Ponderosa Speedway
April 5, 2013
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Hines, Bailey, Coffman, Sullivan, and Gregory Grab Season Opening Wins at Ponderosa Speedway

by Michael Despain
JUNCTION CITY, KY (April 5) - Ponderosa Speedway kicked off its 41st season of dirt track racing on Friday evening at the 3/8 mile D-shaped red clay oval known as “Kentucky’s Baddest Bullring” and opening night feature winners included Jeremy Hines of Seymour, IN in Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models, Tommy Bailey of Corbin, KY in Bluegrass Drug Store Modifieds, Todd Coffman of Junction City, KY in Smith Automotive Machine Shop FASTRAK Late Models, Donnie Sullivan of Stanford, KY in D&D Pallet Recyclers Sportsman, and Adam Gregory of Gray, KY in Airport Road Salvage Yard Front Wheel Drives.

Victor Lee would take the initial lead at the start of the 25 lap Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Model feature and would lead the first 11 laps of the main event a caution flew on lap 11 for a spin by Dennis Barton and would see Lee have a flat right-rear tire under the caution flag and have to pull pitside for a fresh right-rear tire.  Lee’s misfortune would hand the lead over to David Webb who would hold the top spot until lap 19 when his entry would slow with mechanical issues, forcing him pitside.  Jeremy Hines would inherit the lead at this point and would lead the remainder of the way to claim the victory aboard his Georges of Seymour/Lloyd’s Body Shop/Cain Custom Flooring/Jeff Martin Motorsports/Lucas Oil/MoJo Motorsports sponsored #5H MasterSbilt Race Car powered by a Cornett Race Engine.  Dustin Linville would take runner-up honors, while Lee recovered to finish third.  Justin Rattliff and Stephen Breeding rounded out the top five.  The remainder of the top ten would be Johnny Wheeler, Jeff Rawlings, Josh Davis, Gary Yeager, and David Webb.  Fourteen entries would see Lee be the Bob Allen Motor Mall top qualifier at 13.055 seconds, while Country 100.9 MIKE FM heat race wins fell to Lee and Webb.

Tommy Bailey would take the lead at the start of the 20 lap Bluegrass Drug Store Modified main event and would hold off the repeated challenges of Michael England and Bryan Barber to pick up the feature race victory aboard the E.J. Mills owned Mills Auto LLC/G&M Oil Company/Mountain Ridge Drilling/Tommy’s Automotive Repair/Team Talon/Fastlane Signs and Graphics sponsored #20 Lightning Chassis powered by a Doug Callebs Race Engine.  England would score the second place finish, while Barber would ride home in third.  Eleventh starting J.T. Ayers would roll home fourth, while Rocky Wilson completed the top five.  Completing the top ten were Cameron Marlar, Tommy Gregory, Aaron Cox, Lonnie Gregory, and Trever Thompson.  Twelve entries saw Barber be the Bob Allen Motor Mall top qualifier at 14.623 seconds, while Inter County Energy heat race victories fell to England and Bailey.

Tyler Allen would lead the first 13 laps of the Smith Automotive Machine Shop FASTRAK Late Model feature event until getting high exiting turn two and making contact with the backstretch wall, ending his evening.  Todd Coffman would inherit the lead at this point and drive away to take the feature win aboard the Sharon Coffman owned Premier Self Storage/Auto Connection/Muffler Shop/Coffman’s Photography/Archie’s Tire Center/Harrod Farms/Todd’s Body Shop/Wilson Equipment sponsored #35 Rocket Chassis, GM604 powered mount.  The remainder of the rundown would be Jake Henry, Cole Bland, Tyler Allen, and Matt Henderson.  Five entries saw Coffman establish new track for the division at 13.884 seconds in Bob Allen Motor Mall time trials, while Allen won the Colston Paving heat.

Donnie Sullivan would battle with Jeremy Howard in the early stages of the 15 lap D&D Pallet Recyclers Sportsman main event until Howard had mechanical issues and pulled pitside, leaving Sullivan free to drive away to the victory aboard his D&D Pallet Recyclers/Simple Sign and Decal/ Crown Cuts/Patriot Sports sponsored #1 Chevy Camaro powered by an Estes Race Engine.  Derek Bottoms would take second, followed by Pat Hagan.  Glen Hounshell, Jr., and Steve Rector would complete the top five.  Ten entries would see Howard as top qualifier at 16.263 seconds, while Northside RV heats were captured by Howard and Sullivan.

The Airport Road Salvage Yard Front Wheel Drive division only saw two entries and only ran a feature event and Adam Gregory would take the lead from Charles Burton on lap 4 and drive to the victory aboard his Friends of Coal/Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance sponsored #22 entry, with Burton taking second.

SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, Kentucky- April 5, 2013

Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models (14 entries)
Bob Allen Motor Mall Top Qualifier- Victor Lee 13.055
Country 100.9 MIKE FM 1st Heat- Victor Lee, Jeremy Hines, Justin Rattliff, Stephen Breeding, Dennis Barton, Timmy Taylor (DNS- Wesley Brummett)
Country 100.9 MIKE FM 2nd Heat- David Webb, Dustin Linville, Johnny Wheeler, Jeff Rawlings, Gary Yeager, Josh Davis (DNS- Billy Meredith)
Feature- Jeremy Hines, Dustin Linville, Victor Lee, Justin Rattliff, Stephen Breeding, Johnny Wheeler, Jeff Rawlings, Josh Davis, Gary Yeager, David Webb, Dennis Barton, Timmy Taylor (DNS- Wesley Brummett, Billy Merdith)

Smith Automotive Machine Shop FASTRAK Late Models (5 entries)
Bob Allen Motor Mall Top Qualifier- Todd Coffman 13.884 (New Track Record)
Colston Paving Heat- Tyler Allen, Todd Coman, Jake Henry, Cole Bland, Matt Henderson
Feature- Todd Coffman, Jake Henry, Cole Bland, Tyler Allen, Matt Henderson

Bluegrass Drug Store Modifieds (12 entries)
Bob Allen Motor Mall Top Qualifier- Bryan Barber 14.623
Inter County Energy 1st Heat- Michael England, Bryan Barber, Lonnie Gregory, Brian Foster, Aaron Cox, J.T. Ayers
Inter County Energy 2nd Heat- Tommy Bailey, Rocky Wilson, Cameron Marlar, Trever Thompson, Robbie Settles (DNS- Tommy Gregory)
Feature- Tommy Bailey, Michael England, Bryan Barber, J.T. Ayers, Rocky Wilson, Cameron Marlar, Tommy Gregory, Aaron Cox, Lonnie Gregory, Trever Thompson, Brian Foster, Robbie Settles

D&D Pallet Recyclers Sportsman (10 entries)
Bob Allen Motor Mall Top Qualifier- Jeremy Howard 16.263
Northside RV 1st Heat- Jeremy Howard, Derek Bottoms, Pat Hagan, Steve Rector, David Freeman
Northside RV 2nd Heat- Donnie Sullivan, Glen Hounshell, Jr., Johnny King, Josh Vinyard, Eli Meredith
Feature- Donnie Sullivan, Derek Bottoms, Pat Hagan, Glen Hounshell, Jr., Steve Rector, Johnny King, Josh Vinyard, Jeremy Howard (DNS- David Freeman, Eli Meredith)

Airport Road Salvage Yard Front Wheel Drives (2 entries)
Feature- Adam Gregory, Charles Burton