McCreadie picks up much-needed win, and a $15,000 check at 34 Raceway

MIDDLETOWN — Tim McCreadie needed a win in the worst way.

The veteran from Watertown, New York, had just one win in 16 Lucas Oil Late Model feature races this season heading into Sunday's 50-lap feature at 34 Raceway.

Make that two wins for McCreadie.

McCreadie started the feature on the front row alongside season points leader Brandon Sheppard.

McCreadie darted to the bottom of the track early and checked out on the field in a race which went wire-to-wire without a caution. McCreadie collected a $15,000 check for his effort.

Sheppard tried high and low to catch him, but there was no catching McCreadie on this night.

“It had a little moisture on the bottom. We’re happy. We’ve been fading a lot in races and I don’t think we faded tonight, so we’re happy," McCreadie said. “For us, we changed a bunch of stuff. I feel like we have three good cars. This one, the way the seat is and the pedals are it just seems to suit me good. We’ve really been trying to deal with the new rules and get better, but we’ve been failing a lot. We’re trying to culminate and get ready for big races, which don’t normally get this slick, but they are flat, wide-open in normal conditions. This is the first time where the track is starting to slow down a little bit and our equipment is starting to work.”

For Sheppard, who has four wins and 12 top-five finishes, it was frustrating watching McCreadie pull away. He simply had nothing for McCreadie on this night.

“We tried. We had a few things changed on the car that was a little bit different," Sheppard said. "I feel like we learned a lot tonight. We weren’t bad. Ewe just couldn’t keep up with Timmy there. All in all it was another solid night for us, We just have to keep this momentum going."

Sheppard turned the fastest lap in time trials at 15.974 seconds, while McCreadie was eighth at 16.306.

But when it came time to the feature, after officials worked the track back in, it was McCreadie who found the moisture on the bottom, and he used it to his advantage.

“It’s tough because they did what, in my opinion, they should do, which is make sure it’s not going to be dangerous. Put some moisture back into it. I feel like it was too brown to start. It’s like hot laps," McCreadie said. "We would have had a good track, but there were crumbs in the middle and it went to the bottom. We passed a bunch of cars, so it’s not like it rubbered up. If Brandon had been in the lead, I don’t know if we would have caught him. I’m just appreciative that they erred on the side of safety and made sure it was a smooth track and then put the moisture back in instead of the other way around. Once it’s filled with four-feet deep holes, you can’t fix it. I think they did a great job.”

"I’m glad we got to race here tonight at 34. They did a hell of a job with the track, starting that early," Sheppard. "It got a little slick there for the heats and they worked their tails off to give us a great racing surface for the feature. We love racing in Iowa. We’ve got a lot of friends at 34 Raceway. I’m glad we got to race here.”

McCreadie and his team now have all the momentum and confidence they need heading into the 30th annual Lucas Oil Show-Me 100 Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Lucas Oil Speedway in Wheatland, Missouri, where $62,000 will be up for grabs over the three days.

“For us, this just gets everybody in a good mood," McCreadie said. "You don’t go home between this weekend and next weekend for the Show-Me 100. It just gets everyone’s spirits up. The Show-Me is the Show-Me. We’ve been close there, so we’re just going down there and every night try to be faster.”

Also on Sunday, Corey Strothman passed Abe Huls midway through the 14-lap IMCA stock car feature and held off the Carthage, Illinois, veteran for the win.

Likewise, Logas Anderson passed Sean Wyett with two laps left to win the IMCA sport miodifieds feature.

Matt Levins is a sports reporter for the USA TODAY Network in Burlington, Iowa, who has covered local sports for 31 years. Reach him at mlevins@thehawkeye.com.

SUNDAY'S RESULTS

LUCAS OIL LATE MODELS

Feature results — 1. Tim McCreadie; 2. Brandon Sheppard; 3. Earl Pearson; 4. Garrett Alberson; 5. Hudson O'Neall; 6. Bobby Pierce; 7. Ricky Thornton, Jr.; 8. Billy Moyer, Jr.; 9. Tyler Erb; 10. Jimmy Owens. Heat winners — Sheppard, McCreadie and Pearson. Time trials — 1. Sheppard, 15.974 seconds.

IMCA STOCK CARS

Feature results — 1. Corey Strothman; 2. Abe Huls; 3. Jason Cook; 4. Chad Krogmeier; 5. Chris Wibbell; 6. Ray Raker. Heat winner — Huls.

IMCA SPORT MODIFIEDS

Feature results — 1. Logan Anderson; 2. Sean Wyett; 3. Tyler Heckert; 4. Travis Hartman; 5. Rex Widmer; 6. Barry Taft; 7. Rob Wilsey; 6. Tom Lathrop. Heat winner — Anderson.

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: McCreadie gets second win of the season in 50-lap feature at 34 Raceway