[Chris Nunn]

THE DEMON TAKES TEN GRAND AT LAWRENCEBURG SPEEDWAY
BY: Chris Nunn

Lawrenceburg, IN-October 2nd, 2009- A cool, windy, chilly evening greeted race fans at the Lawrenceburg Speedway for night number one of the City of Lawrenceburg Fall Nationals event that paid $10,000 to win for the USAC National Sprint Cars. 51 USAC National Sprint Cars unloaded in the pits to attempt to qualify for only 32 spots in the four heat races on the program. Jamestown, IN native Jon Stanbrough came out on top of the qualifying order with a lap of 14.242. 24 Budweiser UMP Modifieds also signed in to the Lawrenceburg Speedway for the racing activities. Only 15 points separated Levi Jones and Dave Darland in USAC National Sprint Car points standings coming into the evening, setting up for an important stretch run to the finish. The Lawrenceburg Speedway crew, headed up by Dave Rudisell prepared a superb race track that was smooth as silk even after heavy overnight rains plagued the facility. After it was all said and done, Concord, California native "The Demon" Damion Gardner took home the $10,000 top prize after taking the lead on lap 22 from his seventh starting position.

The 30 lap USAC National Sprint Car main event saw Kyle Cummins and Chris Windom make up the front row. Windom took the lead coming out of turn one, only to have the caution brought back due to a bad start. The second attempt saw Cummins lead the field out of turn two and would lead lap one. Windom and Memmer ran second and third behind him. Tracy Hines attempted a slider on Memmer on lap two, and made the pass for second. Damion Gardner also moved around Memmer to take fourth. Back up front, Windom got around Cummins for the lead on lap three. As the field clicked off lap four, Gardner and Hines dueled side by side for the fourth position, with Hines keeping the spot. The caution flew on lap five, as Memmer slowed to a stop on the backstretch, just as Jesse Hockett pulled into the infield. On the restart, Windom took a six car length advantage over Cummins to the line to complete lap six. Behind them, Gardner got around Hines for third, while Cole Whitt moved around Hines as well for fourth. On lap nine, Windom enjoyed over a half straight lead over Cummins, who had a half straight lead over Gardner in third. Jon Stanbrough completed the top five on lap ten. The battle for third began to shape up, as Whitt began to pressure Gardner for the spot, but Gardner was able to hold him off as the two ran identical lines. The top five had put some distance between themselves and the sixth place running car of Hines. At the halfway point, it was Windom, Cummins, Gardner, Whitt, and Stanbrough completing the top five. Up front, Gardner was able to throw a wicked slide job to take second from Cummins. On lap 16, the two team cars of Brady Short and Jeff Bland, Jr. got together coming out of turn four bringing out the caution. Short had blew a right rear tire, leaving Bland with nowhere to go. When the green flew for the restart, Windom took the field to turn one. Gardner moved to the inside of Cummins and took second away from him as the field completed lap 17. Cummins then had to contend with Whitt, who moved around him for third on lap 18. With ten laps to go, Windom and Gardner were only separated by three car lengths as they crossed the line. Gardner moved under Windom on lap 21, and brought Whitt with him to make it a three way fray for the lead. Gardner officially took the lead from Windom on lap 22 by a nose. With five laps to go, Gardner held a good sized advantage over Windom, who was dueling with Whitt for second. Whitt was able to take second on lap 26 coming down the frontstretch. With two to go, it was all Gardner, who just had to keep it straight and clean to claim the $10,000 top prize. Gardner did just that, crossing the line ahead of Whitt, Windom, Stanbrough, and Cummins completing the top five.

SUMMARY

NON QUALIFIERS RACE 1: Kevin Thomas, Jr., Kevin Studley, Chad Boespflug, J.J. Hughes, Casey Shuman, Will Nedderman, Hud Cone, Brandon Mattox, Ethan Barrow, Joss Moffatt (DNS)

NON QUALIFIERS RACE 2: Henry Clarke, Johnathan Hendrick, Kurt Gross, Daron Clayton, Scott Hampton, Critter Malone, Adam Nigg, Tim Creech, Mike Weber

HEAT ONE: Bobby East, Casey Riggs, Cole Whitt, Dave Darland, Jon Stanbrough, Blake Fitzpatrick, Bryan Clauson, Chad Boat, Kevin Thomas, Jr., Chad Boespflug (DNS)

HEAT TWO: Jeff Bland, Jr., Hunter Scheurenberg, Chase Stockon, Chris Windom, Jesse Hockett, Brady Bacon, Chris Gurley, Kent Christian, J.J. Hughes, Kevin Studley

HEAT THREE: Robert Ballou, Brady Short, Levi Jones, Jerry Coons, Jr., Ty Deckard, Tracy Hines, Henry Clarke, Kyle Cummins, Ted Hines, Kurt Gross

HEAT FOUR: Darren Hagen, Scotty Weir, Damion Gardner, Nic Faas, Daron Clayton, Brad Kuhn, Shane Hmiel, Johnathan Hendrick, Coleman Gulick, John Memmer

B-MAIN: Jon Stanbrough, Brady Bacon, John Memmer, Tracy Hines, Bryan Clauson, Kyle Cummins, Shane Hmiel, Brad Kuhn, Kent Christian, Ty Deckard, Henry Clarke, Johnathan Hendrick, J.J. Hughes, Coleman Gulick, Ted Hines, Chad Boespflug, Chad Boat, Kevin Studley, Blake Fitzpatrick, Jesse Hockett, Chris Gurley

FEATURE: Damion Gardner, Cole Whitt, Chris Windom, Jon Stanbrough, Kyle Cummins, Levi Jones, Jerry Coons, Jr., Tracy Hines, Hunter Scheurenberg, Scotty Weir, Dave Darland, Jeff Bland, Jr., Nic Faas, Bobby East, Darren Hagen, Casey Riggs, Brady Short, Bryan Clauson, Jesse Hockett, Brady Bacon, John Memmer, Chad Boat, Robert Ballou, Chase Stockon