Junction City, KY-July 31, 2009- The O’Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Graphic Impressions was in action on Friday evening at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY with the 7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial and Victor Lee of Stanford, KY would outduel Eddie Carrier, Jr. to score his first win in this event run in memory of the former track promoter at the 3/8 mile D-shaped clay oval. Other feature event winners for the evening would include Benji Lee of Loretto, KY in Clayton Homes Modifieds, John Mulligan of Walton, KY in Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models, and Bartley Grant of Berea, KY in Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman.
Outside polesitter Dustin Neat would take the lead at the drop of the green flag on the 7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial and only one circuit would be completed before Michael Chilton looped his mount in turn one. Back underway, Neat would hold the top spot, followed by Victor Lee, Eddie Carrier, Jr., David Webb, and Mike Marlar. Marlar would claim the fourth position from Webb on lap 3, and Neat would set a torrid pace at the point. As Neat and Lee motored away from the field, Carrier, Jr. and Marlar would begin a battle for the third spot on lap 6. As race leader Neat began to close in on the rear of the field, Lee would begin to slowly reel in the race leader. But trouble would strike race leader on lap 11 after he and a slower car would make contact on the backchute, with Neat spinning his machine into the infield to bring out the second caution of the event. Neat would pull to the hot pit, but would be able to continue. Lee would inherit the lead at this point on the restart, with Carrier, Jr. and Marlar battling for second, but only one lap would be scored before Dustin Linville spun his mount in turn two and would collect Shannon Thornsberry in the process. Back underway, Carrier, Jr. and Marlar would trade second place, with Carrier, Jr. winning the volley on lap 14. Lee would settle a rapid pace at the point at this juncture of the event, but Carrier, Jr. would begin to reel in Lee as the leader began to work slower traffic on lap 20. Lee would weave through traffic with Carrier, Jr. in hot pursuit, with the pair splitting a slower car in their battle for the lead as the halfway signal would be shown to the field. Business would pick up in the battle for the lead on lap 30 as Carrier, Jr. began to work alongside of Lee in an attempt to take the lead, with Marlar right on the rear bumber of the lead duo. The lead trio would finally be clear of traffic for a few laps beginning on lap 33, with the group literally glued together as they attempted to get three-wide in turns three and four on lap 35. Lee would continue to show the way by a car length as the leaders again worked slower traffic on lap 37. Lap 39 would see Carrier, Jr. again get a run off the bottom of turn two and the pair of Lee and Carrier, Jr. would dance side-by-side for the race lead until Lee again got a bit of breathing room (one car length) on lap 42. Carrier, Jr. would ride a couple of laps and keep Marlar at bay as well before mounting one last charge for the lead on lap 46. Lee would see the nose of Carrier, Jr. on several occasions over the final five circuits, with Carrier, Jr. making one last final attempt for the lead off of turn two on the last lap, but Lee would motor around the high-side and hold Carrier, Jr. for the win. Lee’s win would come in the seat of the Steve West and Gary Craig owned Quality Pawn/Advance Auto Parts/Kentucky’s Best Racing/ West Towing/Corder’s Competition Engines/American Racer Tires sponsored #55 C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Corder’s Competition Engines powered machine. Carrier, Jr., Marlar, Webb, and Bobby Wolter, Jr. completed the top five. The remainder of the top ten in the 7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial event would be Justin Rattliff, 15th starting Eric Wells, Mike Jewell, Jeff Watson, and Duane Chamberlain. In preliminary action, Eddie Carrier, Jr. was the Racing Optics Top Qualifier among 27 entries with a lap of 14.749 seconds. Heat race checkered flags went to Neat in Wayne Bowen Racing Supply heat one, Lee in Graphic Impressions heat two, and Webb in C.J. Rayburn Race Cars heat three. Johnny Wheeler would be the B-Main winner, with series provisionals going to Aaron Hatton and Jason Keltner, while Terry Keltner earned the track provisional.
