By James Essex
LEXINGTON, KY -- Coming off a record-breaking season which featured 18 different winners in 20 races, the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts honored its 2005 Champions Saturday night with an awards banquet held at the Kentucky Speedway Media Center. In addition, announcements regarding the 2006 season were also made.
Ponderosa Speedway promoter Larry Yantz was the first honoree of the evening. Yantz was given the 2005 Promoter of the Year award after a highly successful debut at the helm of the 3/8-mile Junction City, KY facility. The Sportsmanship Award went to Chinn Racing patriarch Jim Chinn for his kindness, gratitude, and enthusiasm for the series and the sport itself. It would be Jim's son, Wayne Chinn, who was voted the 2005 Most Improved Driver of the Year. Wayne, a Tipp City, OH native, compiled eight top 10 finishes on the Battle of the Bluegrass Tour throughout 2005 while representing the series with a win at Lawrenceburg (IN) Speedway in an unsanctioned race in September. Isom, KY hotshoe Chris Combs claimed the O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year award. En route to doing so, Combs garnered one top five finish and nine top 10 finishes during the season. In addition, Combs also nabbed his biggest career paycheck in an unsanctioned, $2,500-to-win event at Ponderosa Speedway in October. Award-winning media member Mike Sullivan capped off the evening as he presented the Junior Wheeler Lifetime Dedication Award to O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series official Noel Hargis. Noel, who has been actively involved in dirt track racing for over forty years, currently serves as the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Official Starter. Hargis was chosen to receive the prestigious award in honor of his years of service and dedication to dirt track racing in the state of Kentucky.
The O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series honored the top 12 drivers in points from the 2005 racing season: 12th place Mike Luna (Sparta, TN); 11th place Blake Chinn (Tipp City, OH); 10th place Shannon Thornsberry (Martin, KY); 9th place Frankie Coomer (Austin, IN); 8th place Wayne Chinn (Tipp City, OH); 7th place Michael England (Glasgow, KY); 6th place Tyrel Todd (Eubank, KY); 5th place Chris Combs (Isom, KY); 4th place Aaron Hatton (Mt. Sterling, KY); 3rd place Whitney McQueary (Dunnville, KY); and 2005 O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Champions Tim Tungate (Campbellsville, KY) and Mike Jewell (Scottsburg, IN).
The hottest driver on the tour at the close of the year, Scottsburg, IN veteran Mike Jewell finished the season with five straight finishes of seventh or better. "The Scottsburg Express" had one O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series win on the season which came on June 18th at the Richmond Raceway. The MPC Motorsports #9 is a Bullock powered MasterSbilt Monte Carlo sponsored by Southern Indiana Drilling, Morgan Foods, Stephens Oil, K.P. Radio Sales & Service, Shelton Angus Farms, Scott Co Tire, Remax, Pruett's Auto Repair, Advanced Racing Suspensions, and PBM Performance Products.
Campbellsville, KY native Tim Tungate's consistent finishes help him nab a share of 2005 Championship. After a win on July 23rd at Richmond Raceway's Butterball Wooldridge Memorial, a 7th place nod on August 6th at Soggy Bottom, and a runner-up finish on September 2nd at Mountain Motor, Tungate was able to pull ahead of Whitney McQueary into the lead of the season-long points battle. Tungate held on to the top spot after a pair of top five finishes at 201 and Bluegrass in the month of September. "Stone Cold", as he's dubbed, drives the Guardian Mortgage/Ancil Reynolds RV/J&L Title/ABC Child Care/Cox Properties/Children's Palace/MDW Transport/Price's Grocery/White Construction/Shelly's Hot Styles/Mulch Madness/James Medical Equipment/Phillips Lanes & Restaurant sponsored, CJ Rayburn Monte Carlo for J&L Motorsports.
The Crew Chiefs for each Champion, Andy "Bones" Richerson (Tungate) and Don "Rock" Powell (Jewell), were each given the Crew Chief of the Year nod while engine builders AMS (Tungate) and Bullock (Jewell) shared the Engine Builder of the Year honors and CJ Rayburn (Tungate) and MasterSbilt (Jewell) took home the Chassis Builder of the Year awards.
Several announcements regarding the 2006 season were made public during the banquet. Springfield, MO based O'Reilly Auto Parts has agreed to serve as the title sponsor of the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series again in 2006. In addition, the points fund will increase this season with the 2006 Champion being the recipient of a whopping $12,000 paycheck for first place. Additional money will be spread throughout the field with 10th place in points taking home $1,000. Also, citing the competitiveness of the series in 2005, it was announced that the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series will keep the same tire rule as it has had for the past four seasons.
The O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts and the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Open Wheel Modified Series have announced that they are now at a new website address. Available now at www.battleofthebluegrass.com you can get the latest information on the BoB series Late Models and Modified happenings as well as the 2006 O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series schedule. The website address that originally directed you to the BoB Late Models and Modifieds (www.naradirtcar.com) will now direct you to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at http://www.lucasdirt.com.
For more information on the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts, visit our new website at www.battleofthebluegrass.com or contact the Series Office at (859)271-4501.
