9/30/2017
Bloomington Speedway
Bradley Sterrett and Steve Hollars Bring Curtain Down at Bloomington Speedway
September 29, 2017, Bloomington, Indiana – It took until the last race of Bloomington Speedway’s 2017 season for two experienced veteran drivers to park in victory lane. Bradley Sterrett captured the UMP modified feature race and Steve Hollars won the super stock event. Jason Setser claimed the victory in the UMRA TQ midget main event.
Bloomington’s 2017 modified champion, Sterrett battled Jeremy and Jacoby Hines through the first half of the modified main event. Jeremy took the early lead from the pole, but Sterrett and Jacoby stayed close on his heels. Following a restart, Jacoby Hines was in the high groove, with Sterrett to his inside, both trying to get an advantage, and at the same time, both battling to get past Jeremy. On the twelfth circuit, Jacoby had a strong run into turn four, when Jeremy’s car slipped up the track and the two made contact. Jeremy’s car turned sideways and Jacoby pushed him into a spin to the inside of turn four.
While Jeremy went to the back of the pack for the restart, track officials ruled that he had been spun on purpose, and Jacoby was also sent to the tail. Sterrett led the next dozen laps easily, as the two Hines cars raced their way from the back. At the finish Sterrett was 10 car-lengths ahead of Jeremy and Jacoby, in second and third. Jeff Deckard took fourth, with Roy Bruce Jr. fifth. Heat races were won by Jacoby Hines and Deckard.
“The race track, since we didn’t have sprint cars out there tonight, was really fast,” Sterrett said afterward. “It was kind of one lane and hard to pass. Jacoby found something there about half way through and got up around us through the center and really helped me out a lot through 3 and 4. Then a restart came out and I had to be down on the bottom again and Jacoby we were all right there. I slid up a little bit and he got into his brother just a little bit to turn him around. I hate that because I thought it was going to be a pretty good race between the three of us. It was a good race, hard fought and fast as always here.”
“Bloomington’s had a stout field of cars every night. We just don’t have a big motor and you’ve got to have one when you’re here. It’s tough because these cars now are so tractioned-up it’s hard to get one leg up on somebody when you’ve got a tiny motor,” Sterrett said. Then he thought about the Race Against Childhood Cancer Night theme and added. “This is my Grandpa’s birthday and he passed away six years ago. I think that luck is on our side since I didn’t have to deal with those guys and I got to relax a little bit. Those two went to the tail and instead of starting second, I was starting on the pole and just kind of drove away.”
You could say that Steve Hollars was a surprise winner in the super stock feature race. You could even say that he was the surprised winner. As he explained, “I got there in second and I thought (Steve) Peden was just checked out and gone. We went to the scales and sitting there and the car wouldn’t restart. I was coming back to the pit and they told me that I’d won and I really wasn’t even aware of that. It was quite a shocker, survival of the fittest.”
Jack Frye led early in the super stock race, with Adam Sasser, Peden, Josh Divine and Hollars right behind. Peden took the lead on the eighth lap and began building an advantage. On lap 19, third running Divine dropped out with a shredded tire, while Peden held a 4-seond lead over Frye. Three circuits later, Peden slowed on the backstretch and drove to the pits with a flat tire. Then, two laps later, Frye, now the leader, also slowed with a ripped tire. Without realizing it, Hollars took the checkered flag for the win. Scotty Massie finished second, followed by Levi Ray Godsey, Scott Beeler and Adam Sasser.
“The track was starting to get some black in it. We guessed on tires and we had some good cars in front of us that we got past. We had to move towards the top and past a couple cars. After that happened, I thought Peden was gone and he was the winner and I got second,” Hollars explained. “To my surprise it worked out good for us. I hate it for him, but I love it for us.”
Results, September 29, 2017
Race Against Childhood Cancer Night
UMP Modifieds
Main Event: 1. Bradley Sterrett, 2. Jeremy Hines, 3. Jacoby Hines, 4. Jeff Deckard, 5. Roy Bruce Jr., 6. Matt Tiller Jr., 7. Danny Carmichael, 8. Sam Wray, 9. Jason Clark, 10. Josh Boller, 11. Lucas Wehmiller, 12. Travis Howe, 13. Jordan Weaver, 14. Mike Bechelli, 15. Jay Humphrey, 16. Michael Fish, -- Josh Eads (DQ)
Heat Race Winners: Jacoby Hines, Jeff Deckard
Super Stocks
Main Event: 1. Steve Hollars, 2. Scotty Massie, 3. Levi Ray Godsey, 4. Scott Beeler, 5. Adam Sasser, 6. Chip Slagle, 7. Jack Frye, 8. Steve Peden, 9. Josh Divine, 10. James Campbell, 11. Bradley Carmichael, 12. Dewayne Gross
Heat Race Winners: Steve Hollars, Steve Peden
Submitted By: Mike O'Leary
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