Shawn Tolson BoB Modified Rookie of the Year

[QueenCityMotorsports.com]

Congratulations to Walton, Kentucky's Shawn "Big Daddy" Tolson on winning the 2008 Rookie of the Year honors in the O'Reilly Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series. Tolson finished fourth in the BoB Modified Series season long point standings.

September 20, 2008
Jason Hall Wins Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Finale in Clayton Homes 30 at Ponderosa

Junction City, Kentucky-September 19, 2008- The Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified division presented by Graphic Impressions concluded its 2008 racing season at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY and Jason Hall of Hindmand, KY would score his first ever series victory in the $2,000 to Clayton Homes 30 main event. Joey Kramer of Hanover, IN is the series champion for the fourth straight season, while Shawn Tolson of Walton, KY the 2008 series Rookie of the Year.

Hall’s first career “BoB Mod Squad” win came aboard the Tim Short Automotive/Pine Top Motors/K&E Trucking/Smith Oil Field Service/Cox Wrecker Service/King’s Body Shop/ Rattliff’s Body Shop/AC2 Graphix sponsored Lightning Chassis, Smith Race Engines machine.

Benji Lee of Raywick, KY would score runner-up honors in his Thompson Heat and Air/ Smart Shoppers sponsored Bandit Race Car, with Bryan Barber of Buffalo, KY claiming third in the Kentucky National Guard/Brooks Fencing sponsored Bandit Race Car. Delane Browning of East Bernstadt, KY would take fourth in the East Bernstadt Shell Mart/John Baker Trucking sponsored Lightning Chassis, with Josh Lucas of Bardstown, KY completing the top five in the Lucas Oil Products/Riggs Electric sponsored Lightning Chassis.

The remainder of the top ten finishers in the 30 lap, $2,000 to win event were Kelly Warren, Don Adams, Elliott Despain, Jason Wheatley, and Joey Kramer. The event would be slowed by seven caution flags.

Jason Hall would take the lead at the drop of the green flag, with Josh Lucas, Bryan Barber, Jason Wheatley, and Benji Lee in pursuit. Barber would take the runner-up spot from Lucas on lap 2, while Lee would take fourth from Wheatley one circuit later. As Barber challenged Hall for the top spot, Lee would slip past Lucas for third on lap 7, as Kelly Warren began to challenge Wheatley for fifth. The first caution flew on lap 10 when Elliott Despain would spin his mount entering turn one.

The restart would see Barber duck under Hall in turn two, but Hall would nose back in front in turn three, with Lee right in the mix as well, with Warren taking fifth from Wheatley. Delane Browning would start to move at this point and would take fifth from Warren on lap 13. Mick Sansom would draw the next caution on lap 15 for his turn two spin. The restart would see only one lap completed before Tim York contacted the turn four wall and rolled to a stop on the frontchute. This restart would also go yellow as Robbie Gullion and Joe David Turner tangled before getting back to the green flag. The third restart would also be no to avail as Randy Turpin would spin entering turn one and Kevin Nesselhauf would put down on the racing surface, causing a delay to get the fluid run into the race surface. This restart would be good and Lee would take second Barber in turn two, but debris on the backchute would slow the action one trip later on lap 17. Lee would look beneath Hall in turn two each lap, but could not muster the strength to make the pass, while Warren would reclaim fifth on lap 18.

Skylar Marlar would draw the final caution when his mount slowed in turn one. Hall would maintain the race lead, while Warren would race with Lucas in a very entertaining battle for the fourth spot. As Hall began to pull away as this point, Lucas would win the fourth place battle with Warren, with Browning retaking fifth on lap 26. As the field received the white flag, Browning would take fourth from Lucas, but Hall would claim the win, followed by Lee, Barber, Browning, and Lucas.

In preliminary action, Josh Lucas was top qualifier among 36 entries with a lap time of 15.054 seconds. Qualifying heat checkered flags would go to Lucas in Wayne Bowen Racing Supply heat one, Barber in K&N Performance Engineering heat two, Hall in Graphic Impressions heat three, and Wheatley Real Racing Wheels heat four. Keith Denny and Michael Asberry were the B-Main winners, while Mick Sansom and Skylar Marlar would earn series provisionals, while Bobby Neal earned the track provisional.

The Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series sanctions regional Open Wheel Modified events at tracks in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee. For more information about America’s most competitive regional racing series, visit the series webpage on the world wide web at www.battleofthebluegrass.com or call the series office at [phone] or [phone].

Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division

Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-September 19, 2008

Racing Optics Top Qualifier- Josh Lucas 15.054

Wayne Bowen Racing Supply 1st Heat (Top 4 Advance)- Josh Lucas, Don Adams, Shawn Tolson, Randy Turpin, Travis Preston, Walt Mayabb, Bobby Neal, Lonnie Gregory, Shon Flanary

K&N Performance Engineering 2nd Heat (Top 4 Advance)- Bryan Barber, Benji Lee, Delane Browning, Tim York, Keith Denny, Wayne James, Skylar Marlar, Keith Smith, Mick Sansom

Graphic Impressions 3rd Heat (Top 4 Advance)- Jason Hall, Joey Kramer, Elliott Despain, Robbie Gullion, Michael Asberry, Tommy Gregory, Kevin Mayabb, Matthew Hopper, Kevin Copher

Real Racing Wheels 4th Heat (Top 4 Advance)- Jason Wheatley, Kelly Warren, Russ Gabbert, Kevin Nesselhauf, Jeff Stith, Ryan Jarrell, James Grigsby, Joe David Turner (DNS-J.T. Ayers)

B-Main #1 (Top 3 Advance)- Keith Denny, Travis Preston, Shon Flanary, Wayne James, Skylar Marlar, Keith Smith, Bobby Neal, Lonnie Gregory, Walt Mayabb, Mick Sansom

