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Michael Despain
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (October 4) - Ponderosa Speedway presented its 18th Annual Fall Classic and Greg Johnson of Bedford, IN would lay claim to the victory and become the 13th different driver to win the event and grab the $5,000 Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Model payday in the process. Johnson would make it a double for the evening as he was also victorious in the $600 to win Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Model feature event. Benji Lee of Raywick, KY picked up the $1,000 win in the Hardee's Modified division, while Bartley Grant would score the $500 SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman main event.
Dustin Neat would take the lead at the start of the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Model main event, with Jason Keltner, Jordan Bland, Zach Carney, and Victor Lee in pursuit. Lee would immediately challenge Carney for fourth and take the spot on lap 3, while Neat and Keltner battled for the top spot. Greg Johnson would make his way into the top five past Carney on lap 4, while Neat and Keltner attempted to settle the issue early among themselves. Caution waved on lap 10 as Mike Marlar would suffer a flat right rear tire and pull pitside for the evening. The Delaware double-file restart would keep Neat on the point, while Johnson would drive around the outside to grab the runner-up spot, with Lee, Bland, and Carney third through fifth as Keltner would get shuffled back to sixth. A caution for debris would slow the pace again on lap 12 and the ensuing double-file restart would not be as hectic, with the top five remaining the same. As the top five remained the same through lap 20, Neat would begin the lapping process on lap 21. Another caution for debris in turn four would slow the pace again on lap 25. The final double-file restart of the event would spell trouble in turn one as Bland would get crossed and Keltner and Johnny Wheeler would get collected in the melee, with Jeff Watson and Anthony Adams also involved, with Bland, Keltner, and Wheeler all done for the night. The final restart of the event would go green and Eric Wells would rimride to fourth on the restart, with Johnson dogging Neat every inch of the way now for the lead. Chris Combs would move past Carney into the top five on lap 26 as business picked up for the lead one lap later, with Johnson working under Neat and taking the lead into turn three on lap 28. Action would heat up again as the lead duo of Johnson and Neat would be joined by Lee as the leaders began to again work slower traffic on lap 34. With the leaders darting in and out of traffic, Lee would finally get a run on Neat for second and take the runner-up slot on lap 39. With Johnson pulling away from the field at this point, Lee and Neat would be joined by Wells and Combs, along with sixth place running Dustin Linville in a battle in heavy traffic on lap 42. Combs would slide past Wells for fourth on lap 44 and the top five would remain this way the final few circuits, with Johnson claiming the win in the Chad Stapleton owned, Outlaw Fabrication/Right Way Construction/ Group Metal Recycling/Bennett Motorsports sponsored #32 Rocket Chassis, Jay Dickens Race Engines powered machine. The remainder of the top five would be Lee, Neat, Combs, and Wells. Completing the top ten were Linville, Michael Chilton, Jimmy Crabtree, Carney, and Joey Daniel. Lee was top qualifier among 27 entries, with heat wins going to Neat, Keltner, and Bland, while Marlar won the B-Main, and Jeff Watson and Jamie Ferguson were track and fast time provisionals.
SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-October 4, 2008
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models (27 entries)
Top Qualifier- Victor Lee 14.131
1st Heat- Dustin Neat, Victor Lee, Greg Johnson, Eric Wells, Bobby Wolter, Jr.
2nd Heat- Jason Keltner, Zach Carney, Chris Combs, Michael Chilton, Joey Daniel
3rd Heat- Jordan Bland, Aaron Hatton, Jimmy Crabree, Dustin Linville, Anthony Adams
B-Main- Mike Marlar, Johnny Wheeler, Brandon Fouts, Bobby Carrier, Jr., D.J. Wells
Provisionals- Jeff Watson, Jamie Ferguson
18th Annual Fall Classic- Greg Johnson, Victor Lee, Dustin Neat, Chris Combs, Eric Wells, Dustin Linville, Michael Chilton, Jimmy Crabtree, Zach Carney, Joey Daniel, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Bobby Wolter, Jr., Jeff Watson, Aaron Hatton, Brandon Fouts, Jamie Ferguson, Anthony Adams, Jordan Bland, Jason Keltner, Johnny Wheeler, D.J. Wells, Mike Marlar
Hardee's Modifieds (26 entries)
Top Qualifier- Benji Lee 15.647
1st Heat- Benji Lee, Elliott Despain, Skylar Marlar, Russ Gabbert, Ryan Jarrell
2nd Heat- Josh Lucas, Randy Turpin, Jason Wheatley, Jason Hall, Gary Ward
3rd Heat- Joe David Turner, Tim York, Keith Smith, Bill Arnold, Brad Schlosser
B-Main- Jeff Rowland, Mick Sansom, James Grigsby, Todd Noel, Mike Taylor
Provisionals- Matthew Jordan, Randall Basham
Feature- Benji Lee, Josh Lucas, Jason Wheatley, Elliott Despain, Randy Turpin, Russ Gabbert, Joe David Turner, Bill Arnold, Keith Smith, Skylar Marlar, Ryan Jarrell, James Grigsby, Brad Schlosser, Randall Basham, Mike Taylor, Todd Noel, Tim York, Jason Hall, Jeff Rowland, Matthew Jordan, Gary Ward, Mick Sansom
Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Models (8 entries)
Heat- Bryan Bernhardt, Greg Johnson, P.J. Feistritzer, Michael Chilton, Zane Morgan
Feature- Greg Johnson, Bryan Bernhardt, P.J. Feistrizer, Michael Chilton, Todd Coffman, Gary Yeager, Clarence Belcher, Zane Morgan
SkyTower Power Race Engines Sportsman (17 entries)
Top Qualifier- Bartley Grant 16.998
1st Heat- Bartley Grant, Gerald Haynes, Jr., Logan Whitis, Scott Hensley, Eric Pollard
2nd Heat- Rick King, Troy Scott, Darrell Baker, Robbie Settles, Glen Hounshell, Jr.
Feature- Bartley Grant, Rick King, Gerald Haynes, Jr., Troy Scott, Darrell Baker, Robbie Settles, Eric Pollard, Logan Whitis, Elton Martin, Leo Brady, Joe Walker, Joe Dunbar, Scott Hensley, John Cole, Martin Stacy
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