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Michael Despain
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (April 5) - On an evening that saw recent rains from Mother Nature produce less than desirable track conditions, Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would etch his name as the inaugural winner of the Chris Estes/Brad Pena Memorial for Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models at Ponderosa Speedway. Other feature winners included P.J. Feistritzer of Danville, KY in Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models, Skylar Marlar of Winfield, TN in Hardee's Modifieds, and Bartley Grant of Berea, KY in SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman.
Victor Lee would take the lead at the drop of the green flag on the Super Late Model main event, with Mike Marlar, Brad Neat, Michael Chilton, and Jason Keltner in pursuit. The first of four lap 3 cautions would fly when Bobby Carrier, Jr. slowed on the track with a busted nosepiece and the restart would be called back after Dustin Linville made contact with the restart cone. The next attempted restart would see leader Lee suffer a flat left rear tire and spin exiting turn two, collecting Brad Neat, Dustin Neat, and Rohn Moon, while the fourth attempted restart would not take when Jamie Ferguson slowed in turn two after slight contact with the retaining wall. Once back underway, Marlar was now at the point, while Chilton would take second from Brad Neat on lap 4, and Keltner taking third one trip later.. Linville would be the cause for the next caution on lap 6 after slowing on the backchute with right front suspension damage. The restart would only see one more lap completed when Aaron Hatton would flip his mount in turn four, bringing out a red flag, with Hatton uninjured from the melee. This restart would still see Marlar with the lead, when second place Chilton would spin in turn two with a flat left rear tire and Brad Neat would also be involved as well.
When action resumed on lap 8, Keltner would now be second, followed by Rohn Moon, Duane Chamberlain, and Bobby Wolter, Jr. Shannon Thornsberry would be the cause on the next caution on lap 10 when he spun in turn four. The restart would see Moon take second from Keltner on lap 11, only to see another caution on lap 12 when Dustin Neat slowed exiting turn two and ended up tangled with Jeff Shackleford and Arnie Fields. At this point, due to the lateness of the hour and track conditions, the event was trimmed to 30 laps. The field would get three clean laps in with Shon Flanery going to fifth on lap 14, but Joey Daniel would slow on lap 15 to bring another caution period. At the halfway point, Marlar was still the leader, followed by Moon, Chamberlain, Keltner, and Flanery. Flanery would take fourth one circuit later, while Chilton was charging back through the field and would sneak past Keltner for fifth on lap 19. Marlar and Moon continued to pull away from the field and worked lapped traffic for the only time in the race on lap 22, with Moon closing right up on Marlar in turn three on lap 24. But another caution would call off the fight when Chilton would suffer another flat left rear tire and stop on the track on lap 25. The restart would see Chamberlain fire past Moon for second, with Keltner also going around Flanery for fourth. Lap 27 would see the final yellow bunting of the race when third place Moon spun in turn two with a flat left rear tire, while second place Chamberlain also pulled pitside with a flat left rear tire. The final circuits would be caution free and Marlar would go to victory lane aboard the Estes Automotive owned, Estes Automotive, PBM Performance Products, Dyer's Top Rods, VP Racing Fuels sponsored #78 C.J. Rayburn Race Cars, Estes Race Engines machine. Keltner, Flanery, Chilton, and Moon would complete the top five. Joey Daniel would start 18th and finish sixth, claiming the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger and an extra $100 from Clayton Homes, while Lee, Chris Wilson, Thornsberry, and Chamberlain completed the top ten. In Wayne Bowen Racing Supply time trials, Victor Lee would establish a new Super Late Model track record with a lap of 12.744 seconds among the 32 entries on hand. Lee would also pick up $200 in the Dyer's Top Rods Dash, while heat wins were captured by Flanery, David Webb, and Moon. Hatton would win the B-Main and Larry Gray was the track provisional for the event.
In Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Model action, defending track champion P.J. Feistritzer would begin defense of that track championship by taking top honors in the Pro Late Model feature event behind the wheel of his Big Daddy's Auto Sales, Self-Service Storage sponsored #88 C.J. Rayburn Race Cars mount. P.J.'s father, Paul Feistritzer would take runner-up honors, followed by Todd Coffman, Dylan Preston, and Brian Smith. The remainder of the finishing order would be Jeff Rowland, Scott Brewer, Zane Morgan, and Peydon Pelphrey. P.J. Feistritzer would be the top qualifier among 13 entries in the class and would also claim the heat win as well, while Brian Smith would be the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger.
