Bardstown, KY-May 27, 2006- The NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series visited Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY for the 6th Annual Mod Squad Bash and veteran Modified chassis builder Don Adams of London, KY led 24 of the 25 laps to claim the win in his Lightning Chassis #1 entry.
The drop of the green flag to start the A-main event would see Leonard Pierce take the race lead, with Don Adams in second, with third through fifth going to Benji Lee, Jimmy Payne, and Brandon Green. The first of four caution flags would fly on lap 2 as fifth place Green would spin in turn 3 and collect the Greg Payne driven entry in the process. On the restart, race leader Pierce would experience mechanical woes and pull his mount to the infield area, handing the lead over to Adams. Joey Kramer would squeeze between cars and roll into fourth and bring Robbie Gullion along in fifth.
The second caution would wave on lap 4 as Greg Payne would loop his mount in turn four. Back under green, Tommy Bailey would slide by Gullion for fifth, as Kramer would now be third. Bailey would take fourth from Lee on the next circuit, as the front trio of Adams, Payne, and Kramer would begin to pull away from the rest of the field. The front five would remain the same until Gullion would work by Lee for fifth on lap 12, as the third caution would wave on lap 13 as fast qualifier Elliott Despain rolled to a stop in turn two with a broken bolt in the rear-end yoke.
Adams would continue to hold the race lead back under green, with Jimmy Payne still in second, while Kramer and Bailey would begin to dice it up for the three spot. This pair would join Payne in a three-wide dance for second, that would see Kramer go the runner-up slot on lap 15. With Payne now third and Bailey fourth, Gullion would mount a charge and pressure Bailey for fourth on lap 18 and take the spot one lap later.
The final caution of the race would appear on lap 22 as fourth place Gullion would spin his entry in turn four. On the final restart Payne pull alongside Kramer in turns one and two, with the pair side by side off of turn two. The pair would make a bit of contact, with Kramer tagging the outside guardrail and go flying off of the track, out of harms way with a broken right front tie-rod. Kelly Warren's quiet charge to the front from his 15th starting position would see him drive by Bailey on lap 23. Adams would survive a pair of charges from Payne but hold on to see the checkered flag first, with Payne second, followed by Warren, Bailey, and Dustin Linville. Lee, Sam Murphy, Sr., Adam Gootee, Gullion, and Shon Flanery would complete the top ten.
A total of 49 entries were signed in for the event, with Elliott Despain setting quick time in time trials with a lap of 17.146 seconds. The heat race victories would fall to Jimmy Payne, Benji Lee, Don Adams, Brandon Green, and Leonard Pierce. The B-main wins were scored by Shon Flanery and Dustin Linville. Series provisionals would go to Miguel Coffey and Troy Teegarden, while track provisional starting spots fell to Josh Lucas and Raffo Elmore.
The next event for the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series comes up this Saturday night, June 3, at 201 Speedway in Sitka, KY.
