Bluegrass
Speedway
2221
New Haven Road
Bardstown,
KY 40004
2009
Official Media Release #18 (For Immediate Release: May 16, 2009)
Randle
Sweeney Wins Battle of the Bluegrass Modified 9th Annual Mod Squad
Bash at Bluegrass Speedway
Bardstown,
Kentucky-May 16, 2009- The Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel
Modified division presented by Graphic Impressions visited Bluegrass Speedway on
Saturday evening and Randle Sweeney of Clifty, KY would earn the $1,500 payday
in the 9th Annual Mod Squad Bash event.
Other feature winners for the evening were Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY in
44 Auto Mart Super Late Models and defending WBRT 1320-AM Sportsman track
champion Roger Cecil of Bardstown, KY in Sportsman.
After three failed starts that resulted in a couple of damaged race cars, action finally go going with Randle Sweeney taking the lead, with Benji Lee, Joey Kramer, Bryan Barber, and Josh Lucas in pursuit. Barber would take third on lap 2, with Sweeney maintaining the top spot until caution flew on lap 5 for a turn one spin by Mick Sansom. One more lap would be scored when Kramer would slow at the top of turn three to draw the next caution flag. The restart would see one more circuit made before Sansom spun again in turn two. The restart would still have Sweeney out front, with Lee and Barber battling for second, while Lucas, Robbie Gullion, and Johnny Lee battled for fourth. Lucas would win that battle, with Johnny Lee taking fifth on lap 8, only to lose the spot to J.T. Ayers one trip later. Barber would take second from Benji Lee on lap 10, while Ayers and Johnny Lee continued to battle for fifth. The front three of Sweeney, Barber, and Benji Lee remained the same, with Johnny Lee and Ayers still going at it for fifth. Sweeney would begin to lap some slower traffic by lap 15, while slowly pulling away from Barber at this point, with Benji Lee, Lucas, and Ayers holding down the remainder of the top five. Just as Sweeney was about to get into heavy traffic, Jason Hall would loop his mount in turn four to draw the next caution flag. Back underway, Ayers would slide past Lucas for the fourth position, while Sweeney continued to hold the point. Johnny Lee would then begin to challenge Lucas for the fifth spot and would make his way into the top five past Lucas on lap 25. A pair of cautions on lap 25 and lap 26 for Brian Shewmaker and Rocky Wilson would be followed by a lap 26 restart caution for Tim York’s contact with the turn three wall would slow the pace, but the front five would remain unchanged, with Sweeney taking the checkered flag first aboard the Haley’s Hardware/Tommy’s Quality Used Cars/Don Smith/Harold McElvain/AFCO Race Products sponsored #182 Nullynski Race Cars, SPEC Race Engines powered machine, followed by Barber, Benji Lee, J.T. Ayers, and Johnny Lee. The remainder of the top ten would be Russ Gabbert, Joey Kramer, Josh Lucas, Dion Benningfield, and Kelly Warren. In preliminary action, Joey Kramer was top qualifier among 37 entries with a lap time of 16.690 seconds. REAL Racing Wheels qualifying heat checkered flags would go to Kramer, Barber, Benji Lee, and Sweeney. Shawn Simpson and Jason Hall were the B-Main winners, while Don Adams and Mick Sansom would earn series provisionals, while Brad Schlosser earned the track provisional.
The 44 Auto Mart Super Late Model main event would see Michael Chilton jump to the race lead, with Earl Pearson, Jr., Brad Neat, Dustin Neat, and Lee Devasier in pursuit. Devasier would spin in turn one on lap 2 and collect Jeff Watson to slow the action early and draw the caution flag. The restart on lap 2 would also be called back as Larry Greer and Dusty Chapman would tangle in turn three, with Devasier also getting involved, ending all three racers night. The restart would see Chilton, Pearson, Jr., and Neat still in the top three spots, with Dustin Linville and Mike Jewell now fourth and fifth. Jewell would take fourth on lap 4, while a spin by Matthew Rigdon slowed the action again on lap 5. Back underway, Chilton, Pearson, Jr., and Brad Neat would settle into a three-way and at times, a three-wide battle for the top spot, with Pearson nipping Chilton at the line for the lead on lap 7, only to have Chilton be the leader at the stripe by just a few feet one lap later. The trio continued their torrid battle as they started working some slower traffic on lap 10, with Pearson, Jr. nosing out in front again by just inches at the stripe on lap 13, only to have Chilton back in front one circuit later. The final caution of the race would wave on lap 15 as Doodle Farris would loop his mount just in front of the leaders in turn four. The restart would see Neat get a good run on Chilton off of turn two and as the pair entered turn three, Neat would deliver a slidejob that would eventually put in front in turn one, with Linville going back into fourth and Justin Rattliff now holding down fifth. Lap 17 would see Pearson, Jr. fire a slider to pass Chilton for second in turn one, with race leader Neat now beginning to work slower traffic by lap 20. The front five would remain the same over the final five trips, with Neat scoring the win in the seat of his NWN Distributing/ Neat’s Service Center/T&T Energy/Begley Properties/Tarter Gate Company sponsored #41 MasterSbilt Race Car, Cornett Race Engines powered machine. Pearson, Jr., Chilton, Linville, and 12th starting Rattliff completed the five. Rounding out the top ten were Tim Tungate, 20th starting David Webb, Jason Keltner, Mike Jewell, and Jeff Watson. Brad Neat was also top qualifier among 21 entries, while Lee Devasier won the dash, with heat race wins going to Jeff Watson and Mike Jewell.
Defending WBRT 1320-AM Sportsman track champion would halt Pat Hagan’s win streak in the division by capturing the 15 lap feature event for the class behind the wheel of his Roger and Tish Cecil owned Cecil Trucking/44 Auto Mart/Teamsters Local 89/Chaney Signs and Graphics/El Jimador Mexican Restaurant/RER Concrete sponsored #5 Dale Meers Race Engines powered Chevy Monte Carlo. Hagan would take runner-up honors in the race, followed by Rick King, Jimmy Bryan, and Barry Chesser. The remainder of the top ten would be Paul Lewis, Jr., Joe Dunbar, Elton Martin, Billy Rigdon, and Avral Thompson. Ten entries would draw for the heat race starting spots and Hagan would win the heat.
SUMMARY-Bluegrass Speedway-Bardstown, KY-May 16, 2009
Battle of the Bluegrass Modifieds (37 entries)
Top Qualifier- Joey Kramer 16.690
1st Heat- Joey Kramer, Josh Lucas, Rocky Wilson, Elliott Despain, Walt Mayabb, Brad Schlosser, Lonnie Gregory, Joe David Turner, Don Adams
2nd Heat- Bryan Barber, Dennis Roberson, Kelly Warren, J.T. Ayers, Shawn Simpson, Sam Huffer, Joe Mattingly, Jeff Johnson, Kevin Mayabb
3rd Heat- Benji Lee, Johnny Lee, Dion Benningfield, Tim York, Keith Smith, Russ Gabbert, Josh Brock, Matt Boknecht, Randall Basham
4th Heat- Randle Sweeney, Robbie Gullion, Brian Shewmaker, Randy Turpin, Jason Hall, Kevin Nesselhauf, Mick Sansom, Adam Cole
B-Main #1 (Top 2 Advance)- Shawn Simpson, Joe David Turner, Walt Mayabb, Brad Schlosser, Sam Huffer, Lonnie Gregory, Kevin Mayabb, Don Adams, Jeff Johnson
B-Main #2- (Top 2 Advance)- Jason Hall, Russ Gabbert, Keith Smith, Adam Cole, Josh Brock, Randall Basham, Kevin Nesselhauf, Mick Sansom
Series Provisionals- Don Adams, Skylar Marlar
Track Provisional- Brad Schlosser
9th Annual Mod Squad Bash A-Main- Randle Sweeney, Bryan Barber, Johnny Lee, J.T. Ayers, Johnny Lee, Russ Gabbert, Joey Kramer, Josh Lucas, Dion Benningfield, Kelly Warren, Don Adams, Joe David Turner, Elliott Despain, Shawn Simpson, Tim York, Rocky Wilson, Brian Shewmaker, Dennis Roberson, Jason Hall, Brad Schlosser, Robbie Gullion, Mick Sansom, Randy Turpin
44 Auto Mart Super Late Models (21 entries)
Top Qualifier- Brad Neat
Dash- Lee Devasier, Michael Chilton, Brad Neat, Earl Pearson, Jr., Dustin Neat, Dustin Linville
1st Heat- Jeff Watson, Jason Keltner, Terry Keltner, Dusty Chapman
2nd Heat- Mike Jewell, Tim Tungate, Justin Rattliff, Bobby Carrier, Jr.
Feature- Brad Neat, Earl Pearson, Jr., Michael Chilton, Dustin Linville, Justin Rattliff, Tim Tungate, David Webb, Jason Keltner, Mike Jewell, Jeff Watson, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Chris Ruble, Dylan Preston, Matthew Rigdon, Dustin Neat, Doodle Farris, Lee Devasier, Dusty Chapman, Larry Greer, Terry Keltner (DNS-Daniel Hatcher)
WBRT 1320-AM Sportsman (10 entries)
Heat- Pat Hagan, Roger Cecil, Rick King, Jimmy Bryan
Feature- Roger Cecil, Pat Hagan, Rick King, Jimmy Bryan, Barry Chesser, Paul Lewis, Jr., Joe Dunbar, Elton Martin, Billy Rigdon, Avral Thompson