Chris Madden claimed $25,000 on Saturday night at Ponderosa
Ponderosa Speedway hosted the biggest event in its history on Saturday night with Chris Madden driving into the Junction City, Kentucky track’s Victory Lane and collecting the $25,000 first prize. The Gray Court, SC driver led all the way to score the win over some of the sport’s top stars in his first ever trip to the facility located in the heart of the Bluegrass State.
Mike Marlar set the pace in qualifying during Friday night’s preliminary action when he posted a lap of 12.605 seconds around the 3/8 mile clay oval. Madden, Jason Jameson, Michael Chilton, Scott Bloomquist, Eric Wells, Dustin Linville and Greg Johnson followed the fast qualifier.
Bloomquist, Madden, Jameson and Chilton won their respective heat races and earned a spot in the redraw that would set the first two rows of the feature starting grid. In that redraw, Bloomquist was awarded the pole with Madden, Chilton and Jameson placed behind him.
Steve Casebolt and Paul Wilmouth won the two B-main races used to set that part of the feature lineup not already established by the heat races.
At the start of the 100-lap main event, Madden went to the early lead with Bloomquist, Jameson and Marlar following his his tire tracks. That would remain as the running order during the early laps. However, a lap 10 caution for mechanical troubles on Ray Cook’s car bunched the field and allowed opportunities to make moves.
Just after that restart, Jameson began to pressure Bloomquist for the runner-up spot. And on lap 13, the two drivers engaged in a battle of slide job passes from which Bloomquist maintained the position.
Madden was able to briefly break away from his pursuers but slower traffic would allow them to reel the leader back in by lap 17.
Bloomquist attempted to take the lead from Madden on a lap 21 restart
A lap 21 caution for the slowing car of Steve Casebolt provided Bloomquist with a chance to grab the lead away from Madden on the restart. The No. 0 car dove under the No. 44 just after the green flag waved, but Madden was able to fight off the challenge.
The race entered a long green flag stretch after that point in which Chilton, Linville and Jimmy Owens continually wrestled for positions 5-7 as they made their way around the track and through slower machines.
Also during that run, Marlar and Jameson disputed the third position, with Marlar briefly taking it and then Jameson grabbing back just as quickly.
A caution just before the halfway mark for the stalled car of Kent Robinson allowed for a short respite before the action resumed with another long green flag run that saw much of the same battling as before.
Marlar and Jameson battled for the third spot throughout much of the event
On each restart, Madden and Bloomquist would separate themselves from the rest of the pack as they contested the lead among themselves. But on lap 70, Marlar finally made his way around Jameson and set off in pursuit of the front runners.
As the laps wound down, Madden continued to lead over Bloomquist with Marlar closing quickly from third. A couple of late race cautions provided the trailing drivers a shot at Madden but the No. 44 car proved to be too strong as he outraced everyone to the checkered flag and the big paycheck.
Feature Finish: 1. Chris Madden, 2. Scott Bloomquist, 3. Mike Marlar, 4. Michael Chilton, 5. Dustin Linville, 6. Jimmy Owens, 7. Eric Wells, 8. Josh Rice, 9. Greg Johnson, 10. Paul Wilmouth, Jr., 11. Tommy Bailey, 12. Justin Ratliff, 13. Jason Jameson, 14. Eddie Carrier, Jr., 15. Cody Mahoney, 16. Kent Robinson, 17. Mason Zeigler, 18. Steve Casebolt, 19. Brandon Kinzer, 20. David Payne, 21. Jerry Rutherford, 22. Ray Cook
Madden and crew in Victory Lane
