Bloomington Speedway Race Report

BLOOMINGTON, IN (August 27, 1999) - It took Tony Elliott a couple laps to find the quick way around Bloomington Speedway Friday night. But once he figured it out, he drove to a commanding victory in the 11th Annual Sheldon Kinser Memorial USAC Stoops Freightliner sprint car race.

Standing in victory lane, surrounded by the late Sheldon Kinser's family, including his mother and son, Sheldon Jr., Elliott acknowledged that the victory was significant. He said, "I raced with Sheldon quite a bit back when I was younger and just getting started. He was a big influence on me, and he helped me quite a bit. He did a lot for me. It was nice to come here and win this Sheldon Kinser Memorial on his home track."

"I just can't say enough for my car owner Jeff Walker, my crew, my brother Jim," he continued. "These guys got the car working great and it makes my job pretty easy. I just get in and push the gas and the brake, and steer the thing around here."

Although he started third, Elliott led the first lap when Chris LaFollette pushed high in turn four allowing Elliott to sneak past. LaFollette headed for the pits with a mechanical problem. When Elliott tested the high groove on the third circuit, Justin Marvel pushed the Brad Marvel Palmer Dodge Drake into the top spot. But two laps later, Elliott charged back to the lead in turn four, with Tracy Hines and Brad Fox also passing Marvel.

Although Hines closed on Elliott, he couldn't position himself to attempt a pass. As Elliott slowly began to build a lead in Jeff Walker's Lamers/Jam It In Storage Stealth, Dave Darland had the Hoffman's Kroger/Sunny Delight/Pringles sprinter wound up and going forward on the cushion. At the halfway mark, Elliott had a six car-length lead heading into traffic, with Darland on the outside, battling Hines and Fox for second.

Backmarkers proved troublesome, but Elliott worked patiently through the traffic before Hines could mount a challenge. With ten laps remaining, Elliott reached a clear track and quickly began to pull away. When Kevin Thomas and Todd Kane tangled in turn four, the caution flag bunched up the field for a final run to the checkers. But no one could stay with Elliott on the restart, and he opened a straightaway lead by the end of the 40-lap event. Hines held on to second in Paul Hazen's Stealth, with Darland, Fox and Kevin Miller filling the top five.

Robbie Rice escaped injury when he lost control of the Jim Whiteside Trucker's 24 Hour Service Stealth at the end of the second heat and barrel rolled over the first turn, through the catch fence and to the parking lot. Eric Gordon, Rusty McClure, Gregg Dillion and Jon Stanbrough were heat race winners, with Kevin Briscoe claiming the semi-main. Brad Fox won the Turbines Inc. fast qualifier award.

Elliott's big payday included the $4,000 first prize, $1,800 in lap prize money from the Rich Vogler Scholarship Fund, and a bonus posted by Hoosier Tires.

Bedford's Lee Hobbs continued to dominate the Tire & Wheel Center Street Stock division as he scored his sixth feature victory of the year, and locked up the division championship. Chasing Denny Campbell, Hobbs prepared to settle for second, until Campbell slowed slightly allowing Hobbs to grab the lead with five laps remaining. Campbell dropped out with a flat right rear tire as Hobbs scored a 1/3 lap victory, with Trent Niflis taking second place. Brandon Short, Joe Deckard and Larry Harris finished in the top five.

Adam Sasser, another Bedford hot shoe with a big night, scored his first main event victory at Bloomington as he led all 25 laps in the O'Neal Wood Products UMP Modified feature. But from flag to flag, John DeMoss pressured Sasser in every way possible. Gary Burton and Gary Trammell were pressing the battle with Sasser until they tangled in turn three. DeMoss finished second by two car-lengths, followed by Matt Boknecht, Brad Cummings and Brian Campbell. Division point leader Ray Humphrey was taken out of the race on the second lap when he was unable to Richie Lex, who looped in heavy traffic in turn three. Humphrey locked-up the division point title when Matt Tiller dropped out of the B-main.

Bloomington Speedway Summary - August 27, 1999

The 11th Annual Sheldon Kinser Memorial

USAC Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Series

Fast qualifier: Brad Fox, 11.724

Heat 1: Eric Gordon, Levi Jones, Kevin Thomas, Derek Scheffel

Heat 2: Rusty McClure, Dick Gaines Jr., Kenny Carmichael, Chris LaFollette

Heat 3: Gregg Dillion, Tracy Hines, Dave Darland, Todd Kane

Heat 4: Jon Stanbrough, Jack Hewitt, Tony Elliott, Kevin Miller

True Value Semi: Kevin Briscoe, Brad Fox, Bill Rose, Jeremy Sherman, Justin Marvel, Billy Puterbaugh Jr.

Feature: Elliott, Hines, Darland, Fox, Miller, Stanbrough, Briscoe, Marvel, Kane, Sherman, McClure, Gaines, Rose, Scheffel, Hewitt, Carmichael, Gordon, Puterbaugh, Dillion, Jones, Thomas, LaFollette

O'Neal Wood Products UMP Modified Division

Heat 1: Ray Humphrey, Lee Hobbs, Richie Lex, Gary Trammell, Brian Yeatman

Heat 2: John DeMoss, Gary Burton, Troy Jarvis, Scott Patman, Levi Godsey

Heat 3: Brian Campbell, Adam Sasser, Matt Boknecht, Jack Taylor, Ryan Blevins

B-Main: Brad Cummings, Tim Prince, Donnie Parson, Mike Phillips, Don Fleetwood

Feature: Sasser, DeMoss, Boknecht, Cummings, Campbell, Godsey, Patman, Parson, Phillips, Fleetwood, Jarvis, Prince, Yeatman, Burton, Trammell, Taylor, Hobbs, Lex, Humphrey, Blevins

Tire & Wheel Center Street Stock Division

Heat 1: Denny Campbell, Lee Hobbs, Steve Hollars, Don Bush Jr.

Heat 2: Steve Hunt, Joe Deckard, Mike Vest, Don Short

Heat 3: Greg O'Neill, Jerry Hepworth, Trent Niflis, Gerald Todd

Heat 4: Brandon Short, Larry Harris, Kim Blevins, Rick Wolsifer

C-Main: Donnie Wilson, Danny Harris, Jack Frye, Doug Watson

B-Main: Perry Bruce, Tony Bezzy, Brett Ezzo, Cory Brown

Feature: Hobbs, Niflis, B. Short, Deckard, Harris, Hepworth, Blevins, D. Short, Ezzo, Hollars, Bush, Campbell, Todd, Wilson, Wolsifer, Vest, Hunt, Bezzy, Brown, Bruce