Battle of the Bluegrass Dirt Car Racing Series
2009 Press Release Archive

July 31, 2009

Lee Outduels Carrier, Jr. in 7th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial at Ponderosa Speedway                               

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.         

Lee’s victory put him back atop the series points standings and would be his third of the season and tenth career series victory.  Lee would take the win 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.

Eddie Carrier, Jr. of Salt Rock, WV would finish a close second in the Carl Grover Motorsports owned Engines, Inc./Blue Ridge Machinery and Tool sponsored Rocket/Grover powered mount, while Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would claim third place honors in his Doors-N-More/Marlar and Son’s Auto Dismantling sponsored Rocket/Estes powered unit.  David Webb of Nicholasville, KY would score a fourth place finish in the David and John Webb owned ORS Auto Body and Collision/Valvoline sponsored C.J. Rayburn Race Car/Pro Power mount, with Bobby Wolter, Jr. of Lexington, KY completing the top five in the Bob and Bobby Wolter owned Kerr Brothers Funeral Home/Uncle Chuck sponsored C.J. Rayburn Race Car/Estes powered mount.

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.  The 50 lap, $5,000 to win event would slowed by three caution flags. 

Outside polesitter Dustin Neat would take the lead at the drop of the green flag 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, with Marlar, Webb, and Bobby Wolter, Jr. completing the top five.

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 next event for the O’Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Super Late Models will be at Bluegrass Speedway in Bardstown, KY on Saturday August 1.  The event is the 11th Annual Bluegrass 50 and will be a 50 lap, $5,000 to win series points paying event.        

The O’Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series sanctions regional Super Late Model 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 (502) 762-1606 or (502) 931-5068.