Don O'Neal "Thaws Out" Indiana Icebreaker at Brownstown Speedway

BROWNSTOWN, IN-March 25, 2000- Don O'Neal of Martinsville, IN captured his second consecutive Indiana Icebreaker win Saturday night at Brownstown Speedway. Other winners in the 3rd annual event included Josh Lucas in UMP Modifieds and Matt Bex in Bombers. A total of 187 race cars swelled the pit area to an overflow, with some racers having to pit outside the pit area.

The drop of the green flag on the 40 lap, $2,000 to win event saw outside polesitter John Gill ride out to the lead, with Rick Aukland, Kevin Claycomb, Steven Godsey, and O'Neal in tow, as O'Neal would busted the top five after starting eighth. On lap 3, Aukland would go topside around Gill and take the lead as the duo raced into turn one. With Aukland leading, O'Neal slowly began to mount his charge to the point, taking fourth on lap 7. Steve Barnett also began to go as he broke into the top five on lap 12 after some hard racing with Godsey. On lap 12, O'Neal would challenge Claycomb for third position and would take it on lap 13. Three laps later, Barnett would follow suit, as well as Greg Johnson, shuffling Claycomb out of the top five. Up front, Gill and O'Neal were pressuring Aukland for the lead as the trio raced three-wide around the entire track, with Gill poking a nose out in front in turn two and taking the lead on lap 19, with O'Neal taking second on lap 20. Johnson continued his charge by taking fourth from Barnett on lap 22. On lap 24, O'Neal would pull alongside of Gill and the duo raced hard for the lead and on and lap 25, O'Neal grabbed the top spot off of turn two. Meanwhile, Barnett and Johnson were waging war, door-to-door, for fourth, with Barnett snatching the spot back on lap 26. A spin in turn one by John Mason would slow the pace with 33 circuits completed. The final restart would see O'Neal venture away from the field and pick up his 31st career Brownstown victory in the Indiana Department of Tourism, O'Neal Wood Products, Helton Transport, #71 C.J. Rayburn Race Car mount. Gill would finish second, with Aukland taking third. Johnson would shag fourth after skating by Barnett on the final lap. Claycomb, Godsey, Terry Eaglin, Doug McCammon, and Steve Casebolt completed the top ten. Sixty-two Late Models from six states were signed in with heats going to Claycomb, Gill, Godsey, Aukland, Barnett, and Johnson. Last chance consies were won by James Huff, Timmy Yeager, and Bobby Carrier, Jr.

There were 70 UMP Modifieds from five states on hand and when the dust settled, young JoshLucas of New Haven, KY would capture his first-ever win at Brownstown as the
Bluegrass state native would lead all 20 laps of the Modified main event behind the wheel of his Lucas Oil Products, Jeff Bischoff Excavating, The Car Pool, Guy's Building Supplies, Aaron's Rental, Talbott Heating and Cooling, St. Joe Garage #78 Lightning mount. Lucas would hold the hard charges of Matt Boknecht to grab the win. Wes Steidinger would grab a third place finish, with Adam Sasser and Tim Dierlam fourth and fifth. Rick Corbin would lead the second five, followed by Dan Hamstra, Rob Timmons, Earl Plessinger, and Chad Kinder. Heats were won by Lucas, Sasser, Dierlam, Boknecht, Mark Barber, and Steidinger. The consies were won by Kevin Briscoe, Kyle Logue, and Randy Petro.

For the second week in a row, Matt Bex of Avoca, IN would win the Bomber feature after a late race battle with Ray Godsey, Jr. that would see Bex scoot by Godsey, Jr. on lap 12 and hang on for the win in his Bailey's Flowers, Matlock Construction, East Vending, Cummings Race Engines #31 Performer ride. Godsey, Jr. would take second, with Tony Mahoney, Matt Cummings, and John Phelps the top five. Larry Harris, Willie Sallee, Ben Burton, Bubba Woods, and Charlie Stevens were the second five. The 55 entries saw heats go to Mahoney, Harris, Godsey Jr., Bex, and Phelps. Darren Crawhorn and Alan Martion won consies.

SUMMARY-Brownstown Speedway-Brownstown, IN-March 25, 2000
LATE MODELS
Top Qualifier- Mike Jewell 16.711
1st Heat- Kevin Claycomb, Jewell, Ernie Barrow, Dan Sturgeon
2nd Heat- John Gill, Don O'Neal, Doug Ault, Brett Davis
3rd Heat- Steven Godsey, Lee Devasier, Steve Casebolt, Timmy Yeager
4th Heat- Rick Aukland, John Mason, Doug McCammon, C.J. Rayburn
5th Heat- Steve Barnett, Terry Eaglin, Brad Barrow, Bobby Carrier, Jr.
6th Heat- Greg Johnson, T.J. Dolhun, Scott James
1st Consy- James Huff, Sturgeon, Davis, Reece Riggle, B.J. McCammon
2nd Consy- Yeager, Rayburn, Ted Nobbe, Brian Wilhite, Shawn Negangard
3rd Consy- Carrier, Jr. Todd McKinney, Joe Ross, Jr., Jim Zdroik, Dusty Chapman
Indiana Icebreaker- O'Neal, Gill, Aukland, Johnson, Barnett, Claycomb,
Godsey, Eaglin, Doug McCammon, Casebolt, Sturgeon, Brad Barrow, Mason, Ault, Huff, Yeager, Rayburn, Dolhun, James, McKinney, Jewell, Ernie Barrow, Carrier Jr., Devasier

UMP MODIFIEDS
1st Heat- Josh Lucas, Rob Timmons, Chad Kinder, Don Barnett
2nd Heat- Adam Sasser, Lee Hobbs, Jammie Wilson, Richie Lex
3rd Heat- Tim Dierlam, Eddie Kindred, Sean Seavers, Kyle Logue
4th Heat- Matt Boknecht, Earl Plessinger, Curtis Knieriem, Cully Chapman
5th Heat- Mark Barber, Rick Corbin, Brian Shaw, Joe Mattingly
6th Heat- Wes Steidinger, Denny Schwartz, Dan Hamstra, Tony Roland
1st Consy- Kevin Briscoe, Lex, Gary Burton, Joe Godsey, Brent Londeree
2nd Consy- Logue, Chapman, Rob Fuqua, Tim Harris, Nelson Gingery
3rd Consy- Randy Petro, Tony Roland, Troy Burton, Mattingly, Tony McVey
Feature- Lucas, Boknecht, Steidinger, Sasser, Dierlam, Corbin, Hamstra, Timmons, Plessinger, Kinder, Seavers, Briscoe, Hobbs, Lex, Petro, Kindred, Logue, Roland, Schwartz,
Knieriem, Barber, Wilson, Shaw, Chapman

BOMBERS
1st Heat- Tony Mahoney, Ben Burton, Roger Reichenbacher, Paul Owens
2nd Heat- Larry Harris, Darrell Burton, Don Walp, Darren Crawhorn
3rd Heat- Ray Godsey Jr., Willie Sallee, Sam Chastain, Alan Martin
4th Heat- Matt Bex, Bubba Woods,Charlie Stevens, Johnny Collins
5th Heat- John Phelps, Matt Cummings, Kevin Applegate, Jason Combs
1st Consy- Crawhorn, Jason Dorsan, Owens, Todd Kempf, Jim Pfieffer
2nd Consy- Martin, Collins, Corey Southern, Josh Hayes, Andrew Davis
Feature- Bex, Godsey Jr., Mahoney, Cummings, Phelps, Harris, Sallee, Burton,
Woods, Stevens, Martin, Chastain, Applegate, Dorsan, Collins, Southern, Reichenbacher