Columbus Speedway
Bloomquist tops Wall for victory at Columbus
Scott Bloomquist races toward victory. (Scott Oglesby)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (April 11) — Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, Tenn., tracked down race-long leader Chris Wall of Holden, La., on the 38th lap Saturday and pulled away to capture the seventh annual Brown Engineering Rebel Challenge at Columbus Speedway. Bloomquist earned $10,000 for the unsanctioned victory at the third-mile oval. | Slideshow
Wall, who picked up $3,000 with a victory in Friday's tuneup feature, settled for second while polesitter Ronny Lee Hollingsworth of Northport, Ala., got a break in finishing third after a mid-race spin. Shane Clanton of Locust Grove, Ga., and Wendell Wallace of Batesville, Ark., rounded out a top five while hometown driver Brian Rickman was the top home-state finisher in sixth.
Front-row starters Wall and Hollingsworth battled the first 20 laps, but Hollingsworth spun to bring out a caution. He was restored to his second spot when officials ruled a lapped car caused the spin. Bloomquist hunted down the frontrunners thereafter, grabbing the lead with 12 laps remaining in the 50-lap main event.
Notes: Bloomquist drove a self-designed race car with a Vic Hill engine and sponsorship from Miller Bros. Coal, Hawkeye Trucking, Sweet Mfg., Lane Automotive and Arizona Sport Shirts. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature lineup: Bub McCool, Clint Smith, Mike Boland, Tyler Reddick, Justin McRee and James Ward. ... Ray Cook, eighth in the Super Late Model feature, won the night's main event for Crate Late Models and Late Model Stocks. ... The next Super Late Model special at Columbus is the Firecracker Four Crown on July 5. ... Columbus hosts the NeSmith Chevrolet Crate Late Model tour on April 17.
Rebel Challenge: (1) Scott Bloomquist, (2) Chris Wall, (3) Ronny Lee Hollingsworth, (4) Shane Clanton, (5) Wendell Wallace, (6) Brian Rickman, (7) Tommy Weder Jr., (8) Ray Cook, (9) Scott Slay, (10) Jay Blair, (11) Tony Knowles, (12) Rick Rickman, (13) Wade Byars, (14) Terry English, (15) Chris Ragan, (16) Billy Moyer, (17) Michael England, (18) David Breazeale, (19) Dan Schlieper, (20) Neil Baggett, (21) Chris Brown, (22) Dane Dacus, (23) Anthony Burroughs, (24) Josh Putnam. Fast qualifier (among 45 cars): Hollingsworth. Consolation race winners: Schlieper, Weder, Slay, Blair.
