BARDSTOWN, KY -- In a thrilling finish to the 8th Annual Bluegrass 50 at Bluegrass Speedway, Newport, TN’s Jimmy Owens fended off a last lap bonsai move from Greg Johnson to win his third O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series event of the season. Johnson drove deep into turns three and four to slide-job Owens on the final circuit, but Owens won the drag race to the line to capture a highly entertaining win.
With six different states represented in the 50-lap A-Main, Ohio’s Ben Adkins and Kentucky’s Timmy Yeager brought a stout field of O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass competitors to the green flag with Yeager pulling out front followed by Adkins, Jimmy Owens, Greg Johnson, and Dustin Neat. Adkins and Owens raced side-by-side for second for three laps before Owens settled into the spot. Two circuits later, Owens slipped in turn two catapulting Johnson up to the runner-up spot.
Running the bottom groove, Johnson wasted no time reeling in race leader Yeager and caught him on lap 7. In an exciting battle up front, the lead duo raced side-by-side for three laps until a lap 9 caution for Dan Deaton and Larry Greer slowed the pace.
On the restart, a caution for debris spoiled Johnson’s pass for the lead. When racing resumed, Johnson and Owens made it three-wide for the lead as Owens grabbed the number two position. A phenomenal three-wide battle for the lead had the fans on their feet as it was Johnson on the bottom, Yeager on the top, and Owens in the middle. Although Yeager was the “official” leader nearly every lap at the stripe, the trio swapped the lead in every corner with Owens finally assuming command of the field on lap 17 with Johnson following suit one lap later. Behind them, the racing was intense with Ben Adkins and Tim Tungate running side-by-side for fifth as Doug Horton and Brad Neat wrestled for seventh.
Owens started to encounter lapped traffic on lap 21, keeping Johnson within striking distance. Dustin Neat would work his way around Yeager at the halfway point to take third as brother Brad Neat would move from sixth to fourth just a few circuits later. Yeager would slow stop a on the track shortly thereafter bringing out the caution with 21 laps remaining. Under the caution, fourth-running Tim Tungate fell to the infield “hot pit” with a flat right rear tire.
When racing resumed, Owens led Johnson, Dustin Neat, Brad Neat, and Doug Horton to the green. Brad Neat soon worked around brother Dustin to take over third as Horton tried to do the same. A flat right tire on Chris Combs’ #47 would bring out a caution on lap 34 and keep the field tight with Owens on the point.
On the restart, Johnson powered by Owens on the bottom to take the lead, only to have the pass nixed by a caution when Combs spun in turns three and four. When the green flag waved again, Johnson once again pulled alongside Owens in a fight for the lead. With Owens running the very top and Johnson running the very bottom, they raced side-by-side for two laps with Owens finally motoring back ahead. Behind them, Horton moved back into the top five with a pass on Adkins as 21st-starting Bobby Wolter Jr. charged into 7th.
With just 8 laps remaining, Owens closed in on the back of the field as Brad Neat pulled even with Johnson in an intense battle for second. Two circuits later, Johnson cleared himself of Neat and began to close in on Owens. Johnson wasted no time erasing Owens’ straightaway lead, but with the laps winding down it seemed as though he would run out of time.
With 2 laps to go, Johnson continued to close in on Owens and, as the white flag was displayed, he was just three car lengths behind the race leader at the stripe. In turns three and four on the final lap, Johnson dove to the bottom and drove deep into the corner, completely clearing Owens with a wild slide-job that brought the entire crowd to its feet. In a side-by-side drag race to the line, it would be Newport, TN’s Jimmy Owens getting the win by half a car length over Greg Johnson in a highly entertaining finish to an outstanding race.
“Man, what a race!” Owens exclaimed in victory lane. “Our car was really good here tonight and I knew we had a good shot at winning this race.” The win was Owens’ third on season with the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series, his second at Bluegrass Speedway. Owens drives the Jeff and Eddie Harrod owned, Cornett powered, CJ Rayburn GTO sponsored by Harrod Farms, Central Painting, Perry’s Auto Sales, Red Line Oil, PPM Racing Products, and Hoosier Racing Tires.
