By Michael Despain
Richmond, KY-August 14- Jimmy Payne of Glasgow, KY picked up his third NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series win of 2004 by scoring the Lucas Oil A-Main victory on Saturday night at the James Stinnett and Bobby Reed promoted Richmond Raceway in Richmond, KY. Payne's win came aboard the Max Trax Race Cars, Barren River Pest Control, Cannon Electric #68 Max Trax Race Cars entry as the second generation South Central Kentucky native would close the points gap on the first and second place points positions.
The 40 lap main event would see local Modified standout Jimmy Crabtree and Russell Childress bring the field to the green flag, with Jimmy Payne and Hank Bradley battling with this pair for the lead as well. The action would be hectic throughout the field with two and three wide racing until the caution would slow the action on lap 5 when Childress would see his night end when his mount lost its driveshaft. The restart would have Crabtree at the point, with Payne and Bradley going at it for second, with Kelly Warren and Mike Harris mixing it up for fourth. Joey Funk would draw the final caution of the race on lap 10 and Harris would pull pitside with problems on his mount after battling with Warren for fourth. The double file restart would see Crabtree again take the point, with Bradley and Payne mixing it up for second before Bradley went to second on lap 12. Warren was also getting racy at this point and would join the fray to make it a four way battle for the lead by the halfway point at lap 20. Warren would pull alongside Bradley and take third on lap 21 as attention shifted to Walt Neal and Leonard Pierce, as this pair was charging from the second half of the field to make their way toward the front as well. Neal would eventually make his way into the top five and run down Bradley in the later stages of the race to battle for the fourth spot. Payne would put a bit a daylight between himself and rest of the field in the final 10 laps of the race to score the his third "BoB Mod Squad" win of the season. Crabtree would take runner-up honors, with Warren finishing a close third and closing the points lead on Leonard Pierce . Eleventh starting Neal would win the battle for fourth, with Bradley taking the fifth spot. Tenth starting and series points leader Pierce would head up the second five, followed by Jerry Rutherford, Russ Gabbert, 16th starter Brandon Green, and 18th starter David Adams.
The event drew 32 entries from three states and the Racing Optics fast qualifier award go to David Adams. The four Crown Spray Power qualifying heats would be won by Payne, Crabtree, Childress, and Bradley. A pair of O'Reilly Auto Part B Main would be contested as well, with those wins going to Neal and Tim Littrell. The NARA BoB Modified provisionals went to Keith Denny and David Adams, with track provisionals going to Jim Robinson, Mark Deatherage, and Mike Ward.
SUMMARY-Richmond Raceway-Richmond, KY-August 14, 2004
NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modifieds (32 entries)
Racing Optics Fast Qualifier- David Adams
Crown Spray Power 1st Heat- Jimmy Payne, Mike Harris, Jerry Rutherford, Walt Neal
Crown Spray Power 2nd Heat- Jimmy Crabtree, Kelly Warren, Leonard Pierce, Joey Funk
Crown Spray Power 3rd Heat- Russell Childress, Ricky Arms, Arnold Adams, Brandon Green
Crown Spray Power 4th Heat- Hank Bradley, Russ Gabbert, Anthony Reams, J.R. Slusher
O'Reilly Auto Parts 1st B Main- Neal, Funk, David Adams, Jim Robinson, Brent Glastetter
O'Reilly Auto Parts 2nd B Main- Tim Littrell, Brandon Green, Daily Sandlin, Keith Denny, Mike Ward
Series Provisionals- David Adams, Denny
Track Provisionals- Robinson, Mark Deatherage, Ward
Lucas Oil A Main- Payne, Crabtree, Warren, Neal, Bradley, Pierce, Rutherford, Gabbert, Green, David Adams, Denny, Ward, Funk, Robinson, Littrell, Deatherage, Reams, Harris, Childress, Arnold Adams, Arms
Richmond, KY-August 14- Jimmy Payne of Glasgow, KY picked up his third NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series win of 2004 by scoring the Lucas Oil A-Main victory on Saturday night at the James Stinnett and Bobby Reed promoted Richmond Raceway in Richmond, KY. Payne's win came aboard the Max Trax Race Cars, Barren River Pest Control, Cannon Electric #68 Max Trax Race Cars entry as the second generation South Central Kentucky native would close the points gap on the first and second place points positions.
The 40 lap main event would see local Modified standout Jimmy Crabtree and Russell Childress bring the field to the green flag, with Jimmy Payne and Hank Bradley battling with this pair for the lead as well. The action would be hectic throughout the field with two and three wide racing until the caution would slow the action on lap 5 when Childress would see his night end when his mount lost its driveshaft. The restart would have Crabtree at the point, with Payne and Bradley going at it for second, with Kelly Warren and Mike Harris mixing it up for fourth. Joey Funk would draw the final caution of the race on lap 10 and Harris would pull pitside with problems on his mount after battling with Warren for fourth. The double file restart would see Crabtree again take the point, with Bradley and Payne mixing it up for second before Bradley went to second on lap 12. Warren was also getting racy at this point and would join the fray to make it a four way battle for the lead by the halfway point at lap 20. Warren would pull alongside Bradley and take third on lap 21 as attention shifted to Walt Neal and Leonard Pierce, as this pair was charging from the second half of the field to make their way toward the front as well. Neal would eventually make his way into the top five and run down Bradley in the later stages of the race to battle for the fourth spot. Payne would put a bit a daylight between himself and rest of the field in the final 10 laps of the race to score the his third "BoB Mod Squad" win of the season. Crabtree would take runner-up honors, with Warren finishing a close third and closing the points lead on Leonard Pierce . Eleventh starting Neal would win the battle for fourth, with Bradley taking the fifth spot. Tenth starting and series points leader Pierce would head up the second five, followed by Jerry Rutherford, Russ Gabbert, 16th starter Brandon Green, and 18th starter David Adams.
The event drew 32 entries from three states and the Racing Optics fast qualifier award go to David Adams. The four Crown Spray Power qualifying heats would be won by Payne, Crabtree, Childress, and Bradley. A pair of O'Reilly Auto Part B Main would be contested as well, with those wins going to Neal and Tim Littrell. The NARA BoB Modified provisionals went to Keith Denny and David Adams, with track provisionals going to Jim Robinson, Mark Deatherage, and Mike Ward.
SUMMARY-Richmond Raceway-Richmond, KY-August 14, 2004
NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modifieds (32 entries)
Racing Optics Fast Qualifier- David Adams
Crown Spray Power 1st Heat- Jimmy Payne, Mike Harris, Jerry Rutherford, Walt Neal
Crown Spray Power 2nd Heat- Jimmy Crabtree, Kelly Warren, Leonard Pierce, Joey Funk
Crown Spray Power 3rd Heat- Russell Childress, Ricky Arms, Arnold Adams, Brandon Green
Crown Spray Power 4th Heat- Hank Bradley, Russ Gabbert, Anthony Reams, J.R. Slusher
O'Reilly Auto Parts 1st B Main- Neal, Funk, David Adams, Jim Robinson, Brent Glastetter
O'Reilly Auto Parts 2nd B Main- Tim Littrell, Brandon Green, Daily Sandlin, Keith Denny, Mike Ward
Series Provisionals- David Adams, Denny
Track Provisionals- Robinson, Mark Deatherage, Ward
Lucas Oil A Main- Payne, Crabtree, Warren, Neal, Bradley, Pierce, Rutherford, Gabbert, Green, David Adams, Denny, Ward, Funk, Robinson, Littrell, Deatherage, Reams, Harris, Childress, Arnold Adams, Arms
