LOLMDS Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic at Bluegrass Speedway on August 27
Bluegrass Speedway
2221 New Haven Road
Bardstown, Kentucky 40004
2011 Official Media Release #50 (For Immediate Distribution: August 18, 2011)
Contact-Michael Despain (mgdespain@windstream.net and/or dirttrackracing@hotmail.com)
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series 11th Annual Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic at Bluegrass Speedway August 27
Bardstown, KY-August 18, 2011- Bluegrass Speedway track promoters David and Anita Ferrell will return to action at the ½ mile high-banked Nelson County clay oval on Saturday August 27 for the track’s signature event, the 11th Annual Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (LOLMDS) in a 50 lap, $10,000 to win main event.
The racing program on Saturday August 27 will feature the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Super Late Models in a full program of practice, A-B group time trials, qualifying heats, B-Mains, and the 50 lap, $10,000 to win 11th Annual Cornett Racing Engines Bluegrass Classic A-Main. Also in competition at the August 27 racing event will be the Clayton Homes of Stanford UMP Sportsman racing for $200 to win and the UMP Street Stocks racing for $100 to win, while the Country 100.9 MIKE FM UMP Modifieds will have the night off. For the August 27 event, the Super Late Models and UMP Sportsman will time trial, while the UMP Street Stocks will draw for heat race starting positions.
Activities at Bluegrass Speedway for the August 27 event will see all admission areas open one hour earlier than normal, with the pit area open at 3:00 p.m., while the general admission area will open at 4:00 p.m. A driver’s autograph session will take place from 5:00 p.m. until 5:45 p.m., while the drivers meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m., with practice set to begin at 6:30 p.m. Time trials will get underway at 7:00 p.m., with racing set for the green flag at or before 8:00 p.m. Ticket prices for the August 27 event in the general admission area will be $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 6 to 12, and children ages 5 and under free. A pit pass will be $35. The raindate for the event is Sunday August 28.
Bluegrass Speedway is also excited to have Cornett Racing Engines of Somerset, KY on board as the sponsor of the 2011 Bluegrass Classic. Since being established in 1948, many of the most successful Dirt Late Model drivers in the dirt racing industry have chosen Cornett Racing Engines to power their winning mounts to victory lane. Cornett Racing Engines offers both Ford (Thunder) and Chevy (Lightning) brands of racing engines and specialize in all types of racing equipment and supplies and is also a former two-time Engine Builder of the Year award winner with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.
The Bluegrass Classic event debuted at Bluegrass Speedway in 2001 and Bob Pierce of Oakwood, IL would pick up the win in the inaugural running of the Bluegrass Classic in 2001 and turn in a repeat performance by also winning the race in 2002. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN would take his first win in the Classic in 2003, while Shannon Babb of Moweaqua, IL motored to the win in the 2004 race. The event would seem to become the “Scott Bloomquist Classic” for the next three seasons as the Mooresburg, TN native would win the 2005, 2006, and 2007 events. Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN would win the event in 2008 to break the Bloomquist stranglehold of the event, while Ray Cook of Brasstown, NC grabbed the event win in 2009. Don O’Neal would become the third multi-time winner of the race by winning the 2010 version of the Bluegrass Classic and is the defending race champion.
There have been ninety-five (95) different drivers from sixteen (16) states make the ten previous Bluegrass Classic events. A pair of racers have taken the green flag to start all ten previous Bluegrass Classic contests and they are Scott James of Lawrenceburg, IN and Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY. Don O’Neal of Martinsville, IN has nine starts in the race, with Tim Tungate of Campbellsville, KY making eight starts in the race, while Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN has made seven appearances in the event. A quartet of drivers has six starts in the race and they include Scott Bloomquist of Mooresburg, TN, John Gill of Mitchell, IN, Jimmy Owens of Newport, TN, and Earl Pearson, Jr. of Jacksonville, FL, while there is a trio of racers with five starts in the race and they include Joey Daniel of Liberty, KY, Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN, and Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY.
There have been thirty-six (36) different drivers from the Bluegrass State of Kentucky make the event, while the Hoosier State of Indiana has placed fourteen (14) different drivers in the Bluegrass Classic starting field. The Buckeye State of Ohio has put nine different drivers in the show, while the Land of Lincoln has seen eight drivers represent the state of Illinois in the show, while Tennessee and Wisconsin have each been represented by five racers each making the race. The states of Illinois and Tennessee have two different drivers have won the race, while Indiana and North Carolina have each put one driver in victory lane. In the previous ten Bluegrass Classic events, there has yet to a driver from the Bluegrass State to capture the checkered flag in the event.
There have been thirty (30) different drivers that have scored top-five finishes in the Bluegrass Classic in it ten year history, but Don O’Neal and Scott Bloomquist have been the most consistent finishers in the top five. O’Neal has six top-five finishes that include two wins, a second, a third, a fourth, and a fifth place finish. Bloomquist has five top five finishes in the race, with three wins, a second, and a fourth place finish.
Bluegrass Speedway was rained out on August 13 and last raced on August 6 and feature event winners included Brad Neat of Dunnville, KY in 44 Auto Mart Super Late Models, Benji Lee of Loretto, KY in Country 100.9 MIKE FM UMP Modifieds, and Danny Blackwell of Taylorsville, KY in Clayton Homes of Stanford UMP Sportsman. The UMP Street Stocks were not in action at that event.
Current track championship point leaders are Tim Rivers of Salem, IN in 44 Auto Mart Super Late Models, Benji Lee of Loretto, KY in Country 100.9 MIKE FM UMP Modifieds, Robbie Settles of New Hope, KY in Clayton Homes of Stanford UMP Sportsman, and Scott Beeler of Louisville, KY in UMP Street Stocks.
Bluegrass Speedway is located at 2221 New Haven Road at the intersection of Kentucky Highway 31-E and exit 21 of the Martha Layne Collins (Bluegrass) Parkway. David and Anita Ferrell are the track promoters and present dirt track sports entertainment on Saturday evenings from mid-April through September. For more information about Bluegrass Speedway, visit the track’s webpage on the internet at www.bluegrass-speedway.com or phone (502) 349-1241 on raceday.
