OneDirt

A year ago this weekend, controversy hit the dirt racing world when Scott Bloomquist protested Jimmy Mars tires and accused him of having chemically treated his tires after Bloomquist finished 2nd to Mars at the 2011 Firecracker 100. Now Jimmy and Scott Bloomquist will renew their rivalry tonight at the 2012 Firecracker 100.

Mars’ tires were eventually proven legal and justice was restored to his name. “Last year I knew there was nothing wrong on that part (the protest of his tires), so I was confident on that. But like I’ve said, there’s always got to be…there’s a lot of fireworks there. That part of…I guess the name fits the race. There’s a lot of things going on, it’s action-packed,” Mars recently told the World of Outlaw Late Model Series.

For Bloomquist the decision was not just because he was beat at Lernerville, “Really, it was just something that I wanted to be sure to myself that I could have the confidence to run the tires that he ran,” Bloomquist said of the reasoning for his protest. “There was only one other car that ran those tires and he was a lap down, so I just wanted to know. I think he took it a little bit personal, but that’s not really my problem. My problem was trying to figure out if I had a problem.”

The action will kick off tonight at the infamous Lernerville Speedway with qualifying.

Tentative Expected Firecracker 100 Presented by GottaRace.com Driver Entries (from filed pre-entries, website schedules and/or verbal commitments):

0-Scott Bloomquist/Mooresburg, TN
1-Jack Sullivan/Greenbrier, AR
1c-Mike Pegher Jr./Cranberry Twp., PA
1J-Davey Johnson/Latrobe, PA
1*-Chub Frank/Bear Lake, PA
F1-Coleby Frye/Dover, PA
H1-Jared Miley/South Park, PA
2-Dan Stone/Thompson, PA
2-Brady Smith/Solon Springs, WI
2J-Mike Johnson/Imperial, PA
03-Doug Eck/Corry, PA
4-Alex Ferree/Saxonburg, PA
4J-John Mollick/Toronto, OH
J4-John Garvin Jr./Sarver, PA
5B-Mike Marlar/Winfield, TN
6-Jamie Lathroum/Mechanicsville, MD
6-Steve Shaver/Vienna, WV
7R-Kent Robinson/Bloomington, IN
9K-Mike Knight/Ripley, NY
11-Pat Doar/New Richmond, WI
11-Austin Hubbard/Seaford, DE
11-Tyler Reddick/DuQuoin, IL
12-Doug Drown/Wooster, OH
14-Corey Conley/Wellsburg, WV
14M-Morgan Bagley/Kilgore, TX
17M-Dale McDowell/Chickamauga, GA
18-Eric Wells/Hazard, KY
19-Tim Fuller/Watertown, NY
20-Jacob Hawkins/Fairmont, WV
21-Matt Lux/Franklin, PA
21-Tony Musolino/Scott Township, PA
22-Gregg Satterlee/Rochester Mills, PA
B22-Bump Hedman/Sugar Grove, PA
24-Rick Eckert/York, PA
25-Shane Clanton/Fayetteville, GA
27-Jeff Jones/Zelionople, PA
28-Eddie Carrier Jr./Salt Rock, WV
28-John Lobb/Frewsburg, NY
28-Jimmy Mars/Menomonie, WI
29-Darrell Lanigan/Union, KY
29-Ken Schaltenbrand/Sarver, PA
29-Garrett Krummert/Butler, PA
32c-Vic Coffey/Caledonia, NY
33-Chris Casner/Mifflintown, PA
37-Jared Hawkins/Fairmont, WV
39-Tim McCreadie/Watertown, NY
44-Clint Smith/Senoia, GA
44H-Dave Hess Jr./Waterford, PA
4T8-John Flinner/Zelionople, PA
56-Russell King/Bristolville, OH
57J-Bub McCool/Vicksburg, MS
66-Todd Bachman/Natrona Heights, PA
71d-Ron Davies/Warren, PA
71L-Dennis Lunger/Albion, PA
72-John Mason/Millersburg, OH
72-Michael Norris/Sarver, PA
88-Chuck Sarver/West Sunburry, PA
99B-Rick ‘Boom’ Briggs/Bear Lake, PA