Lake Cumberland Speedway
Chilton tops Rattliff, wins $3,000 at Coca-Cola 40
By Michael Despain
Lake Cumberland SpeedwayBURNSIDE, Ky. (April 28) — Michael Chilton of Salvisa, Ky., controlled the entire distance of Saturday night’s Coca-Cola 40 at Lake Cumberland Speedway, picking up a $3,000 victory in the unsanctioned race that was twice postponed the previous weekend.
Starting from the outside pole, Chilton moved ahead of the polesitter Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, Ky., on the start of the 40-lapper and controlled the point as Ratliff applied pressure during the early going.
As Chilton put distance between himself and the rest of the field, Ratliff began to feel pressure from Todd Coffman of Junction City, Ky. The Ratliff-Coffman duo battled for the second spot through much of the race’s middle portions, until the last of the race’s four cautions slowed the pace on lap 27.
Rattliff used the restart to pull away from Coffman and again set his sights on the leader. But Chilton held off Rattliff’s challenges over the final few laps of the event to take the victory. Rattliff settled for the runner-up finish with Coffman in the third spot. Victor Lee of Stanford, Ky., and Michael Asberry of Crossville, Tenn., rounded out the race’s top-five finishers.
Notes: Chilton drives a Mike Bullock Race Engines-powered Reveloution Chassis with sponsorship from Central Painting, Chilton’s Lawn Care, Dial Painting and Blue Moon Farms. … The unsanctioned special event was originally slated for April 21, but rain forced it to be postponed until April 22. The race’s preliminary action was completed on April 22, but the feature was postponed when the track’s front straightaway lights quit working. … Rattliff earned an extra $100 for turning the fastest qualifying lap courtesy of John Mulligan and Sidney Sprague.
Coca-Cola 40: (1) Michael Chilton, (2) Justin Rattliff, (3) Todd Coffman, (4) Victor Lee, (5) Michael Asberry, (6) Buzz Williams, (7) Jeff Watson, (8) Tim Taylor, (9) Tommy Bailey, (10) Jason Barrett, (11) Tommy Carlton, (12) Jeff Rawlings, (13) Wesley Brummett, (14) Mike Strunk, (15) Donnie Everman, (16) Dustin Neat, (17) Randy Ridner, (18) Clarence Belcher. Fast qualifer (among 22 cars): Rattliff, 13.986 seconds. Heat race winners: Rattliff, Chilton, Neat. Consolation race winner: Brummett.