Second place honors went to Greg Johnson of Bedford, IN driving the Bedford Transport/GB Graphics/Pro Power/Rayburn GTO. Dunnville, KY’s Brad Neat finished third in his Cornett powered MasterSbilt Monte Carlo sponsored by Neat’s Service Center and NWN Distributing. Dustin Neat, also of Dunnville, KY, nabbed fourth in the Neat’s Service Center/NWN Distributing/Estes/Rayburn Monte Carlo. Rounding out the top five was West Portsmouth, OH’s Ben Adkins piloting the Stephens Trucking/Fleming Auto Parts sponsored, Estes powered, MasterSbilt GTO.
With 29 entries on hand, it was Jimmy Owens setting fast time during Racing Optics Time Trials with a lap of 15.247. Mason Racin’ Heats went to Greg Johnson and Timmy Yeager while Ben Adkins won the Arizona Sport Shirts Heat. Chris Combs captured the win in the Design 500 B-Main.
The nation’s most competitive regional racing series now takes a weekend off before heading north to the King Family’s Florence Speedway on Saturday, September 30th for the $5000 to win Fall 50. The final race of the season is slated to be held on Saturday, October 14th at the Lake Cumberland Speedway.
For more information on the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts, you can log on to www.battleofthebluegrass.com or call the Series office at (859) 433-5707.
Event Summary
Bluegrass Speedway
Bardstown, KY
September 16, 2006
O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts
Racing Optics Fast Qualifier: Jimmy Owens/15.247
Mason Racin’ Heat #1: Greg Johnson, Jimmy Owens, Doug Horton, Jordan Bland, Jeff Watson, Sydney Sprague, Mike Jewell, Scotty Earl, Johnny Wheeler; (DNS – Michael Chilton)
Mason Racin’ Heat #2: Timmy Yeager, Justin Rattliff, Patrick Sheltra, Tim Tungate, Jason Keltner, Aaron Hatton, Rick Combs, Joey Daniel, Dan Deaton, Danny Hatcher
Arizona Sport Shirts Heat #3: Ben Adkins, Dustin Neat, Brad Neat, Larry Greer, Greg Lucas, Chris Combs, Jerry Rutherford, Bobby Wolter Jr., William Simmons II
Design 500 B-Main: Chris Combs, Aaron Hatton, Mike Jewell, Scotty Earl, Johnny Wheeler, Rick Combs, Bobby Wolter Jr., Jerry Rutherford, Danny Hatcher, Joey Daniel, Sydney Sprague, Dan Deaton, William Simmons II; (DNS – Michael Chilton)
O’Reilly Auto Parts 8th Annual Bluegrass 50: Jimmy Owens, Greg Johnson, Brad Neat, Dustin Neat, Ben Adkins, Doug Horton, Jason Keltner, Bobby Wolter Jr., Tim Tungate, Jeff Watson, Aaron Hatton, Patrick Sheltra, Mike Jewell, Scotty Earl, Jordan Bland, Larry Greer, Justin Rattliff, Chris Combs, Timmy Yeager, Joey Daniel, Dan Deaton, Johnny Wheeler, Greg Lucas
Event Statistics
Entries: 29
Cautions: 5
Lap Leaders: Timmy Yeager 1-14, Jimmy Owens 15, Timmy Yeager 16, Jimmy Owens 17-50
PPM Performance Products Hard Charger: Bobby Wolter Jr. (started 21st, finished 8th)
Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race: Justin Rattliff
Series Provisionals: Bobby Wolter Jr., Dan Deaton
Track Provisionals: Joey Daniel
2006 O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series Sponsors
O’Reilly Auto Parts – Title Sponsor and “Official Auto Parts Retailer of the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series”
Arizona Sport Shirts – Presenting Sponsor and “Official Souvenir Manufacturer & Vendor of the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series”
Sunoco Race Fuels – “Official Race Fuel of the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series”
2006 O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Supporters Include: O’Reilly Auto Parts, Arizona Sport Shirts, Sunoco Race Fuels, DART Machinery, Drive Smart Kentucky, Lucas Oil Products, Hoosier Race Tires, American Race Tires, PPM Performance Products, Bazell Fuels, Cruise With the Champions, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply, Racing Optics, Mason Racin', Design 500, Trailer Parts & Sales, Honda of Prestonsburg, Bullock Race Engines, CJ Rayburn Race Cars, Bert Transmissions, Rick Schwallie Photography, DT52 Photos, and Real Wheels
With six different states represented in the 50-lap A-Main, Ohio’s Ben Adkins and Kentucky’s Timmy Yeager brought a stout field of O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass competitors to the green flag with Yeager pulling out front followed by Adkins, Jimmy Owens, Greg Johnson, and Dustin Neat. Adkins and Owens raced side-by-side for second for three laps before Owens settled into the spot. Two circuits later, Owens slipped in turn two catapulting Johnson up to the runner-up spot.