RACE SUMMARY
NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Open Wheel Modified Series
Bluegrass Speedway
Bardstown, KY-May 27, 2006
6th Annual Mod Squad Bash
Racing Optics Fast Qualifier- Elliott Despain 17.146
1st Heat- Jimmy Payne, Greg Payne, Adam Gootee, Elliott Despain, Tim Moore, Shawn Simpson, Joey Jones, Brian Shewmaker, Mark Bell, Rodney Bruce
2nd Heat- Benji Lee, Robbie Gullion, Jeff Johnson, Raffo Elmore, Matt Smallwood, Josh Lucas, Russ Gabbert, J.T. Ayers, Joe Turner (DNS-Jason Riney)
3rd Heat- Don Adams, Joey Kramer, Freddy Garmon, Shon Flanery, Butch Shay, Thomas Brooks, Joe Mattingly, Miguel Coffey (DNS-Troy Teegarden, Keith Trimble)
4th Heat- Brandon Green, Dion Benningfield, Sam Murphy, Sr., Dustin Linville, Todd Coffman, Robbie Bennett, Jason Wheatley, Allen Matthews, Bobby Neal (DNS- Gary Isaacs)
5th Heat- Leonard Pierce, Tommy Bailey, Kelly Warren, Randy Turpin, Mark Walters, Clint Shutts, Randall Basham, Rocky Wilson (DNS-Brian Marksbury)
B-Main #1- Shon Flanery, Elliott Despain, Todd Coffman, Rodney Bruce, Thomas Brooks, Matt Smallwood, Randy Turpin, Miguel Coffey, Rocky Wilson, Russ Gabbert, Shawn Simpson
B-Main #2- Dustin Linville, Butch Shay, Joey Jones, Robbie Bennett, Mark Bell, Randall Basham, Mark Walters, Troy Teegarden, Raffo Elmore, Tim Moore
A-Main (6th Annual Mod Squad Bash)- Don Adams, Jimmy Payne, Kelly Warren, Tommy Bailey, Dustin Linville, Benji Lee, Sam Murphy, Sr., Adam Gootee, Robbie Gullion, Shon Flanery, Dion Benningfield, Joey Kramer, Raffo Elmore, Butch Shay, Jeff Johnson, Brandon Green, Elliott Despain, Josh Lucas, Troy Teegarden, Freddy Garmon, Joey Jones, Todd Coffman, Greg Payne, Leonard Pierce, Miguel Coffey
RACE STATISTICS
Total Entries- 49
Hard Charger- Kelly Warren (started 15th, finished 3rd; advanced 12 positions)
Series Provisionals- Troy Teegarden, Miguel Coffey
Track Provisionals- Josh Lucas, Raffo Elmore
Cautions- 4 (Laps 2, 4, 13, 22)
Red Flags- None
Race Leaders- 2 (Leonard Pierce 1, Don Adams 2-25)
NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series Points as of May 27, 2006 (Top 10)
1. Tommy Bailey- 720
2. Jimmy Payne- 670
3. Joey Kramer- 610
4. Kelly Warren- 605
5. Don Adams- 600
6. Adam Gootee- 560
7. Dustin Linville- 495
8. Cale Coffey- 465
9. Russ Gabbert- 420
10. Greg Payne- 410
The drop of the green flag to start the A-main event would see Leonard Pierce take the race lead, with Don Adams in second, with third through fifth going to Benji Lee, Jimmy Payne, and Brandon Green. The first of four caution flags would fly on lap 2 as fifth place Green would spin in turn 3 and collect the Greg Payne driven entry in the process. On the restart, race leader Pierce would experience mechanical woes and pull his mount to the infield area, handing the lead over to Adams. Joey Kramer would squeeze between cars and roll into fourth and bring Robbie Gullion along in fifth.
The second caution would wave on lap 4 as Greg Payne would loop his mount in turn four. Back under green, Tommy Bailey would slide by Gullion for fifth, as Kramer would now be third. Bailey would take fourth from Lee on the next circuit, as the front trio of Adams, Payne, and Kramer would begin to pull away from the rest of the field. The front five would remain the same until Gullion would work by Lee for fifth on lap 12, as the third caution would wave on lap 13 as fast qualifier Elliott Despain rolled to a stop in turn two with a broken bolt in the rear-end yoke.
Adams would continue to hold the race lead back under green, with Jimmy Payne still in second, while Kramer and Bailey would begin to dice it up for the three spot. This pair would join Payne in a three-wide dance for second, that would see Kramer go the runner-up slot on lap 15. With Payne now third and Bailey fourth, Gullion would mount a charge and pressure Bailey for fourth on lap 18 and take the spot one lap later.
The final caution of the race would appear on lap 22 as fourth place Gullion would spin his entry in turn four. On the final restart Payne pull alongside Kramer in turns one and two, with the pair side by side off of turn two. The pair would make a bit of contact, with Kramer tagging the outside guardrail and go flying off of the track, out of harms way with a broken right front tie-rod. Kelly Warren's quiet charge to the front from his 15th starting position would see him drive by Bailey on lap 23. Adams would survive a pair of charges from Payne but hold on to see the checkered flag first, with Payne second, followed by Warren, Bailey, and Dustin Linville. Lee, Sam Murphy, Sr., Adam Gootee, Gullion, and Shon Flanery would complete the top ten.