The 20 lap Clayton Homes Modified main event would see Benji Lee and Randy Turpin battle throughout the last half of the race, with the pair racing side-by-side on the final lap of the race, but it would be Lee scoring his second straight Modified feature victory behind the wheel of his Thompson Heat and Air/B&B Motorsports/Smart Shoppers/Kirker Automotive Finishes/Springfield Auto and Farm Supply/St. Joe Garage sponsored #03 Bandit Race Cars, Dale Meers Race Engines powered entry. Turpin would finish a close second, while J.T. Ayers would hold off the challenges of Elliott Despain for third, with Rocky Wilson completing the top five. Lee would be the Wayne Bowen Racing Supply top qualifier among 10 entries with a lap of 15.740 seconds and would also the heat for the division.
In the 20 lap Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Model feature, John Mulligan would grab the lead from Zane Morgan after a late-race caution and pull away over the final few circuits to capture his first career Pro Late Model feature event checkered flag. Mulligan’s victory would be in his Terrascapes Landscaping/Mulligan Plumbing/CanDo.com/Florence Fraternal Order of Police/Odie’s Rod Shop/Dial Painting sponsored #19M C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, GM 604 Crate powered machine. Morgan would claim runner-up honors, as Todd Coffman, Jeff Johnson, and Logan Whitis would complete the top five. The remainder of the finishing order would be Dylan Preston, Clarence Belcher, Royce McGowan, Jr., Aaron Matthews, and Dusty Maybrier. The heat victory would fall to Morgan among the ten entries.
The 15 Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman feature would see Gerald Haynes, Jr. lead in the early going, but Bartley Grant would win a four lap side-by-side battle for the lead and eventually pull away to pick up his seventh win of the season at Ponderosa Speedway in the office of the Mistie and Tori Grant owned Double J Cylinder Heads/Cookie Monster Power Plants/Copper Creek Welding/Xtreme Style Signs and Graphics/Linville’s Finish Carpentry sponsored #1 Buick Regal. Only four of the six scheduled starters competed in the main event, with Haynes, Jr., Rick King, and Donnie Sullivan trailing at the finish. Haynes, Jr. would win the heat.
SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-July 31, 2009
O’Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass Super Late Models (27 entries)
Racing Optics Top Qualifier- Eddie Carrier, Jr. 14.749
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply Heat #1- Dustin Neat, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Jeff Watson, Justin Rattliff, Rick Combs, Shannon Thornsberry, Dillan White, Terry Keltner, Jason Keltner
Graphic Impressions Heat #2- Victor Lee, Mike Marlar, Shon Flanary, Mike Jewell, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Johnny Wheeler, Aaron Hatton, Michael Chilton, Jamie Ferguson
C.J. Rayburn Race Cars Heat #3- David Webb, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Duane Chamberlain, Dustin Linville, Eric Wells, Doodle Farris, Daniel Hatcher, Mark Walters, D.J. Wells
B-Main- Johnny Wheeler, Shannon Thornsberry, Michael Chilton, D.J. Wells, Doodle Farris, Mark Walters, Dillan White, Aaron Hatton, Daniel Hatcher, Terry Keltner, Jason Keltner, Jamie Ferguson
Series Provisionals- Aaron Hatton, Jason Keltner
Track Provisional- Terry Keltner
7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial REAL Racing Wheels A-Main- Victor Lee, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Mike Marlar, David Webb, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Justin Rattliff, Eric Wells, Mike Jewell, Jeff Watson, Duane Chamberlain, Dustin Neat, Rick Combs, Shon Flanary, Aaron Hatton, Michael Chilton, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Shannon Thornsberry, Doodle Farris, Jason Keltner, D.J. Wells, Dustin Linville, Johnny Wheeler, Terry Keltner
Clayton Homes Modifieds (10 entries)
Top Qualifier- Benji Lee 15.740
Heat- Benji Lee, J.T. Ayers, Randy Turpin, Kevin Nesselhauf
Feature- Benji Lee, Randy Turpin, J.T. Ayers, Elliott Despain, Rocky Wilson, Chad Barrett, Tommy Carlton, Todd Noel (DNS- Kevin Nesselhauf, Clayton Miller)
Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models (10 entries)
Heat- Zane Morgan, Clarence Belcher, John Mulligan, Todd Coffman
Feature- John Mulligan, Zane Morgan, Todd Coffman, Jeff Johnson, Logan Whitis, Dylan Preston, Clarence Belcher, Royce McGowan, Jr., Aaron Matthews, Dusty Maybrier
Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman (6 entries)
Heat- Gerald Haynes, Jr., Bartley Grant, Rick King, Todd Carmickle
