Bumgardner claims Patriot 100 victory

Monday, September 8, 2008

PUTNAMVILLE -- After 100 grueling laps of door-to-door modified racing with Clint DeMoss, Greencastle's Paul Bumgardner climbed from his car and showed about as much celebration as you'll ever see from the defending track champion.

Paul Bumgardner (right) celebrates his Patriot 100 victory Saturday night.

A single exuberant fist raised to the skies and what was very likely a weary smile told his fans and family what they already knew, Paul Bumgardner was a pretty happy winner on Saturday night.

Bumgardner and DeMoss swapped the lead several times over the duration of the 100-lap Patriot 100 event at Lincoln Park Speedway. Bumgardner outlasted DeMoss' final charge after a restart with 15 laps remaining to claim the $2,000 payday. DeMoss took second ahead of Matt Bex, Greg Amick and Travis Shoulders.

The victory was the largest single winners' share for Bumgardner, who currently leads the points standings at Lincoln Park Speedway.

Thirty-one cars unloaded to try and claim the feature win on Saturday night. With group qualifying for the event, Ray Humphrey, Shoulders, Rob Fuqua and Bumgardner led their individual groups. DeMoss topped the first heat race after assuming the lead from Ray Humphrey, who went down with mechanical issues while leading. Brad Robinson claimed the second after a strong challenge from Shoulders. Fuqua won the third heat over Kenny Carmichael Sr. and Bumgardner topped defending Patriot 100 winner, Matt Bex, in the final heat race.

The top-three from two B-main races got the final tickets to the Patriot 100 feature and Jacoby Hines, Jamey Henson and Ray Humphrey took the spots from the first last chance race. In the second race, Mark Auler was the winner ahead of Amick and Wayne Cooper.

Lining up the feature, DeMoss and Robinson had placed their Franklin Racecars on the front row ahead of Bumgardner and Fuqua.

From the drop of the green flag, DeMoss and Bumgardner were rarely seperated by more than a car length. Watching the pair ripping and roaring around the Putnamville oval, it was hard to tell it was the first 50 laps rather than the final 10. But the pair thrilled their fans with a breathless duel that was as clean as it was exciting.

Greencastle's Paul Bumgardner (No. 54) battled side-by-side with Clint DeMoss (No. 78c) for nearly the entire length of the 100 lap Patriot 100 race for modifieds at Lincoln Park Speedway. At the finish line though, it was Bumgardner claiming the $2,000 payday.

Behind them, Humphrey had roared quickly moved forward nine spots before bad luck once again ended his night prematurely. Robinson and Fuqua were slightly behind the frontrunners with Shoulders and Carmichael staying in the mix.

Carmichael's night ended just before the halfway mark break, continuing the war of attrition.

Over the final 50-lap segment, Fuqua slipped back after jumping the cushion, falling back to eighth-place. Bumgardner's quest for the lead finally resulted in paydirt when he was able to set up DeMoss in turn two. Bumgardner drove high into the cushion and then zipped low off the corner and into the top spot heading into turn three.

With 26 laps remaining, Dan Lewellen spun to set up a final dash to victory.

Bumgardner withstood all challenges down the stretch in the Cardinal Contracting, Spiker Excavating, J and D performance, Lightning Chassis machine sponsored by Durabuilt Racing.

DeMoss eventually had his hands full with Bex in third-place. Amick placed fourth ahead of Shoulders, Auler, Harold Grayless, Jamey Henson, Hines and Cooper.

For Amick, his night was hardly over as he climbed from his modified after 100 grueling laps, and into his UMP Super Stock just moments later.

The effort paid off when he was able to hold off the competition for his third win in four weeks at LPS.

Amick's win was far from easy considering he edged out Troy Clark, a two-time winner in limited duty at Putnamville. Kenny Carmichael Jr. claimed third-place ahead of David Bumgardner and Tami Lawson. Doug McCullough came home in sixth followed by Kris Starks, Mike Wright Jr., Scott Carrington and Travis Heramb.

Amick's victory came in the JB's Auto Salvage, One for All, Davis Automotive Racing Engines sponsored No. 16j.

In the bomber feature, Ben Williams claimed his third win of the season, holding off Terre Haute's C.J. Bryan, Ryan Freeland and Brazil's Ron Wallen Jr. Lloyd Walls placed fifth ahead of Dustin Shoulders, Kevin Kemp, Michael Thompson, Greg Riser and Justin Clodfelter.

Next week will see the sprint cars return along with UMP Modifieds, UMP Super Stocks and bombers as the points chases come down to the wire.

At Lincoln Park Speedway

Patriot 100

$2,000 to win for modifieds

1. Paul Bumgardner, 2. Clint DeMoss, 3. Matt Bex, 4. Greg Amick, 5. Travis Shoulders, 6. Mark Auler, 7. Harold Grayless, 8. Jamey Henson, 9. Jacoby Hines, 10. Wayne Cooper, 11. Gordon Curtis, 12. Rob Fuqua, 13. Phil VanSant, 14. Dan Lewellen, 15. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 16. Cullen Goodman, 17. Brad Robinson, 18. Ray Humphrey, 19. Gary Ricketts, 20. Schuyler Nahre

B-Main winners: Jacoby Hines, Mark Auler

Heat winners: Clint DeMoss, Brad Robinson, Rob Fuqua, Paul Bumgardner

Dash winner: Clint DeMoss

UMP Super Stock Feature

1. Greg Amick, 2. Troy Clark, 3. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 4. David Bumgardner, 5. Tami Lawson, 6. Doug McCullough, 7. Kris Starks, 8. Mike Wright Jr., 9. Scott Carrington, 10. Travis Heramb, 11. Michael Beatty, 12. Jacob Wright, 13. Elijah Himinger, 14. Jamie Adams, 15. Tony Erdly, 16. Josh Fagg, 17. Chris Hillman, 18. Curt Leonard, 19. Larry Eveland

Heat winners: Josh Fagg, Greg Amick

Bomber Feature

1. Ben Williams, 2. C.J. Bryan, 3. Ryan Freeland, 4. Ron Wallen Jr., 5. Lloyd Walls, 6. Dustin Shoulders, 7. Kevin Kemp, 8. Michael Thompson, 9. Greg Riser, 10. Justin Clodfelter, 11. Arvis Shepherd, 12. Sean Yakel, 13. Frank Cotton, 14. Dennis Jackson, 15. Ronald Blake, 16. David Wallen, 17. Josh Presley, 18. Mike Duncan, 19. David Daniels, 20. Jake Hodge

B-Main winner: Arvis Shepherd

Heat winners: Lloyd Walls, David Daniels, Ryan Freeland

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