Elliott Despain Takes First-Ever Pro Late Model Victory at Ponderosa Speedway

Ponderosa Speedway
365 Phillips Lane
Junction City, KY 40440

2014 Media Release #13 (FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 19, 2014)
Contact- Michael Despain (mgdespain@windstream.net; @MichaelDespain-Twitter; Michael Despain-Facebook)

Mike Marlar Rockets to OMG Spring Nationals Spring Showdown Victory at Ponderosa Speedway

Junction City, KY- April 18, 2014- Ponderosa Speedway would host Ray Cook’s Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals presented by Schaeffer Racing Oil on Friday evening in the 2nd Annual Spring Showdown and Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would take the $4,000 victory in what a dandy of a night of racing action. Other feature event winners included Michael England of Glasgow, KY in Modifieds, Elliott Despain of Campbellsville, KY in Pro Late Models, and Allen Hackworth, Jr. in Sportsman.

Dustin Linville and Mike Marlar would bring the Super Late Model main event to the green flag and Linville would immediately jump to the race lead, with Marlar and Eric Wells giving chase. The first caution of the event would wave on lap 2 when David Payne and Tommy Bailey would wreck in turn one, with both drivers able to continue. The restart would see Linville again pull away, but the leader would begin to work traffic by lap 6. Marlar would turn up the pressure on Linville at this point and would work past Linville on lap 9. Marlar would put some distance between himself and the battle for second now between Linville and Wells, while Billy Ogle, Jr. and Gregg Satterlee would battle for the fourth position. Wells and Linville would trade the runner-up slot three times before Wells finally secured second on lap 16. Marlar would pull away to a comfortable lead, only to see a caution for the slowed entry of Ray McElhiney draw the second caution of the event. The restart would see Marlar again pull away from Wells and Linville, while Ogle, Jr. and Sattlerlee would be joined by Eddie Carrier, Jr. in a battle for the fourth spot. Marlar would begin working slower traffic again on lap 30, but would get clear track again when a caution for a spin by Brad Neat on lap 32 drew the final caution of the event. The final restart would see Marlar again pull away from Wells, while Sattlerlee would work past Linville in the waning laps of the event in a battle for third. However, it would be Marlar’s night as he would drive the Ronnie Delk owned Delk Equipment/RS Trading/GW Performance/Convenient Lube/VP Racing Fuel/Hoosier Tire/FK Rod Ends/Keyser Manufacturing/ Midwest Sheet Metal/FK Rod Ends/Integra Shock/Peterson Fluid Systems sponsored #157 Rocket Chassis, Cornett Race Engines powered mount to the win. Wells and Satterlee completed the podium positions, while Linville and Ogle, Jr. completed the top five. Rounding out the top ten were Eddie Carrier, Jr., Greg Johnson, Michael Chilton, Stephen Breeding, and Brandon Kinzer. Twenty seven entries saw Linville as the FK Rod Ends top qualifier at 13.147 seconds, while Last Chance Heat wins fell to Eddie Carrier, Jr., Greg Johnson, and Steve Casebolt. Series provisionals went to Austin Smith and Ray McElhiney, while the track provisional went to Dion Benningfield. Jeff Watson would start the event as an alternate when Dustin Neat’s machine failed to start for the event.

The Modified division would compete in a 30 lap, $1,500 to win contest as well and caution flags would plague the contest, with Shon Flanary leading most of the contest after battling with Victor Lee throughout a majority of the contest. However, Flanary’s run for the win would be denied when mechanical issues would strike his mount on lap 24, ending his night. Eighteenth starting Michael England would inherit the lead at this point and survive one more caution en route to picking up the victory in the Modified main event aboard the Kerry Trowbridge owned Automotive Specialists/Gary Johnson Heating and Cooling/Tri County Auto and Oil/Brunner’s and Son Lawn Maintenance/Dexter’s Gun and Ammo/Pro Crafters sponsored #116 Lightning Chassis sporting a Pro Power Race Engine. Lee would settle for runner-up honors, while J.T. Ayers would race home third. Ryan Thomas and Jeff Rawlings rounded out the top five. Completing the top ten would be Rocky Wilson, Stacey Decker, Magen Witt, Cameron Marlar, and Greg Coulton. Eighteen entries saw Payne as the top qualifier at 14.570 seconds, while heat wins went to Elliott Despain and Flanary.

