Ponderosa Speedway 2010 Season Opener Goes April 2 and April 3

Junction City, KY-March 6, 2010- The promotion trio of Larry, Chad, and Sarah Yantz are set to present the 39th season of dirt track sports entertainment at one of the oldest Friday night racing venues in the Midwest, that being “Kentucky’s Baddest Bullring” Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY.

There will be only one Test and Tune open practice session to allow the racers to dial in new cars and shake the dust off of the older stuff and that will take place on Friday evening March 26 from 6:00 p.m. until 10:00 p.m.  The other practice date that was scheduled for Saturday March 20 has been cancelled to allow the grounds some extra drying time and preparation.

Ponderosa Speedway would also like to announce its four division sponsors for the 2010 racing season.  Good Neighbor Pharmacy of Danville, KY will again return as sponsor of the Super Late Model division, while Clayton Homes of Stanford, KY will once again be the sponsor of the UMP Modified division.  Bob Allen Motor Mall of Danville, KY will move from the Sportsman to the Pro Late Model division, while D and D Pallet Recyclers of Stanford, KY will join the list of division sponsors and will support the UMP Sportsman division.

The 2010 racing season will officially get underway the first weekend of April with a Friday/ Saturday doubleheader of racing action.  On Friday April 2, the 8th Annual Spring 30 will take place, featuring the Super Late Models in a 30 lap, $1,500 to win event, along with the first ever event for the newly formed American Modified Series, also being 30 laps and paying $1,500 to win for the UMP Modifieds, while the Pro Late Models will round out the racing action with an $800 to win feature event.  On Saturday April 3, the 3rd Annual Chris Estes/Brad Pena Memorial will take place, paying $3,000 to win for Super Late Models, along with an $1,000 to win feature event for the UMP Modifieds and a $500 to win event for UMP Sportsman.

Besides the opening weekend, other special events for the Super Late Model division will include the National All Star Racing Association sanctioned 11th Annual Hugh “Junebug” Rowland Memorial, paying $3,000 to win, the 15th Annual Pete Abell Memorial on Friday June 25 for $3,000 to win, the National All Star Racing Association sanctioned 8th Annual John Bradshaw Memorial for $5,000 to win on July 9.  The season concludes the first weekend of October with the 4th Annual Friday Night Rumble paying $2,000 to win on Friday October 1, followed the 20th Annual Fall Classic on Saturday October 2, paying $5,000 to win.  There will also be some changes in the Super Late Model division at Ponderosa Speedway for 2010.  The tire rules in the Super Late Model division for 2010 will be as follows:   Front Tires – Open Compound; Rear Tires - Hoosier: LM40, 1600, WRS-2-55, and D55 (Shoulder Plated); American Racer #56; Goodyear - G50 (all rear tires must durometer 58 prior to competition).  All tires must fit in a 16 ¾ tire hoop.  Also, the GM CT525 engine package will also be allowed to compete in the Super Late Model division at the 2,100 pound weight limit as recommended by the National All Star Racing Association.  Victor Lee of Danville, KY was the 2009 Super Late Model division track champion.

The Modified division will pick up sanctioning from UMP Dirt Car in 2010 and after being featured in the American Modified Series opener on Friday April 2.  The richest UMP Modified event ever held at Ponderosa Speedway will take place on Friday July 23 as the American Modified Series will sanction the 6th Annual Summer Shootout, paying $3,000 to win for the UMP Modifieds that evening.  The UMP Modifieds will also be featured as the season ending events the first weekend of October as the UMP sanctioned open-wheelers will race for $1,000 to win on Friday October 1 and Saturday October 2.  The tire rule for the Modified division will be as follows:    Hoosier - A40, D40, and H40 (26.5/8.0/15 or 27.5/8.0/15).  Siping is allowed on A40 and H40 only (no grooving allowed).  With American Racer Tires having been legal in past seasons at Ponderosa, American Racer Tires from the 2009 Season will have a grace period for the 2010 season, with those tires not allowed after the June 25 event. However, they will not be allowed for any American Modified Series events, as those events are Hoosier tire only events. The only American Racer Tire compounds allowed during the grace period will be "Hard" and "Extra Hard".  Randy Turpin of Lebanon, KY was the 2009 Modified division track champion.

