By Spencer Wilson
BROWNSTOWN, IN--Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN won the biggest race of his career on Saturday Night as he captured the NARA Sanctioned, Bob Poynter Ford sponsored 21st Annual Hoosier Dirt Classic at the Brownstown Speedway. The 45 year old driver took home $7000 out of the over $30,000 late model payoff as he led all 50 laps driving the Don Powell crew chiefed, Southern Indiana Rock Drilling, Morgan Foods, MPC Motorsports, LaFountain's Auto Body, Stephens Oil Company, Shelton Angus Farms, Re/Max Hometown Professionals, Scott County Tire, Cornett Race Engines, MasterSbilt Grand Prix went victory lane in front of a packed grandstand. Finishing right behind Jewell was John Gill of Mitchell, IN in the Brett and Cheryl Davis/Grandpa Val's Beef Jerky/Rayburn with Dennis Erb Jr of Carpentersville, IL in the Petroff Towing/Rayburn taking third. Fourth place went to Greg Johnson of Bedford, IN in the Double D Motorsports/R&P Industrial Chimney/Rayburn and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL rounded out the top five in the Car City/Jay Dickens Engines/Rayburn. A total of 42 cars were on hand for the very first NARA race at Brownstown.
Dennis Erb Jr started on the pole for the Hoosier Dirt Classic with Mike Jewell starting alongside. Jewell got the outside front row starting spot after original outside polesitter Steven Godsey who won the third heat race and drew the number two starting spot had to go to a backup car after dropping a valve while winning the heat. With Erb and Jewell ready to go, official starter Noel Hargis waved the green flag to start the 50 lap event. Jewell would quickly muscle his way to the point past Erb with R.J. Conley, Shannon Babb and John Gill trailing. Jewell moved out to a seven car length advantage over Erb after just seven laps of racing. By the 10th circuit Jewell had stretch his lead farther as he was trying to make this race a runaway for him. By lap 13 Jewell had started to enter traffic with the back of the field looming just ahead of him. That would allow Erb to close down the gap between himself and Jewell. Conley, Gill and Babb were also reeling in the two frontrunners as they were now all on the same straightaway. Jewell went from a 10 car length lead down to just four in a matter of a couple of laps as Jewell was having some difficulty negotiating traffic. The only caution of the race came out on the 24th lap for Zach Carney in turn four. With the double file restarts utilized in NARA competition Jewell would be on the point by himself with Erb and Gill restarting side by side with 26 laps remaining.
When the race resumed Gill would use the restart to his advantage passing Erb for second place. Gill's job now was to not let Jewell get away from the field has been the case the entire race. The frontrunners would again start to approach traffic with ten circuits to go. At this point Gill was right on Jewell's heels as the two former Brownstown Speedway track champions would decide the outcome on who was able to handle the lapped traffic better. With less than ten to go the top eight drivers in the field were all on the same straightaway. With five laps remaining it was Jewell leading with Gill, Erb, Babb and Johnson in the top five. Babb would slip slightly out of the groove allowing Johnson to get by with four to go. Up front Jewell had successfully completed a pass on a lapped car and he would start to open some distance between himself and Gill and that would hold up all the way to the checkered flag to take the biggest win of racing career. Gill would finish in second as Jewell thwarted Gill's attempt to win this race in back to back years. Erb came home third followed by Johnson and Babb.
"First off, I want to thank the good Lord for a safe race," exclaimed the happy winner afterwards. "I want to thank the great fans for coming out tonight and thanks to my crew and all my sponsors for their help," said Jewell. "I knew I had to keep the car a little tighter in the slick part of the track, the lapped cars bothered us a little there for a while and I figured the guys behind us were catching us," said the winner. "I want to especially thank Keith and Tader Masters for all of their help, they've been real good to me and I appreciate their efforts," Gill who finished second was pleased with his car as well considering the entire front clip of the car had to be replaced after a brake caliper broke at Florence the weekend before sending him with hard contact into the wall. "Yes we are pleased with the effort," said Gill. "I thought maybe I could get by him in traffic and but I was just afraid those other drivers might get by me as well," commented Gill. "I want to thank my crew, because they thrashed all week on this thing to make it right and it was."
