With more than 100 racecars and a healthy crowd on hand, Bloomington Speedway conducted its J.B. Robinson Memorial special event April 29.
Defending 410 sprint-car champion Brady Short of Bedford made it back-to-back feature wins by taking the main event. Jeff Bland Jr. finished second, followed by Dave Darland, C.J. Leary and Shane Cottle.
The first visit of the season for the American Modified Series produced a 43-car field. Trent Young held off Columbus’ Devin Gilpin for the feature victory. Josh Harris was third, followed by Clayton Miller and Jacoby Hines.
In its first appearance at Bloomington Speedway, the Indiana Pro Late Model Series saw veteran Marty O’Neal of Spencer take the win. O’Neal’s car is owned by Larry Hartwell of North Vernon. Greg Amick of Columbus finished second, followed by Justin Shaw, Tyler Neal and Steve Barnett.
Lucas Bland of Bloomington was the winner of the RaceSaver Sprint Car division feature. Brian Gerster was second, followed by Kerry Kinser, Ethan Fleetwood and Tony Anderson.
Bloomington’s next event will be on Friday with 410 Non-Wing Sprints, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Hornets, and RaceSaver Sprints. For more information, visit bloomingtonspeedway.com.
Indiana rains
All area dirt tracks were rained out last Saturday night. Tonight at Brownstown Speedway will be a Super Stock Special honoring the late Scott Patman. Also racing will be Super Late Models, Indiana Pro Late Models, Pure Stocks and Modifieds. For more information, go to browns townspeedway.com.Lawrenceburg will be in action tonight with a race program consisting of 410 Non-Wing Sprint Cars, Modifieds, Pure Stocks and Hornets. For more info, visit lawrenceburgspeedway.com.
Eldora comes alive
Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will complete its weekend of racing tonight with the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars and AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car doubleheader. The two series kicked off the weekend last night with a complete show. For more information, go to eldoraspeedway.com.Paragon lid
-lifter set
The Paragon Speedway in Paragon will gets its 2016 racing season underway on Saturday. On the race card will be Non-Wing Sprints, Super Stocks, Bombers, Pure Stocks and Hornets. For more info, go to paragonspeedway.com.
Anderson in action
The Jim Howe Motorsports LLC go-kart racing team based in Columbus had a successful run on Sunday on the streets of Anderson. Howe teammates Jordan Fresher of Avon and Daniel Pearcy of Shelbyville, Kentucky, finished second and fourth, respectively, in the 22nd Annual Mayor’s Cup Grand Prix.
MTQRL ceases operations
The Midwest Three-Quarter Racing League (MTQRL) has ceased operations. The sanctioning body, which has sanctioned 103 races over the last seven years, cited low car counts and the declining interest in three-quarter midget racing. That leaves only the UMRA King of the TQs as the state’s only sanctioning body.Last year, Ronnie Combs of Greensburg was the series champion and Callie Wolsiffer of New Palestine was the Rookie of the Year. Both were driving for Tony Stewart Racing.
This week in racing history
After two successive rainouts, Twin Cities Speedway resumed its 1976 racing schedule, with Bud Seymour winning the Sportsman feature event. Johnny Robbins placed second. Columbus racers Chuck Gilpin and Powell Ballard were third and fourth, respectively, and Clifford’s Phil Fultz completed the top five.At Brownstown Speedway, the third race of 1976 saw Gerald Dixon pick up the Late Model feature win. John Davis finished second, followed by Paul Crockett, Bob Fleetwood and Noel Witcher. Pete Willoughby of Columbus, an 18-year-old rookie Late Model driver, won the third heat race for his first win in the division.
Scott Taskey of Columbus won the Hobby Stock feature event. Otis McConnell was second, followed by John Mull.
Thirty years ago, in 1986, Doug Ault won the Late Model Feature race at Twin Cities. He was followed by Bob Gullion, Scott McKeand of North Vernon, John Warner of Columbus and Jim Ruddick.
Buddy Franks of North Vernon captured the Street Stock feature at Twin Cities. Gregg Lyle of Columbus was second, followed by Gary Burton of Columbus, Mark Bruce and Jeff Wilson.
At Brownstown, it was Ohio’s Delmas Conley getting the Late Model feature win over Russ Petro of Columbus. Completing the top five were Roger Long, Ray Godsey and Rick Hines.
Mark Barber of North Vernon was victorious in the Modified Street Stock division feature race.
James Essex is the motorsports columnist for The Republic, a sister paper of The Tribune. Send comments to jmorey@tribtow
n.com.
James Essex is the motorsports columnist for The Republic, a sister paper of The Tribune. Send comments to [email protected].