In one of the closest finishes in STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Presented by Arizona Sport Shirts history, 21 year old Aaron Hatton of Mt. Sterling, KY picked up his third BoB win of the season on Friday Night at the Clinton County Speedway as he beat points leader, Mike Marlar to the finish line by just a half of a car length to take home the $3000 first place money. In front of another packed grandstand Hatton drove the Hatton Racing/Porter Tire Center/Russell Hatton Used Cars and Mobile Home Rentals/Jerry Hatton Used Cars/American Racer Tires/Draime Racing Engines/MasterSbilt Grand Prix to the victory followed by Mike Marlar of Winfield, Tn in the Wayne Bowen Racing Supply/Estes Automotive and Machine/C.J. Rayburn Grand Prix. Taking third was Jesse James Lay of Walton, KY in the Delta Faucet Company/Dargie Race Engines/Rocket Monte Carlo. The fourth spot went to first time STAR Battle of the Bluegrass participant, Jay Brinkley of Shelbyville, TN in the Brinkley Farms/Keith Craft Engines/Rocket Ford Taurus. Completing the top five was Tyrel Todd of Eubank, KY in the Todd Truss Company/Bullock Race Engines/Kicker Chassis Monte Carlo.
Todd, who won the regular late model show the week before at Clinton County started on the pole of the 40 lap main event with Hatton starting alongside of him. When the race went green Johnny Wheeler would slow almost immediately with mechanical woes forcing him to stop on the track and bringing out the caution flag. Wheeler would be pushed off the track and out of the race as he was done for the night. Todd would pick up the lead on the restart with Hatton following in second followed by Timmy Yeager and Jesse Lay. Lay would get by Yeager on the third circuit taking the third position behind Todd and Hatton. Hatton would make a move for the lead passing Todd on the third circuit taking over the point. A yellow on lap four for Chris Wilson would send the field to another restart with Hatton in the lead followed by Todd and Lay. Current STAR Battle of the Bluegrass Points leader, Mike Marlar, who started in fifth, was up to fourth and challenging Lay for position. Another caution for the stalled car of Tony Morris on lap 10 would gain bunch the field up with Hatton not being able to extend his lead out over Todd. Marlar would make the pass on lay for the third spot on the 14th circuit and then set his sights on Todd for second place. The race would see and extended green flag of racing with Hatton now heading for lapped traffic. Marlar would hound Todd trying every way to get by him and eventually he passed hm on the 18th lap to take second. It was a terrific race for second as Hatton was pulling away from the field. Marlar, Todd, Lay, Jay Brinkley and Timmy Yeager were dicing back and forth for position for most of the race. When Marlar broke free from the pack and started to chase down Hatton the final caution flew for Bruce Brake on the 24th lap. Marlar had closed an eight car length advantage for Hatton down to two when the caution came out. This would be the final caution of the race which set up a 14 lap shootout until the finish.
In the remaining laps it would be a battle for the lead with Hatton and Marlar going at it with Todd and Lay also dueling in a side by side tussle for third place that was heating up. Marlar was knocking on Hatton's door several times as the laps wound down with Hatton holding his line for the lead. Marlar would try to stick the nose of his racer underneath Hatton with his car actually riding the inside burm of the race track on a few occasions. But the young Hatton would not be denied despite several clean attempts for Marlar to pass him Hatton took the white flag with a one car length lead. As the cars raced hard into turn three Hatton drifted out slightly heading to the flagstand and Marlar took the opportunity to get his racer up to the driver’s door on Hatton heading to the finish line. Marlar's valiant effort would fall one half a car length short at the line with Hatton picking up his third career STARS Battle of the Bluegrass win of the season despite breaking a power steering line in time trials and running the feature with one spark plug wire that came off. Lay would finally get around Todd for third with ten laps remaining and he was chasing down the leaders when the race ended. Todd wound up fourth with Brinkley, who was making his first career start with the series grabbing the fifth spot.
Completing the top ten were Timmy Yeager, Dustin Neat, Jay Mobley, Perry Delaney and Steven Ashby. In preliminary events Timmy Yeager took the Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time at 12.37 seconds. Heat races were won by Jesse James Lay, Aaron Hatton and Tyrel Todd. There were 23 cars on hand for the event.
