Brownstown Speeedway - The Midwest Premier 1/4 Mile Dirt Track

The "Modern Day Cowboy" Gallops to Victory at Brownstown Speedway

Brownstown, IN-May 5, 2001- Checkers Pizza Night at Brownstown Speedway saw a familiar face return to victory lane as the "Modern Day Cowboy" John Gill of Mitchell, IN scored his first Late Model feature win at Brownstown since August 29, 1998 by taking the 25 lap, $2,000 to win main event. The win by Gill also marked his 40th career win at the historic Jackson County Fairgrounds oval. Other feature winners on the evening included Bubba Woods in Bombers, Greg O’Neill in Super Stocks, and Tom Busch in AMSA Mini-Sprints.

Gill would immediately take the lead at the drop of starter Rusty Nunn’s green flag in the 25 lap main event, with fast qualifier Marty O’Neal, Dick Phillips, C.J. Rayburn, and Tim Prince giving chase. The first of two cautions would wave on lap 3 as Frankie Coomer spun on the backchute as a result of a flat left-rear tire. When action resumed, Phillips would begin to pressure O’Neal for the second spot, as Rayburn and Prince waged war for fourth position. Phillips would take the runner-up slot from O’Neal with a turn two pass on the hub on lap 5, while last week’s winner Mark Barber had charged from tenth as was now putting the heat on Prince for fifth. Barber would slide into the top five on lap 8 with a turn three pass of Prince, as Gill continued to hold the point. Rayburn had turned the wick up on O’Neal at this point also and would take the third position two circuits later on lap 10. As Phillips began to slowly close in on Gill at the front, Barber was now going after O’Neal for fourth and would take the spot in turn two on lap 12. The final caution of the race waved with 13 laps completed as Dion Deason would loop his mount getting into turn one. The final restart would see Gill and Phillips once again pull off a bit from the field, as Rayburn, Barber, and O’Neal were having their own tussle for third. Phillips was just inches off of Gill’s decklid as the duo pulled away even more from the field and would settle the final outcome among themselves, with Phillips trying high and low lines in an effort to snatch the lead from Gill. The final four circuits would see the action really heat up as Gill’s mount galloped on three wheels, with Phillips able to show the nose of his ride to Gill in turn three on lap 21 and 22. Barber would squeeze beneath Rayburn for third on lap 22, bringing O’Neal along for the ride, shuffling Rayburn back to fifth. O’Neal would then take third from Barber as the leaders were taking the white flag. Gill would beat Phillips by about one car length to take the win in the Terry Eaglin owned Helena, Inc., Elrod Grain Service #75 Rocket Chassis. Phillips would go second, with O’Neal taking third. Barber would get sideways exiting turn four coming to the checkered flag, causing a wild scramble to ensue, with Rayburn getting fourth and Steven Godsey coming home in fifth. Thirteenth starter Doug McCammon would head up the second five, with Prince coming home seventh. Barber would recover and salvage an eighth place finish, with Gary Burton and 20th place starter Richie Hedrick completing the top ten. Thirty-six Late Models were in attendance on the evening, with heat wins going to O’Neal, Gill, Phillips, and Rayburn. Brad Barrow and Scott Smith won the B-Mains.

The Bomber feature would see apparent winner Clifton Barron be disqualified after refusing a post-race technical inspection, therefore, Bubba Woods of Bedford, IN would inherit what would be his third win of the season at Brownstown. Woods, aboard his Antique Auto Race Car Museum, Bailey’s Flowers and Gifts, Jerry Arthur Paving, Tucker Transmissions, B and D Waste Removal Fultz Auto Supply #00 Performer Chassis entry, would be trailed at the finish by Charlie Stevens, Kevin Applegate, Robert Walters, and Ben Burton. Completing the top ten were Matt Cummings, Mickey Hines, Matt Bex, Greg Benton, and Rob Manley. Sixty Bombers were on hand with heat wins going to Walters, Applegate, Benton, Barron, and Manley. The three B-Mains were won by Bex, Roger Reichenbacker, and Hines.

