Benji Lee Recognized as 2011 Bluegrass Speedway UMP Modified Track Champion

Bluegrass Speedway
2221 New Haven Road
Bardstown, Kentucky 40004

2011 Official Media Release #63 (For Immediate Distribution: October 30, 2011)
Contact-Michael Despain (mgdespain@windstream.net and/or dirttrackracing@hotmail.com)

Rivers, Lee, Settles, and Beeler Honored as 2011 Bluegrass Speedway Track Champions

Bardstown, KY-October 30, 2011- Bluegrass Speedway track promoters David and Anita Ferrell closed the curtain on their 12th season of dirt track racing at the ½ mile high-banked clay oval known as Bluegrass Speedway with the track’s annual Championship Awards Celebration and the four division track champions were honored, along with those drivers that finished second through tenth in each division’s points chase.

The championship awards celebration honors the track’s top ten drivers in each division. Each track champion and those drivers that finished second through sixth in each division received money and trophy awards, while seventh through tenth place in the Super Late Model and UMP Modified division received plaques courtesy of SPEC Racing Engines, with the seventh through tenth place finshers in the UMP Sportsman and UMP Street Stock division receiving plaques courtesy of Bob Jones Motorsports

Festivities would begin with the invocation, followed by wonderful meal that was enjoyed by all in attendance, which would be followed by some gifts and giveaways for the younger race fans in attendance and recognition of track sponsors and Summer Sterner, John Spears, and Madison Morrell for their efforts in selling 50/50 tickets, which help fund the track’s championship awards celebration.

The first presentation of the afternoon would see STARS Midwest Dirt Racing League series director Chris Tilley present David and Anita Ferrell with the STARS Midwest Dirt Racing League Promoter of the Year Award. Mr. Tilley spoke very highly of Mr. and Mrs. Ferrell and thanked them for their contributions to the dirt racing in Central Kentucky.

Benji Lee of Loretto, KY would be recognized as the 2011 Bluegrass Speedway Country 100.9 MIKE FM UMP Modified track champion and was also recognized as the overall track champion, having accumulated the most points of any driver at the track for the 2011 racing campaign. Lee would total three feature event wins on his way to his fourth UMP Modified track championship at the track aboard his Thompson Heat and Air/ Smart Shoppers/A.L. Ball Moving and Storage/St. Joe Garage/On Time Courier/On Time Construction/Springfield NAPA/B&B Motorsports sponsored Bandit Race Car, powered by a Dale Meers Race Engine. Michael England of Glasgow, KY(2 feature wins) would finish in the second points position, with Dion Benningfield of Lebanon, KY taking third in points. Robbie Gullion of Charlestown, IN and Billy Meredith of Hodgenville, KY would finish fourth and fifth place in final track points. The remainder of the top ten point finishers would be Brian Foster of Bardstown, KY, J.T. Ayers of New Haven, KY, Rocky Wilson of Hodgenville, KY, Gary Parks of Elizabethtown, KY, and Bray Barber of Greensburg, KY (1 feature win). Bandit Race Cars of Buffalo, KY was the winningest Modified chassis of the year with four feature wins and Dale Meers Race Engines of Buffalo, KY was the top winning engine builder with three feature wins.

Scott Beeler of Louisville, KY was honored as the 2011 Bluegrass Speedway 2011 UMP Street Stock track champion. Beeler would grab three feature event wins on his way to claiming his first ever track championship at the ½ mile Nelson County clay oval and first ever title on dirt after having been a former track champion at Salem Speedway in Salem, IN. Beeler would wheel his Bootleg Barbeque/Pro-Tint/Terry’s Satellite City/Amsoil/Mac’s Racing Engines/Daryl Hadley Racing sponsored Chevrolet to the track championship. Mark Filiatreau of Cox’s Creek, KY (1 feature win) would finish as the track championship runner-up, while Brian Derringer of Springfield, KY and Joe Walker of Bardstown, KY would take third and fourth place in the final points. Fred Mercer of Louisville, KY and Garnett Eldridge of Jeffersonville, IN would finished tied for fifth in the final points. Completing the rest of the top ten point netters for UMP Street Stocks would be J.R. Bryan of New Haven, KY, Mike Bailey of Clarksville, IN (3 feature wins), Cory Cummings of Shepherdsville, KY, and Jeff Branham of Shepherdsville, KY.

Tim Rivers of Salem, IN would be celebrated as the 2011 Bluegrass Speedway 44 Auto Mart Super Late Model track champion. Rivers did not take a feature event win, but turned in two second place, two third place, and a fifth place finish on his way to not only his first Bluegrass Speedway track championship, but also his first track title of any kind. Rivers done his work in the office of his (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)erham Signs/MasterSbilt Race Cars/Jay (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)ens Race Engines sponsored MasterSbilt Race Car, powered by a Jay (not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)(not a nice word)ens Race Engine. Lee Devasier of Crestwood, KY (1 feature win) would take second place points honors, while Jeff Watson of Campbellsville, KY (1 feature win) would claim third place in the final track points. Steve Barnett of Frankin, IN would finish fourth in the final points tally, while Tim Tungate of Campbellsville, KY (1 feature win) and Jarryd Holshouser of Boaz, KY would finish tied for the fifth position in final track points. The remainder of the top ten point runners in 44 Auto Mart Super Late Models would be Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN, Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY, Larry Greer of Bowling Green, KY, and Joey Daniel of Liberty, KY. Rocket Chassis of Shinnston, WV and MasterSbilt Race Cars of Crothersville, IN tied for the most chassis wins in 2011 with 3 wins each, while Cornett Race Engines of Somerset, KY was the top engine builder with four feature event wins.

