Ebert Exceptional, Crace Crafty, Adams Awesome

By Scott Wolfe

CHILLICOTHE, OHIO-Wheelersburg, Ohio driver R. J. Conley ran down early race leader Brandon Kinzer and blitzed on to victory to claim the $5,000 win in the inaugural Vallery Chevrolet Atomic Blast for super Late Models Saturday night July 26 at Brad McCown’s Atomic Speedway. Dan Ebert, Lake Shore, Minnesota, led green to checkered in his heat and in the feature for the $1,000 Atomic Blast Modified win, Bob Crace, Jr. won the Sport Mods and Jamie Adams took the Street Stock Checkered flag. Devin Karr won the Enduro.

Once again rain hit all around the Chillicothe area, however, Atomic sat high and dry.

Drama started to unfold early when fast timer Jason Montgomery experienced possible engine problems and requested the tail.  That bumped up R. J. Conley from an 8th place start to a 6th place start and set the tone for what would be a spectacular race. It was later discovered that Montgomery dropped a valve in his speedplant.

The Tim Hattle Trucking Dash determined the line-up for the feature and also paid $500, winner-take all.

As a result of the Hattle Trucking Dash victory, Brandon Kinzer, Allen, Kentucky charged into the lead over outside pole starter Steve Casebolt, Jr. Duane Chamberlain, Richmond, Indiana jumped the cushion and popped a tire off the rim.  Racers were allowed a hot pit in the infield and Chamberlain changed the left rear and restarted at the tail with two laps in. No other pit stops were necessary.

After that early caution the next 38 laps clicked off with great precision. The first three cars you could ‘throw a blanket over’ as by lap 8 Kinzer’s early lead had diminished.  R.J. Conley had a lap six pass in a tantalizing move from 5th to second, leap-frogging second place runner Casebolt in the process.

Sometimes three-wide, that trio blitzed away from the rest of the field and by lap 18 Conley had made a run for the top spot. Fans definitely got their money’s worth from the excitement the top three cars generated over the course of the event, not to mention heated action back in the pack. Conley twice dove low, then after the ‘set-up move’ moved to the highest portion of the race track, ram-rodding through turn three, sparks flying off the wall to blast by Kinzer off turn four on lap 22.

Kinzer tried Conley again over the next two laps, but the Wheelersburg driver’s Rocket Chassis #71C turned on the after-burners in pulling away from Casebolt and Kinzer.  Kinzer held off Casebolt to lap 32, when the C-9 burst by for the runner-up slot.

Casebolt ran out of time in his run for number one, while Dustin Linville- fast all night long– closed the gap on third place Kinzer.  Although much of the action was up front, great races for position, including Chamberlain’s charge from last to the front tickled the nerves of the fans.

Berwanger ran in the top five much of the night, stumbling once over the cushion, but recovering for a great top five finish.  In the last two laps, Chamberlain bagged J.T. Conley and Gullion for a top six finish. Both Gullion and Conley had credible runs, a compliment to the talents of these two young drivers.

Chris Stotts brought home a top ten for the Carthage Auto Parts team with a steady run from start to finish, just ahead of Greggie Oliver who started 17th and charged to tenth.

Rounding out the top ten were R.J. Conley, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Brandon Kinzer, Dustin Linville, Jeremy Berwanger, Duane Chamberlain, Billy Gullion, J.T. Conley, Chris Stotts, and Greggie Oliver.

“Wow! I don’t know if anyone was running the same line as me, but I thought I was in trouble through 3 and 4 for 39 laps,” said Conley. “I wondered where some of those guys were (behind me).  I was too tired to get my foot off the gas, so I just held it down.”

“This Rocket Chassis was really working for us.  At the end I saw the checkered and looked at the gauges and it was 280 degrees, but Draime builds a great engine.  It’s been that hot before and it got the job done tonight.”

J.T. Conley was the Dirt on Dirt hard charger $300 winner with a run from 16th to 8th. Chamberlain had an equally impressive run from last to sixth after restarting on the tail.

Dan Ebert’s Artic Cat Impressive Chassis despite the cool Artic blast was hot and fast from start to finish in the 20-lap AMRA Modified headliner.  The race of the night was a three-car battle between Kenny Johnson in the Mark Bailey #88, Travis Dickson, and Greggie Oliver.  Tanner Wilson worked his way back into the mix as well.

Oliver charged from 9th into the top five, but wasn’t finished there. The night-one winner of the Atomic Blast weekend, Oliver, bagged Dickson, then won a dog fight with Johnson for the second spot. For eight laps Oliver and Johnson went tooth-and-nail, with Oliver taking the second spot with three laps to go.  Time ran out on the “Pickle Town Hustla’s” charge with Ebert picking up his fourth Atomic win of the year. Behind Ebert were  Greggie Oliver, a battered Kenny Johnson, Travis Dickson, Tanner Wilson, Brian Whiteman, Mark Dickson, Rob Stambaugh, Donnie Miller, and Mike Conkle. Johnson subbed in Mark Bailey’s car after the current point leader totalled his mount Friday night.  Johnson sustained a black eye, a knee injury, and experienced back pain after his Friday night joust.

“Wow, that was a lot of fun.  This was a fun race track tonight,” said the winning Ebert. “The track smoothed out nice and stayed fast from start to finish.  I was doing a lot of searching in the heat race for a line and it seemed fastest on the top, so that’s where we put it in the feature.”

Racin’ Jason Montgomery set the Bobst Auto Parts Late Model fast time of 13:911. In the Modifieds, Fine and Dandy Cotton Candy Fast time went to Cody Parker with a 15:604. Fine and Dandy Modified Hard Charger was Rob Stambaugh in a 14th to 8th run. Vince Conrad, a late-comer also had a fine run off the tail to 11th.

