By Michael Despain
Glasgow, KY-May 21- The O'Reilly Auto Parts NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts visited Barren County Speedway in Glasgow, KY for the famed tracks first race under new promoters Spencer Wilson, Tony and Debbie Rose, and Josh King, and when the checkered flag fell, Greg Johnson of Burgin, KY captured the $3,000 payday in the Barren River 40.
John Gill and Johnson would bring the field to the green flag, with Johnson taking the point. Bryan Barber and John Gill would battle for second, with Barber settling into that spot, while Victor Lee, Joey Kramer, and Mike Marlar would battle for third through fifth. Johnson would pull out to almost a half-straightaway lead until catching slower traffic around lap 11, allowing Barber to close a bit. Meanwhile, Marlar was beginning to charge as was Mike Jewell as the field saw the halfway signal from NARA flagman Noel Hargis. The first caution of the night waved with 26 laps scored as Aaron Hatton would spin in turn three, with Johnson doing a great job to avoid the wreck, as he and now second place Marlar were about to dance for the lead. The race would feature double-file restarts and Johnson shot away, with Marlar and now Jewell getting it on for second, while Terry English would go from ninth to sixth on the restart. Caution wave again for a slowed Jay Brinkley in turn four on lap 30. The restart would see Johnson have a mirror full of Marlar and Jewell for a few laps, with Johnson putting some breathing between he and the pack until the final caution waved with 38 laps recorded when Barber made contact with the guardrail in turn one. The green-white-checkered finish would see Johnson grab the win and increase his series points lead aboard the Double D Motorsports owned R and P Industrial Chimney, American Scaffolding, Hoosier Racing Tire, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars #19. Jewell would take second, with Marlar, English, and Gill completing the top five. Completing the top ten were Tyrel Todd, Victor Lee, Johnny Wheeler, Randle Sweeney, and Joey Kramer. Johnson was also Racing Optics fast qualifier at 13.27 seconds, with Crown Spray Power heat wins going to Johnson, Kramer, Gill, and Barber. O'Reilly Auto Parts B-main winners were Hatton and Michael England. NARA BoB Provisionals went to Dennis Selby and Mike Wooldridge.
Randle Sweeney of Clifty, KY won the 20 lap Modified feature after taking the lead from Terry Edwards around the midpoint of the event. Sweeney won in the ShadeTree Motorsports, Brannon Performance #182 entry. Timmy York finished second, with Edwards, Butch Shay, and Richard Harlow. Gary Finn, Jason Riney, Ron Meador, Justin Ratliff, and Ashley Coffey completed the top ten. Riney and Edwards were heat race winners.
Larry Greer of Bowling Green, KY dominated the Pro Street division in his #9G by taking the win over Daryl Butler, Robbie Houchens, Levi Ashby, Harry Heers, and Doug Wells. Greer also won the heat.
Bear Ballard was also dominant by winning the Pure Street feature event over Jimmy Lyon, Chuck Freeman, Teddy Ballard, Wes Davis, and David York. Bear Ballard was also the heat winner.
Brandon Bardin of Columbia, KY was victorious in the Chevette 12 lap feature in his #35 entry over Donald Winchester, Mark McFall, Jason Beauchamp, and Ben Lowe. Bardin also won the heat.
SUMMARY-Barren County Speedway-Glasgow, KY-May 21, 2004
O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCars
Racing Optics Fast Time- Greg Johnson 13.27
Crown Spray Power 1st Heat- Johnson, Victor Lee, Randle Sweeney, Aaron Hatton
Crown Spray Power 2nd Heat- Joey Kramer, Jay Brinkley, Scott James, Dustin Neat
Crown Spray Power 3rd Heat- John Gill, Mike Marlar, Terry English, Carnell Parker
Crown Spray Power 4th Heat- Bryan Barber, Mike Jewell, Tyrel Todd, Michael England
O'Reilly Auto 1st B Main- Hatton, Johnny Wheeler, Neat, Steve Cornelius
O'Reilly Auto 2nd B Main- England, Parker, Spencer Watson, Doug Smith
Series Provisionals- Dennis Selby, Mike Wooldridge
Lucas Oil A Main (Barren River 40)-Johnson, Jewell, Marlar, English, Gill, Todd, Lee, Wheeler, Sweeney, Kramer, England, Hatton, Brinkley, Smith, Selby, Wooldridge, Watson, James, Barber, Parker, Neat, Cornelius
Modifieds
1st Heat- Jason Riney, Freddy Garmon, Butch Shay, Justin Ratliff
2nd Heat- Terry Edwards, Allen Matthews, Timmy York, Richard Harlow
Feature- Sweeney, York, Edwards, Shay, Harlow, Gary Finn, Riney, Ron Meador, Ratliff, Ashley Coffey, Freddy Garmon, Sam Murphy, Matthews, Eddie O'Neal
Pro Street
Heat- Larry Greer, Daniel Bledsoe, Daryl Butler, Harry Heers
Feature- Greer, Butler, Robbie Houchens, Levi Ashby, Heers, Doug Wells
Pure Street
Heat- Bear Ballard, Chuck Freeman, Jimmy Lyon, David York
Feature- Bear Ballard, Lyon, Freeman, Teddy Ballard, Wes Davis, York
Chevettes
Heat- Brandon Bardin, Donald Winchester, Jeremy Hisel, Mike Graham
Feature- Bardin, Winchester, Mark McFall, Jason Beauchamp, Ben Lowe, Graham, Hisel
Glasgow, KY-May 21- The O'Reilly Auto Parts NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts visited Barren County Speedway in Glasgow, KY for the famed tracks first race under new promoters Spencer Wilson, Tony and Debbie Rose, and Josh King, and when the checkered flag fell, Greg Johnson of Burgin, KY captured the $3,000 payday in the Barren River 40.
