Brownstown, IN-March 10, 2001- With 10 laps to go, Mike Jewell of Scottsburg, IN was 15th and about to go a lap down and thought of pulling out of the race. He stayed out and it was a good thing as he ended up the winner of the $2,000 to win 2001 season opener Saturday night at Brownstown Speedway. The Bomber class provided the support division action for the evening and Bubba Woods of Bedford, IN was victorious in that event.

The 30-lap Late Model feature saw John Gill immediately flex his muscles and jump to the lead. A lap 2 caution for a stalled Mike Bechelli in turn two would slow things for a moment. The restart again saw Gill out in front, with Don O’Neal taking second from polesitter Gary Burton on lap 3, with Shannon Babb and Kevin Claycomb completing the top five. Caution would again slow the pace on lap 4 for a spin in turn one by Terry Eaglin. After this restart, Gill would really begin to rock and began to stretch his lead. Meanwhile, Claycomb had passed Burton for the third spot, while Greg Johnson would break into the top five by passing Babb in turn two on the hub, with all this action happening on lap 8.

Gill continued to blister the competition as he was about three-fourths of a straightaway in the lead at the halfway point. At this juncture of the race, the battle for second would heat up between Claycomb and O’Neal, with Claycomb executing a turn four pass to take the runner-up slot on lap 17, while Steve Barnett would pass Johnson for fourth one lap later. Gill was still in command in dominant fashion, with Claycomb, O’Neal, Barnett, and Johnson all giving chase as Burton and Babb faded a bit at this point. Lap 25 would spell disaster for two drivers as Barnett looped his mount in turn four doing a 360 degree spin in an attempt to keep going, while Bobby Carrier, Jr. would spin to avoid Barnett and this would collect race leader Gill in the process. This restart would see the first eight cars get caught up in a game of bumbertag, allowing for Jewell, Scott James, and Shawn Negangard to get excellent restarts, especially Jewell who was able to pass some six cars on lap 26 alone. The sparks would then fly on lap 28 as Barnett, who slowed on the restart, jumped back in line to race Johnson, who he felt spun him on lap 25. As the leaders were about to get the white flag, Barnett bumped Johnson on the backchute with Johnson doing a 360 degree spin and going on, only to be rearended by C.J. Rayburn, ending Rayburn’s night in pile of bent sheetmetal, with Johnson able to continue with minimal damage to the rear of his mount. Barnett would exit to the pit area at this point and a scuffle between Johnson’s and Barnett’s crews ensued, resulting in Barnett and Johnson both receiving at least two-week suspensions from Brownstown for the melee.

The final restart would see now third place Jewell tip-toe upstairs as he got around O’Neal for second as the cars took the white flag. Jewell would then work to the outside of Claycomb off of turn two, with the pair side-by-side entering turn three. Jewell would carry his top-shelf momentum off of turn four and beat Claycomb to the finish line by about one car length to grab the win after starting 15th in his MPC Motorsports, Adams Fabricating, Southern Indiana Rock Drilling, Morgan’s Fine Foods, Jewell TV, LaFountain’s Auto Body, Scott Co. Tire, Edwards Builders #9 MasterSbilt Race Cars, Cornett-powered entry. O’Neal would claim third, with Johnson and Babb completing the top five. Rounding out the top ten were James, Negangard, 19th starting Timmy Yeager, Tim Prince, and Burton.

Fourty-three Late Models from five states were signed in for the program, with heat wins going to Burton, Gill, O’Neal, and Babb. The two B-mains were won by Steven Godsey and Mike Bechelli.

The Bomber feature also proved to be a crowd pleaser as fan favorites Bubba Woods and Matt Bex would battle it out for the win and Woods would wind up on top as he led all 15 laps of the first Bomber feature of 2001. Woods grabbed the win aboard his Auto Race Car Museum, Bailey’s Flowers and Gifts, Jerry Arthur Paving, Tucker Transmissions, B and D Waste Removal, Fultz Auto Supply #00 Performer Chassis, Terry Cummings powered unit. Defending Bomber track champ Bex would go second, with Robert Walters, Greg Benton, and Charlie Stevens completing the top five. Bobby Davis would head-up the second five, trailed by Ray Godsey, Jr., Mark Hines, Jeff Helton, and Clifton Barron. Fourty-three Bombers were in attendance with heat wins going to Hines, Woods, Stevens, and Bex, while Barron and James Headley won the B-mains.

Racing continues this Saturday night, March 17, with the Late Models again paying $2,000 to win, along with the Indiana Super Stocks and Bombers in action.

Late Models (43 entries)

Top Qualifier- Scott James 15.778

1st Heat- Gary Burton, Kevin Claycomb, Scott James, Ryan Markham

2nd Heat- John Gill, Greg Johnson, Steve Barnett, Mark Barber

3rd Heat- Don O’Neal, Tim Prince, C.J. Rayburn, Mike Jewell

4th Heat- Shannon Babb, Hillard Miller, Shawn Negangard, Terry Eaglin

1st B-Main: Steven Godsey, Timmy Yeager, Todd McKinney, Mark Schaefer, Juan Grino

2nd B-Main: Mike Bechelli, Bobby Carrier, Jr., John Kresser, Dennis Boknecht, Dallas Bailey

Feature- Jewell, Claycomb, O’Neal, Johnson, Babb, James, Negangard, Yeager, Prince, Burton, Godsey, Eaglin, Markham, Miller, Rayburn, Gill, Carrier, Jr., Barber, Bechelli, Barnett

Bombers (43 entries)

1st Heat- Mark Hines, Matt Cummings, Glen Woods, Paul Owens

2nd Heat- Bubba Woods, Greg Benton, Bobby Davis, Josh Hayes

3rd Heat- Charlie Stevens, Ray Godsey, Jr., Josh Turner, Terry Ross

4th Heat- Matt Bex, Robert Walters, Jeff Helton, Robert Green

1st B-Main: Clifton Barron, Jason Combs, Willie Sallee, Tim Neal, Jim Deckard

2nd B-Main: James Headley, Roger Reichenbacker, Jim Pfieffer, Cory Arthur, Dave Lemons

Feature- Bubba Woods, Bex, Walters, Benton, Stevens, Davis, Godsey, Jr., Hines, Helton, Barron, Turner, Glen Woods, Ross, Owens, Hayes, Combs, Cummings, Reichenbacker, Headley, Green