"Dan the Man" Takes First-Ever Brownstown Speedway Checkered Flag

Brownstown, IN-June 16, 2001- Dan Sturgeon of Bloomington, IN has raced for many years, but had never visited victory lane at Brownstown Speedway until Saturday night when he claimed the $2,000 Late Model feature win. The win by Sturgeon also marked the ninth different Late Model feature winner at Brownstown in 2001. Matt Bex of Avoca, IN was a winner yet again in the Bomber feature, while Matt Boknecht of Seymour, IN picked up his fourth UMP Modified feature of the year at Brownstown.
The 25 lap Late Model feature would see polesitter and fast qualifier Doug Ault jump to the lead with Dan Sturgeon, Mark Bechelli, Dick Phillips, and Frankie Coomer giving chase. Coomer would take fourth on lap 2, as Ault pulled to a three car length lead. The first of four cautions flew on lap 4 as third place running Bechelli spun in turn 2 and collected the entry of Steven Godsey. The restart would see tenth starting John Gill go to the fifth spot. Phillips would scoot beneath Coomer for third on lap 7, while B-main winner Mark Barber had charged from 16th to break into the top ten on lap 8. With 9 laps completed, Gary Burton would spin his mount in turn four to bring out the second caution of the event. The restart would see Gill grab the third spot from Phillips on lap 10 in turn three. With Ault still on the point, Sturgeon and Gill would begin a classic side-by-side battle for the runner-up slot, with Scott Smith sneaking into the top five after passing Coomer on lap 12, with the hard-charging Barber now up to the seventh spot. As Sturgeon and Gill continued their wicked duel, this was allowing Ault to slowly inch away from the runner-up battle. Barber's charge would continue when he grabbed sixth from Coomer on lap 16, as Gill now had the second spot and quickly reeled in Ault for the lead. As Gill was set to pass Ault for the lead, Tim Prince would spin over the banking in turn four to bring out the third caution of the 25 lap event. The restart would see Sturgeon begin to challenge Gill for the second spot as this duo raced side-by-side just a half-car length off of Ault's rear spoiler. Sturgeon would reclaim the runner-up spot on lap 19, as Barber was challenging Smith for the fifth spot. The final caution would wave on lap 20 for a spin by Lee Hobbs in turn four, setting up a six lap trophy dash sprint to the finish. The restart would see Sturgeon begin to mount a run on Ault for the lead and Sturgeon would make the winning pass on lap 21 exiting turn four. Ault, who was battling a loose car by this point, had Gill now breathing down his neck, while Smith would succumb to Barber's charge for fifth on lap 23. Ault and Gill continued battling for second until Gill claimed the runner-up slot as the white flag was shown to the field. Sturgeon would take the checkered flag first in the Bruce Sturgeon owned Living Room Center, Reliable Welding, Penske Shocks #26 Rocket Chassis, Travis Kern powered unit. Gill would finish second, with Ault taking third. Points leader Dick Phillips would quietly ride home fourth, with 16th starting Barber completing the top five. Smith, Steven Godsey, Coomer, Bechelli, and Greg Ault would complete the top ten. Twenty-six Late Models were on hand with heat wins going to Doug Ault, Bechelli, and Sturgeon, with Barber winning the B-main.

Matt Bex rolled to yet another Bomber feature win after starting in the seventh spot as passing the lead pair of Robert Walters and Charlie Stevens with four laps remaining to take the 15 lap Bomber feature win in his Bailey's Flowers and Gifts, East Vending, Tucker Transmissions, Cummings Race Engines #31 Performer Chassis Monte Carlo. Matt Cummings would scoot through the battle for second through sixth in the final laps to claim the second spot, with Stevens, Jim Ruddick, and Walters completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Brad Cummings, Roger Reichenbacker, Darrell Burton, Bubba Woods, and Clifton Barron. Fifty-one Bombers were in attendance with heat wins scored by Walters, Stevens, Brad Cummings, Burton, and Matt Cummings, with the B-mains being won by Bubba Woods and Clifton Barron.

The UMP Modified feature saw Matt Boknecht claim his fourth open-wheel victory of the year at Brownstown after holding a late race charge by Adam Sasser to take the win aboard his HMF Steel Sales, George's of Seymour, Hardy Graphics #22 Fly-By-U Race Car, AMS Race Engine powered entry. Sasser would take second, with young Levi Godsey taking the third spot. Rounding out the top five was 15th starting Todd Gilpin and young gun Clint DeMoss. Completing the top ten were Ryan Thomas, Brad Sturgeon, Rusty Smiley, Dale Ayers, and Brandon Short. Twenty nine UMP Modifieds saw heat races won by Boknecht, J.D. Roberts, and John DeMoss, with Don Parson winning the B-main.

SUMMARY-Brownstown Speedway-Brownstown, Indiana-June 16, 2001
LATE MODELS (26 entries)
Top Qualifier- Doug Ault 15.727
1st Heat- Doug Ault, Dick Phillips, Scott Smith, John Gill
2nd Heat- Mark Bechelli, Steven Godsey, Frankie Coomer, Dusty Chapman
3rd Heat- Dan Sturgeon, Tim Prince, Greg Ault, Reece Riggle
B-Main: Mark Barber, Derek Ramp, Lee Hobbs, Gary Burton, A.J. Bingham
Feature- Sturgeon, Gill, Doug Ault, Phillips, Barber, Smith, Steven Godsey,
Coomer, Bechelli, Greg Ault, Joe Godsey, Burton, Riggle, Cale Kern, Denny
Bailey, Prince, Hobbs, Bingham, Ramp, Chapman

BOMBERS (51 entries)
1st Heat- Robert Walters, Robert Green, Jack Lewis, John Mayer
2nd Heat- Charlie Stevens, Matt Bex, Josh Turner, Dave Hill
3rd Heat- Brad Cummings, Dave Lemons, Jim Isley, Dan Sallee
4th Heat- Darrell Burton, Paul Owens, Jason Hehman, Clifton Barron
5th Heat- Matt Cummings, Jim Ruddick, Roger Reichenbacker, Donnie Pifer
1st B-Main: Bubba Woods, Rick Applegate, Hill, Jerry Maynard, Mayer
2nd B-Main: Barron, Josh Hayes, Dave Becht, Travis McElfresh, Travis Mankin
Feature- Bex, Matt Cummings, Stevens, Ruddick, Walters, Brad Cummings,
Reichenbacker, Burton, Woods, Barron, Green, Turner, Applegate, Hill, Hayes,
Lewis, Isley, Becht, Lemons, Owens, Hehman

UMP MODIFIEDS (29 entries)
1st Heat- Matt Boknecht, Levi Godsey, Dale Ayers, Greg Deckard
2nd Heat- J.D. Roberts, Rusty Smiley, Clint DeMoss, Ryan Thomas
3rd Heat- John DeMoss, Adam Sasser, Lee Hobbs, Brad Sturgeon
B-Main: Don Parson, Brandon Short, Randy Howe, Brian Corbin, Cully Chapman
Feature- Boknecht, Sasser, Godsey, Todd Gilpin, Clint DeMoss, Thomas,
Sturgeon, Smiley, Ayers, Short, Roberts, Murl Robinson, Corbin, Don
Fleetwood, Deckard, Parson, Howe, Chapman, John DeMoss, Hobbs