For The Tribune
BROWNSTOWN — Brownstown Speedway hosted the 4th annual “Scott Patman Memorial” for the Super Stock division on Saturday night.
A total of $1,000 was up to grabs for the winner of the event, which serves as the divisions highest paying event of the season.
Brownstown’s Jason Hehman started on the outside of the front row for the 29-lap feature event.
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After jumping to the early lead over pole sitter Branden Carr, Hehman would go on to lead the entire event and pick up the feature win.
An ecstatic Hehman credited his close relationship with the Patman family as reason for his excitement in victory lane.
“This isn’t just because it’s the Scott Patman Memorial or a big race, it’s because I grew up with that guy,” Hehman said. “Slim was with me the whole time growing up. Nobody has a clue how bad I’ve wanted to win this race, I don’t care if I never win another race for the rest of my life.”
Hehman finished second in last year’s memorial event after losing the lead to Josh Divine in the closing laps. Divine would go on to pick up his first feature win at Brownstown.
Carr, Divine, Matt Boknecht, and Aubrey Eagen rounded out the top five finishers. Hehman is now the third different winner of the “Scott Patman Memorial.”
Bocknecht won the first two events and was among the favorites to pick up his third title.
“Boknecht was so fast last week and I really expected him to blow by me at any time, but I just kept hitting my marks,” Hehman said.
Carr picked up a $100 bonus courtesy of In The Fast Lane Productions for being the fastest qualifier of the twenty-nine cars entered.
Seymour’s David Brewer was the recipient of the “Slim Fast” award after gaining the most positions in the feature event. Brewer finished in the eighth position after starting 18th.
Tyler Cain picked up his first feature win of the season in the Indiana Pro Late Model Series over Hudson O’Neal and Jeremy Hines.
“I knew I was going to have to be on my game with Jeremy and Marty (O’Neal) and Hudson here. This is awesome,” Cain said.
Hudson O’Neal made a rare appearance with the series due to the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series postponing their event at nearby Florence Speedway.
Cain nearly won last week’s event at Brownstown but slid off the track’s surface giving the win to Marty O’Neal.
“Last week, I told my wife that I’m not an emotional person but when I ran off the track over there, I just wanted to stop and cry,” he said.
Derek Clegg picked up his first win of the season in the Pure Stock division after capitalizing on the mechanical failure of race leader Dusten Carr.
Clegg started sixth in the event. Second place finishing Zachary Stalker started eighth. William
Burton, Houston Roark, and Donnie Wilson rounded out the top five finishers.
Pulling double duty, Matt Boknecht won in dramatic fashion over current national points leader Tyler Nicely in the Modified division.
Nicely appeared to be in complete control of the 25-lap main event, but Boknecht was able to close in and make the pass for the lead in the closing laps.
Nicely then slipped off the racing surface and faded to eleventh position.
Boknecht credited his decision to run the bottom groove of the racing surface as reason for the win.
“This was kind of like the old days when you could hug every tire and get it down the straightaway,” Boknecht said. “It was a lot of fun, but I just like making it to this piece of real estate.”
Ryan Thomas, Jeremy Hines, Rick Arms, and Jordan Weaver rounded out the top five.
Greg Oneill picked up the first Hornet feature win of the season over Brian Mitchell, Buddy Gedling, Josh Hallett, and Brian Moore.
Brownstown Speedway will be off this coming weekend.
Racing action returns on May 19 for Armed Forces Night. The speedway will be featuring the Indiana Pro Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks, and Hornets.
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“Nobody has a clue how bad I’ve wanted to win this race, I don’t care if I never win another race for the rest of my life,” — Jason Hehman after winning the “Scott Patman Memorial.”
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