Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Super Late Model Series
October 1, 2016
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O'Neal And Hines Celebrate After Ultimate Bob Series Success At Brownstown

by Roby Helm
BROWNSTOWN, IN – A pair of Hoosier State drivers enjoyed success on Saturday night at their home track, Brownstown Speedway after the 30-lap 2016 season finale for the Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Super Late Model Series. Second-generation driver “The New Deal” Hudson O’Neal of Martinsville, IN won the race and Jeremy Hines of Seymour, IN took the series title.

O’Neal survived a pair of off-track excursions, and an incident on a lap 21 restart with early race leader Cody Mahoney of Hanover, IN to lead the last ten laps of the race unchallenged to earn the $3,000 top prize. On the lap 21 restart, O’Neal drove to the bottom to throw a slider on Mahoney in turn one. The move came up short, and the top two cars locked together in turn two.

After they separated, Mahoney went into turn three and spun to bring out the caution flag. That gave the lead to O’Neal, who was quick to explain that was not the way he wanted to take the lead.

“I take all of the blame for what happened in turn two, and I apologize to Cody Mahoney for it,” O’Neal said. “This is not the way I want to win a race, but even at that, I’m still happy to hold this $3,000 check and take the win at my home track, and my Dad’s home track. I hope this is the first of many more to come.”

O’Neal is the teenage son of veteran super late model pilot Don O’Neal, who is known as “The Real Deal.” As Hudson O’Neal climbed from his race car in Victory Lane, a fan yelled out of the grandstand at the youngster, “He’s The Big Deal!”

Joining O’Neal in the Victory Lane celebration was Hines, who captured the 2016 Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Super Late Model Series National Champion at his home track in front of friends and family.

“It feels great to clinch this championship here at my home track where my dad and my family have raced for years,” Hines said. “It was a lot of fun to run the Ultimate BoB Series, as we traveled to five different states and I got to run at a lot of track I’ve never been to before. My plan is to defend my title in 2017.”

Hines finished tenth in the main event, which ironically was his worst finish of the season. During the 2016 Ultimate BoB season, Hines finished in the top five in all but two races. Hines had an uphill battle all night long. On the first lap of the second heat race, he jumped the cushion in turn one and sailed off the track.

Steve Barnett of Franklin, IN slowed for Hines, but was drilled by Adam Bowman of Seymour, IN in the chain reaction. That sent Barnett’s car airborne, and it executed six barrel rolls before landing on its roof. Barnett was transported to an area medical facility and then airlifted to an Indianapolis hospital. Initial reports from authorities had Barnett listed in stable condition.

O’Neal ended up winning the second heat race after he had to start in the back. During qualifying, O’Neal also found peril on the turn one cushion, jumping it and sailing off the track. The heat race win brought him from zero to hero, as he earned the outside front row starting spot.

Hines made repairs to his race car to start the main event in the 14th starting spot. Hines was trying to work his way through the field, but he cut down a tire with five laps to go after he ran over some debris on the backstretch.

Following O’Neal under the checkered flag was third heat race winner Alan Magner of North Vernon, IN who finished second in the main event, and third went to Joe Godsey of Edinburgh, IN, who just edged the fourth-place finisher Chad Stapleton of Edinburgh, IN to win the 2016 Brownstown Speedway Super Late Model Division Track Championship.

Jared Bailey of Bedford, IN took the fifth spot and Tim Tungate of Campbellsville, KY was sixth. Bowman finished seventh and Tory Collins of North Vernon, IN drove to an eighth-place finish. Larry Greer of Bowling Green, KY claimed the ninth spot, and Hines rounded out the top ten.

Mahoney started the race from the pole position after setting a new track record at Brownstown Speedway during qualifications with a lap around the ¼-mile clay oval in 12.728 seconds. Mahoney then won the first ten-lap heat race to earn the pole. Mahoney took the lead at the start of the race followed by O’Neal, Magner, Singleton, and Tungate.

O’Neal jumped the cushion on the high side of turn two on lap three to back off the racing surface for the second time during the evening, but he was quick to recover and remain in second place. That enabled Mahoney to pull away from the rest of the field by a half-straightaway, and his pace was so quick, he began lapping the cars on the tail of the lead lap by lap six.

Not even heavy lapped traffic could slow down Mahoney’s pace, as by lap ten, he had a full straightaway lead on O’Neal. By the halfway point, Mahoney was out of site of the second through sixth which was O’Neal, Magner, Godsey, Tungate, and Singleton.

