Chris Windom scores sprint car win at LPS

Monday, July 9, 2012
Chris Windom (5)and Casey Shuman slide through the corner at Lincoln Park Speedway Saturday. Windom went on to win, while Shuman finished in third.

PUTNAMVILLE -- Another steamy night of racing action was on tap at Lincoln Park Speedway Saturday evening.

In the sprint car field, 27 competitors were on hand with plenty of top-notch competition in the pits on Saturday night at LPS.

Chris Windom started the A-main in the fourth spot as former track champion, Billy Puterbaugh Jr. parlayed a heat race victory into the pole position alongside Kent Christian with Casey Shuman and Windom in row two.

The early laps of the main featured a three-way battle for the lead as

Shuman bolted past Puterbaugh in search of a fourth feature win at LPS in 2012. However, it was a caution for a spin by Logan Jarrett that reset the field early on and gave Windom an opportunity for a slide job in turn four that helped carry him to the lead.

Shuman was locked into a fight for the runner-up spot as Puterbaugh and current USAC National Sprint Car leader, Jon Stanbrough, gave chase. Kevin Thomas Jr. was in close contact with the lead pack as Windom got into lapped traffic.

The Canton, Ill. native worked the traffic masterfully as Stanbrough chased down Shuman for the second spot as a caution flew with just four laps remaining.

With a lapped car providing a restart buffer between Windom and Stanbrough, the trophy dash went to Windom as Stanbrough gained ground, but not enough in the final circuits.

Shuman finished third behind Stanbrough with Thomas Jr. in the fourth spot ahead of Brent Beauchamp, AJ Hopkins, Scotty Weir, Kent Christian, Jeff Bland Jr. and Joe Ligouri.

The 2012 season has been fraught with bad luck for UMP modified driver Paul Bumgardner.

The defending track champion has had numerous mechanical woes while running up front in feature action, but on Saturday it was his turn to pilot the familiar No. 54 into victory lane ahead of Bradley Sterrett.

Bumgardner was untouchable on several late restarts on the way to gaining the victory after he survived an early, side-by-side fight with Sterrett and Richie Lex.

Kenny Carmichael Sr. came home third in the A-main with EricVarner moving into fourth followed by Jeremy Owens, Chuck Walden, Andrew Auler, Michael Beatty, Kenny Carmichael Jr. and Lex.

In the UMP Super Stock and bomber features, Troy Clark and CJ Bryan added on to what have been outstanding 2012 seasons.

Clark was able to chase down Doug McCullough during the first half of the A-main and pulled away to his 10th feature victory of the season.

The UMP National Points leader grabbed the lead from McCullough in turns 1-2 and held that lead after a restart with five laps remaining.

AJ Clark and McCullough started on the pole, but McCullough would be the leader from the start as the Clarks, father and son, fought for the second spot ahead of Slick Griffin and the No. 18 of Steve Hollars, a winner earlier this season at LPS.

McCullough was able to maintain his advantage only so long as Troy Clark edged past AJ Clark and staged a door-to-door fight for the lead. AJ Clark held down the third spot with Mike Staggs and Griffin side-by-side for the fourth position. Clark took over the top spot and would not look back in posting his double-digit victory.

AJ Clark took the third spot with Roy Bruce Jr., Griffin, Jeremy Helton, Kenny Carmichael Sr., Kenny Carmichael Jr., Mike Staggs and JR Watkins in the top-10.

Meanwhile, Bryan continued his surge in the bomber class by picking up his eighth feature victory of the season, setting himself up as a prime contender for Saturday's open-rules, $1,000 to win show for the class at Lincoln Park Speedway.

Bryan took the lead over the opening circuits as an early caution slowed the field just four laps into the feature. With Josh Settles, Ron Smith, Josh Presley and several other drivers in close contention, Bryan began to build his lead early and would not look back.

Settles held down the second spot early on, but would be overcome by the charging Scott Tidwell. Josh Foxworthy and David Bumgardner battled with each other for the third spot before Bumgardner was able to solidify the position over the waning laps.

Bryan crossed the finish line for the victory as Tidwell, Bumgardner, Foxworthy and David Wallen wrapped the top-five positions. Josh Presley took home sixth ahead of Settles, Jeff Beggs, Kenny Treash and Frank Cotton.

At Lincoln Park Speedway

Sprint car feature

1. Chris Windom, 2. Jon Stanbrough, 3. Casey Shuman, 4. Kevin Thomas Jr., 5. Brent Beauchamp, 6. AJ Hopkins, 7. Scotty Weir, 8. Kent Christian, 9. Jeff Bland Jr., 10. Joe Ligouri, 11. Nick Drake, 12. Garrett Abrams, 13. Matt Goodnight, 14. Keaton Dobbs, 15. Matt Thompson, 16. Chris Phillips, 17. Billy Puterbaugh, 18. Logan Jarrett,

19. Troy Link, 20. Tyler Hewitt

B-main winner: Abrams

Heat winners: Puterbaugh, Christian, Shuman

UMP Modified feature

1. Paul Bumgardner, 2. Bradley Sterrett, 3. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 4. Eric Varner, 5. Jeremy Owens, 6. Chuck Walden, 7. Andrew Auler, 8.

Michael Beatty, 9. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 10. Richie Lex, 11. Chris Brewer

Heat winners: Bumgardner, Sterrett

UMP Super Stock feature

1. Troy Clark, 2. Doug McCullough, 3. AJ Clark, 4. Roy Bruce Jr., 5. Slick Griffin, 6. Jeremy Helton, 7. Kenny Carmichael Sr., 8. Kenny Carmichael Jr., 9. Mike Staggs, 10. JR Watkins, 11. Tyler Loughmiller, 12. Steve Hollars, 13. Josh McDaniel, 14. Steve Ware, 15. Kris Starks, 16. Steve Peeden

Heat winners: Staggs, Troy Clark

Bomber feature

1. C.J. Bryan, 2. Scott Tidwell, 3. David Bumgardner, 4. Josh Foxworthy, 5. David Wallen, 6. Josh Presley, 7. Josh Settles, 8. Jeff Beggs, 9. Kenny Treash, 10. Frank Cotton, 11. Megan Cavaness, 12. Jerry Hutto, 13. Ron Smith, 14. Blake Cross, 15. John Young, 16. Jack Campbell, 17. Chris Schepper, 18. Kevin Kemp, 19. Danny Ray Wampler, 20. Marlin Burns

Heat winners: Bryan, Settles