Bruce Turner of Columbus will be one of the inductees into the Brownstown Speedway Hall of Fame tonight during the Hall of Fame Classic Race featuring the Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series.
The Brownstown Speedway will host the 20th Annual Hall of Fame Classic tonight with four divisions of racing.
The Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series will be on hand highlighted with a $10,000 to win main event. Also running for bonus money will be the super stocks and pure stocks. The crown vics will also be on track for the racing program.
It will also be the annual induction into the Brownstown Speedway Hall of Fame that was started in 1995. Among those to be inducted tonight during the intermission will be Bruce Turner of Columbus, Tony Thomas of Martinsville and the Wilhite family of Edinburgh.
Brownstown results from Jackson County Fair races
The 2024 Jackson County Fair concluded on July 27 with the running of the “Grand Champion Fair Race” at the Brownstown Speedway. There were five racing divisions and 123 entries were on hand for the final Jackson County Fair grandstand event for this year’s fair activities.
Devin Gilpin of Columbus led all 25 caution free laps in Slicker Graphics Super Late Model feature action to take home the $2,500 top spot for the Grand Champion Fair race. This was Gilpin’s second Super Late Model win in a row at the Speedway and fourth win of the year.
Jordan Wever, Josh Rice, Matt Boknecht and Chad Stapleton followed Gilpin at the checkers. Jared Bailey, Skyller Lewis, Zack Burton, Zak Blackwood and Zachary Stalker completed the top ten.
Make it 2-for-2 for Lee Hobbs of Mitchell in the Pewter Hall Super Stocks. Hobbs won Saturday’s Grand Champion Fair race leading all 20 laps. This was Hobbs’ second win in three days as he also won the Thursday Thunder Fair race. Rounding out the top five was Branden Carr, Tucker Chastain, Isaiah Sasser and Greg Amick.
In Crossroads Truck Equipment Pure Stock action, Josh Turner of Edinburgh took the lead with eight laps to go from his ninth starting spot and had to hold off a charging Preston Carr at the checkers for the win. Turner has five wins for 2024. Following Turner and Carr at the finish was Mickey Hines, Hunter Perry and Jt Huffman.
Phillip Boudreaux captured his first Crown Vic feature win of the year. Boudreaux, from his ninth starting spot, would catch leader Matt Cranmer and wage battle for the lead in the early portion of the race. Cranmer would spin his ride on lap six, and Boudreaux would lead the rest of the way for the win. Dalton Fleenor, Matt Weston, Eric Lewis and Ryan Woods completed the top five.
Shannon Walp of North Vernon would score his first win of the year in Hornet division fair race. Michael Brewer and Preston Righthouse were fighting hard for the win in the late stages of the race with Walp staying close in third. Brewer and Righthouse would come together off turn four heading to the white flag and allow Walp to take the lead. The trio would race to the checkers with Walp holding on for the win. Following Walp, Brewer and Righthouse at the finish was Josh Hallett and Jeremy Shemwell.
On July 25, racing at the Jackson County Fair featured the P3 Graphix Indiana Late Model Series Pro Late Models for the running of the annual Thursday Thunder, “Don Gardner Memorial” event. The Pro Late Models were joined for the night by the Pewter Hall Super Stocks, Hornets and MMSA Mini Sprints. A good field of cars and drivers were on hand for the evening in all divisions.
Tyler Cain of Seymour in the P3 Graphix Pro Late Models held off Chad Stapleton in a near photo finish to win the “Don Gardner Memorial.” Cain jumped to the lead at the start of the race and built a comfortable lead. A couple of late race cautions bunched the field back up and gave Stapleton a shot to spoil Cain’s night. Stapleton would keep it close and made one last effort to overtake Cain coming to the checkers. Cain held him off winning by .036 seconds.
Cain becomes the fourth different winner out of four “Don Gardner Memorial” events. Following Cain and Stapleton was Derek Groomer, Steve Peeden and Devin Gilpin. Rounding out the top ten was Skyller Lewis, Zack Burton, Marty O’Neal, Alan Magner and Jug Wethington.
Lee Hobbs of Mitchell returned to victory lane in Pewter Hall Super Stocks. Hobbs last win at the Speedway was 10 years ago. Hobbs patiently worked his way past Isaiah Sasser and then Matt Boknecht, in a caution free 20-lap event, to get the win. Boknecht finished second. Isaiah Sasser ran nearly the entire race with broken left front suspension managed to hold on to third ahead of all the Chastain’s (Trey, Tanner, and Tucker).
Michael Brewer of North Vernon scored his fourth straight win in the Hornet division, but it was not easy. 15-year-old rookie driver Preston Righthouse kept the pressure on Brewer the entire race and took the lead from Brewer with 8 laps to go. The duo raced side-by-side the last few laps of the race and crossed the finish line in a photo finish. Brewer would get the win over Righthouse, Jeremy Shemwell, Jamie Ogle (from his 17th starting spot) and Cordell Moore.
Eli Wilhelmus of Newburgh took the win in MMSA Mini Sprints in dominate fashion. Wilhelmus led the entire 20-lap feature event. Kayla Roell, Reed Whitney, Elijah Knoke and Cody Knieriem followed Wilhelmus at the checkers. Rounding out the top ten was Bryan Brewer, Steve Justis, Johnson Ginder, Mike Larrison and Jeremy Schnepper.
This week in racing history
From 60 years ago in 1964 at the 25th Street Fairgrounds Speedway in Columbus, Jim Waltz won the super modified feature over Mike Johnson, Calvin Gilstrap, Roy Robbins and Kenny Inman.
From 1964 at Bloomington, Dick Gaines won the super modified feature over Carl Williams, Orville Yeadon, Bob Kinser and Mike Johnson. Verden Kinser won the stock car feature and Don Hobbs won the Figure 8 race over Gene Petro, Sheldon Kinser and Boyd Koontz.
From 60 years ago at Paragon, Larry Miller won the super modified feature over Bob Kinser and Calvin Gilstrap. Chuck Tyler won the stock car feature over Kenny Baker, Joe Robinson and Bob Ham.
From 50 years ago in 1974 at Lawrenceburg, Butch Wilkerson won the sprint car feature.
From 40 years ago in 1984 at Brownstown, Ray Godsey won the late model feature over Jim Curry, Kenny Simpson, Dick Phillips and Charlie Sentman. Bill Norton won the modified street stock feature over Merrill Downey, Don Barnett, Mark Barber and Mike Jewell.
Also in 1984 at Lawrenceburg, Greg Staab won the sprint car feature over Leon Thickstun, Mike Bowling, Rusty McClure and Tom Bipes. Matt Gilardi won the late model feature over Jeff Herbert, Gary Herbert, Ed Eschmann and Larry Detmer. Willie Klepper won the street stock feature.
Upcoming local racing schedule
Today – Brownstown Speedway – Hall of Fame Classic – Northern Allstars Late Model Dirt Series – $10,000 to win plus super stocks, pure stocks, and crown vics. For more information brownstownspeedway.com
Today – Paragon Speedway – sprints, super stocks, bombers, and hornets. For more information paragonspeedway.com
Today – Lawrenceburg Speedway – Night of Destruction plus hornets. For more information lawrenceburgspeedway.com
James Essex writes a motorsports notebook for The Republic. Send comments to [email protected]
