Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will host the 45th annual World 100 for dirt late models tonight. The event is the most prestigious in late model racing and pays $48,000 to win.
This year, Stewart has increased the total purse for the three days of racing to a record $318,350. That is a 22 percent increase over last year. Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tennessee, is the defending race winner.
In the 44-year history of the event, three Columbus-area drivers have made the race. Brothers Gene and Russ Petro made the race a combined nine times. Gene Petro participated in three World 100s, with his best finish a third in 1973. Younger brother Russ Petro made the race six times, with a fifth in 1987 being his best finish. The third Columbus racer to make the event, Dick Phillips, made the race two times, with his best finish a 16th-place finish in 2000.
Jackson 100 Friday at Brownstown
Brownstown Speedway will host its signature event, the 36th annual Jackson 100 next weekend. Action kicks off on Friday night with a $2,000-to-win Indiana Pro Late Model special. Also on the race card will be pure stocks, hornets and the MMSA mini-sprints. Also, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series will have hot laps and time trials on Friday.
Saturday, the $20,000-to-win Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series-sanctioned Jackson 100 takes place with heat races, B-mains and the 100-lap feature event. Also racing will be modifieds and super stocks.
Racer wins for Willoughby-Kunz team
Tanner Thorson of Minden, Nevada, won the “Gold Crown Midget Nationals” on Sept. 5 at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Illinois. The win was worth $10,000 to the Pete Willoughby/Keith Kunz/Curb-Agajanian Motorsports-Toyota TRD No. 67 Bullet/Speedway Toyota team.
Thorson won the dash, started from the pole and led the first 23 laps of the race until he jumped the cushion, flattening his right-rear tire. Thorson pitted and returned to the track to restart 19th. He marched through the field, taking the lead late in the race for the win.
Twin Cities names Hall inductees
Twin Cities Raceway Park in Vernon announced the first class of inductees into the track’s “Thunder over the River” Hall of Fame. Among those honored on Sunday during the Ted Collins Memorial Race were Mike Bechelli, Ted Collins, Tommy Day, Chuck Gilpin, Ken “Hillbilly” Ogle, Willie Sallee, Bud Seymour and Darrell Smallwood.
Flashback, 40 years ago (1975)
Ray Godsey won the late model feature at Brownstown over Ira Bastin and Bob Fleetwood. Bob Olmsted of Nashville won the hobby stock feature over Herman Burton of Columbus and Ed Covey.
At Twin Cities, Johnny Robbins won the 6-cylinder feature over Scott Schirmer and Gary Herbert. Powell Ballard of Columbus won the hobby stock feature.
At Bloomington, Bobby Black of Columbus won the 50-lap feature over Dick Gaines and Calvin Gilstrap. Ray Godsey won the stock car feature over Horace Lake.
Gene Petro of Columbus won the late model feature at Northern Kentucky Speedway in Union, Kentucky.
Local racing results
Twin Cities Raceway Park (Sept. 5)
Crate Late Model feature: 1. Jim Beeman; 2. Marty O’Neal; 3. Keegan Cox; 4. Trent Low; 5. Remington Gill.
Pure Stock feature: 1. Bodi Henry; 2. Mark Bruce; 3. Chris Workman; 4. Troy Clark; 5. Willie Sallee.
Hornet feature: 1. Todd Cain; 2. Gregg O’Neill; 3. Cody Perry; 4. Jaden Mayhan; 5. Brian Moore.
(Sunday)
Ted Collins Memorial Late Model feature: 1. Marty O’Neal; 2. John Gill; 3. Tory Collins; 4. John Baker; 5. Brian Wilhite.
Modified feature: 1. Joe Godsey; 2. Bryson Clark; 3. Jeremy Owens; 4. Sam Wray; 5. Trent Green.
Super Stock feature: 1. Steve Hollars; 2. Clayton Perry; 3. Jamey Wilson; 4. J.T. Huffman; 5. Justin Jeffries.
Pure Stock feature: 1. Mark Bruce; 2. Mark Smith; 3. Troy Clark; 4. Michael Cranmer; 5. Willie Sallee.
Hornet feature: 1. Cody Clarkson; 2. Austin Burton; 3. Dalton Roark; 4. Todd Cain; 5. Ryan Everman.
Lawrenceburg Speedway (Sept. 5)
Non-wing Sprint feature: 1. Kyle Cummins; 2. Josh Moffatt; 3. Jarett Andretti; 4. C.J. Leary; 5. Justin Grant.
Modified feature: 1. Trent Green; 2. David Spille; 3. Kyle Herbert; 4. Kyle Schornick; 6. Pete Holt.
Pure Stock feature: 1. Will McRoberts; 2. Corebin McRoberts; 3. Houston Roark; 4. Eric House; 5. Matt Wheeler.
Hornet feature: 1. Matthew Morris; 2. Jerry Gibson III; 3. Kendall Eberhart; 4. Dalton Roark; 5. Tim Schumacher.
Eldora Speedway (Sunday)
Baltes Classic Late Model feature: 1. Billy Moyer; 2. Jimmy Mars; 3. Kent Robinson; 4. Duane Chamberlain; 5. Jon Henry.
Upcoming racing schedule
Twin Cities Raceway Park (812-346-7223)
Tonight: Super Late Models, Modifieds, Super Stocks, Pure Stocks and Hornets.
Brownstown Speedway (812-358-5332)
Friday: Indiana Pro Late Model Special, Pure Stocks, Hornets and MMSA Mini-Sprints.
Sept. 19: 36th annual Jackson 100 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series $20,000-to-win, plus Modifieds and Super Stocks.
