By Michael Despain
Bardstown, KY-April 30- The O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series invaded Bluegrass Speedway on Saturday night and when the action was in the books, Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Illinois scored the 8th Annual Spring Sizzler win and became the fourth different winner is as many events on the “BoB Late Model Tour 2005” so far this season. Other feature winners included Robbie Gullion of Charlestown, IN in Modifieds and Danny Blackwell of Taylorsville, KY in Sportsman action.
The Late Model 30 lap O’Reilly A-Main Spring Sizzler would see Jimmy Owens and Tim Dohm battle for the lead at the start, with Dohm taking the top spot followed by Owens, Shannon Babb, Patrick Sheltra, and Whitney McQueary. Babb would get Owens for second on lap 3 and that duo would pressure Dohm for the top spot on lap 4. Babb would pull alongside Dohm on lap 6 and the two would make contact at the start/finish line, with Dohm nipping the concrete wall, but able to motor on, with McQueary taking fourth from Sheltra on the same circuit. Babb would grab the top spot from Dohm in turn three on lap 7, with Owens taking second in the process. Caution would wave on lap 10 when Timmy Yeager rolled to a stop in turn two. The restart would also be voided when Dustin Neat looped his mount in turn three. The double file restart would see Sheltra and McQueary go by Dohm on the restart and Dohm would begin to fade a bit at this point. Dustin Neat would bring out another caution on lap 12 when he looped his mount entering turn three. Josh Williams would begin to move and make his way into the top five past Dohm on lap 15 and the field got the halfway signal. Williams would close up on Sheltra for fourth, but caution waved again as Brad Neat slowed in turn three. This restart would see McQueary go the runner up slot, with Williams taking fourth from Sheltra. Second place McQueary would then slow to bring out the next caution on lap 20 with a flat tire and would go pitside and get fresh rubber and return. The restart would see Rick Combs scoot by Williams for fourth as attention would shift to 20th starting Tim Tungate, as he began to charge toward the front, while Babb and Owens maintained the top two spots. Dohm would flex his muscles again and take fifth from Sheltra on lap 25, while Tungate would drive past both Dohm and Sheltra on lap 26. Lap 27 would see Aaron Hatton and Chuckie May tangle in turn two to bring out another caution. The next two restart attempts would go by the wayside as Sheltra spun in turn one and debris would be put down to keep the pace slowed. The final four lap dash would have Owens all over Babb’s backbumper, with Owens taking a peak twice on the final lap, but to no avail as Babb would see the checkered flag first in the Arkansas Motors owned #18 Car City/J and J Steel/Hoosier Tire sponsored C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Jay Dickens powered mount. Owens and Williams would go second and third, with Tungate taking fourth with a last lap pass of Combs. Mike Jewell, Dohm, Wayne Chinn, Freddy Smith, and Joey Daniel would complete the top ten. Fifty one entries on hand saw eleven drivers break the existing track record, with Mike Marlar recording the fastest new track record time with a 14.645 second lap. VP Racing Fuel Makin’ Power heat wins went to Owens, McQueary, Dohm, and Babb. B-mains were scored by Shannon Thornsberry and Wayne Chinn. Chuckie May and Steve Casebolt, Jr. were series provisionals, while Daniel was the track provisional.
Robbie Gullion would lead the way in the 20 lap Modified main event and hold off the charges of Don Adams and Joey Kramer in the waning laps of the open wheel feature to take the checkered flag first aboard the Bob Gullion owned TumbleTown/Dixon’s Race Supply/Coldwell Banker/Wildside Signs #34 Performance Chassis, BFG Race Engines powered entry. Adams and Kramer would dice it up for second, with Adams getting the spot and ninth starting Kramer going third. Matt Bex and dash winner Dion Benningfield would complete the top five. Defending Modified track champion Josh Lucas would head up the second five at the finish, followed by Justin Rattliff, Kelly Warren, Jason Wheatley, who recovered from a spin while battling for second in the late stages of the race, and Victor Lee. Thirty-seven Modifieds saw three different drivers break the existing track record, with Adams now having the mark at 16.865 seconds. Benningfield won the dash, with heat wins going to Lucas, Lee, and Kramer, while rookie driver Josh Turpin scored the B-main win.
In Sportsman action, Danny Blackwell returned after a long absence to lead all 15 laps of this main event as the 1995 track champion in this division saw the checkered flag first aboard the Sherry Blackwell owned Noel’s Auto Sales/Lotsa Cars and Trucks/D and D Towing/Powerhouse Race Cars #b1 Monte Carlo. Sam Huffer would score an impressive runner-up finish, with Jimmy Bryan, James Russell, and Roger Cecil completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Randy Riley, Barry Chesser, Kevin Wilson, Johnny Cecil, and Steve Rector. Eighteen entries in this division saw Dion West and Blackwell win the heats.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-April 30, 2005
O’REILLY NARA BATTLE OF THE BLUEGRASS DIRTCARS (51 entries)
Racing Optics Fast Time- Mike Marlar 14.645 (New Track Record)
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 1st Heat- Jimmy Owens, Patrick Sheltra, Dustin Neat, Frankie Coomer
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 2nd Heat- Whitney McQueary, Josh Williams, Mike Jewell, Chris Combs
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 3rd Heat- Tim Dohm, Brad Neat, Rick Combs, Bryan Barber
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 4th Heat- Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, John Gill, Aaron Hatton
1st B Main- Wayne Chinn, Scott James, Johnny Wheeler, Scott Hall, Ed Behn
2nd B Main- Shannon Thornsberry, Tim Tungate, Timmy Yeager, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Benji Lee
Series Provisionals- Chuckie May, Casebolt, Jr.