Robbie Settles of New Hope, KY would be receive top billing as well for being the 2011 Bluegrass Speedway Clayton Homes of Stanford UMP Sportsman track champion. Settles grabbed one feature win, along with five more top five feature event finishes, to claim his first ever UMP Sportsman division track title after being a former UMP Street Stock track champion. Settles would claim the track title in the Bobby and Trey Settles owned BDM Collision Center/Bray Auction Service/Ice Produce/First South Credit/Wooden Duck Entertainment/Hillyard’s Floor Care/B&B Motorsports/Dale Meers Racing Engines sponsored Chevy Monte Carlo entry. Avral Thompson of Loretto, KY (3 feature wins) would take runner-up point honors, while Derek Bottoms of Taylorsville, KY (1 feature win) would come home with third place points honors. Danny Blackwell of Taylorsville, KY (1 feature win) and Elton Martin of Hodgenville, KY would complete the top five in track points. Rounding out the top ten in Sportsman final track points would be Mike Opall of Shepherdsville, KY (now living in Oregon), Sam Mull of Jeffersonville, IN, Rob Jones of Bardstown, KY, Tim Cummings of Shepherdsville, KY and Steve Rector of Versailles, KY.

After all members of the track staff that was present were recognized and plaques were presented to those employees that have been at the track since the Ferrell’s began promoting there in 2000, David and Anita Ferrell would proceed to announce that they would not be returning as track promoters at Bluegrass Speedway in 2012. The Ferrell’s thanked all the racers and fans in attendance for their faithful support during their tenure as the track’s promoters and wished Bluegrass Speedway the best of luck.

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. Charles Hamilton is the track owner. For more information about Bluegrass Speedway, visit the track’s webpage on the internet at www.bluegrass-speedway.com.

Bluegrass Speedway FINAL 2011 Top Ten Track Points

44 Auto Mart Super Late Models
1. Tim Rivers (Salem, IN)- 177
2. Lee Devasier (Crestwood, KY)- 154
3. Jeff Watson (Campbellsville, KY)- 152
4. Steve Barnett (Franklin, IN)- 103
5. Tim Tungate (Campbellsville, KY)- 95
Jarryd Holshouser (Boaz, KY)- 95
7. Mike Jewell (Scottsburg, IN)- 86
8. Dustin Neat (Dunnville, KY)- 85
9. Larry Greer (Bowling Green, KY)- 70
10. Joey Daniel (Liberty, KY)- 64

Country 100.9 MIKE FM UMP Modifieds
1. Benji Lee (Loretto, KY)- 201
2. Michael England (Glasgow, KY)- 152
3. Dion Benningfield (Lebanon, KY)- 145
4. Robbie Gullion (Charlestown, IN)- 118
5. Billy Meredith (Hodgenville, KY)- 115
6. Brian Foster (Bardstown, KY)- 107
7. J.T. Ayers (New Haven, KY)- 92
8. Rocky Wilson (Hodgenville, KY)- 89
9. Gary Parks (Elizabethtown, KY)- 86
10. Bryan Barber (Greensburg, KY)- 79

Clayton Homes of Stanford UMP Sportsman
1. Robbie Settles (New Hope, KY)- 173
2. Avral Thompson (Loretto, KY)- 169
3. Derek Bottoms (Taylorsville, KY)- 159
4. Danny Blackwell (Taylorsville, KY)- 153
5. Elton Martin (Hodgenville, KY)- 110
6. Mike Opall (Shepherdsville, KY)- 104
7. Sam Mull (Jeffersonville, IN)- 76
8. Rob Jones (Bardstown, KY)- 62
9. Tim Cummings (Shepherdsville, KY)- 55
10. Steve Rector (Nicholasville, KY)- 40

UMP Street Stocks
1. Scott Beeler (Louisville, KY)- 192
2. Mark Filiatreau (Cox’s Creek, KY)- 144
3. Bryan Derringer (Springfield, KY)- 139
4. Joe Walker (Bardstown, KY)- 129
5. Fred Mercer (Louisville, KY)- 116
Garnett Eldridge (Jeffersonville, IN)- 116
7. J.R. Bryan (New Haven, KY)- 96
8. Mike Bailey (Clarksville, IN)- 93
9. Cory Cummings (Shepherdsville, KY)- 90
10. Jeff Branham (Shepherdsville, KY)- 88