John Gill and Johnson would bring the field to the green flag, with Johnson taking the point. Bryan Barber and John Gill would battle for second, with Barber settling into that spot, while Victor Lee, Joey Kramer, and Mike Marlar would battle for third through fifth. Johnson would pull out to almost a half-straightaway lead until catching slower traffic around lap 11, allowing Barber to close a bit. Meanwhile, Marlar was beginning to charge as was Mike Jewell as the field saw the halfway signal from NARA flagman Noel Hargis. The first caution of the night waved with 26 laps scored as Aaron Hatton would spin in turn three, with Johnson doing a great job to avoid the wreck, as he and now second place Marlar were about to dance for the lead. The race would feature double-file restarts and Johnson shot away, with Marlar and now Jewell getting it on for second, while Terry English would go from ninth to sixth on the restart. Caution wave again for a slowed Jay Brinkley in turn four on lap 30. The restart would see Johnson have a mirror full of Marlar and Jewell for a few laps, with Johnson putting some breathing between he and the pack until the final caution waved with 38 laps recorded when Barber made contact with the guardrail in turn one. The green-white-checkered finish would see Johnson grab the win and increase his series points lead aboard the Double D Motorsports owned R and P Industrial Chimney, American Scaffolding, Hoosier Racing Tire, C.J. Rayburn Race Cars #19. Jewell would take second, with Marlar, English, and Gill completing the top five. Completing the top ten were Tyrel Todd, Victor Lee, Johnny Wheeler, Randle Sweeney, and Joey Kramer. Johnson was also Racing Optics fast qualifier at 13.27 seconds, with Crown Spray Power heat wins going to Johnson, Kramer, Gill, and Barber. O'Reilly Auto Parts B-main winners were Hatton and Michael England. NARA BoB Provisionals went to Dennis Selby and Mike Wooldridge.
Randle Sweeney of Clifty, KY won the 20 lap Modified feature after taking the lead from Terry Edwards around the midpoint of the event. Sweeney won in the ShadeTree Motorsports, Brannon Performance #182 entry. Timmy York finished second, with Edwards, Butch Shay, and Richard Harlow. Gary Finn, Jason Riney, Ron Meador, Justin Ratliff, and Ashley Coffey completed the top ten. Riney and Edwards were heat race winners.
Larry Greer of Bowling Green, KY dominated the Pro Street division in his #9G by taking the win over Daryl Butler, Robbie Houchens, Levi Ashby, Harry Heers, and Doug Wells. Greer also won the heat.
Bear Ballard was also dominant by winning the Pure Street feature event over Jimmy Lyon, Chuck Freeman, Teddy Ballard, Wes Davis, and David York. Bear Ballard was also the heat winner.
Brandon Bardin of Columbia, KY was victorious in the Chevette 12 lap feature in his #35 entry over Donald Winchester, Mark McFall, Jason Beauchamp, and Ben Lowe. Bardin also won the heat.
SUMMARY-Barren County Speedway-Glasgow, KY-May 21, 2004
O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCars
Racing Optics Fast Time- Greg Johnson 13.27
Crown Spray Power 1st Heat- Johnson, Victor Lee, Randle Sweeney, Aaron Hatton
Crown Spray Power 2nd Heat- Joey Kramer, Jay Brinkley, Scott James, Dustin Neat
Crown Spray Power 3rd Heat- John Gill, Mike Marlar, Terry English, Carnell Parker
Crown Spray Power 4th Heat- Bryan Barber, Mike Jewell, Tyrel Todd, Michael England
O'Reilly Auto 1st B Main- Hatton, Johnny Wheeler, Neat, Steve Cornelius
O'Reilly Auto 2nd B Main- England, Parker, Spencer Watson, Doug Smith
Series Provisionals- Dennis Selby, Mike Wooldridge
Lucas Oil A Main (Barren River 40)-Johnson, Jewell, Marlar, English, Gill, Todd, Lee, Wheeler, Sweeney, Kramer, England, Hatton, Brinkley, Smith, Selby, Wooldridge, Watson, James, Barber, Parker, Neat, Cornelius
Modifieds
1st Heat- Jason Riney, Freddy Garmon, Butch Shay, Justin Ratliff
2nd Heat- Terry Edwards, Allen Matthews, Timmy York, Richard Harlow
Feature- Sweeney, York, Edwards, Shay, Harlow, Gary Finn, Riney, Ron Meador, Ratliff, Ashley Coffey, Freddy Garmon, Sam Murphy, Matthews, Eddie O'Neal
Pro Street
Heat- Larry Greer, Daniel Bledsoe, Daryl Butler, Harry Heers
Feature- Greer, Butler, Robbie Houchens, Levi Ashby, Heers, Doug Wells
Pure Street
Heat- Bear Ballard, Chuck Freeman, Jimmy Lyon, David York
Feature- Bear Ballard, Lyon, Freeman, Teddy Ballard, Wes Davis, York
Chevettes
Heat- Brandon Bardin, Donald Winchester, Jeremy Hisel, Mike Graham
Feature- Bardin, Winchester, Mark McFall, Jason Beauchamp, Ben Lowe, Graham, Hisel