Completing the top ten were Freddy Smith, R.J. Conley, Earl Plessinger, Pete Parker and Mark Barber. In preliminary events Babb was the fastest qualifier at 15.772 seconds. Heat race winners were Babb, Erb, Steven Godsey and Jewell. Mark Barber and Kevin Weaver won the Consy events.
Race Summary
NARA DirtCar Series
Event #2
Brownstown Speedway
Brownstown, Indiana
Saturday Night, April 17, 2004
Fast Qualifier: Shannon Babb 15.772
First Heat: Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, Greg Johnson, Mark Barber
Second Heat: Dennis Erb Jr., R.J. Conley, Eric Smith, Matt Bex
Third Heat: Steven Godsey, Pete Parker, Earl Plessinger, Kevin Weaver
Fourth Heat: Mike Jewell, John Gill, Dan Sturgeon, James Huff
First Consy: Mark Barber, Brad Neat, Steve Barnett, Jeff Wilson
Second Consy: Kevin Weaver, James Huff, Jesse James Lay, Mike Marlar
Hoosier Dirt Classic Main Event: Mike Jewell, John Gill, Dennis Erb Jr., Greg Johnson, Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, R.J. Conley, Earl Plessinger, Pete Parker, Mark Barber, Brad Barrow, Eric Smith, Kevin Weaver, Mike Marlar, Steve Barnett, Dan Sturgeon, Jesse James Lay, Brad Neat, James Huff, Jim Curry, Zach Carney, Justin Blackwell, Steven Godsey, Jeff Wilson
Race Statistics:
Entries: 42
Cautions: 1
Red Flags: 0
Lap Leaders: Jewell 1-50
Hard Charger of the Race: Brad Barrow started 22nd finished 11th
Provisionals: NARA: Zach Carney and Jim Curry
Track: Brad Barrow and Justin Blackwell
BROWNSTOWN, IN--Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN won the biggest race of his career on Saturday Night as he captured the NARA Sanctioned, Bob Poynter Ford sponsored 21st Annual Hoosier Dirt Classic at the Brownstown Speedway. The 45 year old driver took home $7000 out of the over $30,000 late model payoff as he led all 50 laps driving the Don Powell crew chiefed, Southern Indiana Rock Drilling, Morgan Foods, MPC Motorsports, LaFountain's Auto Body, Stephens Oil Company, Shelton Angus Farms, Re/Max Hometown Professionals, Scott County Tire, Cornett Race Engines, MasterSbilt Grand Prix went victory lane in front of a packed grandstand. Finishing right behind Jewell was John Gill of Mitchell, IN in the Brett and Cheryl Davis/Grandpa Val's Beef Jerky/Rayburn with Dennis Erb Jr of Carpentersville, IL in the Petroff Towing/Rayburn taking third. Fourth place went to Greg Johnson of Bedford, IN in the Double D Motorsports/R&P Industrial Chimney/Rayburn and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL rounded out the top five in the Car City/Jay Dickens Engines/Rayburn. A total of 42 cars were on hand for the very first NARA race at Brownstown.
Dennis Erb Jr started on the pole for the Hoosier Dirt Classic with Mike Jewell starting alongside. Jewell got the outside front row starting spot after original outside polesitter Steven Godsey who won the third heat race and drew the number two starting spot had to go to a backup car after dropping a valve while winning the heat. With Erb and Jewell ready to go, official starter Noel Hargis waved the green flag to start the 50 lap event. Jewell would quickly muscle his way to the point past Erb with R.J. Conley, Shannon Babb and John Gill trailing. Jewell moved out to a seven car length advantage over Erb after just seven laps of racing. By the 10th circuit Jewell had stretch his lead farther as he was trying to make this race a runaway for him. By lap 13 Jewell had started to enter traffic with the back of the field looming just ahead of him. That would allow Erb to close down the gap between himself and Jewell. Conley, Gill and Babb were also reeling in the two frontrunners as they were now all on the same straightaway. Jewell went from a 10 car length lead down to just four in a matter of a couple of laps as Jewell was having some difficulty negotiating traffic. The only caution of the race came out on the 24th lap for Zach Carney in turn four. With the double file restarts utilized in NARA competition Jewell would be on the point by himself with Erb and Gill restarting side by side with 26 laps remaining.