A total of 49 entries were signed in for the event, with Elliott Despain setting quick time in time trials with a lap of 17.146 seconds. The heat race victories would fall to Jimmy Payne, Benji Lee, Don Adams, Brandon Green, and Leonard Pierce. The B-main wins were scored by Shon Flanery and Dustin Linville. Series provisionals would go to Miguel Coffey and Troy Teegarden, while track provisional starting spots fell to Josh Lucas and Raffo Elmore.
The next event for the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series comes up this Saturday night, June 3, at 201 Speedway in Sitka, KY.
RACE SUMMARY
NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Open Wheel Modified Series
Bluegrass Speedway
Bardstown, KY-May 27, 2006
6th Annual Mod Squad Bash
Racing Optics Fast Qualifier- Elliott Despain 17.146
1st Heat- Jimmy Payne, Greg Payne, Adam Gootee, Elliott Despain, Tim Moore, Shawn Simpson, Joey Jones, Brian Shewmaker, Mark Bell, Rodney Bruce
2nd Heat- Benji Lee, Robbie Gullion, Jeff Johnson, Raffo Elmore, Matt Smallwood, Josh Lucas, Russ Gabbert, J.T. Ayers, Joe Turner (DNS-Jason Riney)
3rd Heat- Don Adams, Joey Kramer, Freddy Garmon, Shon Flanery, Butch Shay, Thomas Brooks, Joe Mattingly, Miguel Coffey (DNS-Troy Teegarden, Keith Trimble)
4th Heat- Brandon Green, Dion Benningfield, Sam Murphy, Sr., Dustin Linville, Todd Coffman, Robbie Bennett, Jason Wheatley, Allen Matthews, Bobby Neal (DNS- Gary Isaacs)
5th Heat- Leonard Pierce, Tommy Bailey, Kelly Warren, Randy Turpin, Mark Walters, Clint Shutts, Randall Basham, Rocky Wilson (DNS-Brian Marksbury)
B-Main #1- Shon Flanery, Elliott Despain, Todd Coffman, Rodney Bruce, Thomas Brooks, Matt Smallwood, Randy Turpin, Miguel Coffey, Rocky Wilson, Russ Gabbert, Shawn Simpson
B-Main #2- Dustin Linville, Butch Shay, Joey Jones, Robbie Bennett, Mark Bell, Randall Basham, Mark Walters, Troy Teegarden, Raffo Elmore, Tim Moore
A-Main (6th Annual Mod Squad Bash)- Don Adams, Jimmy Payne, Kelly Warren, Tommy Bailey, Dustin Linville, Benji Lee, Sam Murphy, Sr., Adam Gootee, Robbie Gullion, Shon Flanery, Dion Benningfield, Joey Kramer, Raffo Elmore, Butch Shay, Jeff Johnson, Brandon Green, Elliott Despain, Josh Lucas, Troy Teegarden, Freddy Garmon, Joey Jones, Todd Coffman, Greg Payne, Leonard Pierce, Miguel Coffey
RACE STATISTICS
Total Entries- 49
Hard Charger- Kelly Warren (started 15th, finished 3rd; advanced 12 positions)
Series Provisionals- Troy Teegarden, Miguel Coffey
Track Provisionals- Josh Lucas, Raffo Elmore
Cautions- 4 (Laps 2, 4, 13, 22)
Red Flags- None
Race Leaders- 2 (Leonard Pierce 1, Don Adams 2-25)
NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series Points as of May 27, 2006 (Top 10)
1. Tommy Bailey- 720
2. Jimmy Payne- 670
3. Joey Kramer- 610
4. Kelly Warren- 605
5. Don Adams- 600
6. Adam Gootee- 560
7. Dustin Linville- 495
8. Cale Coffey- 465
9. Russ Gabbert- 420
10. Greg Payne- 410