LEXINGTON, KY -- Coming off a record-breaking season which featured 18 different winners in 20 races, the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts honored its 2005 Champions Saturday night with an awards banquet held at the Kentucky Speedway Media Center. In addition, announcements regarding the 2006 season were also made.
Ponderosa Speedway promoter Larry Yantz was the first honoree of the evening. Yantz was given the 2005 Promoter of the Year award after a highly successful debut at the helm of the 3/8-mile Junction City, KY facility. The Sportsmanship Award went to Chinn Racing patriarch Jim Chinn for his kindness, gratitude, and enthusiasm for the series and the sport itself. It would be Jim's son, Wayne Chinn, who was voted the 2005 Most Improved Driver of the Year. Wayne, a Tipp City, OH native, compiled eight top 10 finishes on the Battle of the Bluegrass Tour throughout 2005 while representing the series with a win at Lawrenceburg (IN) Speedway in an unsanctioned race in September. Isom, KY hotshoe Chris Combs claimed the O'Reilly Auto Parts Rookie of the Year award. En route to doing so, Combs garnered one top five finish and nine top 10 finishes during the season. In addition, Combs also nabbed his biggest career paycheck in an unsanctioned, $2,500-to-win event at Ponderosa Speedway in October. Award-winning media member Mike Sullivan capped off the evening as he presented the Junior Wheeler Lifetime Dedication Award to O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series official Noel Hargis. Noel, who has been actively involved in dirt track racing for over forty years, currently serves as the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series and Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Official Starter. Hargis was chosen to receive the prestigious award in honor of his years of service and dedication to dirt track racing in the state of Kentucky.
The O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series honored the top 12 drivers in points from the 2005 racing season: 12th place Mike Luna (Sparta, TN); 11th place Blake Chinn (Tipp City, OH); 10th place Shannon Thornsberry (Martin, KY); 9th place Frankie Coomer (Austin, IN); 8th place Wayne Chinn (Tipp City, OH); 7th place Michael England (Glasgow, KY); 6th place Tyrel Todd (Eubank, KY); 5th place Chris Combs (Isom, KY); 4th place Aaron Hatton (Mt. Sterling, KY); 3rd place Whitney McQueary (Dunnville, KY); and 2005 O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Champions Tim Tungate (Campbellsville, KY) and Mike Jewell (Scottsburg, IN).
The hottest driver on the tour at the close of the year, Scottsburg, IN veteran Mike Jewell finished the season with five straight finishes of seventh or better. "The Scottsburg Express" had one O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series win on the season which came on June 18th at the Richmond Raceway. The MPC Motorsports #9 is a Bullock powered MasterSbilt Monte Carlo sponsored by Southern Indiana Drilling, Morgan Foods, Stephens Oil, K.P. Radio Sales & Service, Shelton Angus Farms, Scott Co Tire, Remax, Pruett's Auto Repair, Advanced Racing Suspensions, and PBM Performance Products.
Campbellsville, KY native Tim Tungate's consistent finishes help him nab a share of 2005 Championship. After a win on July 23rd at Richmond Raceway's Butterball Wooldridge Memorial, a 7th place nod on August 6th at Soggy Bottom, and a runner-up finish on September 2nd at Mountain Motor, Tungate was able to pull ahead of Whitney McQueary into the lead of the season-long points battle. Tungate held on to the top spot after a pair of top five finishes at 201 and Bluegrass in the month of September. "Stone Cold", as he's dubbed, drives the Guardian Mortgage/Ancil Reynolds RV/J&L Title/ABC Child Care/Cox Properties/Children's Palace/MDW Transport/Price's Grocery/White Construction/Shelly's Hot Styles/Mulch Madness/James Medical Equipment/Phillips Lanes & Restaurant sponsored, CJ Rayburn Monte Carlo for J&L Motorsports.
The Crew Chiefs for each Champion, Andy "Bones" Richerson (Tungate) and Don "Rock" Powell (Jewell), were each given the Crew Chief of the Year nod while engine builders AMS (Tungate) and Bullock (Jewell) shared the Engine Builder of the Year honors and CJ Rayburn (Tungate) and MasterSbilt (Jewell) took home the Chassis Builder of the Year awards.
Several announcements regarding the 2006 season were made public during the banquet. Springfield, MO based O'Reilly Auto Parts has agreed to serve as the title sponsor of the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series again in 2006. In addition, the points fund will increase this season with the 2006 Champion being the recipient of a whopping $12,000 paycheck for first place. Additional money will be spread throughout the field with 10th place in points taking home $1,000. Also, citing the competitiveness of the series in 2005, it was announced that the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series will keep the same tire rule as it has had for the past four seasons.
The O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts and the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Open Wheel Modified Series have announced that they are now at a new website address. Available now at www.battleofthebluegrass.com you can get the latest information on the BoB series Late Models and Modified happenings as well as the 2006 O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series schedule. The website address that originally directed you to the BoB Late Models and Modifieds (www.naradirtcar.com) will now direct you to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series at http://www.lucasdirt.com.
For more information on the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts, visit our new website at www.battleofthebluegrass.com or contact the Series Office at (859)271-4501.
