201 Speedway
Sitka, KY
Saturday Night, August 2, 2003
Aaron Hatton of Mt. Sterling, KY took advantage of race leader Chuckie May's spin on the 30th lap as he inherited the lead and went on to win his second career STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Presented by Arizona Sport Shirts event on Saturday Night at the 201 Speedway. May had the race well in hand until he spun with ten laps to go giving the lead to Hatton as the 20 year old University of Kentucky student would go on to victory circle picking up the $3000 first place money. Hatton piloted the Hatton Racing/Porter Tire Center/Russell Hatton Used Cars and Mobile Home Rentals/Jerry Hatton Used Cars/American Racer Tires/Draime Race Engines/MasterSbilt Chassis #33 to win the win. Current STARS BoB point’s leader, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN finished second in the Wilson's Service Center/Wayne Bowen Racing Supply/C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix. Third place went to Michael Chilton of Harrodsburg, KY in the Central Painting/Chilton's Lawn Care/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. Finishing fourth and fifth were the team cars for the race with John Blankenship of Williamson, WV posting his best career Battle of the Bluegrass finish taking fourth in the GRT by Tim Logan/Cropper Racing Engines entry. Timmy Yeager of Harrodsburg, KY had to borrow a car from the Blankenship Race Team as he fought his way through the field to finish in fifth in the identical team car #23.
The race started off of on an ominous note as a light drizzle began to fall just before the start of the 40 lap feature race. The track was deemed race able by the officials and drivers and the race went green. Coming off of turn number two a car got sideways halfway down the backshute causing a chain reaction wreck that brought out the red flag. While the track was being cleared it began to rain a little bit harder and forced a one hour delay in the action. As the track was run back in the field of cars still left were ready to go. Aaron Hatton would be the new pole sitter with Chuckie May alongside. May would dart to the lead at the drop of the green with Hatton falling to second followed by Mike Marlar and Scott James. May would quickly expand his lead over Hatton and start lapping cars by the eighth circuit. The high flying May was dominating this race with Hatton a solid second, but a nice battle for third was going on between Marlar, James and Michael Chilton. Those three drivers were running close together on the track dueling lap after lap. The race was going along smoothly until a yellow flag for a spin came out on the 21st lap. May was still on the point followed by Hatton. Fourth place running Scott James would then pit and be out of the race with a broken axle in his car. That would move Chilton into fourth place followed by West Virginia driver, John Blankenship, who was having his best career run with the series.
May would then pull away from Hatton after the caution, as a couple of lapped cars would briefly slow Hatton in his pursuit of May. Hatton would clear the traffic and set his sights on May, but May who then would build a half a straight-away lead over Hatton looked to be on his way to his first ever Battle of the Bluegrass victory. But it was not to be as May spun in turn two after completing the 30th lap and in doing so brought out the caution flag and his hopes for the win were dashed at this point as May would park his car for the night taking it pit side. Hatton would then inherit the lead with Marlar in second followed by Chilton, Blankenship and 18th starting, Tyrel Todd. The ten lap dash to the finish was all Hatton as he would stretch his lead out over Marlar and go on to post his second career STARS Battle of the Bluegrass win. The only change in position among the top five in the final 10 laps was fifth place as Timmy Yeager would pass Todd on the final lap to finish fifth after taking a provisional after an oil pump shaft broke on his regular ride while leading the second heat race. Marlar maintains his point lead in the overall standings and also the R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Year standings. Chilton would equal his best career Battle of the Bluegrass feature finish as for the second race in a row he finished in third place.
Completing the top ten were Tyrel Todd, Paul Harris, Randy Greathouse, Brandon Kinzer and Raymond Nichols.
Chuckie May earned the Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time honor for the second straight time as he out qualified the 31 other entrants with a quick lap of 14.05 seconds. Heat race winners were May, Hatton, Chilton and Dustin Neat. The AFCO B-Mains were taken by Brandon Kinzer and Victor Lee.
The next STARS Battle of the Bluegrass events will be Labor Day Weekend with a $3000 to win event at the Legendary Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on Friday Night, August 29 and a first ever visit to the Half Mountain Speedway in Royalton, KY on Saturday Night, August 30 for a $5000 to win race.
Event Summary
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Saturday Night, August 2, 2003
201 Speedway-Sitka, KY
Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time: Chuckie May 14.05
First Heat: Chuckie May, Mike Marlar, Paul Harris, Brandon Kinzer
Second Heat: Aaron Hatton, David Powers, John Blankenship, Randy Greathouse
Third Heat: Michael Chilton, Scott James, Shannon Thornsberry, Victor Lee
Fourth Heat: Dustin Neat, David Smith, Jesse James Lay, Stanley Haddix
AFCO 1st B-Main: Brandon Kinzer, Randy Greathouse, Terry Hicks, Steven Ashby
AFCO 2nd B-Main: Victor Lee, Raymond Nichols, Tyrel Todd, Michael Osborne
PBM Performance Products A-Main: Aaron Hatton, Mike Marlar, Michael Chilton, John Blankenship, Timmy Yeager, Tyrel Todd, Paul Harris, Randy Greathouse, Brandon Kinzer, Raymond Nichols, Victor Lee, Steven Ashby, Jim LeMaster, Terry Hicks, Tony Hamilton, Chuckie May, Scott James, Jesse James Lay, Dustin Neat, David Powers, David Smith, Shannon Thornsberry
Race Statistics
Entries: 31
STARS BoB Provisionals: Timmy Yeager and Steven Ashby
Track Provisionals: Jim LeMaster and Tony Hamilton
R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Race: Mike Marlar
PPM Racing Products/Outlaw Race Cars Hard Charger: Timmy Yeager
Race Leaders: 2
Laps Lead: May 1-30, Hatton 31-40
Sitka, KY
Saturday Night, August 2, 2003
Aaron Hatton of Mt. Sterling, KY took advantage of race leader Chuckie May's spin on the 30th lap as he inherited the lead and went on to win his second career STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Presented by Arizona Sport Shirts event on Saturday Night at the 201 Speedway. May had the race well in hand until he spun with ten laps to go giving the lead to Hatton as the 20 year old University of Kentucky student would go on to victory circle picking up the $3000 first place money. Hatton piloted the Hatton Racing/Porter Tire Center/Russell Hatton Used Cars and Mobile Home Rentals/Jerry Hatton Used Cars/American Racer Tires/Draime Race Engines/MasterSbilt Chassis #33 to win the win. Current STARS BoB point’s leader, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN finished second in the Wilson's Service Center/Wayne Bowen Racing Supply/C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix. Third place went to Michael Chilton of Harrodsburg, KY in the Central Painting/Chilton's Lawn Care/C.J. Rayburn Monte Carlo. Finishing fourth and fifth were the team cars for the race with John Blankenship of Williamson, WV posting his best career Battle of the Bluegrass finish taking fourth in the GRT by Tim Logan/Cropper Racing Engines entry. Timmy Yeager of Harrodsburg, KY had to borrow a car from the Blankenship Race Team as he fought his way through the field to finish in fifth in the identical team car #23.
