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Bolen Wins In Iron Man 100 At BIR

Sunday August 24, 2008

 

JOHN TAKES BIG ONE IN BHAM: IRON MAN GOES TO JASPER
By Grady H. Thornton

Birmingham, AL (August 22). With Race # 5 of the 2008 Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge in the books, John Tyler Bolen of Jasper has emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Bolen, at the wheel of the Gateway Gaming/2 B Amusements Chevrolet, strong-armed his way to the front and carried the torch in the Iron Man 100 at Birmingham International Raceway Friday evening. It was the first career BIR win for the ASA Late Model Series regular.

Bolen’s shining new Volunteer Performance Engines/Grand American Race Cars ride touched racing surface for the first time ever the night before in a test/tune session. That was followed by a 20.305 seconds/110.810 mph fastest qualifying run Friday that started him fourth row outside in an eight-car inversion. Chris Serio got the race off to a quick start by taking the green and the lead. Justin South went inside after the lead in the first few laps, but dropped back into second, the spot he would hold through the 22nd lap. Meanwhile, Dennis “Tink” Reno, Jr., began a charge forward, with Bolen tucked in behind. Bolen passed Reno on the 19th lap and began his run to the front. The next lap he picked off rookie Josh Belter. On the 23rd lap he went around Gary Nix and South. Serio’s lead would last through the first quarter of the laps, with Bolen powering to a one car length lead the next time around.

It was speculated Bolen’s charge from eighth to first had used up rubber. It as a part of Bolen’s plan, however. “We actually paced ourselves and tucked in behind Tink early on. When we realized our car was a little faster, I went on around him. The car worked good running low. I have to give credit to Gary Sanford, J., for that,” Bolen explained. Sanford has defied tradition and gravity by establishing the fact that a car can run fast and low at BIR.

The long green condition period of 55 laps, a record in BSS history, allowed Bolen to establish as much as a 60-yard lead over Reno in second running position and Serio in third. The first caution came out on the 56th lap when sixth running Belter, who had run as high as third, got squirrelly and went into and up on the fourth turn wall. Belter’s car came up just short of turning over, but was damaged beyond quick repair for the evening. The top five of Bolen, Reno, Serio, Chase Knox, and Brandon Parker stayed out during the caution. The 61st lap restart was pretty much predictable, with the Parker and Knox trading places.

The second caution and final caution came out on lap 78 when Knox looped it coming off four. A return to green on lap 83 gave a 17-lap run to the finish. The only significant move in the final laps was South picking up two spots to get in behind Reno. In some respects, the show was over early as Bolen never had to sweat the lead. Reno came home second, getting as close as 30 yards to the leader. South, Serio, and Parker were the top five finishers.

“It’s nice to be back home, it’s fun,” Bolen said, reflecting on his ASA schedule. “Racing here and growing up here has helped me a lot. They say if you can win here, you can win anywhere. It’s a pretty tough track, so racing here has helped me everywhere.”

Bolen also earned the Hard Charger Award, advancing his starting position of eighth to finishing position of first. Brandon Parker’s fifth place finish earned him the Highest Finishing Rookie Honor.

OFFICIAL FINISH, BSS #5, IRONMAN 100 1. John Tyler Bolen; 2. Dennis Reno, Jr.; 3. Justin South;
4. Chris Serio; 5. Brandon Parker; 6. Mark Singleton; 7. Chase Oliver; 8. Chase Knox; 9. Blake Ferguson; 10. Keith Cahela; 11. Justin Caton; 12. Steven Davis; 13. Gary Nix; 14. Josh Belter.

IRONMAN SUPPORT DIVISIONS PUT PETAL TO THE METAL

For perhaps the first time in BIR history, the seven support divisions at BIR ran all seven feature races, 111 laps, without a caution period. Add that to two first-timers and a lot of give and take and the local Ironmen from the Steel City contributed a lot of spark to the first ever Family Night at BIR.

Trussville’s Dustin Knowles, a senior at Jacksonville State University, claimed his second career win in the Open Wheel Modified 25-lap feature. Jarod Land of Fayetteville, TN, in his second start at BIR, made it a rocket start by blasting from his front row inside starting position to the lead on the drop of the green. By the time the cars had made the initial circuit, however, Knowles was leading and would hold that lead until the checkered fell. With representatives from his recently acquired sponsor, Haselden Company Incorporated, visiting from Louisiana, Knowles laid down a straightaway between his Stickers Graphics/Express Oil-Trussville Chevrolet and the second place car. At the end of the grind, Land landed a respectable runner up spot, with fastest qualifier Gary Nix (21.201seconds/106.127 mph) finishing third. In fourth was Rocky Rogers, Nathan Davis fifth, followed by Greg Powers, Wayne Hill, and Ricky Holland.

Laissez les bon temps rouler. That is French for, “Where da women at?” Not really. It means “Let the good times roll” and that is what Jeff Thompson and his Cajun Steamer Bar & Grill Super Truck crew did in their romp to the win in their feature race. Thompson took the lead at the start and never looked back. It was his second career and second consecutive win at BIR. Chris Serio was second and Wesley Davis was third.

It has been stated may times by this writer that Shawn Kyzer is the best BIR regular who has yet to visit Victory Lane. That designation came to a happy and emotional end in the Limit Sportsman feature when the Parrish, AL, young lion clawed his way around division defending champion Jimmy Roberts on the second lap to take and never give up the lead. Kyzer’s Short Cutz-sponsored Old School Malibu was first over veterans Jeff Powers, Roger Cain, Joel Falls, and Roberts. Kyzer’s father, Thomas, was the division champion a few years ago.

