Bluegrass Speedway
Lee's last-lap pass denies English at Bardstown
By Michael Despain
O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series
Victor Lee and his supporters celebrate in Bardstown, Ky. (Derrick Strader)
BARDSTOWN, Ky. (Aug. 1) — Making an outside pass on the last lap, Victor Lee of Stanford, Ky., earned $5,000 for a dramatic victory in the 11th annual Bluegrass 50 at Bluegrass Speedway. The series points-leading Lee notched his fourth O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series victory of the season by keeping Terry English of Benton, Ky., winless on the series.
English, who took the lead from David Webb of Nicholasville, Ky., on the 18th lap, was in control of the 50-lapper when Lee began his final charge on lap 46. With English holding the low groove, Lee moved higher on the track as the white flag appeared. Lee pulled alongside English exiting turn two as the frontrunners ran side-by-side on the backstretch into turn three. Lee completed the pass off turn four and won by a half-length before whooping it up in victory lane for his first series victory at the half-mile oval.
English settled for second with Dustin Neat of Dunnville, Ky., in third. Webb and Dustin Linville of Bryantsville, Ky., rounded out the top five. Four cautions slowed the action.
Notes: Lee drove a Steve West and Gary Craig-owned Rayburn Race Car with a Corder's Competition Engine and sponsorship from Quality Pawn, Advance Auto Parts, Kentucky’s Best Racing, West Towing and American Racer Tires. ... David Webb, who led laps 2-17, narrowly missed Jerry Rutherford's spinning machine on the 15th lap. ... Duane Chamberlain of Richmond, Ind., earned PPM Racing Products Hard Charger honors for his 17th-to-sixth run. ... The series takes a break of more than a month before a Sept. 4-6 weekend with events at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, Ky., 201 Speedway in Sitka, Ky., and Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway.
Bluegrass 50: (1) Victor Lee, (2) Terry English, (3) Dustin Neat, (4) David Webb, (5) Dustin Linville, (6) Duane Chamberlain, (7) Tanner English, (8) Johnny Wheeler, (9) Jeff Watson, (10) Todd Coffman, (11) Lee Devasier, (12) Tim Tungate, (13) Ed Behn, (14) Mike Marlar, (15) Jason Keltner, (16) Jerry Rutherford, (17) Michael Chilton, (18) Justin Rattliff, (19) Aaron Hatton, (20) Bobby Wolter Jr., (21) Larry Greer. Disqualified: Terry Keltner. Fast qualifier (among 22 cars): Webb, 14.877 seconds. Heat race winners: Webb, Wheeler, J. Keltner.