Feature- Bartley Grant, Gerald Haynes, Jr., Rick King, Donnie Sullivan (DNS- Todd Carmickle, Butch Phillips)
Outside polesitter Dustin Neat would take the lead at the drop of the green flag on the 7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial and only one circuit would be completed before Michael Chilton looped his mount in turn one. Back underway, Neat would hold the top spot, followed by Victor Lee, Eddie Carrier, Jr., David Webb, and Mike Marlar. Marlar would claim the fourth position from Webb on lap 3, and Neat would set a torrid pace at the point. As Neat and Lee motored away from the field, Carrier, Jr. and Marlar would begin a battle for the third spot on lap 6. As race leader Neat began to close in on the rear of the field, Lee would begin to slowly reel in the race leader. But trouble would strike race leader on lap 11 after he and a slower car would make contact on the backchute, with Neat spinning his machine into the infield to bring out the second caution of the event. Neat would pull to the hot pit, but would be able to continue. Lee would inherit the lead at this point on the restart, with Carrier, Jr. and Marlar battling for second, but only one lap would be scored before Dustin Linville spun his mount in turn two and would collect Shannon Thornsberry in the process. Back underway, Carrier, Jr. and Marlar would trade second place, with Carrier, Jr. winning the volley on lap 14. Lee would settle a rapid pace at the point at this juncture of the event, but Carrier, Jr. would begin to reel in Lee as the leader began to work slower traffic on lap 20. Lee would weave through traffic with Carrier, Jr. in hot pursuit, with the pair splitting a slower car in their battle for the lead as the halfway signal would be shown to the field. Business would pick up in the battle for the lead on lap 30 as Carrier, Jr. began to work alongside of Lee in an attempt to take the lead, with Marlar right on the rear bumber of the lead duo. The lead trio would finally be clear of traffic for a few laps beginning on lap 33, with the group literally glued together as they attempted to get three-wide in turns three and four on lap 35. Lee would continue to show the way by a car length as the leaders again worked slower traffic on lap 37. Lap 39 would see Carrier, Jr. again get a run off the bottom of turn two and the pair of Lee and Carrier, Jr. would dance side-by-side for the race lead until Lee again got a bit of breathing room (one car length) on lap 42. Carrier, Jr. would ride a couple of laps and keep Marlar at bay as well before mounting one last charge for the lead on lap 46. Lee would see the nose of Carrier, Jr. on several occasions over the final five circuits, with Carrier, Jr. making one last final attempt for the lead off of turn two on the last lap, but Lee would motor around the high-side and hold Carrier, Jr. for the win. Lee’s win would come in the seat of the Steve West and Gary Craig owned Quality Pawn/Advance Auto Parts/Kentucky’s Best Racing/ West Towing/Corder’s Competition Engines/American Racer Tires sponsored #55 C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Corder’s Competition Engines powered machine. Carrier, Jr., Marlar, Webb, and Bobby Wolter, Jr. completed the top five. The remainder of the top ten in the 7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial event would be Justin Rattliff, 15th starting Eric Wells, Mike Jewell, Jeff Watson, and Duane Chamberlain. In preliminary action, Eddie Carrier, Jr. was the Racing Optics Top Qualifier among 27 entries with a lap of 14.749 seconds. Heat race checkered flags went to Neat in Wayne Bowen Racing Supply heat one, Lee in Graphic Impressions heat two, and Webb in C.J. Rayburn Race Cars heat three. Johnny Wheeler would be the B-Main winner, with series provisionals going to Aaron Hatton and Jason Keltner, while Terry Keltner earned the track provisional.
The 20 lap Clayton Homes Modified main event would see Benji Lee and Randy Turpin battle throughout the last half of the race, with the pair racing side-by-side on the final lap of the race, but it would be Lee scoring his second straight Modified feature victory behind the wheel of his Thompson Heat and Air/B&B Motorsports/Smart Shoppers/Kirker Automotive Finishes/Springfield Auto and Farm Supply/St. Joe Garage sponsored #03 Bandit Race Cars, Dale Meers Race Engines powered entry. Turpin would finish a close second, while J.T. Ayers would hold off the challenges of Elliott Despain for third, with Rocky Wilson completing the top five. Lee would be the Wayne Bowen Racing Supply top qualifier among 10 entries with a lap of 15.740 seconds and would also the heat for the division.
