By Michael Despain
Bardstown, KY-November 14, 2004- Bluegrass Speedway track promoters David and Anita Ferrell, along with daughter Amanda, honored the top drivers of 2004 at the annual Bluegrass Speedway Championship Awards Banquet. The event was held on Sunday, November 14, in Samuels Hall at the Nelson County Fairgrounds, which is right next door to Bluegrass Speedway.
After a delicious meal was served, the top ten drivers in each division were recognized, with the top six point earners in each division taking trophies and money award, along with some contingency awards and other cash awards as well in some divisions.
The Sportsman class would see veteran Bo Wilson of Bloomfield, KY announce his retirement from racing after scoring more points than any other driver at Bluegrass Speedway in the 2004 season and become the first ever five-time track champion in track history as he captured the 2004 Sportsman track championship. Bo scored six feature race wins along the way and totaled 320 points. Wilson also retires as the winningest driver in the history of the Sportsman division up to this point with 22 career feature wins. Wilson's previous track titles came in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2003. Bo's brother, Kevin Wilson of Versailles, KY, would claim runner-up honors in 2004 Sportsman track points and take three feature wins along the way. Clarksville, IN native Mike Bailey would scored third in points, while Timmy Glazer of New Haven, KY would finish fourth and snag his first ever feature win at the track this season as well. Rookie driver Sam Huffer of Elizabethtown, KY would complete the top five. The rest of the top ten in Sportsman track points were Bryan Wilson of Bloomfield, KY, Billy Benningfield of Campbellsville, KY, Jenna Chesser of Bloomfield, KY (who became the first ever female driver to finish in the top ten in track points in any class at Bluegrass Speedway), Darrell Gaddis of Junction City, KY, and Jason Zehnder of Greenville, IN. The Sportsman division had 40 different drivers earn points in 2004, with eight different feature race winners.
The Late Model division would see Joey Daniel of Liberty, KY become only the second driver to win two Late Model track championships at Bluegrass Speedway in the ten year history of the ½ mile Nelson County oval, previously winning the Late Model track championship back in 2001. Daniel would score three feature wins over the course of the 2004 season and total 281 points. He would also finish second in the AMS Race Engines Dash Series Points, would score three SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics Fast Time Awards, and currently has 8 career Late Model feature wins at Bluegrass. Daniel was also the Hurst/Mallory Cup winner as part of Bluegrass Speedway's participation in the 2004 Contingency Connection program. Tim Tungate of Campbellsville, KY, who is the only other driver to win two Late Model track championships at Bluegrass, would take second place in the Late Model points chase, nabbing five feature race victories along the way. Another Campbellsville native, second generation ace Jeff Watson would take third place honors in Late Model points, with Lee Devasier of Midway, KY finishing fourth, and Whitney McQueary of Dunnville, KY would complete the top five in final Late Model points. Defending Late Model track champion Bryan Barber of Buffalo, KY would head up the second five in final points, followed by Cody Mahoney of Madision, IN, Billy Dever of Hodgenville, KY, Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY, and David Webb of Nicholasville, KY. The Late Model division would have 108 different drivers compete in track points events, with eight different feature race winners in this class as well.
In the Modified division, Josh Lucas of Bardstown, KY would make history as he became the first ever three-time track champion in the Modified division at Bluegrass Speedway as the overall track points champ from 2003 would score four feature wins along the way, totaling 276 points, to follow up his track championship from 2003. Lucas scored his first Modified track title at Bluegrass back in 1999. This second generation young gun is currently second on the all-time Modified win at Bluegrass Speedway with 18 career wins at the track. Another second generation standout, Jason Wheatley of Loretto, KY would take second place in final Modified points and would score his first ever Modified feature win at Bluegrass at the Modified portion of the 24th Annual Arizona Sport Shirts Dirt Track World Championship, with it also being the biggest win of his career. Joe Gray of Cecilia, KY would take third place in points and score one feature win along the way. Former two-time track champ Joe Mattingly of New Hope, KY would finish fourth and grab two feature wins in the process. Dion Benningfield of Lebanon, KY would round out the top five in Modified points. Completing the top ten would be Joey Jones of Borden, IN, Robbie Gullion of Charlestown, IN, Adam Gootee of Loretto, KY, Wes Howard of Paris, KY, and John Bryan of New Haven, KY. There would be 90 different drivers earn points in the Modified division, with a record breaking eleven different feature winners along the way to surpass the old mark of nine different winners in 1998.
