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July 27, 2008
Wheatley Wins Battle
of the Bluegrass 8th Annual Bluegrass Rumble at Bluegrass
Bardstown, KY-July 26,
2008- The Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified
division presented by Graphic Impressions visited the David and Anita
Ferrell promoted Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY and Jason
Wheatley of Loretto, KY picked up his first ever series victory by
winning the 8th Annual Bluegrass Rumble, picking up the $1,500 to win
event.
Wheatley’s victory came
aboard the Tommy and Kaylee Wheatley owned, B&W Metals/ Rosewood Bar
and Grill/Gootee and Mattingly Heating and Air/Central Kentucky
Plumbing and Electrical Supply/Cozy Corner/Hawk’s Place/VFM
Manufacturing/ Wheatley Tile Flooring/Wheatley Seamless
Gutters/Wheatley Auto Sales/Brady Excavating/Springfield Auto and
Farm/St. Joe Garage/Top Notch Landscaping/Nukem Graphics sponsored #7
Jason Hughes Racing Chassis, Mullins by Wheatley Race Engines powered
machine. The winner’s entry receives product support from Integra
Springs and Shocks, Simpson Race Products, and Wayne Bowen Racing
Supply.
Series points leader Joey
Kramer of Hanover, IN scored runner-up honors in the Fox Custom
Cabinets/Wild’s Restoration Lightning Chassis, while Kelly Warren of
Columbia, KY scored a third place finish in the Commonwealth
Cancer/Roberts Construction Lightning Chassis. Fourth place would go
to Shawn Tolson of Walton, KY in the Automasters of Florence/Second
Glance Hair Salon Tomahawk Race Car, with Dion Benningfield of
Lebanon, KY completed the top five in his On Time Courier/Scamahorne
Stables Bandit Race Car.
The start of the 30 lap
A-Main would be called back when Rocky Wilson spun his mount in turn
one. The start would go green on the second attempt and a three-wide
for the lead would see Jason Wheatley take the race lead, with Benji
Lee, Shawn Tolson, Joey Kramer, and Kelly Warren giving chase.
Caution would fly again on lap 2 as Mick Sansom spun in turn one. The
attempted restart would not see a full lap scored as Jeff Stith spun
in turn three, with Rocky Wilson, Blake Cook, Don Adams, and Jason
Knoke all being collected, with Stith and Wilson done for the night.
Back underway, Wheatley would show the way, while Kramer would take
third from Tolson.
Action would pick up on
lap 5, was Lee challenged Wheatley for the top spot, with Kramer right
on their back bumpers ready to strike. Wheatley and Lee would trade
sliders for the lead on lap 5, with Kramer splitting the pair in a
three-wide move on lap 6 to take the lead. Wheatley would retake the
lead on lap 7 when Kramer nicked the concrete wall in turn four,
allowing Lee to go back to second in the process. Lee would slidejob
Wheatley for the lead in turn two on lap 11, only to lose the top spot
back to Wheatley, who would fire a slider of his own one circuit
later. The front duo would go side-by-side for the lead until lap 15
when Lee would loop his unit in the center of turn three and four.
On the restart, Wheatley
would hold the lead over now second place Kramer, while Warren, Tolson,
and Dion Benningfield held down third through fifth. Warren would
slide past Kramer for second on lap 16, only to have Kramer reclaim
the position from him one trip later. While Warren repeatedly dogged
Kramer for the runner-up slot, Wheatley would slowly pull away from
the second place battle.
With Kramer finally
winning the battle for second, he would make one final run on Wheatley
in the final five laps of the event, but Wheatley would not falter and
would score his first series win. Kramer would take second, with
Warren third, while Tolson and Benningfield would complete the top
five. The remainder of the top ten would be Robbie Gullion, Josh
Lucas, Benji Lee, J.T. Ayers, and Timmy Glazer.
In preliminary action,
Joey Kramer was top qualifier among 21 entries with a lap time of
116.848 seconds. Qualifying heat checkered flags would go to Lee in
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply heat one, Wheatley in K&N Performance
Engineering heat two, and Tolson in Graphic Impressions heat three.
The next event for the
Modified division of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series will
be on Saturday August 9 at the Chuckie May promoted 201 Speedway in
Sitka, KY, with the winner taking home $1,500 for their efforts.