The Pro (Crate) Late Model division will race under the rules of the Indiana Late Model Series in 2010 and will feature four ILMS sanctioned events at the 3/8 mile D-Shaped clay oval.  The Indiana Late Model Series will sanction a trio of $1,000 to win events on May 14, June 4, and September 3.  The 3rd Annual Colston Paving 40 will take place on September 17 and pay $2,000 to win and will also be sanctioned by the ILMS.  The Pro Late Model division will open the season with an $800 to win event on April 2 and end the season with an $800 to win event at the Friday Night Rumble on October 1.  The tire rules is as follows:  LSB21 or LSB55 Hoosier Tires only.  Jeremy Hines of Seymour, IN was the 2009 Pro Late Model division track champion.

The Sportsman division will also feature sanctioning from the UMP Dirt Car organization, with Ponderosa Speedway track rules being used for this division.  The big event on the calendar for the UMP Sportsman division for 2010 will take place on August 20 with the running of the Weekend Warrior 40, paying $2,000 to win the division’s main event that evening.  The Sportsman will open their season on Saturday April 3 with a $500 to win event and end their season on a Saturday as well at the Fall Classic on October 2 for $500 to win.  Bartley Grant of Berea, KY is the 2009 Sportsman division track champion. 

The American Sprint Car Tour will make its first-ever visit to Central Kentucky on Friday evening May 21 for the 2nd Annual May Mayhem event that will pay $1,200 to win for the steel-block engineered, Indiana-based non-wing Sprint Car tour, along with a full program of Super Late Model and UMP Modified action that evening as well.

Ponderosa Speedway is located at 365 Phillips Lane, just outside of Junction City, KY directly on the Boyle/Lincoln County border.  Larry, Chad, and Sarah Yantz are the track promoters and present dirt track sports entertainment on Friday evenings from April through early October.  For more information about all events and activities at Ponderosa Speedway, visit the track’s internet site at www.ponderosaspeedway.net or phone (859) 854-6808 on racedays.

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Lee, Hines, Turpin, and Grant Honored at Ponderosa Speedway Championship Celebration

Junction City, KY-February 20, 2010- Track promoter Larry, Chad, and Sarah Yantz honored their season’s best on Saturday night and officially closed out the 2009 racing season for “Kentucky’s Baddest Bullring” with the Ponderosa Speedway Championship Awards Banquet at the National Guard Armory in Danville, KY.

Victor Lee of Stanford, KY would be honored as the ’09 Good Neighbor Pharmacy Super Late Model division track champion.  The second generation racer would score six feature event wins along the way to claiming the track championship.  For the first half of the season, Lee would pilot the Frank Revel owned Kentucky’s Best/Budda Bert Transmissions/American Racer Tires/Tim Logan Racing/Cash 4 Gold/Don’s Marathon/The Key Club/ADO’s Auto Parts sponsored #4 C.J. Rayburn Race Car, Jay Dickens Race Engines powered mount, while driving the Steve West and Gary Craig owned Quality Pawn/Advance Auto Parts/Kentucky’s Best/West Towing/American Racer Tires/PPM/Taylor Trucking/All Star Performance/Xtreme Style Signs and Graphics/JumpStart Communications sponsored #55 C.J. Rayburn Race Car, Corder Competition Engines powered mount the second half of the season.  Michael Chilton of Salvisa, KY would finish second in the track points for the second consecutive season, while Mike Marlar of Winfield, TN would nail down the third spot in points.  Defending track champion Dustin Linville of Bryantsville, KY and former track champion Bobby Carrier, Jr. of Harrodsburg, KY would complete the top five in division points.  The remainder of the top ten would be Justin Rattliff of Campbellsville, KY, David Webb of Nicholasville, KY, Jeff Watson of Campbellsville, KY, Dustin Neat of Dunnville, KY, and Johnny Wheeler of Campbellsville, KY.  The top ten drivers also received contingency awards from C.J. Rayburn Race Cars of Whiteland, IN as well.  Rayburn Race Cars lead the way for the season with eight feature event wins, while Jay Dickens Race Engines and Corder Competition Engines each won three feature events respectively.  Corder Competition Race Engines received the Chris Estes Memorial Engine Builder of the Year award and the trio of John Carrier, Randy Elam, and Ron “Old Man” Winstead received the Brad Pena Memorial Crew Chief of the Year award. 