Track Provisional- Joey Daniel
O’Reilly A-Main 8th Annual Spring Sizzler- Babb, Owens, Williams, Tungate, Rick Combs, Jewell, Dohm, Chinn, Smith, Daniel, Chris Combs, Wheeler, Coomer, Thornsberry, Sheltra, Brad Neat, McQueary, May, Hatton, Dustin Neat, Gill, Yeager, Casebolt, Jr., James, Barber
MODIFIEDS (37 entries)
Top Qualifier- Don Adams 16.865 (New Track Record)
Dash- Dion Benningfield, Robbie Gullion, Don Adams, Jason Wheatley, Matt Bex, Justin Rattliff
1st Heat- Josh Lucas, Jason Keltner, Kelly Warren, Jason Bingham
2nd Heat- Victor Lee, Joe Gray, Adam Cole, Kevin Copher
3rd Heat- Joey Kramer, Joey Funk, Jimmy Crabtree, Robbie Bennett
B Main- Josh Turpin, Kelly Riggs, Brad Mattingly, Aaron Coffey, Joe Mattingly
Feature- Gullion, Adams, Kramer, Bex, Benningfield, Lucas, Rattliff, Warren, Wheatley, Lee, Cole, Funk, Crabtree, Bingham, Bennett, Keltner, Turpin, Copher, Riggs, Gray, Brad Mattingly
SPORTSMAN (18 entries)
1st Heat- Danny Blackwell, Kevin Wilson, Mike Basham, Pat Hagan
2nd Heat- Dion West, Johnny Cecil, Mike Bailey, Sam Huffer
Feature- Blackwell, Huffer, Jimmy Bryan, James Russell, Roger Cecil, Randy Riley, Barry Chesser, Wilson, Johnny Cecil, Steve Rector, Timmy Glazer, Hagan, Billy Benningfield, Bailey, Basham, West (DNS- Russell Martin, Mike Hillard)
Bardstown, KY-April 30- The O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series invaded Bluegrass Speedway on Saturday night and when the action was in the books, Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Illinois scored the 8th Annual Spring Sizzler win and became the fourth different winner is as many events on the “BoB Late Model Tour 2005” so far this season. Other feature winners included Robbie Gullion of Charlestown, IN in Modifieds and Danny Blackwell of Taylorsville, KY in Sportsman action.
The Late Model 30 lap O’Reilly A-Main Spring Sizzler would see Jimmy Owens and Tim Dohm battle for the lead at the start, with Dohm taking the top spot followed by Owens, Shannon Babb, Patrick Sheltra, and Whitney McQueary. Babb would get Owens for second on lap 3 and that duo would pressure Dohm for the top spot on lap 4. Babb would pull alongside Dohm on lap 6 and the two would make contact at the start/finish line, with Dohm nipping the concrete wall, but able to motor on, with McQueary taking fourth from Sheltra on the same circuit. Babb would grab the top spot from Dohm in turn three on lap 7, with Owens taking second in the process. Caution would wave on lap 10 when Timmy Yeager rolled to a stop in turn two. The restart would also be voided when Dustin Neat looped his mount in turn three. The double file restart would see Sheltra and McQueary go by Dohm on the restart and Dohm would begin to fade a bit at this point. Dustin Neat would bring out another caution on lap 12 when he looped his mount entering turn three. Josh Williams would begin to move and make his way into the top five past Dohm on lap 15 and the field got the halfway signal. Williams would close up on Sheltra for fourth, but caution waved again as Brad Neat slowed in turn three. This restart would see McQueary go the runner up slot, with Williams taking fourth from Sheltra. Second place McQueary would then slow to bring out the next caution on lap 20 with a flat tire and would go pitside and get fresh rubber and return. The restart would see Rick Combs scoot by Williams for fourth as attention would shift to 20th starting Tim Tungate, as he began to charge toward the front, while Babb and Owens maintained the top two spots. Dohm would flex his muscles again and take fifth from Sheltra on lap 25, while Tungate would drive past both Dohm and Sheltra on lap 26. Lap 27 would see Aaron Hatton and Chuckie May tangle in turn two to bring out another caution. The next two restart attempts would go by the wayside as Sheltra spun in turn one and debris would be put down to keep the pace slowed. The final four lap dash would have Owens all over Babb’s backbumper, with Owens taking a peak twice on the final lap, but to no avail as Babb would see the checkered flag first in the Arkansas Motors owned #18 Car City/J and J Steel/Hoosier Tire sponsored C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Jay Dickens powered mount. Owens and Williams would go second and third, with Tungate taking fourth with a last lap pass of Combs. Mike Jewell, Dohm, Wayne Chinn, Freddy Smith, and Joey Daniel would complete the top ten. Fifty one entries on hand saw eleven drivers break the existing track record, with Mike Marlar recording the fastest new track record time with a 14.645 second lap. VP Racing Fuel Makin’ Power heat wins went to Owens, McQueary, Dohm, and Babb. B-mains were scored by Shannon Thornsberry and Wayne Chinn. Chuckie May and Steve Casebolt, Jr. were series provisionals, while Daniel was the track provisional.
