Blair gives SUPR performance at I-30 Speedway

By Steve Molnar

LITTLE ROCK, AR (September 11, 1999) - Jay Blair, the 1998 Southern United Professional Racing (SUPR) Rookie of the Year has been having a strong sophomore season but there was one thing missing and that was a victory this season. Well, that’s been resolved as Blair dominated the early running in the 1st Annual Arkansas State Championships at I-30 Speedway and then fought a tight racecar and an ever present Ronny Adams to claim the $3000 first prize. After the race, Blair thanked Warrior RaceCars and Goddard Performance.

"They really make a great car," said Blair. "The car was great right at first. I could just roll it through the corners and when the track finally locked down, it took rubber hard and the car went to pushing bad and I just had to try to keep it from pushing up. I thought I was alright until the caution came out with two to go and then I got worried."

The race went green for 38 laps before a lap race spin by Donnie Barnhart allowed Adams, Ashley and Whiseant to get one more shot at catching Blair.

Blair started 4th in the feature but took advantage of pole sitter Wade Cleveland’s turn 1 slip. Cleveland went into the corner too hard and slid high causing the field to check up momentarily and Blair seized the opportunity and shot into the lead.

"He pushed up and I saw a hole and the car turned down good and it got good bite right off the start," Blair revealed.

Blair began to pull away early as his Warrior was hooked to the track. But after 10 laps the racing surface locked down and most of the field was faced with having to fight tight race cars with most of the field carrying the right front tires as they entered the straight-aways.

Ronny Adams, who has been working on his open motor combination, had another strong run but was unable to get by Blair for the win.

"I had one spot there where I could have made a run at him," noted Adams. "But I would have had to bank off of him in turn one and I said 'well I don’t want him to see me,' so I let off and just kind of followed him down there. Then they had that caution and the (Blair) crew told him to pinch that bottom in turn three and four. He stayed down there and I never got an opening."

The battle for the 1999 O’Reilly SUPR Championship continues to be a barnburner as David Ashley and Duke Whiseant both claimed a win in their heat races to keep the point spread at 10 points going into the feature. Ashley started 3rd while Whiseant started 6th in the feature but the pair soon ended up nose to tail with Ashley in 3rd and Whiseant just behind. Whiseant looked to the highside to move by Ashley early on but was unable to do so as lapped traffic played a role in forcing Whiseant back in line. After the race, Whiseant stated that his car was just as good as it has been at I-30 but that he "just got hung up in traffic."

The track conditions began to change and Ashley’s car seemed to improve as the race wore on and the pair finished in order with Ashley gaining 5 points on Whiseant in the overall standings. Ashley stated that he started out tight but it soon improved.

"Then the car just kept getting better and better and more driveable," said Whiseant. "I said 'this is what I’ve been looking for.' I actually went out there experimenting with something."

29 Late Models were on hand and David Ashley earned the GRT Top Qualifier award as he claimed the first heat race from the third starting spot. Duke Whiseant topped the second heat with Dennis Duncan winning the third. Odie Green and Wade Cleveland took the final pair of heat races. Claiming the last chance races were a pair of West Monroe racers, Kenny Merchant and Bill Avant.

Merchant anticipated a changing race surface and took full advantage of the rubber down track to blast his way into the top 5 and he earned the Lloyd Wild Jr. Logging Hard Charger award for his efforts.

"We were pretty good in the race," Merchant said. "We were too tight the first couple of laps. We was pushing real bad, it wouldn’t turn so we cranked some rear brake in it and finally had to start sliding the car and then we were real good. We never could get a caution, I mean we were passing cars but we needed a break and never could get one."

Donnie Barnhart was also putting on a charge to the front but his night ended 2 laps too soon as he spun in turn 2. Despite his late race misfortune Barnhart said he was having fun out there tonight. Barnhart was using a Kuntz and Company SUPR spec motor for the first time this year.


Official Results:
1. Jay Blair
2. Ronny Adams
3. David Ashley
4. Duke Whiseant
5. Kenny Merchant
6. Odie Green
7. Marlon Wild
8. Dennis Duncan
9. Keith Craft
10. Bubba Mullins
11. Tommy Surret
12. Wade Cleveland
13. Bryan Holloway
14. Donnie Barnhart
15. Dave Siegert
16. Bill Avant
17. Jon Mitchell
18. Eric Courville
19. Rusty Cummings
20. L.T. Davis
21. David Yarbrough