By Michael Despain
Bardstown, KY-May 21- Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY would lay claim to victory in the 2nd Annual Jerry Rucker Memorial event for Late Models on Saturday night at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY. Other feature winners included Willie Edelen of Bardstown, KY in Street Stocks, Jason Wheatley of Loretto, KY in Modifieds, and Barry Chesser of Bloomfield, KY in Street Stocks.
The 30 lap Jerry Rucker Memorial Late Model feature would go green after a false start, with Brad Neat jumping to the race lead, with Brandon Green, Timmy Yeager, and Mike Jewell in pursuit. Lap 3 would see Yeager, Jewell, and Bryan Barber dice it up for fourth through sixth, with Yeager eventually going to second by lap 5, with Barber, Jewell, and Green all in tow. With Neat setting a torrid pace at the point around the top side of the track, Patrick Sheltra flexed some muscle and would make his way into the top five on lap 8, shuffling Green back to sixth. Yeager, Barber, and Jewell would get racy for second on lap 10 and almost go three wide for the position, with Barber able to get by Yeager in traffic on lap 12. Jewell would pressure Yeager now for third on lap 15, but the caution flag would wave at this point for a spin by ninth place runner Tim Tungate. The restart would again see Neat shoot away from the pack, but attention was now turning to Michael England, who had peddled his mount from the 17th starting spot and would pass Sheltra to move into the top five on lap 18. As Neat and Barber pulled away from the pack, Yeager would again get heat from Jewell for third, with England also joining this duo to make it a three way dance for third. The final five circuits would see Neat maintain his advantage and put the Neat Racing, Inc. NWN Distributing/Neat's Service Center/Tarter Gate Company/ Stephens Pipe and Steel sponsored #41 MasterSbilt Race Cars, Cornett Race Engines powered mount in victory lane. Barber would take runner-up honors, with Yeager, Jewell, and 17th starting England completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Sheltra, Green, Joey Daniel, Billy Dever, and Lee Devasier. Nineteen entries saw Mike Jewell scored the SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics fast time award, while Neat also won the dash, with Cody Mahoney taking the heat win.
The Street Stock main event of the evening saw Roy Skaggs, Willie Edelen, and Shane Litton battle for the top spot, with Edelen eventually coming out on top in a dandy of a race in his own Edelen Tire and Graphics/Waddy Oil/Walker Transmissions/George Mattingly/Wilson Brothers/Bud Light/Mackin Wrecker Service #k9 Chevy Impala entry. Litton would take second, with Tim Leake coming home third. Joe Blair and Brian McCubbins would round out the top five. Completing the top ten were Avral Thompson, Troy Moore, James Russell, Casey Bryan, and Boss Leake. Nineteen Street Stock entries saw Skaggs set quick time, while Edelen won the dash, with Tim Leake taking the heat win.
The Modified feature event would see Jason Wheatley and Josh Lucas battle for the top spot in the first half of the open wheel main event, with Wheatley finally settling into the top spot and holding off the charges of Matt Bex to claim the feature win in the Tommy and Kaylee Wheatley owned B and W Metals/Central Kentucky Electrical and Plumbing/Gootee and Mattingly Heating and Cooling/ Wheatley Seamless Gutters/Wheatley Tile Flooring/Wheatley Auto Sales/South Central Roofing/Springfield Auto and Farm/TheraPeds/H.J. Mattingly Trucking/ Bell Machine/TomCat Trucking #7 Bandit Race Cars mount. Bex would go second, with Joe Mattingly and Clarence Belcher third and fourth, while rookie driver Elliott Despain would score a career best fifth place finish. Robbie Gullion, Josh Lucas, Adam Gootee, Kelly Riggs, and Sam Murphy would complete the top ten. Twenty-nine Modifieds saw heat race wins garnered by Dion Benningfield, Gullion, and Wheatley, while rookie J.T. Ayers won the B-main.
