By James Essex
Brownstown Speedway finally got a complete show in for the first time this season on April 1.
Tanner English of Benton, Kentucky, dominated the Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Late Model feature, leading Jared Bailey of Bedford and Jason Jameson of Lawrenceburg to the finish line, earning $3,000.
Adam Bowman of Seymour came from the 13th starting spot to finish fourth. Chad Stapleton of Edinburgh was fifth.
Tyler Cain of Seymour won the Indiana Pro Late Model feature event. Defending division winner Marty O’Neal was second, with Remington Gill of Mitchell, Tyler Neal of Paragon and Brad Barrow of Bloomington rounding out the top five.
Devin Gilpin of Columbus won the first modifieds feature of the year at Brownstown. Matt Boknecht of Seymour was second, and Trent Young was third. Defending track champion Jacoby Hines was fourth, and John Clippinger of Evansville was fifth. Gilpin, who drives for his grandfather Don Fleetwood of Brownstown, is sponsored by Dasco Race Supply, Vallery Chevrolet, Scott Sales and Service, IndSolTech, Blondie’s Pizzeria, Ni-Tech, Indiana Interstate Group, Eddie Gilstrap Motors, Bane Logging, Brown Oil Service and Valley and T.J. Hancock Core Supplies.
Defending super stocks champion Jamey Wilson of Seymour started the season off on the right foot by winning the main event. Josh Divine of Loogootee was second. He was followed by Tim Eddelman of Taylorsville, Colton Sullivan of Columbus and David Brewer of Seymour.
Zachary Stalker of Heltonville picked up the win in the pure stocks division. Stalker was trailed by Mark Hines of Scipio, Tim Rivers of Salem, Derek Clegg of Nabb and Jeremy Huebner of Loogootee to the finish line.
Brownstown Speedway will be back racing tonight with Super Late Models, modifieds, super stocks, pure stocks and MMSA Mini-Sprints plus the Modified feature rescheduled from March 25.
Windom nabs two USAC wins
Defending USAC Silver Crown champion Chris Windom had a perfect weekend on April 1 and 2, sweeping two USAC-sanctioned events.
Windom won the season-opener at Lawrenceburg Speedway on April 1, taking the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car feature event, and Sunday he won the Sumar Classic USAC Silver Crown event at the Terre Haute Action Track.
The win at Lawrenceburg was the first one for the Canton, Illinois, racer at the legendary racetrack.
Chad Boespflug finished second to Windom in the main event. Completing the top five were Justin Grant, Jon Stanbrough and Landon Simon. The rest of the top 10 finishers were Josh Hodges, Shawn Westerfeld, Kevin Thomas Jr., Jarett Andretti and Shane Cottle.
In preliminary action for the 35 entrants on hand, Grant was the fastest qualifier. The heat races were won by Nick Bilbee, Chase Stockon, Jeff Bland Jr. and Cottle. Tyler Courtney captured the semi-feature.
On Sunday at Terre Haute one of the biggest USAC Silver Crown fields in recent history saw 30 cars enter the Sumar Classic and top-10 runs by Dakota Jackson of Elizabethtown and Joss Moffatt of Columbus.
Windom backed up his win the night before at Lawrenceburg with the feature victory. C.J. Leary finished second, followed by Kody Swanson, Hunter Schuerenberg, Jerry Coons Jr., Brady Bacon and Damion Gardner. Jackson, driving for Gene Nolen, finished ninth, and Moffatt, in his first career Silver Crown start, finished 10th in the Williams and Wright entry.
In other racing action at Lawrenceburg on April 1, Joey Kramer of Hanover raced to the modifieds win, his 42nd career victory at the track. Kyler Herbert finished second, with Dylan Woodling taking third. Completing the top five were defending track champion Scotty Kincaid and David Spille.
Lawrenceburg Speedway will be back in action tonight with 410 non-wing sprint cars, modifieds, pure stock and Hornets. For more info, visit lawrenceburgspeedway.com.
Twin Cities gets green light
Twin Cities Raceway Park in Vernon will open its gates Sunday for a car show from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the track. That will be followed by an open practice session from 2 to 5 p.m. Everyone is invited to stop by and check out all the improvements that have been made to the track and facility.
For more information, visit the track’s new website address at twincitiestrack.com.
Bloomington racing April 14
Bloomington Speedway will be racing Friday night with the AMSOIL USAC Sprint Cars, plus RaceSaver Sprints and Lightning Sprints will be on the race program. For additional info go to bloomingtonspeedway.com.
Eldora opener set for April 15
Tony Stewart’s Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, will begin its 64th season of racing April 15 with a full race program of the Sunoco American Late Model Series, Modifieds and Eldora Stocks.
For further info head to eldoraspeedway.com.
This week in racing history
Danny Eichler, in his first-ever appearance at Brownstown Speedway, won the 1977 Late Model season opener at the track. Doug McCammon of Palestine, Illinois, was second with two-time and defending track champion Paul Crockett of Brownstown taking third ahead of Bob Fleetwood of Heltonville and Tommy Day of Madison.
Former track champion in the Hobby Stock Division at Brownstown, Herman Burton of Columbus, won the feature event for that division. Sam Sebastian of Austin was second with Columbus’ Chuck Gilpin third. The rest of the top five were Darrell Smallwood and Powell Ballard, both of Columbus.
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected].