When the race resumed Gill would use the restart to his advantage passing Erb for second place. Gill's job now was to not let Jewell get away from the field has been the case the entire race. The frontrunners would again start to approach traffic with ten circuits to go. At this point Gill was right on Jewell's heels as the two former Brownstown Speedway track champions would decide the outcome on who was able to handle the lapped traffic better. With less than ten to go the top eight drivers in the field were all on the same straightaway. With five laps remaining it was Jewell leading with Gill, Erb, Babb and Johnson in the top five. Babb would slip slightly out of the groove allowing Johnson to get by with four to go. Up front Jewell had successfully completed a pass on a lapped car and he would start to open some distance between himself and Gill and that would hold up all the way to the checkered flag to take the biggest win of racing career. Gill would finish in second as Jewell thwarted Gill's attempt to win this race in back to back years. Erb came home third followed by Johnson and Babb.
"First off, I want to thank the good Lord for a safe race," exclaimed the happy winner afterwards. "I want to thank the great fans for coming out tonight and thanks to my crew and all my sponsors for their help," said Jewell. "I knew I had to keep the car a little tighter in the slick part of the track, the lapped cars bothered us a little there for a while and I figured the guys behind us were catching us," said the winner. "I want to especially thank Keith and Tader Masters for all of their help, they've been real good to me and I appreciate their efforts," Gill who finished second was pleased with his car as well considering the entire front clip of the car had to be replaced after a brake caliper broke at Florence the weekend before sending him with hard contact into the wall. "Yes we are pleased with the effort," said Gill. "I thought maybe I could get by him in traffic and but I was just afraid those other drivers might get by me as well," commented Gill. "I want to thank my crew, because they thrashed all week on this thing to make it right and it was."
Completing the top ten were Freddy Smith, R.J. Conley, Earl Plessinger, Pete Parker and Mark Barber. In preliminary events Babb was the fastest qualifier at 15.772 seconds. Heat race winners were Babb, Erb, Steven Godsey and Jewell. Mark Barber and Kevin Weaver won the Consy events.
Race Summary
NARA DirtCar Series
Event #2
Brownstown Speedway
Brownstown, Indiana
Saturday Night, April 17, 2004
Fast Qualifier: Shannon Babb 15.772
First Heat: Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, Greg Johnson, Mark Barber
Second Heat: Dennis Erb Jr., R.J. Conley, Eric Smith, Matt Bex
Third Heat: Steven Godsey, Pete Parker, Earl Plessinger, Kevin Weaver
Fourth Heat: Mike Jewell, John Gill, Dan Sturgeon, James Huff
First Consy: Mark Barber, Brad Neat, Steve Barnett, Jeff Wilson
Second Consy: Kevin Weaver, James Huff, Jesse James Lay, Mike Marlar
Hoosier Dirt Classic Main Event: Mike Jewell, John Gill, Dennis Erb Jr., Greg Johnson, Shannon Babb, Freddy Smith, R.J. Conley, Earl Plessinger, Pete Parker, Mark Barber, Brad Barrow, Eric Smith, Kevin Weaver, Mike Marlar, Steve Barnett, Dan Sturgeon, Jesse James Lay, Brad Neat, James Huff, Jim Curry, Zach Carney, Justin Blackwell, Steven Godsey, Jeff Wilson
Race Statistics:
Entries: 42
Cautions: 1
Red Flags: 0
Lap Leaders: Jewell 1-50
Hard Charger of the Race: Brad Barrow started 22nd finished 11th
Provisionals: NARA: Zach Carney and Jim Curry
Track: Brad Barrow and Justin Blackwell
