Bluegrass Speedway
Jewell grabs another $3,000 at Bluegrass Speedway
By Mike Sullivan and Michael Despain
DirtonDirt.com correspondentsBARDSTOWN, Ky. (July 2) — Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, Ind., took advantage of a lap-five restart to move under Victor Lee, then led the remaining 25 laps at Bluegrass Speedway to win the 13th annual Kentuckiana Klash. Jewell's second straight National All Star Racing Association victory paid $3,000.
“We weren’t really set up for any rubber, but I knew it might get hard to pass so when I had a shot to get the lead on that restart I knew I’d better take it then," Jewell said. "We had a hard right rear and it took two or three laps to get going and it was starting to take off when we had that first caution.
"This car is really good getting into the corners, I can drive it in wide open and it sticks really good. I was able to get under Victor and clear him. There at the end I knew he had to be closing in because I was trying not to get into all those cars in front of me but there at the end we had to make a move and we were lucky enough to hold on.”
Lee, of Stanford, Ky., grabbed the lead at the start of the main event pulling away from polesitter Tim Rivers of Salem, Ind. The fourth-starting Jewell moved past Rivers on the fourth lap and began to close on Lee before the first caution flew for Lee Devasier of Crestwood, Ky., who stopped in turn four with a flat right rear tire.
On the restart, Jewell dove to the bottom of turn one, moving under Lee and pulling away off the second corner. Building a half-straightaway lead over Lee and entering lapped traffic, a caution on lap 12 erased Jewell’s lead when Dennis Roberson came to a stop in turn one.
Jewell again pulled to a half-straightaway lead while fast qualifier Terry English stepped around Rivers for the third spot exiting turn two.
In the waning laps, Lee was able to move in on Jewell as the leader found himself behind a six-car battle for position among slower cars. With the leaders tip-toeing into the pack of traffic, Lee never could make a serious challenge as Jewell won the race to the checkers.
Notes: Jewell's Cornett-powered MasterSbilt Race Car is sponsored by Southern Indiana Rock Drilling, MPC Motorsports, Rick Julian Towing, S&L Electric, Morgan Foods, Jewell TV and Scott County Tire. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Gary Engle, Jason Hinkle and Tommy Carlton. ... NASRA competitors return to action Aug. 5 at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio.
Kentuckiana Klash: (1) Mike Jewell, (2) Victor Lee, (3) Terry English, (4) Tim Rivers, (5) Steve Barnett, (6) Rohn Moon, (7) Timmy Yeager, (8) Mike Cawood, (9) David Webb, (10) Johnny Wheeler, (11) Aaron Ridley, (12) Jeff Watson, (13) Arnie Fields, (14) Larry Greer, (15) Lee Devasier, (16) Kevin Colston, (17) Dennis Roberson, (18) Wesley Brummett, (19) Christian Rayburn, (20) Tim Prince, (21) Tim Tungate, (22) Tyrel Todd, (23) Joey Jones. Fast qualifier (among 31 cars): English, 16.160 seconds. Heat race winners: English, Lee, Rivers, Jewell. Consolation winners: Webb, Fields. Provisional starters: Tungate, Rayburn, Jones.