In the Racers Edge Supplements Street Stocks Jamey Adams ran down early leader Dean Boyd after yet another three-way race between Adams, Boyd, and Justin Poling.  Adam Jones moved into the mix, but no one had the muscle for Adams who brought home his third win of the year. Rounding out the top ten were Jamey Adams, Dean Boyd, Justin Poling, Adam Jones, Dave Landman, Kurtis Dunaway, Larry Highland, Tommy Mossbarger, and Rob Smith.

Bob Crace, Jr. all but had Friday’s victory in grasp when engine woes ended his night.  Saturday, Crace sought redemption and the sweet taste of victory. Crace brought home the win after fending off Mitchell Fields for the win. Rounding out the top ten were Bob Crace, Jr., Mitchell Fields, Harley Martin, Brennan Bobst, Mike Brust, Steve Noble, Stevie Thornsberry, Rick Neace, and Jake Harris. Dunaway was the hard charger of the race in the Street Stocks and Fields was named hard charger in the Sport Mods.

Not only were the fireworks on the track impressive, but the Legendary Entertainment Fireworks display was one of the best shows seen by anyone in this part of the country.

For more information on Atomic Speedway please call 740-703-9749 or 740-663-4141 or visit the Atomic Speedway website at <<< www.atomicspeedway.net >>> Atomic is located 12 miles South of Chillicothe, Ohio off SR 23, two miles out Blain Highway between Chillicothe, Ohio and Waverly, Ohio at Alma.

Other event sponsors were Vallery Chevrolet, Ricer Equipment, WKKJ, Tim’s Tires and Accessories, Accord’s Pizza and Subs, Roosters, Bobst Auto Parts, and Ritchie’s Foods.

McCown hopes to nurture the Atomic Blast to the status of the independently run “Freedom 40” for sprint cars, coming up August 23. Next up,  the schedule reveals one of the best bargains in racing where two-headlining shows return-410 Sprints and AMRA Super Late Models on August 2. Also on the card this night are AMRA Modifieds, Street Stocks, and Sport Mods.

Coming Events:

August 2- OVSCA Sprints, AMRA Late Models, AMRA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sport Mods

August 23- FREEDOM 40 SPRINTS $3,000 TO WIN, AMRA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sport Mods

September 6- OVSCA Sprints, AMRA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sport Mods

September 13- DARF NIGHT- Sprints, AMRA Late Models, AMRA Modifieds, Street Stocks, Sport Mods

THE SUMMARY:   July 26, 2014  Atomic Blast

GULLION ENTERPRISES AMRA LATE MODELS (19)

Bobst Auto Parts Fast time: Jason Montgomery 13:911

Tim Hattle Trucking Dash-Brandon Kinzer, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Dustin Linville, Jason Montgomery, Billy Guillon, Jeremy Berwanger

Heat One- Chris Stotts, Jamie Adams, Mike Wilson, Chad Smith, Rod Evans, Greggie Oliver,

Heat Two- R.J. Conley, Duane Chamberlain, Kevin Wagner, John Whitney, J.T. Conley, Mick Sansom

Atomic Blast Feature: R.J. Conley, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Brandon Kinzer, Dustin Linville, Jeremy Berwanger, Duane Chamberlain, Billy Gullion, J.T. Conley, Chris Stotts, Greggie Oliver, Kevin Wagner, John Whitney, Chad Smith, Jamie Adams, Mick Sansom, Rod Evans,  Mike Wilson, Jason Montgomery, Mark Frazier (DNS)

ADVANCE SERVICES H & C  AMRA MODIfieds (19)

Fine and Dandy Cotton Candy Fast Time:  Cody Parker 15:604

Heat One- Kenny Johnnson, Cody Parker, Greggie Oliver, Tyler Hendrix, Seth Daniels, Mike Conkle

Heat Two-Travis Dickson,Tanner Wilson, Mark Dickson, Donnie Miller,Rob Stambaugh, Dave Pinkerton

Heat Three- Dan Ebert, Brian Whiteman, Brandon Oliver,  Mike Long, Jeff Surber, Steve Clemmons,

Feature: Dan Ebert, Greggie Oliver, Kenny Johnson, Travis Dickson, Tanner Wilson, Brian Whiteman, Mark Dickson, Rob Stambaugh, Donnie Miller, Mike Conkle, Vince Conrad, Jeff Surber, Tyler Hendrix, Steve Clemmons, Brandon Oliver, Mike Long, Seth Daniels

Racer’s Edge Supplements Street Stocks (11)

Fast Time: Jamie Adams  16:536

Heat One: Jamey Adams, Justin Poling, Adam Jones, Tommy Mossbarger, Kurtis Dunaway, Rick Butler

Heat Two: Dean Boyd,  Dave Landman,  Davey Akers, Larry Highland, Rob Smith,

Feature:  Jamey Adams, Dean Boyd, Justin Poling, Adam Jones, Dave Landman, Kurtis Dunaway, Larry Highland, Tommy Mossbarger, Rob Smith

C & M Racing Sport Mods (10)

Fast Time:  Bob Crace, Jr.  16:675

Heat One-Bob Crace, Jr., Harley Martin, Rick Neace, Mitchell Fields, Brennan Bobst, Mike Brust, Steve Nobile, Stevie Thornsberry, Jake Harris, Harold Meadows

Feature:Bob Crace, Jr., Mitchell Fields, Harley Martin, Brennan Bobst, Mike Brust, Steve Noble, Stevie Thornsberry, Rick Neace, Jake Harris