Bloomington Speedway has announced its champions in each racing division for the 2017 season.
The year’s winners were Brady Short of Bedford (sprints), Jamey Wilson of Seymour (super stocks), Bradley Sterrett of Bloomington (modifieds), Donnie Modesty of Seymour (hornets), Ryan Tusing of Santa Claus (racesaver sprints).
The 33-year-old Short extended his Bloomington Speedway record for sprint car track championships to seven when he captured three feature wins at the quarter-mile oval track this season. Short also captured the MSCS Sprint Car Championship in 2017.
Jordan Kinser of Bedford, who won the track title at Lawrenceburg this year for the first time, was second to Short in the final Bloomington standings. Last year’s track champ, Jeff Bland Jr. of Bedford, was third this year, with Lee Underwood of Troy, Ohio, and A.J. Hopkins of Brownsburg completing the top five drivers.
“It’s been a fun year,” said the driver for Cam Pottorff’s No. 11p Sipes Body & Glass and Indiana Stone Works-sponsored Maxim powered by a Spec Racing Engines. His father, Don Short, is the crew chief.
“It’s my seventh championship, and to me, it’s something that — years ago, Kevin Briscoe was the best and still is in my eyes — driver around here. Growing up and racing modifieds and just watching him, he could do things that were amazing. He won five, and he could have won more. We just went out and had fun. We stayed in the point lead the whole time and just tried to be consistent without having bad luck or mechanical problems.”
Completing the top 10 in the sprint car points standings at Bloomington were Ethan Barrow of Bloomington, Hunter O’Neal of Ellettsville, Billy Cribbs of Muncie, Josh Cunningham of Spencer and Kevin Thomas Jr. of Cullman, Alabama.
Jamey Wilson won the super stock track championship at Bloomington to go along with his track title at Brownstown to complete a sweep of the two south-central Indiana race tracks. Wilson won three main events this year at Bloomington.
The 34-year-old Wilson is the grandson of National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer Jim Curry, who also is a pit crew member. His car is sponsored by Jason Ayers Trucking, Hanner’s Barbershop, Therese Graves, Kendall Farms, Beck’s Hybrids, Wilson Tree Services, J.C. Cattle Company, Dave’s Body Shop, Ace’s Emergency Roadside Service, Happy Herman’s Package Store, Fly-B-U-Chassis, Collings Brothers Excavating, Advanced Racing Suspensions and Ault Signs and Graphics. His crew includes his father Kevin Wilson, Doug Asbury and Matthew and Tyler Collings.
Steve Peeden of Paragon was a close second to Wilson in the final standings, with Jason Hehman of Brownstown, Steve Hollars of Bloomington and Jack Frye of Bloomington rounding out the top five in the super stock class.
Aubrey Eagan of Bedford was sixth, with Levi Ray Godsey of Bedford, Josh Divine of Loogootee, Chip Slagle of Westfield and Travis Todd of Heltonville completing the top 10 in points.
Hometown driver Bradley Sterrett raced to his first career track championship in the modified class.
Jacoby Hines of Nineveh, last year’s track champion in the modified division at Bloomington, was second to the 27-year-old Sterrett, with Jeff Deckard of Ellettsville finishing third and Bloomington drivers Jordan Wever and Matt Tiller finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Sterrett’s car is owned by Roddy Harris and sponsored by Ramon Excavating and Trucking, Quality Ceramic Tile, Economy Termite and Pest Control, CSi, JB’s Salvage and Kenny’s Tavern.
Chad Combs of Bloomington was sixth, with Roy Bruce Jr. of Bloomington, John Clippinger of Evansville, Sam Wray of Bloomington and Devin Gilpin of Columbus rounding out the top 10.
Donnie Modesty of Seymour captured the hornet division track championship. The 39-year-old racer also took top honors at Brownstown Speedway in the same class. Jeremy Smith of Bloomington finished second to Modesty in points, with A.J. Hobbs of Bloomington, Chad Taylor of Unionville and Felisha Lucas of Edinburgh rounding out the top-five drivers.
Modesty’s car is sponsored by Tynan Equipment, M&M Recycling; Fleetwood Concrete Raising; Bob Poynter Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep Hyundai of Columbus; Rain Storm Car Wash; Howler’s Inc. and Jack’s Transportation. His pit crew consisted of his wife Mary and their daughters Jacalynn and Haley.
Ryan Tusing of Santa Claus was the top point man for the racesaver 305 sprint cars. Tusing captured the track title over veteran Jared Fox of Bloomington and Ethan Barrow of Unionville. Brinton Marvel of Lizton and John Paynter Jr. of Bloomington completed the top-five racers.
Andy Bradley of Bloomington led the next five competitors in points over Mike Nalon of Pittsboro, Jeff Wimmenauer of New Whiteland, Kevin Chapoux of Indianapolis and Eric Perrott of Sumner, Illinois.
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected].
