JUNCTION CITY, Ky. — The American Modified Series presented by Force for Earth Fuel based in Glasgow, KY presented it’s first ever series event on Friday evening at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY and Randle Sweeney of Clifty, KY would break the ice for the newly formed AMS tour with a win in the 30 lap, $1,500 to win Arizona Sport Shirts 30 presented by Force Fuel and Engine Conditioner.
Sweeney would win the inaugural series event behind the wheel of his Haley’s Hardware/Road Block/Tommy’s Automotive/Jim Hensley Family/Sweeney Logging/The Wheel Shop/AFCO Racing Products/DBR Starters/Skillsaw Designs sponsored #182 Nullynski Chassis, SPEC Race Engines powered machine. Russ Gabbert of Berea, KY would take runner-up honors in the IAT Motorsports RC Race Car, while Devin Gilpin of Columbus, IN would score a third place finish in the DASCO Race Supply Impressive Race Car. Bryan Barber of Greensburg, KY would collect a fourth place finish in the Roby’s Country Garden Bandit Race Car, with Jason Wheatley snagging the final spot in the top five in the VFM Manufacturing Larry Shaw Race Car.
The remainder of the top ten finishers would be Kelly Warren, J.T. Ayers, John DeMoss, Matt Boknecht, and Matt Goulden. There would a total of three caution periods to slow the action in the 30 lap, $1,500 A-Main event.
After two failed attempted starts, the third time would be the charm and Russ Gabbert would vault to the race lead, with Randle Sweeney, Devin Gilpin, Bryan Barber, and Don Adams giving chase. Gabbert and Sweeney would immediately begin to battle for the race lead, with Sweeney grabbing the top spot on lap 7, while Kelly Warren would take fifth one lap later on lap 8. The front five would remain the same until Adams would pull pitside on lap 15, with the caution waving two laps later for a spin in turn three involving Tommy Gregory and Randy Turpin. Matt Boknecht would make his way into the top five on the restart and take fourth, moving Barber back to fifth, with Barber reclaiming the fourth spot on lap 20. Sweeney would keep Gabbert at bay as the lead duo would catch slower traffic in the final three circuits of the event and hold on to claim the Arizona Sports Shirts 30 A-Main event and the $1,500 payday.
In preliminary action, Kelly Warren would lay claim to the SPEC Race Engines top qualifier award with a lap of 15.141 seconds, while Russ Gabbert would win Wehr’s Machine and Racing Products heat one, Randle Sweeney would win PPM Racing Products heat two, Bryan Barber would win Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil heat three, and Don Adams would win Wiles Driveshafts heat four. The B-Mains would be captured by Elliott Despain and Tommy Gregory.
The next event for the American Modified Series presented by Force for Earth Fuel will take place on Friday April 16 at Tri-City Speedway in Pontoon Beach, IL. The race will be a $1,500 to win, $200 to start A-Main event.
The American Modified Series will present UMP Modified sanctioned dirt track sports entertainment at racing venues throughout Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. For more information concerning the American Modified Series, call series race director Niles Lauderbaugh at (270) 576-2969 or visit the series website at www.americanmodifiedseries.com.
RESULTS
American Modified Series presented by Force for Earth Fuel- Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-April 2, 2010
SPEC Race Engines Group Time Trials Top Qualifier- Kelly Warren 15.141
Wehr’s Machine and Racing Products Heat #1 (Top Four Transfer)- Russ Gabbert, Devin Gilpin, Matt Goulden, Kevin Nesselhauf, Elliott Despain, Josh Lucas, Adam Cole, Andy Mefford (DNS- Robbie Gullion)
PPM Racing Products Heat #2 (Top Four Transfer)- Randle Sweeney, Matt Boknecht, Zach Fair, Greg Johnson, Keith Denny, Scotty Kincaid, Rocky Wilson, Doodle Farris (DNS- Nick Hestand)
Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil Heat #3 (Top Four Transfer)- Bryan Barber, Kelly Warren, Joey Kramer, Jason Wheatley, Tommy Gregory, Jimmy Payne, Brian Shaw, Mike Selby, Randall Basham, Tim Patrick