The Street Stock division would have Loretto, KY native Johnny Cecil pick up two feature wins over the course of the season and total 260 markers to make Cecil the 2004 Street Stock track champion. It is the first ever track championship for this Marion County native, who now has four career Street Stock feature race wins at Bluegrass. Willie Edelen of Bardstown, KY picked up one feature win and would take runner-up honors in the Street Stock division. Fifteen year old Lee Gray of Cecilia, KY would finish in third place, with Tim Leake of Bardstown, KY taking fourth, and Jaime Downs of Cox's Creek, KY rounding out the top five in Street Stock track points. Another Cox's Creek, KY driver, Shane Litton, would lead the second five in points, trailed by Doug Estep of Versailles, KY, Terry Bartley of Bardstown, KY, Michael Coontz of Hustonville, KY, and Robbie Settles of Bardstown, KY. A total of 59 different drivers earned points in the Street Stock division in 2004, with seven different racers taking feature race checkered flags.
Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, KY captured the 2004 Parkway Service Center/Lightning Graphics Late Model Rookie of the Year award. David Copley of Hodgenville, KY would take runner-up honors, with Cliff Clark of Vine Grove, KY finishing in third in the rookie points chase. Sidney Sprague of Lexington, KY and Donnie Beard of Columbia, KY would complete the top five. Special thanks to Rocky Wilson and Derrell Cooper for their support of the Rookie of the Year program at Bluegrass Speedway.
Bill Stanton, Jr. of Vine Grove, KY captured the 2004 Parkway Service Center/Lightning Graphics Modified Rookie of the Year title. Billy Jewell of Springfield, KY would finish second, with Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY taking third place honors in this rookie class. Clarence Belcher of Junction City, KY and Kelly Riggs of Hodgenville, KY rounded out the top five. Special thanks to Rocky Wilson and Derrell Cooper for their support of the Rookie of the Year program at Bluegrass Speedway.
Clyde Busch and crew put up The AMS Race Engines Late Model Dash Series and that title would be scored by Tim Tungate. Joey Daniel would finish second, with Whitney McQueary, Bryan Barber, and Cody Mahoney completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten in AMS Dash points were Lee Devasier, Benji Lee of Raywick, KY, Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY, Ed Behn of Salvisa, KY, and Billy Dever.
Mr. Aaron Burnette with Skillsaw Designs would sponsor the Skillsaw Designs B-Main Hard Charger Program and Michael England of Glasgow, KY would be the winner of the racing website designed by Mr. Burdette that would be free for one year. Second through fifth in this program's points were Whitney McQueary, Benji Lee, Jeff Watson, and Victor Lee of Stanford, KY.
Special events that were contested at Bluegrass Speedway in 2004 saw the following winners: Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN was the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Spring Sizzler winner on April 24; On May 8, Bo Wilson won the $300 Sportsman special and Mike Bailey won the $200 Street Stock special; Tim Tungate would win the Jerry Rucker Memorial on May 22; Kelly Warren of Columbia, KY won the Mod Squad Bash for the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series on May 29; Bo Wilson won the Shorty Gardner Memorial for Sportsman on June 26; Tim Tungate won the Kentuckiana Klash for the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series on July 11; Bryan Barber in Late Models and Josh Lucas in Modifieds were Topless Terror Night winners on July 17; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Illinois was the Lucas Oil NARA DirtCar Series Bluegrass Classic winner in front of the ESPN2 cameras on August 7 and Babb would also win the My Old Kentucky Home Shootout for the Northern All Star Late Model Series on August 28; Brad Neat would score the Bluegrass 50 win with the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series on September 25; Rick Eckert of York, PA was the winner of the Arizona Sport Shirts Dirt Track World Championship on October 16.
