS mean NOTHING for the prelim night, they set the lineups for Saturday night.

Quick time = 200 points, 2nd = 198, 3rd 196, etc., etc..
Heat win = 100 points, 2nd 97, 3rd - 94, etc, etc..
Feature win = same as time trial points
B-main transfers get 0 points for the B main as they earn feature points that are worth more than the B main is.
B-main non-transfers get points as well, but 4th in the B pays less points than last in the prelim feature
A perfect score is 500 points (Larson earned 493 points last night, Erb and McCreadie earned 488

You basically get a mulligan as if you earn more points on Friday night than you did Thursday, that is your point total for the lineup on Saturday (your low point night is thrown out).

Lineup on Saturday is straight up by Points, so good chance Erb and McCreadie will be on the front row unless someone is spectacular tonight.

This makes every time a car is on the track on the prelim night important.

Sandbag (or just bad) time trials and yep, you start up front in the heat and might win one, but you're gonna be buried for the prelim feature and the feature on Saturday as you lost so many points to those that qualified well, ran through the field in their heat, and were solid in the prelim feature.

As a fan, it makes guys race hard every time they hit the track. Competitors complain about it because the quick guys don't start up front.

To me, it balances the wants of the fans (passing) with the needs of the competitors (when the big $$ is on the line, the best cars always start up front).

[IGNATZ]

Stupid question... Larson scored 493 pts. last night which would likely put him on the front row for Saturday. Since we know Larson won't be in attendance Saturday could Rumley put someone else in the car or do the points go with the driver?

[NeedforLM$peed]

Stupid question... Larson scored 493 pts. last night which would likely put him on the front row for Saturday. Since we know Larson won't be in attendance Saturday could Rumley put someone else in the car or do the points go with the driver?

Kinda goes along the way with even though they went to FALS it doesn't make sense to haul to Knoxville just for a $7k preliminary race

[vande07]

Stupid question... Larson scored 493 pts. last night which would likely put him on the front row for Saturday. Since we know Larson won't be in attendance Saturday could Rumley put someone else in the car or do the points go with the driver?

If they follow the same rules they run for the Sprint Car Nationals, yes they can. However a driver change also means you start last in the feature the car is qualified for.

After 40-something Sprint Car Nationals events, 30 of the 360 Nationals events and year 17 of the Late Model Nationals, the racetrack is pretty consistent across the board on how they do things. Not sure if Lucas Oil would have a different rule to allow the car to still start up front, but I doubt it.

[Dlmfan123]

Kinda goes along the way with even though they went to FALS it doesn't make sense to haul to Knoxville just for a $7k preliminary race

They weren't planning on racing at all, but the rumleys were going to Knoxville regardless. Staying out that way for farmer city Tuesday.

[MRM]

Stupid question... Larson scored 493 pts. last night which would likely put him on the front row for Saturday. Since we know Larson won't be in attendance Saturday could Rumley put someone else in the car or do the points go with the driver?

No other driver will be in the Rumley car this year. It's Larson or it sits.

[ZERO25]

Horns up for that 46!

One race doesnt mean much, but i believe hes still got some gas in the tank.

He aint dead yet......to borrow another drivers quote!

[Barbecueboy]

Band back together……like it a lot.

[Barbecueboy]

Only thing would be better if jfitz was the crew chief again, IMO.

Hell , maybe he is…..no idea.