Robbie Gullion would lead the way in the 20 lap Modified main event and hold off the charges of Don Adams and Joey Kramer in the waning laps of the open wheel feature to take the checkered flag first aboard the Bob Gullion owned TumbleTown/Dixon’s Race Supply/Coldwell Banker/Wildside Signs #34 Performance Chassis, BFG Race Engines powered entry. Adams and Kramer would dice it up for second, with Adams getting the spot and ninth starting Kramer going third. Matt Bex and dash winner Dion Benningfield would complete the top five. Defending Modified track champion Josh Lucas would head up the second five at the finish, followed by Justin Rattliff, Kelly Warren, Jason Wheatley, who recovered from a spin while battling for second in the late stages of the race, and Victor Lee. Thirty-seven Modifieds saw three different drivers break the existing track record, with Adams now having the mark at 16.865 seconds. Benningfield won the dash, with heat wins going to Lucas, Lee, and Kramer, while rookie driver Josh Turpin scored the B-main win.
In Sportsman action, Danny Blackwell returned after a long absence to lead all 15 laps of this main event as the 1995 track champion in this division saw the checkered flag first aboard the Sherry Blackwell owned Noel’s Auto Sales/Lotsa Cars and Trucks/D and D Towing/Powerhouse Race Cars #b1 Monte Carlo. Sam Huffer would score an impressive runner-up finish, with Jimmy Bryan, James Russell, and Roger Cecil completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Randy Riley, Barry Chesser, Kevin Wilson, Johnny Cecil, and Steve Rector. Eighteen entries in this division saw Dion West and Blackwell win the heats.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-April 30, 2005
O’REILLY NARA BATTLE OF THE BLUEGRASS DIRTCARS (51 entries)
Racing Optics Fast Time- Mike Marlar 14.645 (New Track Record)
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 1st Heat- Jimmy Owens, Patrick Sheltra, Dustin Neat, Frankie Coomer
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 2nd Heat- Whitney McQueary, Josh Williams, Mike Jewell, Chris Combs
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 3rd Heat- Tim Dohm, Brad Neat, Rick Combs, Bryan Barber
VP Fuels Makin’ Power 4th Heat- Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, John Gill, Aaron Hatton
1st B Main- Wayne Chinn, Scott James, Johnny Wheeler, Scott Hall, Ed Behn
2nd B Main- Shannon Thornsberry, Tim Tungate, Timmy Yeager, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Benji Lee
Series Provisionals- Chuckie May, Casebolt, Jr.
Track Provisional- Joey Daniel
O’Reilly A-Main 8th Annual Spring Sizzler- Babb, Owens, Williams, Tungate, Rick Combs, Jewell, Dohm, Chinn, Smith, Daniel, Chris Combs, Wheeler, Coomer, Thornsberry, Sheltra, Brad Neat, McQueary, May, Hatton, Dustin Neat, Gill, Yeager, Casebolt, Jr., James, Barber
MODIFIEDS (37 entries)
Top Qualifier- Don Adams 16.865 (New Track Record)
Dash- Dion Benningfield, Robbie Gullion, Don Adams, Jason Wheatley, Matt Bex, Justin Rattliff
1st Heat- Josh Lucas, Jason Keltner, Kelly Warren, Jason Bingham
2nd Heat- Victor Lee, Joe Gray, Adam Cole, Kevin Copher
3rd Heat- Joey Kramer, Joey Funk, Jimmy Crabtree, Robbie Bennett
B Main- Josh Turpin, Kelly Riggs, Brad Mattingly, Aaron Coffey, Joe Mattingly
Feature- Gullion, Adams, Kramer, Bex, Benningfield, Lucas, Rattliff, Warren, Wheatley, Lee, Cole, Funk, Crabtree, Bingham, Bennett, Keltner, Turpin, Copher, Riggs, Gray, Brad Mattingly
SPORTSMAN (18 entries)
1st Heat- Danny Blackwell, Kevin Wilson, Mike Basham, Pat Hagan
2nd Heat- Dion West, Johnny Cecil, Mike Bailey, Sam Huffer
Feature- Blackwell, Huffer, Jimmy Bryan, James Russell, Roger Cecil, Randy Riley, Barry Chesser, Wilson, Johnny Cecil, Steve Rector, Timmy Glazer, Hagan, Billy Benningfield, Bailey, Basham, West (DNS- Russell Martin, Mike Hillard)