Running the bottom groove, Johnson wasted no time reeling in race leader Yeager and caught him on lap 7. In an exciting battle up front, the lead duo raced side-by-side for three laps until a lap 9 caution for Dan Deaton and Larry Greer slowed the pace.
On the restart, a caution for debris spoiled Johnson’s pass for the lead. When racing resumed, Johnson and Owens made it three-wide for the lead as Owens grabbed the number two position. A phenomenal three-wide battle for the lead had the fans on their feet as it was Johnson on the bottom, Yeager on the top, and Owens in the middle. Although Yeager was the “official” leader nearly every lap at the stripe, the trio swapped the lead in every corner with Owens finally assuming command of the field on lap 17 with Johnson following suit one lap later. Behind them, the racing was intense with Ben Adkins and Tim Tungate running side-by-side for fifth as Doug Horton and Brad Neat wrestled for seventh.
Owens started to encounter lapped traffic on lap 21, keeping Johnson within striking distance. Dustin Neat would work his way around Yeager at the halfway point to take third as brother Brad Neat would move from sixth to fourth just a few circuits later. Yeager would slow stop a on the track shortly thereafter bringing out the caution with 21 laps remaining. Under the caution, fourth-running Tim Tungate fell to the infield “hot pit” with a flat right rear tire.
When racing resumed, Owens led Johnson, Dustin Neat, Brad Neat, and Doug Horton to the green. Brad Neat soon worked around brother Dustin to take over third as Horton tried to do the same. A flat right tire on Chris Combs’ #47 would bring out a caution on lap 34 and keep the field tight with Owens on the point.
On the restart, Johnson powered by Owens on the bottom to take the lead, only to have the pass nixed by a caution when Combs spun in turns three and four. When the green flag waved again, Johnson once again pulled alongside Owens in a fight for the lead. With Owens running the very top and Johnson running the very bottom, they raced side-by-side for two laps with Owens finally motoring back ahead. Behind them, Horton moved back into the top five with a pass on Adkins as 21st-starting Bobby Wolter Jr. charged into 7th.
With just 8 laps remaining, Owens closed in on the back of the field as Brad Neat pulled even with Johnson in an intense battle for second. Two circuits later, Johnson cleared himself of Neat and began to close in on Owens. Johnson wasted no time erasing Owens’ straightaway lead, but with the laps winding down it seemed as though he would run out of time.
With 2 laps to go, Johnson continued to close in on Owens and, as the white flag was displayed, he was just three car lengths behind the race leader at the stripe. In turns three and four on the final lap, Johnson dove to the bottom and drove deep into the corner, completely clearing Owens with a wild slide-job that brought the entire crowd to its feet. In a side-by-side drag race to the line, it would be Newport, TN’s Jimmy Owens getting the win by half a car length over Greg Johnson in a highly entertaining finish to an outstanding race.
“Man, what a race!” Owens exclaimed in victory lane. “Our car was really good here tonight and I knew we had a good shot at winning this race.” The win was Owens’ third on season with the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series, his second at Bluegrass Speedway. Owens drives the Jeff and Eddie Harrod owned, Cornett powered, CJ Rayburn GTO sponsored by Harrod Farms, Central Painting, Perry’s Auto Sales, Red Line Oil, PPM Racing Products, and Hoosier Racing Tires.
Second place honors went to Greg Johnson of Bedford, IN driving the Bedford Transport/GB Graphics/Pro Power/Rayburn GTO. Dunnville, KY’s Brad Neat finished third in his Cornett powered MasterSbilt Monte Carlo sponsored by Neat’s Service Center and NWN Distributing. Dustin Neat, also of Dunnville, KY, nabbed fourth in the Neat’s Service Center/NWN Distributing/Estes/Rayburn Monte Carlo. Rounding out the top five was West Portsmouth, OH’s Ben Adkins piloting the Stephens Trucking/Fleming Auto Parts sponsored, Estes powered, MasterSbilt GTO.