Greer cut down a right-rear tire on lap 21 that brought out the first caution flag of the race, and setup the restart that would change the completion of the race. Since the race had ten laps to go, it was a single-file restart. When the green flag came out, O’Neal went right for the bottom groove in an attempt to slide under and then in front of Mahoney.

O’Neal didn’t quit get there and the top two cars got locked together in turn two. That gave Magner the lead, and after O’Neal and Mahoney got separated, Mahoney spun in turn three to bring out the caution flag. The scoring went back to the last completed lap. Mahoney was out of the race, so O’Neal inherited the lead of the race.

When the race went back to green flag action, it only took O’Neal five laps to open up a full straightaway lead on Magner, while Godsey and Singleton raced side-by-side for third and the track championship. The field was slowed for the third and final time for debris on the backstretch on lap 27. That set up a four-lap dash to the finish, which O’Neal had no problem pulling away from the field to take the win.

Check out the official website for the FASTRAK Racing Series at www.fastrakracing.com and continue to follow our social media networks for the Ultimate Battle of the Bluegrass Super Late Model Series. Like and Follow our Fan Page on Facebook plus follow @FASTRAK_SE and/or @FASTRAK_MOV on Twitter to get up to the minute news and details as they become available.

OFFICIAL RESULTS OF ULTIMATE BATTLE OF THE BLUEGRASS SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES EVENT AT BROWNSTOWN SPEEDWAY IN BROWNSTOWN, IN ON 10/1/16:

POS START CAR # DRIVER HOMETOWN
1. 2 71 Hudson O’Neal Martinsville, IN
2. 3 17m Alan Magner North Vernon, IN
3. 8 14v Joe Godsey Edinburgh, IN
4. 4 14 Chad Stapleton Edinburgh, IN
5. 7 24 Jared Bailey Bedford, IN
6. 5 16 Tim Tungate Campbellsville, KY
7. 11 77 Adam Bowman Seymour, IN
8. 17 11 Tory Collins North Vernon, IN
9. 13 9 Larry Greer Bowling Green, KY
10. 14 5 Jeremy Hines Seymour, IN
11. 1 4 Cody Mahoney Hanover, IN
12. 10 115 Jacoby Hines Trafalgar, IN
13. 9 227 Greg Amick Columbus, IN
14. 6 80 Matt Bex Avoca, IN
15. 16 11d Daniel Dial Lawrenceburg, KY
16. 12 17v Nathan Vawter Columbus, IN
17. 17 17 Lee Williams Evansville, IN
18. 18 89 Steve Barnett Franklin, IN DNS

ENTRIES: 18
FAST QUALIFIER: Mahoney, 12.728 Seconds (New Track Record)
PROVISIONALS: None
LEAD CHANGES: 1
LAP LEADERS: Mahoney, 1-20; O’Neal, 21-30
LAPS LED: Mahoney, 20; O’Neal, 10
CAUTIONS: 3

QUALIFYING:

GROUP 1:
1. 4 Cody Mahoney, 12.728
2. 14 Chad Stapleton, 13.055
3. 24 Jared Bailey, 13.494
4. 115 Jacoby Hines, 13.780
5. 9 Larry Greer, 13.983
6. 11d Daniel Dial, 14.491

GROUP 2:
1. 14v Joe Godsey, 12.841
2. 5 Jeremy Hines, 13.214
3. 16 Tim Tungate, 13.288
4. 89 Steve Barnett, 13.405
5. 71 Hudson O’Neal, 19.886
6. 77 Adam Bowman, NT/LT

GROUP 3:
1. 17m Alan Magner, 13.523
2. 17v Nathan Vawter, 13.600
3. 227 Greg Amick, 13.613
4. 11 Tory Collins, 14.203
5. 80 Matt Bex, 14.853
6. 17 Lee Williams, NT

HEAT RACES – 10 LAPS:

1ST HEAT: 1. Mahoney; 2. Stapleton; 3. Bailey; 4. Ja. Hines; 5. Greer; 6. Dial.

2ND HEAT: 1. O’Neal; 2. Tungate; 3. Godsey; 4. Bowman; 5. Je. Hines; 6. Barnett.

3RD HEAT: 1. Magner; 2. Bex; 3. Amick; 4. Vawter; 5. Collins; 6. Williams.