The Hardee's Modified main event would see polesitter Skylar Marlar follow older brother Mike's tire tracks to victory lane as Marlar would lead the entire distance in the open-wheel division's feature event driving the Marlar Auto Mart, Huddle House, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply, RaceCarbs, Doors-N-More, El Rey's Mexican Restaurant, Precision Automotive, HandyMan sponsored #257 machine to the $1,000 payday. Top qualifier Kelly Warren would take second in the final rundown after a race-long battle with Victor Lee for the position. Russ Gabbert and Keith Denny would claim third and fourth, while Lee slowed on the final lap, but would hold on to take fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Kevin Nesselhauf, Randy Turpin, J.T. Ayers, Robert Potter, and Rocky Wilson. Twenty-two entries saw Marlar also win the dash, while Timmy York and Denny were heat winners, with Wilson taking the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger award after starting 21st.
The SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman main event would provide an entertaining finish as Bartley Grant would charge from his sixth starting position and race side-by-side with race leader Troy Scott for three laps before Grant took the lead coming to the white flag to pick up the win and $500 in his Cookie Monster Power Plants, Double J Cylinder Heads, Sunshine Grill, D&H Heating and Air, Cox Wrecker Service sponsored #1 entry. Scott would take second, followed by Willie Edelen, Butch Moore, Jr., and Joe Walker. Eleven entries saw Logan Whitis be top qualifier, while Scott won the heat, with Grant taking the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger award.
SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, Kentucky-April 5, 2008
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models (32 entries)
Top Qualifier- Victor Lee 12.744 (New Track Record)
Dyer's Top Rods Dash- Victor Lee, Jason Keltner, Mike Marlar, Brad Neat, Michael Chilton, Bobby Wolter, Jr.
1st Heat- Shon Flanery, Jeff Watson, Jamie Ferguson, Christian Rayburn
2nd Heat- David Webb, Shannon Thornsberry, Duane Chamberlain, Dustin Linville
3rd Heat- Rohn Moon, Dustin Neat, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Joey Daniel
B-Main- Aaron Hatton, Chris Wilson, D.J. Wells, Jeff Shackleford, Arnie Fields
Track Provisional- Larry Gray
Chris Estes/Brad Pena Memorial- Mike Marlar, Jason Keltner, Shon Flanery, Michael Chilton, Rohn Moon, Joey Daniel, Victor Lee, Chris Wilson, Shannon Thornsberry, Duane Chamberlain, David Webb, Christian Rayburn, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Larry Gray, Arnie Fields, Dustin Neat, Jeff Shackleford, Brad Neat, Aaron Hatton, Dustin Linville, D.J. Wells, Jamie Ferguson, Jeff Watson, Bobby Carrier, Jr. (DNQ- Dwight Embree, Eric Wells, Marty Stepp, Brandon Fouts, Jordan Bland, Chad Stapleton, Chris Combs, Miguel Coffey)
Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models (13 entries)
Top Qualifier- P.J. Feistritzer
Heat- Paul Feistritzer, P.J. Feistritzer, Dylan Preston, Peydon Pelphrey
Feature- P.J. Feistritzer, Paul Feistritzer, Todd Coffman, Dylan Preston, Brian Smith, Jeff Rowland, Scott Brewer, Zane Morgan, Peydon Pelphrey (DNS- Jim Wilson, Kevin Colston, Brandon Witt, Clyde Harper)
Hardee's Modifieds (22 entries)
Top Qualifier- Kelly Warren
Dash- Skylar Marlar, Kelly Warren, Russ Gabbert, Travis Preston, Victor Lee, Elliott Despain
1st Heat- Timmy York, Randy Turpin, Matthew Jordan, Shane McKenney
2nd Heat- Keith Denny, Kevin Nesselhauf, Scott Anderson, J.T. Ayers
Feature- Skylar Marlar, Kelly Warren, Russ Gabbert, Keith Denny, Victor Lee, Kevin Nesselhauf, Randy Turpin, J.T. Ayers, Robert Potter, Rocky Wilson, Kevin Mayabb, Kevin Bryant, Timmy Glazer, Timmy York, Matthew Jordan, Elliott Despain, Walt Mayabb, Josh Lucas, Shane McKenney, Scott Anderson, Travis Preston (DNS- Delane Browning)
SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman (11 entries)
Top Qualifier- Logan Whitis
Heat- Troy Scott, Willie Edelen, Butch Moore, Jr., Brian Montgomery
Feature- Bartley Grant, Troy Scott, Willie Edelen, Butch Moore, Jr., Joe Walker, Brian Montgomery, Michael Paul Howard (DNS- Martin Stacy, Logan Whitis, Josh Sexton, Alan Hackworth, Jr.)
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