Ponderosa Speedway
Notebook: Watson charges to 4th at Ponderosa
By Mike Sullivan
DirtonDirt.com correspondent
Jeff Watson (11) avoided this scramble. (Derrick Strader)
JUNCTION CITY, Ky. (May 30) — Jeff Watson had to overcome more than a 17th-place starting spot to earn a fourth-place finish in Ponderosa Speedway's ninth annual Junebug Rowland Memorial at Ponderosa Speedway. In the O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass event, Watson’s run was delayed and hindered when he was caught up in an lap-five caution and sent to the tail. | Victor Lee triumphs at Ponderosa
Mirroring his typically low-key manner, the driver from Campbellsville, Ky., quietly rode the inside groove, methodically picking off cars while dodging spins. By the midpoint of the race, the 2007 Clinton County Speedway track champion had cracked the top 10, then proceeded to move into the top five by the time the checkered flag fell at the 3/8-mile oval.
“I’m not so sure that if I hadn’t gone the tail that I might’ve won," Watson said after victory lane ceremonies were held for Victor Lee, who grabbed his third consecutive series victory. “I don’t know why more people didn’t go to the bottom. I mean, I like racing on the bottom and it fit my style, but it seemed like everybody else was riding around the top and leaving the bottom open for me.”
After failing to transfer to the main event through his heat race, Watson and crew made a myriad of changes to his MasterSbilt Race Car. “We changed everything that can be changed from hot laps to the feature," he said. "We finally figured out in the consy what gear we needed to run around the bottom and that made a big difference. But the track was slick and not as wet as everybody thought. I’d like to have another night like tonight and be able to start closer to the front."
Nice guys finish third?
Tyrel Todd of Eubank, Ky., was able to overtake Mike Marlar in the final laps at the Junebug Rowland Memorial to grab a second-place finish behind Victor Lee.
“That whole thing couldn’t have played out worse for him (Marlar) and better for me," Todd aid. "He tried about a turn too soon to get past the lapped car and they both let the bottom open.”
Marlar looked back on the incident and laughed, agreeing Todd’s assessment was fairly accurate. “Yeah, I saw Victor in traffic and thought I could get by the lapped car and get closer," Marlar said. "I wound up letting Tyrel get under me. But after I saw how good he was, if I’d have been a nice guy and let him go when I saw his nose the first time, he may have been able to get up there and battle for the win.”
Hatton drives borrowed car
Aaron Hatton of Mount Sterling, Ky., set fast time and battled for the lead early in the in the O'Reilly BoB feature at Ponderosa. Hatton was behind the wheel of the Rayburn normally driven by Brandon Whitt and battled among the leaders early before dropping out of the main event. “We’ve had a little trouble with our car getting it figured out and Brandon let us use his tonight.” Hatton told track announcer Michael Despain after setting fast time.