Jeremy Hines of Seymour, IN would be honored as the track’s Kentucky National Guard Pro Late Model division track champion.  Also a second generation racer, Hines would grab two feature event victories on the way to his first track championship outside of the Hoosier state.  The title run for Hines came behind the wheel of the Jack Rainey owned Bedford Transport/Lineal Contracting/Indiana Monument/Eric Thompson Photography sponsored #49 C.J. Rayburn Race Car powered by a GM604 Performance Crate Engine.  Defending track champion Todd Coffman of Junction City, KY would claim track championship runner-up honors, with Kevin Colston of Frankfort, KY finishing third in the final points tally.  Zane Morgan of Junction City, KY and Clarence Belcher of Junction City, KY would round out the top five in Pro Late Model track points.  Completing the top ten for the division would be Gary Yeager of Harrodsburg, KY, Mike Covington of Stamping Ground, KY, Jeff Johnson of Junction City, KY, Daniel Hatcher of Campbellsville, KY and former track champion P.J. Feistritzer of Danville, KY.  Hines was unable to attend the ceremony due to prior racing commitments in Florida.  The top ten division finishers would also receive contingency awards from C.J. Rayburn Race Cars in Whiteland, IN as Rayburn Race Cars won every Pro Late Model feature event at the track in 2009 and all the winners were powered by GM604 Performance Crate Engines.

Randy Turpin of Lebanon, KY would receive the top honors as track champion in the Clayton Homes Modified division.  This would be the first ever track title for this seasoned veteran of racing in Central Kentucky.  Turpin would take two feature event checkered flags on his way to the ’09 track title for the open wheel division.  Turpin’s championship winning efforts came in the seat of the Randy and Josh Turpin owned Cedarwood Restaurant/Smith Service Company/
Thomas and Son Trucking/All About Hair and Nails/John Cox Martial Arts/Bell Machine and Fabrication/Williams Repair/Dr. Rod Coxon Chiropractic/Kay’s Barber Shop sponsored #99 Bandit Race Car, Dale Meers Race Engines powered machine.  Jason Wheatley of Loretto, KY would claim second in the final division points, while defending track champion Benji Lee of Loretto, KY would finish third in Modified track points.  Kevin Nesselhauf of Lancaster, KY would finish fourth, with J.T. Ayers of New Haven, KY completing the top five in points.  Rounding out the top ten point netters would be Elliott Despain of Campbellsville, KY, Michael England of Glasgow, KY, Todd Noel of Springfield, KY, Rocky Wilson of Hodgenville, KY, and Don Adams of London, KY.  Bandit Race Cars was the top chassis winner at the track for 2009 with seven feature event wins, with Dale Meers Race Engines the top winning engine builder for the class with six feature victories.

Bartley Grant of Berea, KY would be recognized for the second consecutive season as the Bob Allen Motor Mall Sportsman division track champion.  Grant would follow up his 2008 track title with eight feature event victories on the way to snagging the 2009 track championship title.  Grant would perform his duties aboard the Mistie and Tori Grant owned Cookie Monster Power Plants/Double J Cylinder Heads/D&H Heating and Air/Smokehouse Grill/Copper Creek Welding/ Troy’s Roofing/Xtreme Style Signs and Graphics/Linville’s Finish Carpentry/JumpStart Communications sponsored #1 Buick Regal.  Former track champion Rick King of Junction City, KY would score championship runner-up honors, with Gerald Haynes, Jr. of Somerset, KY finishing in the third position in division points.  Donnie Sullivan of Stanford, KY and Logan Whitis of Hustonville, KY would finish fourth and fifth respectively in the final points.  The final five positions in the top ten would fall to Darrell Baker of Waco, KY, Pat Hagan of New Haven, KY, Logan Preston of Berea, KY, Johnny King of Lancaster, KY and Troy Scott of Hustonville, KY and Todd Carmickle of Stanford, KY would finish tied for tenth.

Track co-promoter Chad Yantz would close out the evening by discussing the 2010 race season schedule and also taking about the track’s Open Wheel Modified and Sportsman divisions being sanctioned by the UMP DirtCar organization for the 2010 racing season.   A pair of open practice sessions are scheduled for Saturday March 20 and Friday March 26, while the racing season gets going the first weekend in April with the Spring 30 on April 2 and the Chris Estes/Brad Pena Memorial event on Saturday April 3.

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