The race started off of on an ominous note as a light drizzle began to fall just before the start of the 40 lap feature race. The track was deemed race able by the officials and drivers and the race went green. Coming off of turn number two a car got sideways halfway down the backshute causing a chain reaction wreck that brought out the red flag. While the track was being cleared it began to rain a little bit harder and forced a one hour delay in the action. As the track was run back in the field of cars still left were ready to go. Aaron Hatton would be the new pole sitter with Chuckie May alongside. May would dart to the lead at the drop of the green with Hatton falling to second followed by Mike Marlar and Scott James. May would quickly expand his lead over Hatton and start lapping cars by the eighth circuit. The high flying May was dominating this race with Hatton a solid second, but a nice battle for third was going on between Marlar, James and Michael Chilton. Those three drivers were running close together on the track dueling lap after lap. The race was going along smoothly until a yellow flag for a spin came out on the 21st lap. May was still on the point followed by Hatton. Fourth place running Scott James would then pit and be out of the race with a broken axle in his car. That would move Chilton into fourth place followed by West Virginia driver, John Blankenship, who was having his best career run with the series.
May would then pull away from Hatton after the caution, as a couple of lapped cars would briefly slow Hatton in his pursuit of May. Hatton would clear the traffic and set his sights on May, but May who then would build a half a straight-away lead over Hatton looked to be on his way to his first ever Battle of the Bluegrass victory. But it was not to be as May spun in turn two after completing the 30th lap and in doing so brought out the caution flag and his hopes for the win were dashed at this point as May would park his car for the night taking it pit side. Hatton would then inherit the lead with Marlar in second followed by Chilton, Blankenship and 18th starting, Tyrel Todd. The ten lap dash to the finish was all Hatton as he would stretch his lead out over Marlar and go on to post his second career STARS Battle of the Bluegrass win. The only change in position among the top five in the final 10 laps was fifth place as Timmy Yeager would pass Todd on the final lap to finish fifth after taking a provisional after an oil pump shaft broke on his regular ride while leading the second heat race. Marlar maintains his point lead in the overall standings and also the R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Year standings. Chilton would equal his best career Battle of the Bluegrass feature finish as for the second race in a row he finished in third place.
Completing the top ten were Tyrel Todd, Paul Harris, Randy Greathouse, Brandon Kinzer and Raymond Nichols.
Chuckie May earned the Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time honor for the second straight time as he out qualified the 31 other entrants with a quick lap of 14.05 seconds. Heat race winners were May, Hatton, Chilton and Dustin Neat. The AFCO B-Mains were taken by Brandon Kinzer and Victor Lee.
The next STARS Battle of the Bluegrass events will be Labor Day Weekend with a $3000 to win event at the Legendary Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on Friday Night, August 29 and a first ever visit to the Half Mountain Speedway in Royalton, KY on Saturday Night, August 30 for a $5000 to win race.
Event Summary
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Saturday Night, August 2, 2003
201 Speedway-Sitka, KY
Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time: Chuckie May 14.05
First Heat: Chuckie May, Mike Marlar, Paul Harris, Brandon Kinzer
Second Heat: Aaron Hatton, David Powers, John Blankenship, Randy Greathouse
Third Heat: Michael Chilton, Scott James, Shannon Thornsberry, Victor Lee
Fourth Heat: Dustin Neat, David Smith, Jesse James Lay, Stanley Haddix
AFCO 1st B-Main: Brandon Kinzer, Randy Greathouse, Terry Hicks, Steven Ashby
AFCO 2nd B-Main: Victor Lee, Raymond Nichols, Tyrel Todd, Michael Osborne
PBM Performance Products A-Main: Aaron Hatton, Mike Marlar, Michael Chilton, John Blankenship, Timmy Yeager, Tyrel Todd, Paul Harris, Randy Greathouse, Brandon Kinzer, Raymond Nichols, Victor Lee, Steven Ashby, Jim LeMaster, Terry Hicks, Tony Hamilton, Chuckie May, Scott James, Jesse James Lay, Dustin Neat, David Powers, David Smith, Shannon Thornsberry
Race Statistics
Entries: 31
STARS BoB Provisionals: Timmy Yeager and Steven Ashby
Track Provisionals: Jim LeMaster and Tony Hamilton
R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Race: Mike Marlar
PPM Racing Products/Outlaw Race Cars Hard Charger: Timmy Yeager
Race Leaders: 2
Laps Lead: May 1-30, Hatton 31-40
