By Ron Green
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Bloomington Speedway delivered a spectacularly dramatic show in its season finale on Friday, September 24. The track crowned three division champions as each race featured close battles and close calls all the way around the track. The event featured the Grimes Pools and Spas Sprint Cars, the Tire and Wheel Center UMP Indiana Super Stocks, and the O’Neal Wood Product UMP Modifieds. Jesse Cramer won the Grimes Pools and Spas Sprint Car feature race, Troy Clark won the Tire and Wheel Center UMP Indiana Super Stock feature race, and Clint DeMoss took home the checkered flag in the O’Neal Wood Product UMP Modified feature race.
Jesse Cramer, of Spencer Ind., won the Grimes Pools and Spas Sprint Car feature by less than two feet in a tight finish that went all the way to line. Cramer battled wheel to wheel with Jon Sciscoe, of Bloomington Ind., Dickie Gaines, of Mitchell Ind., and Danny Holtsclaw, of Bloomfield Ind., all the way around the red clay oval for the majority of the event before grabbing the checkered flag. Holtsclaw, who started 16th, finished third and won the Hard Charger award for the event.
In a move reminiscent of Danny Sullivan’s 1985 Indianapolis 500 “Spin ‘n’ Win”, Gaines was able to earn the 2010 Bloomington Speedway Sprint Car Track Championship in dramatic fashion. Starting in the 12th position, Gaines needed only to finish in the 11th position to take home the hardware after defending track champion Brady Short, of Bedford Ind., suffered an engine failure following the evening’s heat races. Gaines raced hard for the win throughout the feature event going as far as three wide at times. He was running third late in the race when he suddenly spun the car around while exiting turn four. He was able to keep the car running, get it pointed down the front straightaway, and hold off a charging pack of cars to finish in the seventh position and win the championship.
Troy Clark, of North Vernon Ind., stiff-armed his way to victory in the Tire and Wheel Center UMP Indiana Super Stock feature race. Clark, who started from the pole position, fought hard with other contenders including Randy Petro, of Columbus Ind., Jeremy Hines, of Seymour Ind., and Steve Peeden, of Paragon Ind. Clark’s strong inside pass of Randy Petro in the first turn just before the midpoint of the race put him in the position to take home the checkered flag as well as the 2010 Bloomington Speedway Super Stock Championship.
Clint DeMoss, of Bloomington Ind., started from the sixth position and worked his way through the field to take the win in the O’Neal Wood Products UMP Modified feature race. Bradley Sterrett, of Bloomington Ind., dominated much of the race before a mechanical mishap caused him to drop out of the race. The rest of the field battled nose to tail and wheel to wheel to get a strong finish to close out the year.
Bloomington Speedway will cap off their year with their annual Awards Banquet at Terry’s Banquets & Catering Center on Saturday, December 4. The evening will review the past year’s season at the red clay oval and will honor the champions of each division.
RESULTS:
Grimes Pools & Spas Sprint Cars
Heat 1 Winner: Brady Short
Heat 2 Winner: Bub Cummings
Heat 3 Winner: Bobby Stines
“B Main 1” Winner: CJ Leary
Feature: 1.) Jesse Cramer; 2.) Jon Sciscoe; 3.) Danny Holtsclaw; 4.) Ty Deckard; 5.) Jordan Kinser; 6.) Bub Cummings; 7.) Dickie Gaines; 8.) Bobby Stines; 9.) Chase Briscoe; 10.) Ethan Barrow; 11.) Josh Cunningham; 12.) Jared Harris; 13.) Lance Grimes; 14.) A.J. Clark; 15.) Arin McIntosh; 16.) Tyler Waltz; 17.) John Johnson Jr; 18.) CJ Leary; 19.) Eric Edwards; 20.) Chambers Daylen