Bardstown, KY-November 14, 2004- Bluegrass Speedway track promoters David and Anita Ferrell, along with daughter Amanda, honored the top drivers of 2004 at the annual Bluegrass Speedway Championship Awards Banquet. The event was held on Sunday, November 14, in Samuels Hall at the Nelson County Fairgrounds, which is right next door to Bluegrass Speedway.
After a delicious meal was served, the top ten drivers in each division were recognized, with the top six point earners in each division taking trophies and money award, along with some contingency awards and other cash awards as well in some divisions.
The Sportsman class would see veteran Bo Wilson of Bloomfield, KY announce his retirement from racing after scoring more points than any other driver at Bluegrass Speedway in the 2004 season and become the first ever five-time track champion in track history as he captured the 2004 Sportsman track championship. Bo scored six feature race wins along the way and totaled 320 points. Wilson also retires as the winningest driver in the history of the Sportsman division up to this point with 22 career feature wins. Wilson's previous track titles came in 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2003. Bo's brother, Kevin Wilson of Versailles, KY, would claim runner-up honors in 2004 Sportsman track points and take three feature wins along the way. Clarksville, IN native Mike Bailey would scored third in points, while Timmy Glazer of New Haven, KY would finish fourth and snag his first ever feature win at the track this season as well. Rookie driver Sam Huffer of Elizabethtown, KY would complete the top five. The rest of the top ten in Sportsman track points were Bryan Wilson of Bloomfield, KY, Billy Benningfield of Campbellsville, KY, Jenna Chesser of Bloomfield, KY (who became the first ever female driver to finish in the top ten in track points in any class at Bluegrass Speedway), Darrell Gaddis of Junction City, KY, and Jason Zehnder of Greenville, IN. The Sportsman division had 40 different drivers earn points in 2004, with eight different feature race winners.
The Late Model division would see Joey Daniel of Liberty, KY become only the second driver to win two Late Model track championships at Bluegrass Speedway in the ten year history of the ½ mile Nelson County oval, previously winning the Late Model track championship back in 2001. Daniel would score three feature wins over the course of the 2004 season and total 281 points. He would also finish second in the AMS Race Engines Dash Series Points, would score three SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics Fast Time Awards, and currently has 8 career Late Model feature wins at Bluegrass. Daniel was also the Hurst/Mallory Cup winner as part of Bluegrass Speedway's participation in the 2004 Contingency Connection program. Tim Tungate of Campbellsville, KY, who is the only other driver to win two Late Model track championships at Bluegrass, would take second place in the Late Model points chase, nabbing five feature race victories along the way. Another Campbellsville native, second generation ace Jeff Watson would take third place honors in Late Model points, with Lee Devasier of Midway, KY finishing fourth, and Whitney McQueary of Dunnville, KY would complete the top five in final Late Model points. Defending Late Model track champion Bryan Barber of Buffalo, KY would head up the second five in final points, followed by Cody Mahoney of Madision, IN, Billy Dever of Hodgenville, KY, Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY, and David Webb of Nicholasville, KY. The Late Model division would have 108 different drivers compete in track points events, with eight different feature race winners in this class as well.
In the Modified division, Josh Lucas of Bardstown, KY would make history as he became the first ever three-time track champion in the Modified division at Bluegrass Speedway as the overall track points champ from 2003 would score four feature wins along the way, totaling 276 points, to follow up his track championship from 2003. Lucas scored his first Modified track title at Bluegrass back in 1999. This second generation young gun is currently second on the all-time Modified win at Bluegrass Speedway with 18 career wins at the track. Another second generation standout, Jason Wheatley of Loretto, KY would take second place in final Modified points and would score his first ever Modified feature win at Bluegrass at the Modified portion of the 24th Annual Arizona Sport Shirts Dirt Track World Championship, with it also being the biggest win of his career. Joe Gray of Cecilia, KY would take third place in points and score one feature win along the way. Former two-time track champ Joe Mattingly of New Hope, KY would finish fourth and grab two feature wins in the process. Dion Benningfield of Lebanon, KY would round out the top five in Modified points. Completing the top ten would be Joey Jones of Borden, IN, Robbie Gullion of Charlestown, IN, Adam Gootee of Loretto, KY, Wes Howard of Paris, KY, and John Bryan of New Haven, KY. There would be 90 different drivers earn points in the Modified division, with a record breaking eleven different feature winners along the way to surpass the old mark of nine different winners in 1998.
