Gordon Park Speedway
Pursley tops Bailes in Jack Starrette Memorial
AUGUSTA, Ga. (April 28) — Johnny Pursley of Clover, S.C., survived a caution-plagued 40-lap feature Saturday night at Gordon Park Speedway and picked up a $4,000 victory in the second annual Jack Starrette Memorial.
The polesitting Pursley led every lap of the Battle of Eastern All Stars Tour event for a convincing victory at the half-mile oval. Fourth-starting Ross Bailes, also of Clover, moved to challenge Pursley following a late restart, but came up short in settling for the runner-up finish.
Casey Roberts of Toccoa, Ga., advanced from the seventh starting spot to finish third while second-starting Brandon Overton finished fourth after surviving a first-lap tangle with third-starting Chris Ferguson of Mount Holly, N.C. Ty Dillon of Welcome, N.C., battled among the front-runners the entire race and held fifth at the finish.
Ferguson was battling with Overton for the second position on the opening lap when contact between the two drivers sent Ferguson spinning. The ensuing pileup knocked Ferguson out of the race along with Chesley Dixon.
The first-year BEAST series takes a week off before returning to action May 11 at Carolina Speedway in Gastonia, N.C.
Jack Starrette Memorial: (1) Johnny Pursley, (2) Ross Bailes, (3) Casey Roberts, (4) Brandon Overton, (5) Ty Dillon, (6) Jeff Smith, (7) Mike Gault, (8) Jordy Nipper, (9) Bob Robertson, (10) Richie Corley, (11) Scott Shirey, (12) John Pursley, (13) Ricky Weeks, (14) Jim Manka, (15) Gib Gibbons, (16) Dab Potts, (17) John Henderson, (18) Michael Akeson, (19) Dale McDowell, (20) Chesley Dixon, (21) Greg Clark, (22) Mike Ashley, (23) Bubba Russell, (24) Chris Ferguson. Fast qualifier (among 26 cars): Pursley, 13.159 seconds.
