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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.
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