This is from the Herald Times newspaper story by Shaan Joshi

Jeff Bland Jr. rumbled towards victory with a last-second pass to win an exciting 25-lap sprint car feature at Bloomington Speedway Friday night.

Bland stalked an ever-changing host of leaders the entire race before finally slipping under both Jon Stanbrough and Chad Boat to steal an unlikely victory.

“It was a great race,” Bland said. “I just knew if I stayed at the bottom (of the track) I’d be all right.”

The race started under less than auspicious circumstances with 15-year old Mark Perry IIII doing an airborne twist off the track and into the grass barely one lap into the race. Perry managed not only to kick up the red clay of the speedway, but Shane Hmiel and series’ points leader Brady Short as well. The race paused for a long caution as Perry had to be escorted from the track by ambulance. Short returned to the race, but Hmiel was not as lucky.

Boat, son of 1998 Indianapolis 500 pole-sitter Billy Boat, did his father proud passing Ty Deckard early and masterfully controlling the race through two cautions. It was the final caution that did the 17-year-old driver in.

Stanbrough rode the high line hard, passing Boat coming out of turn two with five laps remaining. Boat showed impressive mettle for a young driver, remaining in the lead pack up until the final line.

Meanwhile, Bland looked like an afterthought coming into the final lap. He lurked close enough behind Stanbrough and Boat to make a low-line pass through the final turn leaving Stanbrough to contemplate the thought of victory and taste the bitterness of defeat.

“I just want to thank the fans. That’s it. I don’t want to talk,” said Stanbrough in a shortened post-race interview. “I’m pissed off right now.”

Stanbrough finished second with Boat close behind. Deckard and Logan Hupp rounded out the top five.

Short, Hmiel and Boat won their heat races. Bub Cummings won the B-main race.

In respectful defense of Jon Stanbrough... If you had seen him at The Bob Darland Memorial last year, leading and flipping on the last lap you would no doubt see him in a different light. He still came over and presented Dave the award disappointed as he surely was!
Stanbrough is a class act in my eyes forever!
PS Everyone has a bad night now and then and everyone is human with human emotions.

Thanx Chris they had a great article there.. racegal i was there for that he really is a great person thats racin what are you gonna do!!!

Of course Jon hates to lose. He's Jon Stanbrough. When he wins 10 in a year, it's been a bad year. When you see emotion like this out of Jon, I think it means that these guys are starting to get things figured out and he just lost one he thinks he should have won. When they're struggling, you don't hear people saying things like this.

Herry

I started this thread from a fans point of view and that is where i am gonna stay...
Last night I took three new, never seen a sprint car fans to the bloomington speedway to see what i tell them is one of the best ways to spend a friday night in the state of Indiana. I think they got just that, a fast track, a few wrecks, and a very exciting finish to the feature. First the heard Chad Boat pay his respect to Bland jr. then heard Stanbrough with his comments (and he did not give Bland jr. any congrats) and then a very excited Bland. Which one of the three interviews do you think they wanted to talk about.
I have been going to sprint car races since i was a little boy(now im 32) so I understand the feeling we all get when the black and white Fox Bros #53 pulls on to the track for hot laps but these new guys do not. They just saw a sore loser in victory lane because they dont know all the rest of us know about the fire inside Stanbrough.
On a side note there was a thread on here sometime this week about Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and his sucess at the next level, I think he has the same fire to win that Stanbrough has but deals with it a little better, thats why he is where he is right now.
OK enough, now it is off to Lawrenceburg to see some bad fast sprint car action!!

Smithville,
NO disrespect meant in any way at all.
Your 32, well 32 years ago, the "original" Fox #56 wrenched by the man himself Galen, was being driven by the ULTIMATE in sore losers Sheldon Kinser.
Jon Stanbrough is a ******* cat, in comparison! I wouldn't even get close to Sheldon after an upset!
Not that he was a bad person, he was just ate up with the desire to win and HATED losing with a passion!

I had another old timer tell me once "anybody that isn't a sore loser, is just getting to comfortable at being a loser"!
Lot of truth to that statement, by the way that was said by Bob Kinser in 1981.
I believe if my math is correct, you were 4 at the time.

I can understand the sore looser part comin from new fans but from a guy that knows the stanbrough saga????

Many drivers have a chip on their shoulder. Its called a EDGE and Competitiveness. Jon almost never comes off as he means and I see nothing wrong with thankinf the fans for comming out and being pissed that he didn't win. He didn't say Jeff drove me dirty, He didn't say Jeffs a cheater, He didn't say nothing than what was on his shoulder and thats being upset with himself. Jons not real talkative to people he dosen't know but thats not to say hes not a nice guy and class act. I''ve seen him be critical of other drivers and most times they deserved it. Everyone makes a bonehead move including himself once in awhile, Its called the HUMAN factor and if not for it,

MIGHT AS WELL LET A GPS DRIVE EM!

I wasn't there, but what was quoted isn't dissrespectful to anyone. Not the same as a kid a couple years ago who got passed twice by the winner durring a event accusing the winner of blocking him on the last lap. DUH!

Cmon, Jon is one of, if not the most dominating, and quiet but class guys in the sport today and all the true racing fans and fellow drivers know that.

Your right Billy. I cannot remember how many times after loosing a close race I have not spoke to my driver for 15-20 minutes. I have learned that you just give them their time, and then just give them a cold beer and they settle down. For some reason the drivers I have helped for years have this thing for tearing up the sun visor when getting out of the car mad LOL. Cannot remember how many times I have replaced them. Whether right or wrong, the day they are satisfied with just a top 5 and quit tearing up sun visors is the day I quit helping.

Congrats on the success at Kokomo.