The Pro Late Model feature event saw Wesley Brummett lead the first 18 laps of the event, but eighth place starter Elliott Despain would chase down the leader and then restart right on his bumper with just four laps remaining and Despain would make the pass on Brummett exiting turn four as the lead duo would take the white flag. Despain would hold off Brummett on the final lap and score his first-ever Pro Late Model feature event behind the wheel of the Billy and Lisa Despain owned Lucas Oil Products/Miller Pest Control/Southern Indiana Rock Drilling/Chandler Heating and Cooling/Family Eye Care/NAPA/SpeeDecals Vinyl Graphics/Mike Williams Auto Repair/VP Racing Fuel/VP Small Engine Fuel/Bilstein/Schoenfield/SRA Racing Photos/Dyer’s Top Rods/Canton Racing Products/ Stage 8/Butler Built/Bassett Wheels/K&N Filters/DJ Safety/Hypercoils/PRC/Wiles Driveshafts/BSB Manufacturing sponsored #75e C.J. Rayburn Race Car, GM604 powered entry. Brummett would settle for second, while P.J. Feistritzer, Jeremy Strunk, and Glen Hounshell, Jr. would complete the top five. Eight entries would see Gary Yeager as the top qualifier at 14.135 seconds, while Hounshell, Jr. won the heat.

The 15 lap Sportsman main event would conclude the evening and Allen Hackworth, Jr. would lead the entire distance in scoring his first win of the season at Ponderosa Speedway in the seat of his Hackworth’s Garage/Willis Fencing/C&H Race Cars sponsored #33 machine. Glen Hounshell, Jr. would place second in the final rundown, with Glen Branham coming home third. Sarah Patrick and Darrell Cain would round out the top five. Eight entries drew for heat starting positions and Hackworth would make it a sweep for the evening by also winning the heat.

SUMMARY-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-April 18, 2014

Old Man’s Garage Spring Nationals presented by Schaeffer Oil Super Late Models (27 entries)
FK Rod Ends Top Qualifier- Dustin Linville 13.147 (other locked in from time trials: Mike Marlar, Eric Wells, Brad Neat, Billy Ogle, Jr., Gregg Satterlee, Michael Chilton, Victor Lee)
Last Chance Heat #1 (top 4 transfer)- Eddie Carrier, Jr., Stephen Breeding, Dustin Neat, Donald McIntosh, Jeff Watson, Dion Benningfield, Timmy Taylor
Last Chance Heat #2 (top 4 transfer)- Greg Johnson, Justin Rattliff, Stacy Boles, Kenny Collins, Ray McElhiney, Caleb Ashby
Last Chance Heat #3 (top 4 transfer)- Steve Casebolt, Brandon Kinzer, Tommy Bailey, David Payne, Austin Smith, Skylar Marlar
Series Provisionals- Austin Smith, Ray McElhiney
Track Provisional- Dion Benningfield (Jeff Watson was added as an alternate when Dustin Neat’s machine did not fire as the first car that did not transfer from Last Chance Heat #1)
2nd Annual Spring Showdown- Mike Marlar, Eric Wells, Gregg Satterlee, Dustin Linville, Billy Ogle, Jr., Eddie Carrier, Jr., Greg Johnson, Michael Chilton, Stephen Breeding, Brandon Kinzer, Donald McIntosh, Stacy Boles, Brad Neat, Victor Lee, Austin Smith, David Payne, Kenny Collins, Dion Benningfield, Jeff Watson, Ray McElhiney, Tommy Bailey, Steve Casebolt, Justin Rattliff (DNS- Dustin Neat)

Modifieds (18 entries)
Top Qualifier- Jimmy Payne 14.570
1st Heat- Elliott Despain, Victor Lee, Jimmy Payne, J.T. Ayers, Rocky Wilson, Matthew Jordan, Jeff Hamby, Jr., Greg Coulton, Magen Witt
2nd Heat- Shon Flanary, Cameron Marlar, Ryan Thomas, Jeff Rawlings, Stacey Decker, Jason Cox, Steven Eversole, Daniel Stephens, Michael England
Feature- Michael England, Victor Lee, J.T. Ayers, Ryan Thomas, Jeff Rawlings, Rocky Wilson, Stacey Decker, Magen Witt, Cameron Marlar, Greg Coulton, Shon Flanary, Jimmy Payne, Jeff Hamby, Jr., Matthew Jordan, Elliott Despain, Daniel Stephens, Jason Cox, Steven Eversole

Pro Late Models (8 entries)
Top Qualifier- Gary Yeager 14.135
Heat- Glen Hounshell, Jr., Wesley Brummett, Todd Coffman, P.J. Feistritzer, Gary Yeager, Jeremy Howard, Jeremy Strunk (DNS- Elliott Despain)
Feature- Elliott Despain, Wesley Brummett, P.J. Feistritzer, Jeremy Strunk, Glen Hounshell, Jr., Jeremy Howard, Gary Yeager, Todd Coffman

Sportsman (8 entries)
Heat- Allen Hackworth, Jr., Glen Hounshell, Jr. Glen Branham, Eddie Stewart, Buster Goforth, Terry Cheeks, Sarah Patrick, Darrell Cain
Feature- Allen Hackworth, Jr., Glen Hounshell, Jr., Glen Branham, Sarah Patrick, Darrell Cain, Buster Goforth, Terry Cheeks, Eddie Stewart