In the 20 lap Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Model feature, John Mulligan would grab the lead from Zane Morgan after a late-race caution and pull away over the final few circuits to capture his first career Pro Late Model feature event checkered flag. Mulligan’s victory would be in his Terrascapes Landscaping/Mulligan Plumbing/CanDo.com/Florence Fraternal Order of Police/Odie’s Rod Shop/Dial Painting sponsored #19M C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, GM 604 Crate powered machine. Morgan would claim runner-up honors, as Todd Coffman, Jeff Johnson, and Logan Whitis would complete the top five. The remainder of the finishing order would be Dylan Preston, Clarence Belcher, Royce McGowan, Jr., Aaron Matthews, and Dusty Maybrier. The heat victory would fall to Morgan among the ten entries.
The 15 Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman feature would see Gerald Haynes, Jr. lead in the early going, but Bartley Grant would win a four lap side-by-side battle for the lead and eventually pull away to pick up his seventh win of the season at Ponderosa Speedway in the office of the Mistie and Tori Grant owned Double J Cylinder Heads/Cookie Monster Power Plants/Copper Creek Welding/Xtreme Style Signs and Graphics/Linville’s Finish Carpentry sponsored #1 Buick Regal. Only four of the six scheduled starters competed in the main event, with Haynes, Jr., Rick King, and Donnie Sullivan trailing at the finish. Haynes, Jr. would win the heat.
SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-July 31, 2009
O’Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass Super Late Models (27 entries)
Racing Optics Top Qualifier- Eddie Carrier, Jr. 14.749
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply Heat #1- Dustin Neat, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Jeff Watson, Justin Rattliff, Rick Combs, Shannon Thornsberry, Dillan White, Terry Keltner, Jason Keltner
Graphic Impressions Heat #2- Victor Lee, Mike Marlar, Shon Flanary, Mike Jewell, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Johnny Wheeler, Aaron Hatton, Michael Chilton, Jamie Ferguson
C.J. Rayburn Race Cars Heat #3- David Webb, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Duane Chamberlain, Dustin Linville, Eric Wells, Doodle Farris, Daniel Hatcher, Mark Walters, D.J. Wells
B-Main- Johnny Wheeler, Shannon Thornsberry, Michael Chilton, D.J. Wells, Doodle Farris, Mark Walters, Dillan White, Aaron Hatton, Daniel Hatcher, Terry Keltner, Jason Keltner, Jamie Ferguson
Series Provisionals- Aaron Hatton, Jason Keltner
Track Provisional- Terry Keltner
7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial REAL Racing Wheels A-Main- Victor Lee, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Mike Marlar, David Webb, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Justin Rattliff, Eric Wells, Mike Jewell, Jeff Watson, Duane Chamberlain, Dustin Neat, Rick Combs, Shon Flanary, Aaron Hatton, Michael Chilton, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Shannon Thornsberry, Doodle Farris, Jason Keltner, D.J. Wells, Dustin Linville, Johnny Wheeler, Terry Keltner
Clayton Homes Modifieds (10 entries)
Top Qualifier- Benji Lee 15.740
Heat- Benji Lee, J.T. Ayers, Randy Turpin, Kevin Nesselhauf
Feature- Benji Lee, Randy Turpin, J.T. Ayers, Elliott Despain, Rocky Wilson, Chad Barrett, Tommy Carlton, Todd Noel (DNS- Kevin Nesselhauf, Clayton Miller)
Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models (10 entries)
Heat- Zane Morgan, Clarence Belcher, John Mulligan, Todd Coffman
Feature- John Mulligan, Zane Morgan, Todd Coffman, Jeff Johnson, Logan Whitis, Dylan Preston, Clarence Belcher, Royce McGowan, Jr., Aaron Matthews, Dusty Maybrier
Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman (6 entries)
Heat- Gerald Haynes, Jr., Bartley Grant, Rick King, Todd Carmickle
Feature- Bartley Grant, Gerald Haynes, Jr., Rick King, Donnie Sullivan (DNS- Todd Carmickle, Butch Phillips)
