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Sprints: Knoke Claims First Bloomington Feature

30 May 1999

Humphrey & Bruce Share Victory Bows

BLOOMINGTON, IN - Leading flag-to-flag, Jason Knoke earned his first Pennzoil Cup feature victory at Bloomington Speedway tonight. A young gun with a bright future, Knoke, from Seymour, Indiana, grabbed the lead on the first lap, and fended off strong challenges by more veteran drivers through the course of the 25-lap sprint car main event. Ray Humphrey and Perry Bruce scored feature wins in the UMP Modifieds and the Indiana Street Stock divisions.

Starting third, Knoke dove under Eric Burns in turn three, taking the lead. Driving the Bedel's Transmission sponsored Stealth campaigned by the Hurst Brothers, Knoke quickly put three car lengths between himself and Burns, Nick Adams, Tyler Waltz and Levi Jones. Taking second from Burns, Adams began to chase Knoke, as fast qualifier Chris LaFollette was working his way through traffic. LaFollette took third on lap 7, and when Glenn Scott spun on lap 10, Knoke's advantage was lost for the restart.

Again Knoke raced ahead as LaFollette got under Adams in turn two for second. Although LaFollette was fast all evening, he couldn't cut into Knoke's advantage. Over the final half of the event, Knoke extended his lead to a half-straightaway. Still charging on the last lap, Knoke banged wheels with a lapped car on the backstretch before racing under the checkers ahead of LaFollette, Burns, Jones and Pete Abel.

Derek Scheffel, Adams and Abel won heat races. Hud Cone claimed the B-Main win.

Bloomington's Ray Humphrey gained his second consecutive 25-lap UMP Modified main event victory on Friday. Starting from the pole, Humphrey watched Lee Hobbs jump ahead as they came down for the green flag. With this motivation, Humphrey charged back even with Hobbs In the second turn, and retook the point in turn four. The best race was for second, with Hobbs, Brian Campbell, Gary Trammell and Matt Tiller all vying for the position, allowing Humphrey a straightaway lead. Even with several caution flags, Hobbs couldn't run with the flying Humphrey. At the finish, it was Humphrey, Hobbs, Richie Lex, Jack Taylor and Billy Peeden.

Defending series champion, Perry Bruce earned his second Indiana Street Stock feature victory of the '99 season after starting from the fourth row. Starting on the pole, Steve Hunt led Brett Ezzo, Gerald Todd and Bruce. But once Bruce swept into second following a restart, Hunt wasn't able to hold him back. With his car running flawlessly, Bruce drove under Hunt for the lead on the sixth lap. Shortly before halfway, Lee Hobbs battled his way into second, and closed the gap to the leader. With the second dozen laps staying green, Hobbs could barely hang onto Bruce's tail. Bruce won by a dozen car lengths, over Hobbs with his second runner-up finish of the night. Greg Kendall fought his way into third, followed by Jerry Hepworth and Hunt.

Bloomington Speedway Summary
May 28, 1999

Pennzoil Cup Sprint Cars
Fast qualifier: Chris LaFollette (11.577)
Heat 1: Derek Scheffel, Dave Peperak, Chris LaFollette, Jason Knoke,
Justin Marvel
Heat 2: Nick Adams, Brian Hayden, Chris Gentry, Brook Pence, Tyler Waltz
Heat 3: Pete Abel, Troy Link, Glenn Scott, Eric Burns, Kevin Miller
B-Main: Hud Cone, Matt Jewell, Levi Jones, Kenny Carmichael, Lennie Waltz
Feature: Knoke, LaFollette, Burns, Jones, Abel, Link, Jewell, Scheffel,
Hayden, Miller, Carmichael, Marvel, Peperak, Cone, Lennie Waltz, Scott,
Tyler Waltz, Adams, Gentry, Pence

UMP Modifieds
Heat 1: Lee Hobbs, Kerry Norris, Richie Lex, Levi Ray Godsey, Sam
Brandenburg
Heat 2: Ray Humphrey, Matt Tiller, Gary Trammell, Charlie Phillips, Bill
Cecil
Heat 3: Brian Campbell, Tim Prince, Billy Peeden, Mike Hicks, Deron
Freeman
B-Main: Jack Taylor, Tory Jarvis, Rodney Harris Jr., Zack Scott, Darrell
Lewellen, Richard Biggs
Feature: Humphrey, Hobbs, Lex, Taylor, Peeden, Tiller, Phillips,
Brandenburg, Jarvis, Scott, Freeman, Godsey, Norris, Hicks, Trammell,
Campbell, Cecil, Harris, Lewellen, Biggs

Indiana Street Stocks
Heat 1: Brett Ezzo, Gerald Todd, Cory Brown, Don Bush Jr.
Heat 2: Steven Hunt, Jerry Hepworth, Bob Smith, Michael Purtlebaugh
Heat 3: Trent Niflis, Perry Bruce, Barry Gerkin, Joe Deckard
Heat 4: Lee Hobbs, Greg Kendall, Greg Miller, Bill Brown
B-Main: Steven Hawkins, Bob Bex, Denny Campbell, Travis Todd, Jason Hehman
Feature: Bruce, Hobbs, Kendall, Hepworth, Hunt, Niflis, Cory Brown,
Hehman, Gerald Todd, Deckard, Miller, Bex, Smith, Gerkin, Campbell, Bill
Brown, Travis Todd, Hawkins, Ezzo, Bush

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