The Sportsman main event saw Barry Chesser lead the entire way to score the feature win in his Sidney's Grill/Buzick Construction/Edelen Graphics/Nalley's Auto Parts #36 Oldsmobile Cutlass entry. Kevin Wilson would squeeze Jimmy Bryan late in the event to take second, while Roger Cecil and Scott Cecil completed the top five. Timmy Glazer would head up the second five at the finish, followed by James Jones, Billy Benningfield, Danny Blackwell, and David Heaton. Twenty entries saw heat wins scored by Bryan and Chesser.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-May 21, 2005
LATE MODELS (19 entries)
SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics Fast Qualifier- Mike Jewell
Dash- Brad Neat, Brandon Green, Jewell, Timmy Yeager, Bryan Barber, Patrick Sheltra
Heat- Cody Mahoney, Billy Dever, Lee Devasier, Jordan Bland, Ed Behn
2nd Annual Jerry Rucker Memorial- Neat, Barber, Yeager, Jewell, Michael England, Sheltra, Green, Joey Daniel, Dever, Devasier, Behn, Mahoney, Bland, Brian Shewmaker, Tim Tungate, David Copley, Michael Coontz, John Gill (DNS-Cliff Clark)
STREET STOCKS (19 entries)
Top Qualifier- Roy Skaggs
Dash- Willie Edelen, Joe Blair, Lee Gray, Skaggs, Shane Litton, Brian McCubbins
Heat- Tim Leake, James Russell, Boss Leake, Casey Bryan
Feature- Edelen, Litton, Tim Leake, Blair, McCubbins, Avral Thompson, Troy Moore, Russell, Bryan, Boss Leake, Robbie Settles, Brad Mattingly, Skaggs, Doug Estep, Chad Chaney, Terry Bartley (DNS-Lee Gray, Jenna Chesser, Cotton Mattingly)
MODIFIEDS (29 entries)
1st Heat- Dion Benningfield, Adam Gootee, Matt Bex, Michael Watson
2nd Heat- Robbie Gullion, Josh Lucas, Clarence Belcher, Sam Murphy
3rd Heat- Jason Wheatley, Joe Mattingly, Kelly Riggs, Joey Jones
B-Main: J.T. Ayers, Randy Turpin, Freddy Garmon, Brad Mattingly, Tommy Lee
Feature- Wheatley, Bex, Joe Mattingly, Belcher, Elliott Despain, Gullion, Lucas, Gootee, Riggs, Murphy, Jim Howard, Keith Trimble, Ayers, Watson, Gary Isaacs, Turpin, Randall Basham, Benningfield, Jones, Bill Stanton, Jr. (DNQ- Thomas Brooks, Robbie Turner, John Bryan, Mike Donan, Beau Neal, Jason Bingham)
SPORTSMAN (20 entries)
1st Heat- Jimmy Bryan, Kevin Wilson, Johnny Lee, Roger Cecil
2nd Heat- Barry Chesser, Scott Cecil, Mark Hofenkamp, Dion West
Feature- Chesser, Wilson, Bryan, Roger Cecil, Scott Cecil, Timmy Glazer, James Jones, Billy Benningfield, Danny Blackwell, David Heaton, Steve Rector, Johnny Cecil, Derek Bottoms, West, Sam Huffer, Lee, Hofenkamp, Pat Hagan, Del Slayton (DNS- Bobby Mattingly)
Bardstown, KY-May 21- Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY would lay claim to victory in the 2nd Annual Jerry Rucker Memorial event for Late Models on Saturday night at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY. Other feature winners included Willie Edelen of Bardstown, KY in Street Stocks, Jason Wheatley of Loretto, KY in Modifieds, and Barry Chesser of Bloomfield, KY in Street Stocks.
The 30 lap Jerry Rucker Memorial Late Model feature would go green after a false start, with Brad Neat jumping to the race lead, with Brandon Green, Timmy Yeager, and Mike Jewell in pursuit. Lap 3 would see Yeager, Jewell, and Bryan Barber dice it up for fourth through sixth, with Yeager eventually going to second by lap 5, with Barber, Jewell, and Green all in tow. With Neat setting a torrid pace at the point around the top side of the track, Patrick Sheltra flexed some muscle and would make his way into the top five on lap 8, shuffling Green back to sixth. Yeager, Barber, and Jewell would get racy for second on lap 10 and almost go three wide for the position, with Barber able to get by Yeager in traffic on lap 12. Jewell would pressure Yeager now for third on lap 15, but the caution flag would wave at this point for a spin by ninth place runner Tim Tungate. The restart would again see Neat shoot away from the pack, but attention was now turning to Michael England, who had peddled his mount from the 17th starting spot and would pass Sheltra to move into the top five on lap 18. As Neat and Barber pulled away from the pack, Yeager would again get heat from Jewell for third, with England also joining this duo to make it a three way dance for third. The final five circuits would see Neat maintain his advantage and put the Neat Racing, Inc. NWN Distributing/Neat's Service Center/Tarter Gate Company/ Stephens Pipe and Steel sponsored #41 MasterSbilt Race Cars, Cornett Race Engines powered mount in victory lane. Barber would take runner-up honors, with Yeager, Jewell, and 17th starting England completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Sheltra, Green, Joey Daniel, Billy Dever, and Lee Devasier. Nineteen entries saw Mike Jewell scored the SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics fast time award, while Neat also won the dash, with Cody Mahoney taking the heat win.