Wiles Driveshafts Heat #4 (Top Four Transfer)- Don Adams, J.T. Ayers, Randy Turpin, John DeMoss, David Adams, Rob Penny, Alan Stipp, Bartley Grant, Joe David Turner, James Grigsby
B-Main #1 (Top Four Transfer)- Elliott Despain, Josh Lucas, Keith Denny, Scotty Kincaid, Adam Cole, Rocky Wilson, Adam Cole (DNS- Andy Mefford, Robbie Gullion, Nick Hestand)
B-Main #2 (Top Four Transfer)- Tommy Gregory, David Adams, Rob Penny, Brian Shaw, Jimmy Payne, Bartley Grant, Alan Stipp, Joe David Turner, Randall Basham, Mike Selby, James Grigsby (DNS- Tim Patrick)
Series Provisionals- None
Track Provisionals- None
Arizona Sport Shirts 30 A-Main- Randle Sweeney, Russ Gabbert, Devin Gilpin, Bryan Barber, Jason Wheatley, Kelly Warren, J.T. Ayers, John DeMoss, Matt Boknecht, Matt Goulden, Tommy Gregory, Scotty Kincaid, Rob Penny, Brian Shaw, Keith Denny, Randy Turpin, Don Adams, Greg Johnson, Elliott Despain, Zach Fair, Josh Lucas, Joey Kramer, David Adams, Kevin Nesselhauf
Entries- 38
Lap Leaders- 2 (Russ Gabbert 1-6, Randle Sweeney 7-30)
Cautions- 3 (Lap 0-twice-mulit-car incidents, Lap 17 (Randy Turpin and Tommy Gregory spin)
Red Flags- None
American Modified Series presented by Force for Earth Fuel- Upcoming Schedule of Events
*April 16- Tri City Speedway- Pontoon Beach, IL- $1,500 to win
*April 30- Fayette County Speedway- Brownstown, IL- $1,500 to win
*May 1- Vermillion County Speedway- Danville, IL- $1,500 to win
*May 15- Bluegrass Speedway- Bardstown, KY- $1,500 to win 10th Annual Mod Squad Bash
American Modified Series presented by Force for Earth Fuel 2010 Sponsors
*Arizona Sport Shirts- “Official Merchandise Vendor” of the AMS (www.arizonasportshirts.com)
*Force for Fuel- Presenting Sponsor and “Official Fuel and Engine Conditioner” of the AMS (www.forearthonline.com/nlc/)
*Hoosier Race Tire- “Official Race Tire” of the AMS (www.hoosiertire.com)
*Wick Racing Fuels- “Official Race Fuel Supplier” of the AMS (www.wickoil.com)
American Modified Series presented by Force for Fuel 2010 Contingency Supporters
*AFCO Racing Products- “Hard Luck Award”- $50 certificate to first driver not advancing from B-Main and $50 certificate to 4th place finisher in A-Main each night (www.afcoracing.com)
*All Star Performance- “Hard Charger Award”-$100 product certificate per event (www.allstarperformance.com)
*Bandit Race Cars (www.banditracecars.net)
*Bilstein (www.bilsteinshocks.com)
*Blue Media
*Comp Cams (www.compcams.com)
*Dale Meers Race Engines
*Dyer’s Top Rods (www.dyersrods.com)
*Hypercoil Springs- Official Sponsor of Heat Race #5 (www.hypercoils.com)
*Impressive Race Cars- “Chassis to be given away at series banquet in a drawing of the top ten in series points-no purchase necessary) (www.impressiveracecars.com)
*Indiana Stone Works
*Intercomp Racing Systems (www.intercomp-racing.com)
*J.B.’s Salvage
*Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oil- Official Sponsor of Heat Race #3 (www.joegibbsracingoil.com)
*Landrum Performance Springs- Spring Certificate to first driver not transferring to B-Main (www.landrumspring.com)
*Lightning Chassis (www.lightningchassis.com)
*PPM Racing Products- Official Sponsor of Heat Race #2 ($50.00 product certificate per heat win; $500 product certificate at series banquet) (www.ppmracingproducts.com)
*Raceceiver (www.raceceiver.com)
*RHS Cylinder Heads (www.racingheadservice.com)
*Skillsaw Designs- “Official Webdesigner” of the AMS (www.skillsawdesigns.com)
*SPEC Race Engines- “Fast Time Award”-$100 per event (www.specracingengines.com)
*T & K Trucking- “Rookie of the Year”-$1,000 distributed among top three in Rookie Points)
*UMP Dirt Car (www.umpracing.com)
*VP Racing Fuels- “Hard Luck Award”- $50 certificate on fuel for misfortune in A-Main (www.vpracingfuels.com)
*Wayne Bowen Racing Supply (www.waynebowenracing.com)
*Wehrs Machine & Racing Products- Official Sponsor of Heat Race #1 ($50.00 product certificate per heat win; free set of bird cages to be given away at series banquet) (www.wehrsmachine.com)
*Wiles Driveshafts- Official Sponsor of Heat Race #4 (www.wilesdriveshafts.com)
*Willy’s Carbs- “Official Sponsor of Heat Race #6- Miscellaneous Carb Tools (www.willyscarbs.com)