The Street Stock division would have Loretto, KY native Johnny Cecil pick up two feature wins over the course of the season and total 260 markers to make Cecil the 2004 Street Stock track champion. It is the first ever track championship for this Marion County native, who now has four career Street Stock feature race wins at Bluegrass. Willie Edelen of Bardstown, KY picked up one feature win and would take runner-up honors in the Street Stock division. Fifteen year old Lee Gray of Cecilia, KY would finish in third place, with Tim Leake of Bardstown, KY taking fourth, and Jaime Downs of Cox's Creek, KY rounding out the top five in Street Stock track points. Another Cox's Creek, KY driver, Shane Litton, would lead the second five in points, trailed by Doug Estep of Versailles, KY, Terry Bartley of Bardstown, KY, Michael Coontz of Hustonville, KY, and Robbie Settles of Bardstown, KY. A total of 59 different drivers earned points in the Street Stock division in 2004, with seven different racers taking feature race checkered flags.
Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, KY captured the 2004 Parkway Service Center/Lightning Graphics Late Model Rookie of the Year award. David Copley of Hodgenville, KY would take runner-up honors, with Cliff Clark of Vine Grove, KY finishing in third in the rookie points chase. Sidney Sprague of Lexington, KY and Donnie Beard of Columbia, KY would complete the top five. Special thanks to Rocky Wilson and Derrell Cooper for their support of the Rookie of the Year program at Bluegrass Speedway.
Bill Stanton, Jr. of Vine Grove, KY captured the 2004 Parkway Service Center/Lightning Graphics Modified Rookie of the Year title. Billy Jewell of Springfield, KY would finish second, with Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY taking third place honors in this rookie class. Clarence Belcher of Junction City, KY and Kelly Riggs of Hodgenville, KY rounded out the top five. Special thanks to Rocky Wilson and Derrell Cooper for their support of the Rookie of the Year program at Bluegrass Speedway.
Clyde Busch and crew put up The AMS Race Engines Late Model Dash Series and that title would be scored by Tim Tungate. Joey Daniel would finish second, with Whitney McQueary, Bryan Barber, and Cody Mahoney completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten in AMS Dash points were Lee Devasier, Benji Lee of Raywick, KY, Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY, Ed Behn of Salvisa, KY, and Billy Dever.
Mr. Aaron Burnette with Skillsaw Designs would sponsor the Skillsaw Designs B-Main Hard Charger Program and Michael England of Glasgow, KY would be the winner of the racing website designed by Mr. Burdette that would be free for one year. Second through fifth in this program's points were Whitney McQueary, Benji Lee, Jeff Watson, and Victor Lee of Stanford, KY.
Special events that were contested at Bluegrass Speedway in 2004 saw the following winners: Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN was the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Spring Sizzler winner on April 24; On May 8, Bo Wilson won the $300 Sportsman special and Mike Bailey won the $200 Street Stock special; Tim Tungate would win the Jerry Rucker Memorial on May 22; Kelly Warren of Columbia, KY won the Mod Squad Bash for the NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series on May 29; Bo Wilson won the Shorty Gardner Memorial for Sportsman on June 26; Tim Tungate won the Kentuckiana Klash for the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series on July 11; Bryan Barber in Late Models and Josh Lucas in Modifieds were Topless Terror Night winners on July 17; Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Illinois was the Lucas Oil NARA DirtCar Series Bluegrass Classic winner in front of the ESPN2 cameras on August 7 and Babb would also win the My Old Kentucky Home Shootout for the Northern All Star Late Model Series on August 28; Brad Neat would score the Bluegrass 50 win with the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series on September 25; Rick Eckert of York, PA was the winner of the Arizona Sport Shirts Dirt Track World Championship on October 16.