B-Main #2- (Top 3 Advance)- Michael Asberry, Tommy Gregory, Joe Turner, Jeff Stith, Kevin Copher, Walt Mayabb, Matthew Hopper, James Grigsby

Series Provisionals- Mick Sansom, Skylar Marlar

Track Provisional- Bobby Neal

Clayton Homes 30 A-Main- Jason Hall, Benji Lee, Bryan Barber, Delane Browning, Josh Lucas, Kelly Warren, Don Adams, Elliott Despain, Jason Wheatley, Joey Kramer, Tommy Gregory, Shon Flanary, Russ Gabbert, Shawn Tolson, Keith Denny, Randy Turpin, Robbie Gullion, Mick Sansom, Skylar Marlar, Michael Asberry, Joe David Turner, Travis Preston, Bobby Neal, Kevin Nesselhauf, Tim York

Entries- 36

Lap Leaders- 1 (Jason Hall 1-30)

Cautions- 7 (lap 10, 15, 16, 16, 16, 17, 21)

Red Flags- None

PPM Racing Products Hard Charger- Tommy Gregory (started 20th- finished 11th- advanced 9 positions)

Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division Point Standings (Final Point Standings)

1-Joey Kramer(Hanover, IN)- 3,006
2-Don Adams (London, KY)- 2,506
3-Kelly Warren (Columbia, KY)- 2,476
4-Shawn Tolson (Walton, KY)- 2,153 ®
5-Robbie Gullion (Charlestown, IN)- 2,109 ®
6-Mick Sansom (Salt Rock, WV)- 1,987
7-Skylar Marlar (Winfield, TN)- 1,607 ®
8-Josh Lucas (Bardstown, KY)- 1,575
9-Brandon Green (Walton, KY)- 1,393
10-Wayne James (Newport, TN)- 1,240

2008 Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified Division Sponsors:

Max Brake- “Official Trailer Brakes” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division

CarbonX- “Official Flame Shielding Fabric” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division

Health PMO- “Official Health Care Company” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division

Graphic Impressions- Presenting Sponsor and “Official Souvenir and Merchandise Vendor” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division

Bob Hook Chevrolet of Louisville- “Official Auto Dealership” of the Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Modified Division

Total Lubricants- “Official Oil and Lubricant” of the Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series

Other Battle of the Bluegrass DirtCar Series Open Wheel Modified Division Supporters Include: American Race Tires, Cruise with the Champions, Curtis Signs, Drive Smart Kentucky, DT52 Photos, Honda of Prestonsburg, Hoosier Race Tires, Kentucky’s Best Racing, PPM Racing Products, Racing Optics, Trailer Parts and Service, Wayne Bowen Racing Supply

Related links:
www.battleofthebluegrass.com/bobmod/index.php

[QueenCityMotorsports.com]

Warsaw, Ky

Tolson Motorsports and driver “Big Daddy” Shawn Tolson decided early in 2008 to hit the road and follow the Battle of the Bluegrass Modified Series. Though the team did not have what they would consider a great season, they did manage to win a few races and accomplish a couple of goals they set for themselves. “Big Daddy” and the Tolson Motorsports team were able to earn a victory at their home track of Florence Speedway and grab 2 wins at Union County Speedway in Liberty Indiana in the 2008 season. One of the team’s victories was the prestigious Bear Weick Memorial, which included many of the heavy hitters in Modified racing today, in this race Tolson lead flag to flag to grab the $1,000 payday! The team was able to accomplish the two main goals they set for themselves as they headed into the Battle of the Bluegrass Series. One goal was to be in the top 5 when the final standings came out which they were able to do as they accumulated enough points to finish 4th in the season long points chase. The main goal in 2008 was to end the season as the Battle of the Bluegrass “Rookie of the Year”, “Big Daddy” was able to edge out fellow ROY candidate Robbie Gullion, in a very close season long battle!

“It was a rough season for us” said Tolson from his race shop; “we definitely had our ups and downs this year! It just seemed like every time we’d start to get things going in the right direction; something else would creep up on us or we’d wind up crashed and with a torn up racecar, it was tough on us mentally. I really have to thank my crew guys, we tore up a lot of stuff this year and they were always ready to get right back at it on Monday! To a driver that’s frustrated and upset that means a lot when you have guys show up that are ready to get at it again, it helps you move on! I want to thank Smitty, Benny, Jamie, Justin, Brandon, Tony and everyone else that helped us out this year either at the shop or at the track, I appreciate it more than I can say. Also a big thank you goes out to our sponsors, Tomahawk Racecars, Ahines Race Engines, Valvoline/Richard Poe, Automasters, Second Glance Hair Salon, Kickshot Billiards, Morelands One Stop, Allstar Automotive Repair and especially Robert and Brenda Tolson, these folks help us out tremendously! I’d also like to thank the fine folks in the BOB Series and all the guys we raced against on that series, I made some new friends, raced really hard with those folks and learned a lot this year, we had a blast. I want to say thanks to the fans that came out and supported us this year! Thanks to the kids, Emily, Matt and Katie and last but certainly not least, the biggest thanks of all goes out to my wife Tracy; I couldn’t do what I do without her support!”…”We haven’t made a decision about 2009 as of yet, we’ll get together here shortly and figure out where we’re headed and start to get things lined out for next year, until then thanks again and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2009!”…

Tolson Motorsports wishes to once again thank all of their sponsors which include: Automasters, Second Glance Hair Salon, All Star Automotive, Kickshots Billiards, Moreland’s One Stop, R&B Motorsports, Tomahawk Race Cars, Ahines Engines and Valvoline Oil

TDOPR