Columbus Speedway
Blair, Boland share Columbus doubleheader
By Roby Helm
StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series
Mike Boland won the weekend finale. (Mike Blevins)
COLUMBUS, Miss. (Sept. 14-15) — Jay Blair of Angie, La., and Mike Boland of Cuba., Ala., grabbed StormPay.com Dirt Late Model Series victories on a doubleheader series weekend at Columbus Speedway. Blair earned $2,500 for winning the Holley Carburetors 40 and Boland inherited a victory in the Trak-Star Race Cars 40 after flagged winner Frank Ingram failed postrace engine inspection.
Sept. 14: Blair leads all 40 laps
Jay Blair drove his All-Star Graphics MasterSbilt Race Car to a flag-to-flag victory at Columbus.�It was the second “hit” for the “Angie Assassin” at the third-mile oval as he also won the Winter Classic back in January. Blair was quick to express his fondness for the high-banked oval.
“This is without a doubt my favorite racetrack,” Blair said. “We changed our set up from what we had in January, and it worked great tonight. I had a close call with a lapped car, and got hit in the right-rear pretty hard. I was worried about it affecting the handling, but everything was OK.”
Frank Ingram of Woodstock, Ga., finished second as he did in January. Ingram, who was tied with the defending series champion David Gentry of Lewisburg, Tenn., entering the event, took a 10-point lead in the title chase.
Anthony Rushing of Kosciusko, Miss., took the third spot followed by Derrick Rainey of Powder Springs Ga., and Jeff Smith of Rocky Face, Ga. Gentry, the night's fast qualifier, finished seventh.
Holley Carburetors 40: (1) Jay Blair, (2) Frank Ingram, (3) Anthony Rushing, (4) Derrick Rainey, (5) Jeff Smith, (6) Mike Boland, (7) David Gentry, (8) Jeff Fields, (9) Marcus Minga, (10) Chris Tays, (11) Stephen Brantley, (12) Keith Freeman, (13) Mark Tice, (14) Chip Brindle, (15) Greg Dedwylder, (16) Brandon Keeton, (17) Matthew Turner, (18) Frankie Beard, (19) Chris Hoomes, (20) Marty Hardy, (21) Robert Stutts, (22) Jim Till, (23) Jamie Pickard, (24) J.J. Nye, (25) Larry Boutwell.
Sept. 15: Ingram's DQ hands victory to Boland
Mike Boland was declared the winner after the car of apparent winner Frank Ingram failed postrace engine inspection. The $2,500 victory was the second of the season for Boland, who has won two of the last three series events driving the Ware Construction Trak-Star. Boland Performance, the builders of Trak-Star Race Cars, put up a $250 bonus for the winner of the race if they were driving a Trak-Star Race Car.
“We were pretty happy to finish second, but this is even better,” Boland said. “I guess I’m going to have to pay myself the $250 bonus. I was 30 minutes down the road headed for home when they called and told me I had won the race. I turned around and came back to the track to get the check and the trophy.”
The disqualification dropped Ingram down to the fourth spot in seriest standings. David Gentry regained the points lead over Derrick Rainey (24 points behind) and Jay Blair (28 points behind). Ingram (54 points behind) fell to fourth.
Johnny Stokes of Columbus, Miss., ended up second and third went to Blair. Chris Tays of Corinth, Miss., gave credit to his new crew lead by new crew chief Bret Reed after posting his best finish of the year with a fourth-place effort. Rainey finished fifth.
Trak-Star Race Cars 40: (1) Mike Boland, (2) Johnny Stokes, (3) Jay Blair, (4) Chris Tays, (5) Derrick Rainey, (6) Steve Godsey, (7) Chip Brindle, (8) Brandon Keeton, (9) Robert Stutts, (10) Marcus Minga, (11) Matthew Turner, (12) Greg Dedwylder, (13) Roman Ponds, (14) Chase Washington, (15) Stormy Derryberry, (16) Frankie Beard, (17) Jeff Fields, (18) Curtis Cline, (19) David Gentry, (20) Anthony Rushing, (21) Jeff Smith, (22) J.J. Nye, (23) Larry Boutwell, (24) Terry Mosley. Disqualified: Frank Ingram.
