Richmond Raceway
Butterball victory gives Lee sixth BoB triumph
By Michael Despain
O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Lee tunes up at Richmond. (dt52photos.com)
RICHMOND, Ky. (July 19) — Winning a mid-race slide job duel with Joey Kramer at Richmond Raceway, Victor Lee of Stanford, Ky., continued his mastery on the O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series by capturing the 21st annual Butterball Wooldridge Memorial. Lee pocketed $5,000 for his series-leading sixth victory of the season. | Audio slideshow | Slideshow | Butterball Wooldridge notebook
Josh McGuire of Grayson, Ky., led the first two laps before Kramer, the Hanover, Ind., driver fielding a Mike Jewell-owned entry, took command on the third lap. But Lee in second by the 12th lap and began tracking down the leading Kramer before the race's lone caution on lap 19 when Shelby Miles hit the turn-three wall. On the restart, Lee turned up the heat and the frontrunners traded the top spot on lap 23 before Lee took command for good on lap 24. He led the rest of the 50-lapper while McGuire, who slipped back as far as fourth, got back up to second at the finish. Dustin Linville of Lancaster, Ky., finished third with Aaron Hatton of Mount Sterling, Ky., fourth and Kramer fifth at the 3/10-mile oval. Fast qualifier Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., was sixth.
Notes: Lee's Frank Revel-owned Rayburn Race Car has a Jay Dickens engine and sponsorship from Kentucky’s Best, Budda Bert Transmissions and Sales, Junction City Quick Stop, Tim Logan Racing, Xtreme Style Signs and Graphics, Five Star Food Marts and ADO’s Auto Parts. ... Mike Jewell got the PPM Racing Products Hard Charger award for starting 18th and finishing 12th. ... O'Reilly BoB competitors next head to Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park for a July 26 event paying $3,000 to the winner.
O'Reilly BoB @ Richmond: (1) Victor Lee, (2) Josh McGuire, (3) Dustin Linville, (4) Aaron Hatton, (5) Joey Kramer, (6) Don O’Neal, (7) Chris Combs, (8) Tyrel Todd, (9) Eddie Carrier Jr., (10) Jason Keltner, (11) David Webb, (12) Mike Jewell, (13) Michael Chilton, (14) Jimmy Crabtree, (15) Larry Gray, (16) Jim Robinson, (17) Tim Tungate, (18) Zach Carney, (19) Eric Wells, (20) Arnie Fields, (21) Dwight Embree, (22) Shelby Miles, (23) Marty Stepp, (24) Chris Ruble. Fast qualifier (among 30 cars): O'Neal, 15.580 seconds. Heat race winners: McGuire, Hatton, Kramer, Lee. Consolation race winners: Miles, Jewell. Provisional starters: Wells, Fields, Ruble, Stepp.