Greg O’Neill of Mooresville, IN would make it a sweep for the weekend after winning at Bloomington on Friday night in the Super Stock division. O’Neill put the Steve Hunt owned Eastern Banner Supply sponsored #99 in victory lane over points leader Brad Cummings, as Jay Deckard, Darin George, and Gary Green completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Steve Hunt, Raymond Burton, Kevin Jones, Kelly Pifer, and Geoff Strange. Heat wins went to O’Neill and Cummings.

The AMSA Mini-Sprints held their 2001 series opener at Brownstown and Tom Busch of Bedford, IN was the winner of a caution-filled 20 lap main event behind the wheel of his Busch Monuments, Diamond Chain Company, Mullis Petroleum #4 Hawk Chassis. Eric Edward, Mike Neher, Paul Tetrault, and Mike Patton were the rest of the top five. Completing the top ten were David Gibson, Patrick Haynes, Steve Noel, Craig Eaglin, and Scott Ramey.

Racing action continues at Brownstown Speedway this Saturday night as the Late Models will once again race for $2,000 to win and $200 to start. Also on the racing card will be UMP Modifieds and Bombers. Also, there will NO increase in general admission prices for next week’s events.

SUMMARY-Brownstown Speedway-Brownstown, Indiana-May 5, 2001

Late Models (36 entries)

Top Qualifier- Marty O’Neal 15.292

1st Heat- O’Neal, Steven Godsey, Gary Burton, Doug McCammon

2nd Heat- John Gill, Tim Prince, Mark Barber, Doug Ault

3rd Heat- Dick Phillips, Frankie Coomer, Cale Kern, Dion Deason

4th Heat- C.J. Rayburn, Tory Collins, Mike Jewell, Todd McKinney

1st B-Main: Brad Barrow, Brett Davis, B.J. McCammon, Derek Ramp, Justin Blackwell

2nd B-Main: Scott Smith, Richie Hedrick, Denny Bailey, Mike Bechelli, Brian Wilhite

Feature- Gill, Phillips, O’Neal, Rayburn, Godsey, Doug McCammon, Prince, Barber, Burton, Hedrick, Jewell, Smith, Collins, Barrow, McKinney, Davis, Deason, Ault, Kern, Coomer

Bombers (60 entries)

1st Heat- Robert Walters, Bubba Woods, Jerry Maynard, Matt Bex

2nd Heat- Kevin Applegate, Paul Owens, Rob Wilson, Dave Robinson

3rd Heat- Greg Benton, Ben Burton, Matt Cummings, Mike Seal

4th Heat- Clifton Barron, Charlie Stevens, Glen Woods, Roger Reichenbacker

5th Heat- Rob Manley, Dave Lemons, Jim Pfieffer, Kent Wagner

1st B-Main: Bex, Bobby Davis, Matt Jacobs, Robinson, Jerry Crane

2nd B-Main: Reichenbacker, Seal, Chris Streeval, Dan Sallee, Jim Deckard

3rd B-Main: Mickey Hines, Tony Arthur, Derek Wells, Reed Sparks, Travis Mankin

Feature- Bubba Woods, Stevens, Applegate, Walters, Burton, Cummings, Hines, Bex, Benton, Manley, Owens, Reichenbacker, Seal, Maynard, Davis, Pfieffer, Wilson, Glen Woods, Lemons, Barron

Super Stocks (18 entries)

1st Heat- Greg O’Neill, Jay Deckard, Kevin Jones, Raymond Burton

2nd Heat- Brad Cummings, Darin George, Gary Green, Kelly Pifer

Feature- O’Neill, Cummings, Deckard, George, Green, Steve Hunt, Burton, Jones, Pifer, Geoff Strange, Marty Cooper, Steve Tincher, Robert Turner, Calvin Gibson, Deb Freisner, David Godsey