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Michael Despain
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (October 3) - Red Buck Cigars presented the final portion of the 19th Annual Fall Classic weekend at Ponderosa Speedway as the Bill Pierce/Trenton Rayborn Memorial Fall Classic was contested and Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would start 16th but would finish first in the 50 lap, $7,500 to win event for Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models. Other feature event winners for the night would include Benji Lee of Loretto, KY in Clayton Homes Modifieds and Robbie Settles of Bardstown, KY in Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman.
Eric Wells and Don O'Neal would bring the 24 car starting field to the green flag in the Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Model A-Main event, with O'Neal jumping to the race lead, followed by Jordan Bland, Eric Wells, Dustin Neat, and Chris Combs. Neat would pass Wells for third on lap 2 as Bland would begin to pressure O'Neal for the by lap 4. O'Neal and Bland would settle into a nice battle for the race lead that would see Bland go to the top spot on lap 8. The lead pair would begin to work traffic on lap 11, but things would go haywire on lap 13 when Steve Stollings would spin in turn four and Greg Johnson would make heavy contact with Stollings and Casey Roberts would also spin into the incident. As that action had ended, Skylar Marlar and Tim Rivers would spin to avoid this incident and Bland and O'Neal would also be collected in this melee. Track officials determined the cars of Skylar Marlar, Rivers, Bland, and O'Neal would spin after the caution, therefore, those drivers would receive their spots back where they were running, but all would be done for the night, expect for race leader Bland. After a lengthy caution for track cleanup and a medical emergency in the tower, race action would resume with Bland back at the point, with Neat, Wells, Combs, and Dustin Linville giving chase. Meanwhile, Mike Marlar had methodically moved his way up through the field and make his way into fifth position on lap 15. The only other caution of the race would wave on lap 19 when Rick Rogers would loop his mount in turn two. The restart would see Bland and Neat stay first and second, while Marlar would go from fifth to third, with Linville taking fifth from Combs a trip later on lap 20. As Bland pulled away, Marlar would challenge Neat for the runner-up slot, with Linville putting pressure on Wells for fourth, with Linville firing a turn four slidejob pass of Wells for the spot on lap 26. With Bland out to about a three-quarter straightaway lead, Marlar would turn the heat up on Neat in the battle for second, with Marlar finally able to clear Neat for the position on lap 31, with Linville getting by Neat for third one circuit later. As Bland dealt with slower traffic at the rear of the field, Marlar would begin to reel in the race leader as the pair would battle side-by-side in traffic on lap 38. Marlar would hang Bland behind traffic in turn two on lap 40 and make what would turn out to be the race-winning pass, with Wells getting by Neat for the fifth spot on lap 41. Marlar would hold off the challenges of Bland and rest of the field to take the checkered flag first and become a first time winner of the event and the 15th different Fall Classic champion. Marlar's win would come in the seat of his Doors-N-More/Marlar and Son Auto Dismantling/Wayne Bowen Racing Supply/DWT Racing sponsored #157 C.J. Rayburn Race Car, Estes Race Engines machine. Bland, Linville, Wells, and Neat would complete the top five, while the remainder of the top ten would be Combs, Tim Tungate, Shon Flanary, Justin Rattliff, and Aaron Ridley. Bland would be the top qualifier among 29 entries, with heat race checkered flags falling to Wells, O'Neal, and Combs. The B-Main would be scored by Jeff Watson, while provisionals went to Steve Stollings (time) and Bobby Carrier, Jr. (track).
SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY- October 3, 2009
Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Models (29 entries)
Top Qualifier- Jordan Bland
1st Heat (Top 6 Advance)- Eric Wells, Jordan Bland, Shon Flanary, Casey Roberts, Skylar Marlar, Mike Marlar, Jeff Watson, Tim Rivers, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Tyrel Todd
2nd Heat (Top 6 Advance)- Don O'Neal, Dustin Neat, Dustin Linville, Tim Tungate, Aaron Ridley, D.J. Wells, Lee Devasier, Christian Rayburn, John Mulligan, Steve Stollings
3rd Heat (Top 6 Advance)- Chris Combs, Greg Johnson, Justin Rattliff, David Webb, Bobby Wolter, Jr., Rick Rogers, Michael Chilton, Ricky Arms, Jerry Rutherford
B-Main (Top 4 Advance)- Jeff Watson, Michael Chilton, Tim Rivers, Ricky Arms, John Mulligan, Christian Rayburn, Steve Stollings, Jerry Rutherford, Lee Devasier, Bobby Carrier, Jr. (DNS- Tyrel Todd)
Provisionals- Steve Stollings (time). Bobby Carrier, Jr. (track)
Bill Pierce/Trenton Rayborn Memorial Fall Classic- Mike Marlar, Jordan Bland, Dustin Linville, Eric Wells, Dustin Neat, Chris Combs, Tim Tungate, Shon Flanary, Justin Rattliff, Aaron Ridley, Bobby Wolter, Jr., D.J. Wells, Michael Chilton, David Webb, Jeff Watson, Ricky Arms, Rick Rogers, Skylar Marlar, Bobby Carrier, Jr., Tim Rivers, Don O'Neal, Greg Johnson, Casey Roberts, Steve Stollings
Clayton Homes Modifieds (30 entries)
Top Qualifier- Don Adams
1st Heat (Top 6 Advance)- Jason Wheatley, Don Adams, Dion Benningfield, Tommy Gregory, Richard Harlow, Josh Lucas, Shane McKenney, Kelly Warren, Tommy Hargis, Mark Watkins
2nd Heat (Top 6 Advance)- Adam Cole, Kevin Nesselhauf, Michael England, Benji Lee, Travis Preston, Brad Schlosser, Chad Barrett, Cody Davis, Mike Selby (DNS-Randall Basham)
3rd Heat (Top 6 Advance)- Randy Turpin, Elliott Despain, J.T. Ayers, Corey Partin, Bartley Grant, James Grigsby, Nick Nestand, Todd Noel, Rocky Wilson (DNS-Lonnie Gregory)
B-Main (Top 4 Advance)- Rocky Wilson, Chad Barrett, Shane McKenney, Tommy Hargis, Todd Noel, Nick Hestand, Mark Watkins, Cody Davis (DNS- Kelly Warren, Mike Selby, Randall Basham, Lonnie Gregory)
Provisionals- Nick Hestand (time), Todd Noel (track)
A-Main- Benji Lee, Jason Wheatley, Don Adams, Randy Turpin, Elliott Despain, Kevin Nesselhauf, Adam Cole, Tommy Gregory, Dion Benningfield, J.T. Ayers, Josh Lucas, Travis Preston, Ricky Wilson, Corey Partin, Richard Harlow, Tommy Hargis, Brad Schlosser, Nick Hestand, Michael England, Bartley Grant, Shane McKenney, Chad Barrett, James Grigsby, Todd Noel
Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman (15 entries)
Top Qualifier- Avral Thompson
1st Heat- Pherman Stewart, Pat Hagan, Avral Thompson, Darrell Baker, Johnny King, Donnie Sullivan (DNS-Todd Carmickle) (DQ-Billy Rigdon)
2nd Heat- Robbie Settles, Logan Whitis, Logan Whitis, Randy Lee, Jr., Eddie Stewart, Dennis Cross, Dan Dunbar
Feature- Robbie Settles, Pherman Stewart, Gerald Haynes, Jr., Logan Whitis, Pat Hagan, Avral Thompson, Dennis Cross, Donnie Sullivan, Randy Lee, Jr., Johnny King, Dan Dunbar, Darrell Baker, Eddie Stewart (DNS- Todd Carmickle)
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