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Lucas and Norris Score Big in Bloomington Nationals

26 September 1998

BLOOMINGTON, IN - Bloomington's Joe Lucas and Grammer's Kerry Norris scored 40-lap feature victories in the Third Annual Street Stock & Open Wheel Modified Nationals at Bloomington Speedway Friday night. While Norris has won four of the last five open wheel modified events at Bloomington, it was Lucas' first victory of the year in the WalMart Tire & Lube Express Street Stocks at the Bloomington oval. Each event paid $1,200 to win.

With Lucas hounding him each circuit, Earl Plessinger lead the first 23 laps of the WalMart Tire & Lube Express Street Stock feature. But on the 24th lap, Plessinger suddenly pulled to the infield with mechanical problems. This gave the lead to Lucas, who was a half-lap ahead of Perry Bruce. Several laps later, Bruce made contact with a lapped car, and blew his left rear tire, bringing a caution flag. With six lapped cars between them, Lucas quickly pulled away from Rusty Smiley on the restart. He built a half-lap lead by the checkered flag, with Smiley in second. Joe Johnson finished third, followed by Greg Kendall, and Bruce, who changed his flat and returned in time to finish fifth.

Bloomington's 1998 open wheel modified champion, Matt Tiller jumped into the lead of the modified feature, with Brian Campbell, John Davis, Albert Webb and Ray Humphrey in tow. Norris, having won the last two consecutive features started tenth by track rules. While Tiller held off Campbell, Norris worked his way past Terry Trammell, Webb and Davis, running in the low groove while everyone else was using the outside lane. On lap 13, Norris tried to pass Campbell in turn two, when they both skidded into the infield and then back on the track. Norris lost two spots, while Campbell slipped several more.

Tiller held a half-straightaway lead, as Norris began to work his way back to the front. When Tiller had difficulty keeping his car at speed through the turns, Trammell quickly closed the gap. On lap 20, Trammell took the lead when Tiller slid high in the second turn. But Norris was coming strong. He took second from Tiller on lap 22, and passed Trammell for the lead on lap 26. Following a late race yellow flag, Norris took the win by a straightaway over Tiller. Trammell finished third, with John DeMoss fourth and Scott Patman fifth.

BLOOMINGTON SPEEDWAY SUMMARY
Third Annual Street Stock & Open Wheel Modified Nationals
September 25, 1998

WalMart Tire & Lube Express Street Stocks
Heat 1: Joe Lucas, Don Parson, Greg Kendall
Heat 2: Earl Plessinger, Perry Bruce, Mel Bigham
Heat 3: Roy Bruce Jr., Lee Hobbs, Rusty Smiley
Heat 4: Michael Vest, Gerald Todd, Kevin Fleenor
Heat 5: Danny Harris, Al Flick, Tom Allman
Heat 6: Bob Bex, Cory Brown, Steve Blair
C-Main: Tom Plotz, Rick Hines
B-Main: Joe Johnson, Larry Harris
Feature: Lucas, Smiley, Johnson, Kendall, P. Bruce, Flick, Vest, Todd, Parson, Blair, Brown, Fleenor, R. Bruce, Bigham, Bex, Allman, Hobbs, L. Harris, Plessinger, D. Harris

Open Wheel Modifieds
Heat 1: Daryl Herbert, Kerry Norris, Gary Trammell, John DeMoss
Heat 2: Ray Humphrey, John Davis, Don Fleetwood, Gary Burton
Heat 3: Albert Webb, Brian Campbell, Bret Barr, Jim Moore
Heat 4: Terry Trammell, Matt Tiller, Lee Hobbs, Troy Woods
C-Main: Jack Taylor, Tim Holt
B-Main: Scott Patman, Allen Barr, Randy Hunter, Ritchie Hawkins
Feature: Norris, Tiller, G. Trammell, DeMoss, Patman, T. Trammell, Webb, Hobbs, A. Barr, Burton, Campbell, Davis, Woods, Hunter, Fleetwood, Hawkins, Humphrey, Herbert, B. Barr, Moore