The Battle of the
Bluegrass DirtCar Series sanctions regional Open Wheel Modified events
at tracks in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. For more information
about America’s most competitive regional racing series, visit the
series webpage on the world wide web at www.battleofthebluegrass.com
or call the series office at (859) 762-1606 or (502) 931-5068.
Battle of the Bluegrass
DirtCar Series Modified Division
SUMMARY-Bluegrass
Speedway-Bardstown, Kentucky-July 26, 2008
Racing Optics Top
Qualifier- Joey Kramer 16.848
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply
1st Heat- Benji Lee, Joey Kramer, Jeff Stith, Freddie Garmon, Joe
Mattingly, Brad Schlosser, Mick Sansom
K&N Performance
Engineering 2nd Heat- Jason Wheatley, Dion Benningfield, Robbie
Gullion, J.T. Ayers, Timmy Glazer, Jason Knoke (DNS-Blake Cook)
Graphic Impressions 3rd
Heat- Shawn Tolson, Kelly Warren, Josh Lucas, Johnny Lee, Rocky
Wilson, Brian Hash, Don Adams
8th Annual Bluegrass
Rumble A-Main- Jason Wheatley, Joey Kramer, Kelly Warren, Shawn Tolson,
Dion Benningfield, Robbie Gullion, Josh Lucas, Benji Lee, J.T. Ayers,
Timmy Glazer, Joe Mattingly, Brad Schlosser, Jason Knoke, Mick Sansom,
Freddie Garmon, Blake Cook, Don Adams, Jeff Stith, Rocky Wilson,
Johnny Lee, Brian Hash
Entries- 21
Lap Leaders- 3 (Wheatley
1-5, Kramer 6, Wheatley 7-10, Lee 11, Wheatley 12-30)
Cautions- 4 (Start, Lap 2,
Lap 2 restart, Lap 15)
Red Flags- None
PPM Racing Products Hard
Charger- Mick Sansom (started 19th-finished 14th-advanced 5 positions)
Battle of the Bluegrass
DirtCar Series Modified Division Point Standings (after July 26)
-
Joey Kramer(Hanover,
IN)- 2,231
-
Don Adams (London, KY)-
1,900
-
Kelly Warren (Columbia,
KY)- 1,690
-
Shawn Tolson (Walton,
KY)- 1,636 ®
5. Robbie Gullion
(Charlestown, IN)- 1,566 ®
-
Mick Sansom (Salt Rock,
WV)- 1,527
-
Skylar Marlar (Winfield,
TN)- 1,471 ®
-
Brandon Green (Walton,
KY)- 1,159
-
Wayne James (Newport,
TN)- 1,068
-
Josh Lucas (Bardstown,
KY)- 716
Battle of the Bluegrass
DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified Division Upcoming Schedule of
Events:
August 9- 201 Speedway
(Sitka, KY)- $1,500 to win
August 22- Ponderosa
Speedway (Junction City, KY)- 4th Railroad Days Showdown- $1,500 to
win
August 29- Moler Raceway
Park (Williamsburg, OH)- $1,500 to win
September 13- Tazewell
Speedway (Tazewell, TN)- $5,000 to win
2008 Battle of the
Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified Division Sponsors:
Max Brake- “Official
Trailer Brakes” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified
Division
CarbonX- “Official Flame
Shielding Fabric” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Modified Division
Health PMO- “Official
Health Care Company” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Modified Division
Graphic Impressions-
Presenting Sponsor and “Official Souvenir and Merchandise Vendor” of
the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division
Bob Hook Chevrolet of
Louisville- “Official Auto Dealership” of the Battle of the Bluegrass
DirtCar Series Modified Division
Total Lubricants-
“Official Oil and Lubricant” of the Battle of the Bluegrass Modified
Series
Other Battle of the
Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified Division Supporters
Include: American Race Tires, Cruise with the Champions, Curtis Signs,
Drive Smart Kentucky, DT52 Photos, Honda of Prestonsburg, Hoosier Race
Tires, Kentucky’s Best Racing, PPM Racing Products, Racing Optics,
Trailer Parts and Service, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply |
