FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2010

Bluegrass Classic Fast Facts and Tidbits

-The Bluegrass Classic event first appeared on the Bluegrass Speedway schedule in 2001 and the inaugural event paid $7,500 to win on the first weekend of August that year and Bob Pierce would win the inaugural Bluegrass Classic over a 37 car field of entries that would see Pierce followed to the checkered flag by Jesse James Lay, Don O’Neal, Mike Jewell, and Rick Corbin.

-The “Tall Cool One” would repeat in the 2002 Bluegrass Classic over a 40 car field of entries, with the Dirt Late Model hall of famer now turned chassis builder and designer followed to the checkered flag in this event by Don O’Neal, John Gill, Darrell Lanigan, and Steve Barnett.

-After a third and second in his first two tries in the event, Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN would win the Northern All Stars sanctioned 2003 version of the Bluegrass Classic in an event that saw heat races set by a pill draw because of rain showers that moved into the Bardstown area just as time trials were about to begin.  Trailing the “Real Deal” to the checkered in 2003 would be Whitney McQueary, Tim Hitt, Mike Jewell, and John Whitney.

-The NARA DirtCar Series sanctioned the 2004 event and brought the cameras of ESPN2 to Bluegrass Speedway for the very first time and Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, Illinois turned in a stellar performance in front of the television cameras as the “Moweaqua Missile” held off a hard charging John Gill in the final laps to score the win.  Babb and Gill were followed at the checkered flag by Scott James, Don O’Neal, and Brandon Kinzer.

-The Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series sanctiond the 2005 edition of the Bluegrass Classic, which was called a tribute to David Speer.  Speer was a well known Late Model driver from Campbellsville, KY that raced all over the country during the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, with several hundred career wins along the way, including a win in the Spirit of ’76 event at Pennsboro Speedway in Pennsboro, WV and picked up an NDRA victory at Hawkeye Downs, Iowa in the early 1980’s.  Speer began his racing career in the mid 1960’s in the Central Kentucky area and raced up through the mid 1980’s.  Scott Bloomquist would start 15th, but would finish 1st in a wild main event that saw “Black Sunshine” score the win over John Gill, 16th starting Earl Pearson, Jr., mid-race leader Brian Birkhofer, and Don O’Neal.  

-Forty-eight Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series entries were on hand for the 2006 event and a “classic” it was in what is arguably the best Super Late Model feature ever contested in the history of Bluegrass Speedway, as Shannon Babb, Earl Pearson, Jr., and Scott Bloomquist would trade the lead, positions, and race three-wide for the majority of the first 45 laps of the 60 lap event, before Bloomquist would pull away over the final dozen laps to pick up his second straight win in the event over Darren Miller, Shannon Babb, Ray Cook, and Jimmy Owens.

-Scott Bloomquist would arrive again at Bluegrass Speedway for the ’07 version of the Bluegrass Classic and would make it three straight wins in the event, causing some folks to claim the race may need to be renamed the “Bloomquist Classic”.  Trailing the “President of Planet Zero” at the finish of the event would be a quartet of Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series regulars in Brad Neat, Billy Drake, Terry English, and ’07 Comp Cams Rookie of the Year Justin Rattliff.

-Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN would stop “Black Sunshine’s” dominance of the Bluegrass Classic in 2008 when he took the lead from Bloomquist on lap 29 and drove away for an impressive victory.  Bloomquist would take runner-up honors after battling with slower traffic as passing would come difficult in the final 15 circuits of the race.  Darren Miller, Earl Pearson, Jr., and Michael England would complete the top five at the finish.

-Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC would lead all 60 laps in adding his name to the Bluegrass Classic winners list in 2009.  Cook survived riding in traffic in difficult to pass conditions and held of first-time visitor Chris Wall, Dale McDowell, Brandon Kinzer, and Billy Moyer for the $10,000 victory in front of the SPEED TV cameras.  An event record 51 entries were on hand for this event.

-Two drivers have started in all nine previous Bluegrass Classic events and they are Brad Neat and Scott James.  The only driver making eight is Don O’Neal, with seven starts in the event going to Tim Tungate, while John Gill, Mike Marlar, and Whitney McQueary have six starts.  Those drivers making five starts are Joey Daniel, Mike Jewell, Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson, and Jimmy Owens.  

-Nine drivers made their first Bluegrass Classic event in 2009.  Those drivers were John Blankenship, Eric Jacobsen, Dale McDowell, Josh McGuire, Billy Moyer, Jeep Van Wormer, Chris Wall, David Webb, and Eric Wells    

-Ninety-two (92) different drivers had made the nine previous Bluegrass Classic events.


Bluegrass Classic History

2001(Unsanctioned)- Bob Pierce, Jesse James Lay, Don O’Neal, Mike Jewell, Rick Corbin, Jim Curry, Darrell Lanigan, Scott James, John Gill, Brad Neat, Greg Johnson, Timmy Yeager, Dick Phillips, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Tim Tungate, Kevin Claycomb, Jeff Coulter, Dustin Neat, Ed Behn, Joey Daniel, Dan Sturgeon

2002(NALMS)- Bob Pierce, Don O’Neal, John Gill, Darrell Lanigan, Steve Barnett, Whitney McQueary, Shawn Negangard, Bryan Barber, Mike Hawley, Kevin Claycomb, Doug Ault, Ed Behn, Tony Traficant, Doug Smith, Mike Mataragas, Mike Jewell, Brad Neat, Bob Lanter, Scott James, Jesse James Lay, Audie McWilliams, Jammie Wilson, Rick Corbin

2003(NALMS)- Don O’Neal, Whitney McQueary, Tim Hitt, Mike Jewell, John Whitney, John Gill, Scott James, Jesse James Lay, Steve Hillard, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Bryan Barber, Mike Hawley, Ed Behn, Jim Curry, Steve Barnett, Mike Marlar, Brad Neat, Ray Cook, Joey Kramer, Rick Aukland, Tim Tungate

2004(NARA)- Shannon Babb, John Gill, Scott James, Don O’Neal, Brandon Kinzer, Mike Marlar, Greg Johnson, Bryan Barber, Dennis Erb, Jr., Steve Barnett, Freddy Smith, R.J. Conley, Brad Neat, Johnny Wheeler, Jeff Watson, Tim Tungate, Joey Daniel, Mike Jewell, Timmy Yeager, Tyrel Todd, Aaron Hatton, Whitney McQueary, Tim Hitt

2005(LOLMDS)- Scott Bloomquist, John Gill, Earl Pearson, Jr., Brian Birkhofer, Don O’Neal, Steve Francis, Darren Miller, Matt Miller, Greg Johnson, Mike Marlar, Dustin Neat, Brad Neat, Bryan Barber, Jimmy Owens, Darrell Lanigan, Scott James, Donnie Moran, Johnny Wheeler, Michael Chilton, Tim Dohm, Joey Daniel, Jeff Taylor, Timmy Yeager, Freddy Smith, David Powers

2006(LOLMDS)- Scott Bloomquist, Darren Miller, Shannon Babb, Ray Cook, Jimmy Owens, Don O’Neal, Jimmy Mars, Chris Combs, Matt Miller, Brad Neat, Earl Pearson, Jr., Tim Tungate, Michael England, Justin Rattliff, Dan Schlieper, Steve Casebolt, Jr., Freddy Smith, Joey Daniel, Jason Keltner, Aaron Hatton, Scott James, Mike Watson, Jeff Watson, Whitney McQueary, Davey Johnson, Brian Birkhofer, Donnie Moran

2007(LOLMDS)- Scott Bloomquist, Brad Neat, Billy Drake, Terry English, Justin Rattliff, Steve Casebolt, Jason Keltner, Mike Marlar, Damon Eller, Earl Pearson, Jr., Garrett Durrett, Tim Tungate, Donnie Moran, Joey Daniel, Dustin Neat, Freddy Smith, Tommy Carlton, Johnny Wheeler, Wendell Wallace, Scott James, Jimmy Owens, Dan Schlieper, Michael England, Whitney McQueary, Victor Lee, Don O'Neal

2008 (LOLMDS)- Jimmy Owens, Scott Bloomquist, Darren Miller, Earl Pearson, Jr., Michael England, Bart Hartman, Jeep Van Wormer, Jason Keltner, Brad Neat, Steve Casebolt, Tim Tungate, Terry Casey, Billy Drake, John Gill, Jordan Bland, Joey Kramer, Dustin Neat, Scott James, Justin Rattliff, Wayne Chinn, Johnny Wheeler, Aaron Hatton, Vic Hill, Mike Marlar, Kevin Claycomb

2009 (LOLMDS)- Ray Cook, Chris Wall, Dale McDowell, Brandon Kinzer, Billy Moyer, Don O’Neal, Brad Neat, Scott James, Mike Marlar, Jimmy Owens, Jeep Van Wormer, Eric Wells, Whitney McQueary, Eddie Carrier, Jr., Terry Casey, Shannon Babb, Scott Bloomquist, Earl Pearson, Jr., John Blankenship, Josh McGuire, Eric Jacobsen, Tim Tungate, David Webb, Matt Miller, Jason Keltner, Mike Jewell


Quick Track Facts

Name:  Bluegrass Speedway
Owner:  Charles Hamilton
Promoters:  David and Anita Ferrell
Motto:  “Where It’s Always Showtime”
Website:  www.bluegrass-speedway.com
Seating Capacity:  7,500
VIP Suites:  9
Tower Area Includes:  Race Control, Press Box, and Public Address Box
Racing Surface:  Clay
Lap Distance:  2,640 feet or ½ of a mile
First Event:  May 27, 1995
Super Late Model Track Record: Don O’Neal 14.563 (5/8/2010)
First Super Late Model Feature Winner:  Johnny Wheeler (6/03/95)