Joel Falls, who stepped out of his Limited Sportsman and into his Street Stock, won the SS show. Also in an Old School car, an Olds Cut-dog sponsored by Jefferson County Auto Parts, Falls drifted by leader Richard Patino on the seventh lap and was the winner on the 15th lap. Roger Cain followed the Pleasant Grove racer and came in second in a Belter Brothers Ford, with Patino, points leader Rusty Alverson, and Matt Gaulden following.

In many respects, the Mini-Modified feature was the biggest show of the night. Points leader Roddy Moore’s success inspired a $200.00 bounty for any driver who could outrun him. Moore started on the rear, one spot behind Chase Spradlin. Ryan Price took the lead at the start and Moore was on his tail by the third lap, with Spadlin right behind him. The lead trio ran close, with Spradlin overtaking Moore on the seventh lap. On the 15th of 20 laps, the Spradlin Motorsports Toyota made a daring move around Price, as the latter’s car sputtered out. Spradlin’s win had Moore behind him in second, Justin Bonnett in his best-yet finish at third, with Chris Knight and Jacob Wyatt in fourth and fifth. Lee Streetman, Frankie Spradlin, Price, and Jonathan Goolsby make out the rest of the finishing order.

The Dodge Boys are back, led by Jarod Washington Tuscaloosa. Washington’s fourth feature win in the BG Oils and Lubrication/Wix Filters/Gates Belts/ MAXCO Oil/ Mac Tools Dodge kept Roger Wood, Jr., in second, Joseph Freeman in third, Daniel Hubbard in fourth, and Norman Cates in fifth.

Eddie Dodd, Jr., of Trussville overcame a five-position starting spot to win the 12-lap Mini-Stock feature. Points leader Kevin Higgins was all over him for the last few laps, but could not get around. Higgins in second was followed by Mike Collins, Chuck Mann, Jeremy Gwin, Roger Wood, Sr., David Passmore, Jr., Charlie Beasley, Kyle Gragg, and Bret Anderson. Dodd’s Acura Intergra is sponsored by Wood Brothers Auto Sales, Posten’s Overhead Door, McKenna Auto Sales, and Healing Essentials.

The next BIR event will shift the setting to a Sunday afternoon, September 21. Birmingham Super Series Late Model Challenge race #6 will be the main event, with races in support divisions. A practice session on Saturday, September 22 will be available to the drivers. Call BIR at 205.781.BIR1 or visit the website at www.bir-raceway.com for further information.

RANDOM NOTES ON THE IRONMAN 100 (The following views and observations are those of the writer and do not reflect the views of the management of BIR and may or may not be influenced by the age of the writer, back pain, Goody Powders, Hydrocodone, fatigue, pain from wearing dress shoes to the races, Hurricane Fay, presidential politics, and/or the Car of Tomorrow)….First, apologies for some goofups in previous stories. In the July 3rd report I stated Jim Parker was involved in a BSS crash. It was actually Jim’s son, Brandon, who is a 2008 BSS rookie candidate. Next was the August 9th report. I wrote Kevin Higgins won the Mini-Modified race when it should have been identified as the Mini-Stock race. Also in that same paragraph I stated Higgins led all 12 laps of the event. In fact, Jeremy Gwin was officially credited with leading the first lap. He had more lead distance than that, but due to restarts he got credit for the first lap. It may have been the first lap Gwin has led and BIR, but most likely will not be the last…Where were the titans of the BSS, points leader Ken McFarland and defending champion Gary Sanford? The Mac was in Bristol enjoying NASCAR as a fan and Sanford is recovering from extensive shoulder surgery. The surgery could keep Sanford out for the season…..Seen in the pits former BIR racers Jerry Goodwin, Chris Mullinax, Bill Foster, Buddy Hughen, and Mike Crawford….Are you watching delayed broadcasts of the races on Brighthouse cable? Do so. The DVD’s will be available soon….The Grand Marshall for the Ironman 100 was Brooke Allen, WBRC Fox-6 Traffic anchor. The Memphis-born journalist has a yearn to drive a race car, and got to drive the Jim Burke Toyota Camary pace car….With 111 laps of support division racing and the first 55 laps of the Iron Man, 166 laps were contested at BIR without a caution period. I’d say that qualifies as a miracle….The Georgia Asphalt Series pace car at BIR was brought over by Vince Whitmire and Allen Hastins of the GAS….If the blue number #25 BSS car driven by Blake Ferguson looked familiar, it was. Ferguson Racing purchased the car from Gary Sanford, Jr…..I have photographed wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, girlfriends, lady sponsors, Miss BIR, Miss Coors, and Hooters Girls in Victory Lane many times, but Friday’s cheerleaders were a first for me. The Oak Grove High School beauties with Chase Spradlin were his sister, Nikki, and his girlfriend, Melondy Glass. They left a football jamboree at half-time to watch Chase race….By the way, in what sport would you find three guys named “Chase” (Spradlin, Knox, and Oliver) in one event?…That really was Justin Bonnett in the Mini Modified, not daddy David. David cannot fit into the compact Honda….Special thanks to the drivers and/or owners who drove or fielded more than one car in the Iron Man show: Chris Serio, Joel Falls, Roger Cain, the Belter family, the Wood family, the Bolen family, Gary Nix, Will Blocksome, the Spradlin family and anybody else….Did you enjoy Family Night at BIR? The deal was for a limited number of tickets for two adult tickets, two children tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $30.00.…Those at BIR received three blessings Friday: (1). Being in America, a country of unparalleled freedoms, (2). Being in Alabama and the South; (3). Being at a stock car race. Race hard, pray hard.

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This report was provided by an outside PR source and posted by Kim DeHaven.

 

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