The Street Stock main event of the evening saw Roy Skaggs, Willie Edelen, and Shane Litton battle for the top spot, with Edelen eventually coming out on top in a dandy of a race in his own Edelen Tire and Graphics/Waddy Oil/Walker Transmissions/George Mattingly/Wilson Brothers/Bud Light/Mackin Wrecker Service #k9 Chevy Impala entry. Litton would take second, with Tim Leake coming home third. Joe Blair and Brian McCubbins would round out the top five. Completing the top ten were Avral Thompson, Troy Moore, James Russell, Casey Bryan, and Boss Leake. Nineteen Street Stock entries saw Skaggs set quick time, while Edelen won the dash, with Tim Leake taking the heat win.
The Modified feature event would see Jason Wheatley and Josh Lucas battle for the top spot in the first half of the open wheel main event, with Wheatley finally settling into the top spot and holding off the charges of Matt Bex to claim the feature win in the Tommy and Kaylee Wheatley owned B and W Metals/Central Kentucky Electrical and Plumbing/Gootee and Mattingly Heating and Cooling/ Wheatley Seamless Gutters/Wheatley Tile Flooring/Wheatley Auto Sales/South Central Roofing/Springfield Auto and Farm/TheraPeds/H.J. Mattingly Trucking/ Bell Machine/TomCat Trucking #7 Bandit Race Cars mount. Bex would go second, with Joe Mattingly and Clarence Belcher third and fourth, while rookie driver Elliott Despain would score a career best fifth place finish. Robbie Gullion, Josh Lucas, Adam Gootee, Kelly Riggs, and Sam Murphy would complete the top ten. Twenty-nine Modifieds saw heat race wins garnered by Dion Benningfield, Gullion, and Wheatley, while rookie J.T. Ayers won the B-main.
The Sportsman main event saw Barry Chesser lead the entire way to score the feature win in his Sidney's Grill/Buzick Construction/Edelen Graphics/Nalley's Auto Parts #36 Oldsmobile Cutlass entry. Kevin Wilson would squeeze Jimmy Bryan late in the event to take second, while Roger Cecil and Scott Cecil completed the top five. Timmy Glazer would head up the second five at the finish, followed by James Jones, Billy Benningfield, Danny Blackwell, and David Heaton. Twenty entries saw heat wins scored by Bryan and Chesser.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-May 21, 2005
LATE MODELS (19 entries)
SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics Fast Qualifier- Mike Jewell
Dash- Brad Neat, Brandon Green, Jewell, Timmy Yeager, Bryan Barber, Patrick Sheltra
Heat- Cody Mahoney, Billy Dever, Lee Devasier, Jordan Bland, Ed Behn
2nd Annual Jerry Rucker Memorial- Neat, Barber, Yeager, Jewell, Michael England, Sheltra, Green, Joey Daniel, Dever, Devasier, Behn, Mahoney, Bland, Brian Shewmaker, Tim Tungate, David Copley, Michael Coontz, John Gill (DNS-Cliff Clark)
STREET STOCKS (19 entries)
Top Qualifier- Roy Skaggs
Dash- Willie Edelen, Joe Blair, Lee Gray, Skaggs, Shane Litton, Brian McCubbins
Heat- Tim Leake, James Russell, Boss Leake, Casey Bryan
Feature- Edelen, Litton, Tim Leake, Blair, McCubbins, Avral Thompson, Troy Moore, Russell, Bryan, Boss Leake, Robbie Settles, Brad Mattingly, Skaggs, Doug Estep, Chad Chaney, Terry Bartley (DNS-Lee Gray, Jenna Chesser, Cotton Mattingly)
MODIFIEDS (29 entries)
1st Heat- Dion Benningfield, Adam Gootee, Matt Bex, Michael Watson
2nd Heat- Robbie Gullion, Josh Lucas, Clarence Belcher, Sam Murphy
3rd Heat- Jason Wheatley, Joe Mattingly, Kelly Riggs, Joey Jones
B-Main: J.T. Ayers, Randy Turpin, Freddy Garmon, Brad Mattingly, Tommy Lee
Feature- Wheatley, Bex, Joe Mattingly, Belcher, Elliott Despain, Gullion, Lucas, Gootee, Riggs, Murphy, Jim Howard, Keith Trimble, Ayers, Watson, Gary Isaacs, Turpin, Randall Basham, Benningfield, Jones, Bill Stanton, Jr. (DNQ- Thomas Brooks, Robbie Turner, John Bryan, Mike Donan, Beau Neal, Jason Bingham)
SPORTSMAN (20 entries)
1st Heat- Jimmy Bryan, Kevin Wilson, Johnny Lee, Roger Cecil
2nd Heat- Barry Chesser, Scott Cecil, Mark Hofenkamp, Dion West
Feature- Chesser, Wilson, Bryan, Roger Cecil, Scott Cecil, Timmy Glazer, James Jones, Billy Benningfield, Danny Blackwell, David Heaton, Steve Rector, Johnny Cecil, Derek Bottoms, West, Sam Huffer, Lee, Hofenkamp, Pat Hagan, Del Slayton (DNS- Bobby Mattingly)