With 29 entries on hand, it was Jimmy Owens setting fast time during Racing Optics Time Trials with a lap of 15.247. Mason Racin’ Heats went to Greg Johnson and Timmy Yeager while Ben Adkins won the Arizona Sport Shirts Heat. Chris Combs captured the win in the Design 500 B-Main.
The nation’s most competitive regional racing series now takes a weekend off before heading north to the King Family’s Florence Speedway on Saturday, September 30th for the $5000 to win Fall 50. The final race of the season is slated to be held on Saturday, October 14th at the Lake Cumberland Speedway.
For more information on the O'Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts, you can log on to www.battleofthebluegrass.com or call the Series office at (859) 433-5707.
Event Summary
Bluegrass Speedway
Bardstown, KY
September 16, 2006
O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series presented by Arizona Sport Shirts
Racing Optics Fast Qualifier: Jimmy Owens/15.247
Mason Racin’ Heat #1: Greg Johnson, Jimmy Owens, Doug Horton, Jordan Bland, Jeff Watson, Sydney Sprague, Mike Jewell, Scotty Earl, Johnny Wheeler; (DNS – Michael Chilton)
Mason Racin’ Heat #2: Timmy Yeager, Justin Rattliff, Patrick Sheltra, Tim Tungate, Jason Keltner, Aaron Hatton, Rick Combs, Joey Daniel, Dan Deaton, Danny Hatcher
Arizona Sport Shirts Heat #3: Ben Adkins, Dustin Neat, Brad Neat, Larry Greer, Greg Lucas, Chris Combs, Jerry Rutherford, Bobby Wolter Jr., William Simmons II
Design 500 B-Main: Chris Combs, Aaron Hatton, Mike Jewell, Scotty Earl, Johnny Wheeler, Rick Combs, Bobby Wolter Jr., Jerry Rutherford, Danny Hatcher, Joey Daniel, Sydney Sprague, Dan Deaton, William Simmons II; (DNS – Michael Chilton)
O’Reilly Auto Parts 8th Annual Bluegrass 50: Jimmy Owens, Greg Johnson, Brad Neat, Dustin Neat, Ben Adkins, Doug Horton, Jason Keltner, Bobby Wolter Jr., Tim Tungate, Jeff Watson, Aaron Hatton, Patrick Sheltra, Mike Jewell, Scotty Earl, Jordan Bland, Larry Greer, Justin Rattliff, Chris Combs, Timmy Yeager, Joey Daniel, Dan Deaton, Johnny Wheeler, Greg Lucas
Event Statistics
Entries: 29
Cautions: 5
Lap Leaders: Timmy Yeager 1-14, Jimmy Owens 15, Timmy Yeager 16, Jimmy Owens 17-50
PPM Performance Products Hard Charger: Bobby Wolter Jr. (started 21st, finished 8th)
Cruise With The Champions Rookie of the Race: Justin Rattliff
Series Provisionals: Bobby Wolter Jr., Dan Deaton
Track Provisionals: Joey Daniel
2006 O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series Sponsors
O’Reilly Auto Parts – Title Sponsor and “Official Auto Parts Retailer of the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series”
Arizona Sport Shirts – Presenting Sponsor and “Official Souvenir Manufacturer & Vendor of the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series”
Sunoco Race Fuels – “Official Race Fuel of the O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Series”
2006 O’Reilly NARA Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Supporters Include: O’Reilly Auto Parts, Arizona Sport Shirts, Sunoco Race Fuels, DART Machinery, Drive Smart Kentucky, Lucas Oil Products, Hoosier Race Tires, American Race Tires, PPM Performance Products, Bazell Fuels, Cruise With the Champions, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply, Racing Optics, Mason Racin', Design 500, Trailer Parts & Sales, Honda of Prestonsburg, Bullock Race Engines, CJ Rayburn Race Cars, Bert Transmissions, Rick Schwallie Photography, DT52 Photos, and Real Wheels
