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Sprints: Davidson Outruns Thomas for Bloomington Victory

27 June 1998

BLOOMINGTON, IN- Derek Davidson scored his first victory of the year after a wheel-to-wheel battle with Kevin Thomas at Bloomington Speedway Friday night. Following the victory lane ceremony, Davidson confirmed that changes the BWB Racing/Hannig Construction crew made under a red flag gave him an edge, "We tightened it up quite a bit and we were really fast after that."

Starting fifth, Davidson fell in behind an early race battle between Robbie Rice, Thomas and Brian Hayden. Rice took a lot of pressure from Thomas and Hayden as he led the first five laps. On the sixth circuit, Hayden grabbed the point. A lap later, Thomas spun in the first turn, kept the car going after a complete rotation, and raced back into the battle as the starter flew the yellow flag.

Two laps after the green, Thomas passed Hayden in the second turn for the lead. Davidson fought his way into second as Thomas raced to a twelve car length advantage. Once clearly into second, Davidson began to gain on the leader. But as a final battle began to take shape, Dave Peperak flipped in the second turn, bringing the red flag on lap 18.

When the race restarted, Davidson used the high groove to carry the battle to Thomas. For three laps, he and Thomas traded the lead. When Al Woodall spun over the banking in turn four, Davidson was a half-car length ahead as the yellow came out.

Over the final four laps, Davidson built a one second lead as Eric Burns challenged Thomas for second. At the checkers, Davidson was trailed by Thomas, Burns, Derek Scheffel, Tony Elliott, Hayden, Butch Winings, Justin Marvel, Johnny Heydenreich and Brad Fox.

The winners of the first week's open wheel modified and WalMart Tire & Lube Express Street Stock features both lead their respective features again Friday night. But in an ironic twist, Perry Bruce pulled off the track with a flat tire during the street stock event, and one race later Ray Humphrey also slowed and dropped out from a cut tire.

Gerald Todd scored his second consecutive main event victory in the WalMart TLE Street Stocks. Race leaders Joe Lucas and Tony Bezzy were both eliminated from the feature on lap 9 when they couldn't avoid a car that had spun ahead of them.

In the open wheel modified division, Matt Tiller earned his first win at Bloomington this season. Early race leader, Albert Webb held off Dale Dubois for second.

Bloomington Speedway Summary
June 26, 1998

Pennzoil Cup Sprint Cars Fast Qualifier: Tony Elliott, 12.020
Heat 1: Tony Elliott, Troy Link, Butch Winings, Kevin Miller
Heat 2: Derek Scheffel, Kevin Thomas, Rick Hayden, Eric Burns
Heat 3: Brian Hayden, Jon Stanbrough, Brad Fox, Casey Shuman
Heat 4: Robbie Rice, Derek Davidson, Johnny Heydenreich, Justin Marvel
B Main: Kenny Carmichael, Al Woodall, Wil Newlin, Dave Peperak
Feature: Davidson, Thomas, Burns, Scheffel, Elliott, B. Hayden, Winings, Marvel, Heydenreich, Fox, Carmichael, R. Hayden, Newlin, Miller, Stanbrough, Woodall, Link, Rice, Peperak, Shuman

WalMart Tire & Lube Express Indiana Street Stocks
Heat 1: Perry Bruce, Gerald Todd, Tony Bezzy, J.D. Francis, Steve Hollars
Heat 2: Michael Purtlebaugh, Brandon Short, Randy Moore, Steve Hawkins, Bob Bex
Heat 3: Troy Dishong, Joe Lucas, Don Short, Al Flick, Don Bush
B Main: Greg O'Neill, Steve Gilbert, Roy Bruce Jr., Cory Brown, Jeremy Hines
Feature: Todd, O'Neill, Francis, Short, Gilbert, Hawkins, Bex, R. Bruce, Hines, Purtlebaugh, Bush, Dishong, P. Bruce, Brown, Flick, Moore, Lucas, Bezzy, Hollars, Short

Open Wheel Modifieds
Heat 1: Ray Humphrey, Brian Campbell, Mike Bowersox, Troy Jarvis, Sonny Richardson
Heat 2: Matt Tiller, Dale Dubois, Albert Webb, Brad Cummings, Rob Brickett
Heat 3: Don Shoulders, Gary Trammell, Jack Taylor, Brad Thrasher, Richie Lex
B Main: John DeMoss, Dave Hollifield, Rodney Harris Jr., Robin Freeman
Feature: Tiller, Webb, Dubois, Jarvis, Lex, Shoulders, Taylor, Campbell, DeMoss, Richardson, Brickett, Freeman, Hollifield, Humphrey, Bowersox, Cummings, Trammell, Harris, Thrasher