Race Summary
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Event #19
Clinton County Speedway-Alpha, KY
Friday Night, September 12, 2003
Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time: Timmy Yeager 12.37 seconds
First Heat: Jesse James Lay, Timmy Yeager, Johnny Wheeler, Steve Cornelius
Second Heat: Aaron Hatton, Mike Marlar, Jay Mobley, Jeff Watson
Third Heat: Tyrel Todd, Jay Brinkley, Michael Chilton, Perry Delaney
PBM Performance Products Main Event: Aaron Hatton, Mike Marlar, Jesse James Lay, Jay Brinkley, Tyrel Todd, Timmy Yeager, Dustin Neat, Jay Mobley, Perry Delaney, Steven Ashby, Michael Chilton, Steve Cornelius, John Blankenship, Jeff Watson, Tim Damron, Joe Patrick, Jim Butler, Bruce Brake, Tony Morris, Chris Wilson, Johnny Wheeler, Michael Luna
Race Statistics
Entries: 23
No Provisionals Used
R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Race: Mike Marlar
PPM Racing Products/Outlaw Race Cars Hard Charger of the Race: Dustin Neat
Caution Flags: 4
Leaders: Todd 1-2, Hatton 3-40
Lead Changes: Two among two drivers
Todd, who won the regular late model show the week before at Clinton County started on the pole of the 40 lap main event with Hatton starting alongside of him. When the race went green Johnny Wheeler would slow almost immediately with mechanical woes forcing him to stop on the track and bringing out the caution flag. Wheeler would be pushed off the track and out of the race as he was done for the night. Todd would pick up the lead on the restart with Hatton following in second followed by Timmy Yeager and Jesse Lay. Lay would get by Yeager on the third circuit taking the third position behind Todd and Hatton. Hatton would make a move for the lead passing Todd on the third circuit taking over the point. A yellow on lap four for Chris Wilson would send the field to another restart with Hatton in the lead followed by Todd and Lay. Current STAR Battle of the Bluegrass Points leader, Mike Marlar, who started in fifth, was up to fourth and challenging Lay for position. Another caution for the stalled car of Tony Morris on lap 10 would gain bunch the field up with Hatton not being able to extend his lead out over Todd. Marlar would make the pass on lay for the third spot on the 14th circuit and then set his sights on Todd for second place. The race would see and extended green flag of racing with Hatton now heading for lapped traffic. Marlar would hound Todd trying every way to get by him and eventually he passed hm on the 18th lap to take second. It was a terrific race for second as Hatton was pulling away from the field. Marlar, Todd, Lay, Jay Brinkley and Timmy Yeager were dicing back and forth for position for most of the race. When Marlar broke free from the pack and started to chase down Hatton the final caution flew for Bruce Brake on the 24th lap. Marlar had closed an eight car length advantage for Hatton down to two when the caution came out. This would be the final caution of the race which set up a 14 lap shootout until the finish.
In the remaining laps it would be a battle for the lead with Hatton and Marlar going at it with Todd and Lay also dueling in a side by side tussle for third place that was heating up. Marlar was knocking on Hatton's door several times as the laps wound down with Hatton holding his line for the lead. Marlar would try to stick the nose of his racer underneath Hatton with his car actually riding the inside burm of the race track on a few occasions. But the young Hatton would not be denied despite several clean attempts for Marlar to pass him Hatton took the white flag with a one car length lead. As the cars raced hard into turn three Hatton drifted out slightly heading to the flagstand and Marlar took the opportunity to get his racer up to the driver’s door on Hatton heading to the finish line. Marlar's valiant effort would fall one half a car length short at the line with Hatton picking up his third career STARS Battle of the Bluegrass win of the season despite breaking a power steering line in time trials and running the feature with one spark plug wire that came off. Lay would finally get around Todd for third with ten laps remaining and he was chasing down the leaders when the race ended. Todd wound up fourth with Brinkley, who was making his first career start with the series grabbing the fifth spot.
Completing the top ten were Timmy Yeager, Dustin Neat, Jay Mobley, Perry Delaney and Steven Ashby. In preliminary events Timmy Yeager took the Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time at 12.37 seconds. Heat races were won by Jesse James Lay, Aaron Hatton and Tyrel Todd. There were 23 cars on hand for the event.
Race Summary
STARS Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Event #19
Clinton County Speedway-Alpha, KY
Friday Night, September 12, 2003
Racing Optics/Bullzilla Graphics Fast Time: Timmy Yeager 12.37 seconds
First Heat: Jesse James Lay, Timmy Yeager, Johnny Wheeler, Steve Cornelius
Second Heat: Aaron Hatton, Mike Marlar, Jay Mobley, Jeff Watson
Third Heat: Tyrel Todd, Jay Brinkley, Michael Chilton, Perry Delaney
PBM Performance Products Main Event: Aaron Hatton, Mike Marlar, Jesse James Lay, Jay Brinkley, Tyrel Todd, Timmy Yeager, Dustin Neat, Jay Mobley, Perry Delaney, Steven Ashby, Michael Chilton, Steve Cornelius, John Blankenship, Jeff Watson, Tim Damron, Joe Patrick, Jim Butler, Bruce Brake, Tony Morris, Chris Wilson, Johnny Wheeler, Michael Luna
Race Statistics
Entries: 23
No Provisionals Used
R&P Industrial Chimney Rookie of the Race: Mike Marlar
PPM Racing Products/Outlaw Race Cars Hard Charger of the Race: Dustin Neat
Caution Flags: 4
Leaders: Todd 1-2, Hatton 3-40
Lead Changes: Two among two drivers
