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Michael Despain
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (August 15) - The SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman division raced for $500 to win on Friday evening at Ponderosa Speedway and Gerald Haynes, Jr. would grab the top spot in the division's main event. Other feature winners for the evening included Jordan Bland of Campbellsville, KY in Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models, Benji Lee of Raywick, KY in Hardee's Modifieds, and P.J. Feistritzer of Danville, KY in Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models.
The 25 lap Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Model main event would see the caution wave before a complete lap was scored for a spin by Larry Gray in turn four. When action got underway, Jordan Bland would jump out to the top spot, followed by Michael Chilton, Joey Kramer, Buzz Williams, and Dustin Linville. The front five would remain the same until lap 6 when Linville would go to fourth past Williams exiting turn four in three-wide action. Lap 7 would see Kramer take second from Chilton, with Chilton retaking the spot in turn two with a slider on Kramer one trip later. Linville would grab third from Kramer on lap 10 and move past Chilton for the runner-up slot after one more circuit, while Jeff Watson would take fifth from Buzz Williams on the lap 12. As Bland continued to drive away from the pack in a rapid manner at the point, Watson, Williams, and Jason Keltner settled into a three-way dance for the fifth spot, which would eventually be won by Keltner in turn two on lap 17. Bland would begin to work slower traffic during the final 6 laps of the event and this would allow Linville to close the gap on Bland, but when the checkered flag would wave, it would be Bland scoring his first Ponderosa Speedway Super Late Model victory behind the wheel of the Jeff and Vicki Bland owned, United Steel Supply/B&W Metals/Longshot Farms/Cox Repair/Wave Length Hair Salon/Advanced Racing Suspensions sponsored #12 MasterSbilt Race Cars by Stuckey, Pro Power Race Engines powered machine. Linville, Kramer, Chilton, and Keltner rounded out the top five. Completing the top ten were Watson, David Webb, Williams, Royce McGowan, and Anthony Ferguson. Chilton was the top qualifier in Wayne Bowen Racing Supply time trials at 13.536 seconds and also won the dash. Watson would score the heat victory, while Linville garnered the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger award.
The 20 lap SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman feature event would see Bartley Grant top the lead at the start of the event and pull away to almost a half straightaway lead until lap 8 when Grant would spin his mount entering turn one. This would hand the lead over to Gerald Haynes, Jr., who would pull away from the field on the restart, while Brian Elder, Troy Scott, Logan Whitis, and Rick King would battle for second through fifth. Grant would charge his way back to the front and would be in third when caution flew for debris on the track with five laps remaining. However, Haynes, Jr. would stave off all challenges in the final five circuits and score his third win of the season and second straight at "Kentucky's Baddest Bullring" aboard his Troy's Roofing/Cornett Race Engines sponsored #27 Chevelle machine. Grant would get around Whitis with two laps remaining to take runner-up honors, with Whitis claiming third, while King and Scott completed the top five. The remainder of the top ten would be Josh Sexton, Grady Moore, Jr., Joe David Humphrey, Roger Dell, and Brian Elder. Grant would be the top qualifier in Wayne Bowen Racing Supply time trials at 16.155 seconds. Haynes, Jr. would win the dash, while Sexton would win the heat, with Logan Whitis earning the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger award.
The 20 Hardee's Modified feature event would see front row starters Benji Lee and Josh Lucas race side-by-side for the top spot the first three laps, before Lee would take control of the point, with Wheatley sliding past Lucas for the runner-up spot on lap 6. Rocky Wilson would draw the only caution of the race after spinning while running in the fifth position on lap 15. Lucas would draw the final caution of the event with two laps remaining when his mount rolled to a stop on the frontchute, ending his evening. Lee would survive the challenges of Wheatley over the final two laps to score his seventh win of the season and sixth straight at Ponderosa in the seat of his Thompson Heat and Air/ B&B Motorsports/Smart Shoppers/Springfield Auto and Farm/Kirker Automotive Finishes/St. Joe Garage/Brian Ballard Motorsports sponsored #03 Bandit Race Cars, Dale Meers Race Engines powered entry. Wheatley would take second, with Kelly Warren third, while Elliott Despain would score fourth after starting 11th, while Bobby Neal completed the top five. Lee was the Wayne Bowen Racing Supply top qualifier with a lap of 14.943 seconds and also won the dash, while Dion Benningfield won the heat, with Despain taking the Valvoline Six-Pack Hard Charger award.
The 20 lap Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Model feature would be the Zane Morgan and P.J. Feistritzer show as Morgan would outduel Feistritzer for the first 12 laps of the feature event, only to have Feistritzer deliver a slidejob pass for the lead exiting turn two on lap 13. Feistritzer would proceed to pull away from the field over the final few circuits to score his sixth Pro Late Model victory of the season in his Big Daddy's Auto Sales/Self Service Storage sponsored #88 C.J. Rayburn Race Car. Morgan would hold off the advances of Todd Coffman to take second, while Gary Yeager and Clarence Belcher would complete the top five. Feistritzer was the Wayne Bowen Racing Supply top qualifier with a lap of 14.561 second and would also win the heat for the division.
SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, Kentucky-August 15, 2008
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models (15 entries)
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply Top Qualifier- Michael Chilton 13.536
Dash- Michael Chilton, Jordan Bland, Joey Kramer, Buzz Williams, Larry Gray, Dustin Linville
Heat- Jeff Watson, Jason Keltner, Jake Henry, David Webb
Feature- Jordan Bland, Dustin Linville, Joey Kramer, Michael Chilton, Jason Keltner, Jeff Watson, David Webb, Buzz Williams, Royce McGowan, Anthony Ferguson, Jake Henry, Kevin Colston, Larry Gray, Larry Foxx (DNS- Ernie Cordier)
SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman (17 entries)
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply Top Qualifier- Bartley Grant 16.155
Dash- Gerald Haynes, Jr., Bartley Grant, Troy Scott, Brian Elder, Rick King, Logan Whitis
Heat- Josh Sexton, Grady Moore, Jr., Wayne Hager, Joe David Humphrey
Feature- Gerald Haynes, Jr., Bartley Grant, Logan Whitis, Rick King, Troy Scott, Josh Sexton, Grady Moore, Jr., Joe David Humphrey, Roger Dell, Brian Elder, Joe Walker, Joe Dunbar, Wayne Hager, Matthew Ginter, Pat Hagan, Butch Phillips (DNS- Vernon Soeder)
Hardee's Modifieds (12 entries)
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply Top Qualifier- Benji Lee 14.943
Dash- Benji Lee, Josh Lucas, Kelly Warren, Jason Wheatley, Randy Turpin, Elliott Despain
Heat- Dion Benningfield, Rocky Wilson, Bobby Neal, Kevin Bryant
Feature- Benji Lee, Jason Wheatley, Kelly Warren, Elliott Despain, Bobby Neal, Rocky Wilson, Todd Noel, Josh Lucas, Kevin Bryant, Randy Turpin, Dion Benningfield (DNS- Jeff Rawlings)
Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models (6 entries)
Wayne Bowen Racing Supply Top Qualifier- P.J. Feistritzer 14.561
Heat- P.J. Feistritzer, Zane Morgan, Todd Coffman, Bobby Hartrum
Feature- P.J. Feistritzer, Zane Morgan, Todd Coffman, Gary Yeager, Clarence Belcher, Bobby Hartrum
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