FIRST SERIES WIN

 A couple of things said by Richard Petty came to mind following the rain-shortened American Mortgage Lenders 100 at Corbin Speedway on Saturday evening, August 1.

The first was, “I’d rather be lucky than good.”

Luck may have played a hand in Josh Brock of Corbin picking up his first feature win as a rookie in the Ken-Ten Pro Late Model Series that evening, but another quote by Richard Petty perhaps has more meaning.

“The most that you can do,” the acknowledged King of Stock Car Racing said, “is to put yourself in a position to win if the opportunity presents itself.”

Josh Brock certainly accomplished that.  He ran in the top five positions throughout the tightly-contested 44 green flag laps, and when the rain came during a caution flag period, he was at the front of the field.

That yellow flag came out after contact between the leader at the time, Davey Coble of Nashville, Tenn., and Mason Mingus of Brentwood, Tenn., who was running second at the time.

Coble spun in the first turn with Mingus up against his left rear and Mike Bargo of Corbin, running third at the time, was forced to take evasive action to the high side and stopped after making slight contact with the outside guard rail.

Bargo headed for the pits for repairs as did Ken-Ten point leader Sammy Sanders of Bowling Green, who was running fifth at the time behind Brock.

Under specific rules for the race, that meant both would be able to return to the race if they were able to do so during the same caution period, but would do so at the rear of the pack.  Several other cars also headed for the pits at the time.

A light rain started to fall while the cars lapped the quarter-mile paved oval at caution flag speed.  The cars were left out for a period in the hopes that the precipitation rain would stop and they could keep the track dry.  Some vehicles from Corbin Speedway’s other divisions also took to the track to assist in keeping the surface dry.

When it became apparent that the rain wasn’t going to ease up and, in racing lingo, the track was “lost,” the cars were stopped on the backstretch.

Consultation with the U.S. Weather Service revealed that the rain wasn’t likely to cease anytime soon.

Track and Ken-Ten officials were left with three alternatives – resume the race the following day, resume it at the next race for the series at Corbin on September 5, or call the race official at that point.

“This series isn’t made up of full-time professional racing teams,” a track spokesman pointed out.  “It was felt that it would be unfair to burden them with another day of expenses, or to resume it a month later.  Although the race hadn’t reached the halfway point, it was decided to call it official.”

In meeting with officials, the race teams agreed with that decision, as well as the decision to declare the finishing order to be according to the way the cars were running under the caution flag.

That meant Brock and his Brock Excavating Chevrolet No. 17 were the winners, with Jason Jones of London placing second in the D&J Performance Chevrolet No. 8.

Third went to Josh Byrns of Bowling Green and the Brad Janes Homes Chevrolet No. 31, with Robbie Brown of Corbin placing fourth at the wheel of the Bill’s Bath & Lighting Ford No. 99, and Chad Willis of Bowling Green sixth with the Southern Kentucky Collision Center Chevrolet No. 9.

Making up 6th through 10th in the finishing order were Marty Taylor of Keavy and his Aaron’s of London Chevrolet No. 53, Mingus and his Diamond Equipment Ford No. 98 (who was first among those who pitted to get back on the track), Brian Royalty of Cynthiana, Ky. in the A&J Service Center Chevrolet No. 24, Coble with the Mallory Security Chevrolet No. 14, and Ben McFarland of Richmond in the McFarland Racing Chevrolet No. 9.The rest of the finish, in order, was made up of Sanders and the Full Throttle Race Parts Chevrolet No. 12, Bargo in the Leah’s Catering Chevrolet No.22, Mike Masters of East Bernstadt driving the Competition Racing Supplies Ford No. 21, Eric Centers of Corbin with the Longpoint Asset Management Chevrolet No. 98x, Roy Petrey of Corbin and his Car Colors Dodge No. 45, Russell Smith of Williamsburg in the Smith Auto & Tire Service Chevrolet No. 5x, and Frank Gavlinski of Louisville driving the Carpenters Union Chevrolet No. 88.

Tony Willis of Bowling Green had turned his Southern Kentucky Collision Chevrolet No. 9 over to Chad Willis after the No. 99 had suffered a mechanical problem in practice, and was unable to start the feature in Chad’s original car.

Bargo was the fast qualifier for the evening at 13.702 seconds, and earned the series AR Bodies Fast Time Award.  Brock was the winner of the DBV Properties Rookie of the Race prize, with Mingus earning the Renegade Race Cars Long Haul.

Complete American Mortgage Lenders 100 Results

Ken-Ten Pro Late Model Series

Qualifying: 1) 22-Mike Bargo, 13.702; 2) 99-Robbie Brown, 13.742; 3) 14-Davey Coble, 13.789; 4) 24-Brian Royalty, 13.821; 5) 21-Mike Masters, 13.864; 6) 31-Josh Byrns, 13.945; 7) 98x-Eric Centers, 13.956; 8) 17-Josh Brock, 14.006; 9) 53-Marty Taylor, 14.015; 10) 98-Mason Mingus, 14.051; 11) 45-Roy Petrey, 14.123; 12) 9x-Ben McFarland, 14.210; 13) 9-Chad Willis, 14.276; 14) 88-Frank Gavlinski, 14.385; 15) 8-Jason Jones, 14.389; DNQ) 5x-Russell Smith; 12-Sammy Sanders; 99-Tony Willis.

Feature – American Mortgage 100 (stopped at 44 laps – rain): 1) Brock; 2) Jones; 3) Byrns; 4) Brown; 5) C. Willis; 6) Taylor; 7) Mingus; 8) Royalty; 9) Coble; 10) McFarland; 11) Sanders; 12) Bargo; 13) Masters; 14) Centers; 15) Petry; 16) Smith; 17) Gavlinski; DNS) T. Willis.