Ponderosa Speedway
Faltering front-row starters boost Johnson at Ponderosa
By Michael Despain
Ponderosa Speedway
Todd Coffman (35) runs into trouble. (Derrick Strader)
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (June 4) — Benefitting when both front-row starters had trouble with lapped traffic, hometown driver Jeff Johnson took the lead on the 25th lap at Ponderosa Speedway and raced to his first Indiana Late Model Series victory. Johnson earned $1,000 for his biggest career win.
Jeremy Hines of Seymour, Ind., finished second in the Crate Late Model special followed by reigning ILMS champion Steven Godsey of Bedford, Ind. Outside front-row starter Todd Coffman of Junction City, who got hung up with a slower car on the ninth lap and had to restart on the tail, rallied to finish fourth. Series points leader Zak Blackwood of Columbus, Ind., rallied from 15th to finish sixth.
Polesitter Chase McWhorter of Kings Mountain, Ky., survived early challenges from Coffman and led the first 25 laps, but Billy Wooldridge looped his car in turn three, collecting McWhorter.
Notes: Johnson’s David Burchfield-owned Rayburn Race Car is sponsored by B&E Builders, Mid-State Construction, The Muffler Shop and Speed Queen Laundry. ... Next up for ILMS competitors is a June 11 event at Thunder Valley Speedway in Salem, Ind.
ILMS @ Ponderosa: (1) Jeff Johnson, (2) Jeremy Hines, (3) Steven Godsey, (4) Todd Coffman, (5) Gary Yeager, (6) Zak Blackwood, (7) Zane Powell, (8) Alan Magner, (9) Kevin Colston, (10) Greg Kendall, 911) Josh Hampton, (12) Edgar Godsey, (13) John Mulligan, (14) Todd Mingey, (15) Lindsay Wade, (16) James Griffith, (17) Terry Romans, (18) Clarence Belcher, (19) Jeff Rawlings, (20) Chase McWhorter, (21) Jason Shipp, (22) Billy Wooldridge, (23) Mike Covington, (24) Rick Robinson. Fast qualifier (among 24 cars): McWhorter, 14.117 seconds. Heat race winners: McWhorter, Coffman, Johnson.
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