Portsmouth Raceway Park
R.J. Conley wins Fred Dillow Memorial
By Gary Skinner
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
R.J. Conley takes the checkers. (sraracingphotos.com)
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (Aug. 17) — R.J. Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, earned $5,625 Saturday at Portsmouth Raceway Park in capturing the 19th annual Fred Dillow Memorial.
Overtaking Doug Drown of Wooster, Ohio, two laps after a lap-19 restart, Conley raced to his first victory in August, his fifth in the past month and seventh overall of the season. | Slideshow
When Drown and Jackie Boggs of Grayson, Ky., fell victim to flat tires in the closing laps, fast qualifier Josh McGuire moved up to the second spot while Steve Lucas of Charleston, W.Va., finished third. Hometown driver Nick Bocook and last year’s race winner Steve Casebolt of Richmond, Ind., rounded out the top five finishers at the 3/8-mile oval on the Ohio River.
Rod Conley of Wheelersburg, Ohio, the winner’s older brother, was the hard charger in finishing sixth, earning a $190 bonus in the caution-plagued feature. He was the last driver on the lead lap.
The winner rebounded from a tough loss the previous night at Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio. R.J. Conley was leading the 50-lap Ike Moler Memorial on lap 27 when he was forced to pit because of a fuel leak. The victory at PRP was his fourth of the season, all since June 15. He earned a $625 bonus for leading at halfway.
Notes: Conley drives a Rocket Chassis powered by a Draime Racing Engine with sponsorship from American Metal Supply Company, Conley Trucking, Cornett Building Supply and Vinyl Craft Windows. ... Doug Drown took the lead at the drop of the green and paced the field for the first twenty laps. ... Duane Chamberlain called it quits on lap 20. ... Fourth-running Ben Adkins retired after showing a trail of smoke just before Barry Doss brought out a lap-19 caution. ... Butch Morris and Robbie Hensley tangled on the 10th lap to bring out a yellow. ... Kenneth Howell slowed to bring out a lap-four caution. ... The top six qualifiers were locked in the feature and ran a dash to set the first three rows. ... Several bonuses were offered: Josh McGuire pocketed $1,077 for setting fast time while Drown earned $233 for winning the dash and $50 for leading the first lap. Each heat winner collected $83. ... Robbie Lewis won the Limited Late Model feature. ... Portsmouth hosts the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series on Aug. 31 for the $15,000-to-win Pepsi 50 River Days Rumble.
Fred Dillow Memorial: (1) R.J. Conley, (2) Josh McGuire, (3) Steve Lucas, (4) Nick Bocook, (5) Steve Casebolt, (6) Rod Conley, (7) Kenny Christy, (8) Mike Wilson, (9) Josh Bocook, (10) Butch Dowdy, (11) Zack Dohm, (12) Jackie Boggs, (13) Doug Drown, (14) Kenneth Howell, (15) Duane Chamberlain, (16) Delmas Conley, (17) Nick Latham, (18) Barry Doss, (19) Ben Adkins, (20) Aaron Hatton, (21) Brock Morris, (22) Robby Hensley. Fast qualifier (among 41 cars): McGuire, 14.429 seconds. Heat race winners: D. Conley, R.J. Conley, Adkins. Consolation winners: Dowdy, Howell. Dash winner: Drown.
Correction: Fixes spelling of Butch Dowdy's last name; updates with official finish.
