Tracks: Humphrey and Hobbs earn Bloomington Championships
29 August 1999
BLOOMINGTON, IN - Bloomington's Ray Humphrey and Mitchell's Lee Hobbs have been campaigning racing cars on Bloomington Speedway's clay banking for more than a decade. Friday night, both drivers earned track championships as they concluded impressive seasons.In 1984, Humphrey was the Rookie of the Year in Bloomington's Street Stocks, and two summers later he won the division championship. With four feature race victories, including three in a row, Humphrey has had a lock on the O'Neal Wood Products UMP Modified Division for the last month. Friday, Humphrey emerged with the championship even though he was caught up in a wreck when another car spun in front of him on the second lap of the main event.
Second in the points, last years Modified Division champ Matt Tiller had a frustrating night. Trailing Humphrey by 21 points when the gates opened, Tiller's transmission went out during the heat races. Back in the pits, Tiller and collection of fellows from different teams set about replacing the transmission before the semi-main. Assisting in the repair was Humphrey. Tiller was on the track for the start of the semi, but dropped out after spinning and experiencing more driveline problems.
Humphrey's final margin was 29 points. Adam Sasser climbed to eighth in the final points with his first feature race win at Bloomington.
Hobbs sixth feature win in the Tire & Wheel Center Street Stock Division on Friday capped one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory. His 71 point margin over Jerry Hepworth secured the championship early in the program. In third place is defending division champ, Perry Bruce, who had a difficult night, being the first car to drop out of the main event.
In victory lane, Hobbs credited putting priority on racing the street stocks, while he also finished 12th in the O'Neal Modifieds points, with giving him the edge in the points. Hobbs' team cars were running 1 - 2 - 3 until Denny Campbell dropped out with a flat tire. But they finished 1 - 2 for the second time this season with Trent Niflis in the runner-up spot.
Bloomington Speedway Points
(1999 Final Standings)
Pennzoil Cup Sprint Cars: 1. Derek Scheffel 572, 2. Kenny Carmichael 564, 3. Justin Marvel 442, 4. Eric Burns 439, 5. Lennie Waltz 418, 6. Levi Jones 400, 7. Jonathan Vennard 376, 8. Chris LaFollette 369, 9. Jason Knoke 334, 10. Kevin Briscoe 326
O'Neal Wood Products UMP Modifieds: 1. Ray Humphrey 623, 2. Matt Tiller 594, 3. Jack Taylor 574, 4. Levi Ray Godsey 553, 5. Richie Lex 545, 6. John DeMoss 537, 7. Brian Campbell 496, 8. Adam Sasser 493, 9. Gary Trammell 486, 10. Tim Prince 481
Tire & Wheel Center Street Stocks: 1. Lee Hobbs 662, 2. Jerry Hepworth 591, 3. Perry Bruce 559, 4. Steve Hunt 556, 5. Cory Brown 552, 6. Gerald Todd 510, 7. Steve Hollars 498, 8. Don Bush Jr. & Greg O'Neill 490 (tie), 10. Denny Campbell 489
Editors Note: For hundreds of hot racing photos and racing art, be sure to visit The Racing ImageGalleries and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.