Eldora report

By Scott Hall

ROSSBURG, OH - Kenny Jacobs turned in his typical Eldora Speedway performance Thursday night in the All Star sprint "Two Nights Before The Big One" 30-lap feature. The Kear's Speed Shop sponsored event paid $5,125 to Jacobs. However, the evening ended on a tragic note when 61 year old Beaumont, Texas driver John Bankston was pronounced dead at a local hospital after a lap 16 accident.

Bankston hit Eldora's outside concrete wall and rolled back down the track, collecting Blake Feese and Jason Johnson, who had no place to go. Eldora's Rural Metro ambulance crew had to assist Bankston with breathing the whole way to Coldwater Hospital. From there, he was preparing to be life flighted to Dayton's Miami Valley Trauma Canter. When the helicopter landed to pick up the injured driver, Bankston went into cardiac arrest and despite the efforts of the trauma team, they were unable to revive him.

Greg Wilson started on the ButlerBuilt Hot Seat pole with All Star points leader Chad Kemenah alongside and Jac Haudenschild and Jimmy Stinson comprised row two. Jacobs and fast qualifier Rob Chaney started in row three. Wilson led from the start in Bob Hampshire's Maxim, with Kemenah in tow and Jacobs third in the Jacobs/Honecker Racing No. 6. Kemenah began challenging the leader in his Jim Harble Racing Gambler on lap nine, with Wilson in the high groove and Kemenah looking under him in the middle groove.

With a dozen laps in the books, in turn one Wilson got held up behind a lapped car, allowing Kemenah to duck under the leader and take over the top spot low inside turn two. Jacobs also sped past Wilson into second. Danny Smith lost power on lap 16 for a caution, with Kemenah on top over Jacobs, Ed Lynch Jr., Haudenschild and Joey Saldana in Denny Ashworth's No. 92. Following the restart was when Bankston's tragic accident occurred, bringing out a red flag which lasted 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Kemenah led following the red, with Jacobs applying heavy pressure. Jacobs ducked low under Kemenah coming down the front stretch to take the lead at the flagstand on lap 24, and lead the final six circuits to win by four car lengths.

Jacobs was aboard Hoosier tires, using a new car Chuck Merrill from Maxim built for him this week. Jacobs credited his crew of Aaron Hammer, Jason and Lee for working day and night to get the car ready, plus an old standby was utilized, a three year old Kriner engine. It was the first Kriner Jacobs purchased when he started his team three years ago "and it did the job for me tonight," he said.

Kemenah was second after hitting the front stretch wall at the end with a loose race car and Wilson was third. Saldana was fourth, Greg Hodnett fifth and Dean Jacobs sixth.

Rob Chaney finished seventh, winning the Team Simpson Racing Lucky Seven award. Jac Haudenschild, in the Wise No. 97 failed to go across the scales and have his car weighed after the event, resulting in a disqualification and a last place finish.

The K-T Equipment heat went to Jason Johnson, the JB Enterprise Racing Products heat to Kenny Jacobs and the Crown Battery heat to Blake Feese. Bankston won the B Main which was called after four laps when only the six transfer cars remained on the speedway. Danny Smith captured the Haulmark Dash. Nick Rosselit of Ottawa, OH won his first ever feature in the UMP modified main and Mark Kowarsch of Eaton, OH won the 12-lap stock car feature.

Time Trials: 1. Rob Chaney, Courtad 9x, 13.150; 2. Kenny Jacobs, Jacobs/Honecker 6, 13.156; 3. Jimmy Stinson, Stinson 84, 13.222; 4. Jac Haudenschild, Wise 97, 13.249; 5. Chad Kemenah, Harble 15k, 13.281; 6. Greg Wilson, Hampshire 63, 15.293; 7. Ed Lynch, Jr., Lynch 2L, 13.306; 8. Craig Dollansky, Karavan 7, 13.329; 9. Danny Smith, Baker 4, 13.382; 10. Joey Saldana, Ashworth 92a, 13.440; 11. Greg Hodnett, Apple 12, 13.484; 12. Shane Stewart, Holbrook 8H, 13.484; 13. Jason Johnson, Elden 22e, 13.524; 14. Rodney Duncan, Harrison 22, 13.534; 15. Dean Jacobs, Daugherty 7r, 13.551; 16. Travis Rilat, Archer U2, 13.598; 17. Jerrod Hull, Webb 51, 13.651; 18. Blake Feese, Feese 1F, 13.714; 19. John Bankston, Bankston 8, 13.724; 20. Chad Hill, Shearer 44, 13.730; 21. Mike Wagner, Wagner 55, 13.756; 22. Kevin Huntley, Miller/Lauman 60; 13.920; 23. John Buchy, Buchy 28, 14.018; 24. Kent Wolters, Wolters 12, 14.815; 25. Jeff Hoying, Hoying 61, 15.517; 26. Jeff Applegate, Applegate 07, 20.693.

K-T Equipment Rental Heat (8 laps): 1. Johnson 2. Rilat 3. Lynch 4. Saldana 5. Haudenschild 6. Chaney 7. Bankston 8. Hoying 9. Huntley.

JB Enterprise Racing Products Heat (8 laps): 1. K. Jacobs 2. Duncan 3. Hull 4. Kemenah 5. Hodnett 6. Dollansky 7. Hill 8. Buchy 9. Applegate.

Crown Battery Heat (8 laps): 1. Feese 2. Stewart 3. D. Jacobs 4. Stinson 5. Smith 6. Wilson 7. Wagner 8. Wolters.

Haulmark Dash (4 laps): 1. Smith 2. Lynch 3. Kemenah 4. Saldana 5. K. Jacobs 6. Dollansky.

B Main (4 laps): 1. Bankston 2. Wagner 3. Huntley 4. Wolters 5. Hoying 6. Hill.

A Main (30 laps): 1. Kenny Jacobs 2. Chad Kemenah 3. Greg Wilson 4. Joey Saldana 5. Greg Hodnett 6. Dean Jacobs 7. Rob Chaney 8. Shane Stewart 9. Ed Lynch Jr. 10. Rodney Duncan 11. Kevin Huntley 12. Jason Johnson 13. Mike Wagner 14. Danny Smith 15. Travis Rilat 16. Blake Feese 17. John Bankston 18. Kent Wolters 19. Chad Hill 20. Jimmy Stinson 21. Jerrod Hull 22. Craig Dollansky 23. Jeff Hoying 24. Jac Haudenschild (DQ).

All Star Sprint Points: 1. Chad Kemenah 2230; 2. Kenny Jacobs 2132; 3. Danny Smith 2087; 4. Dean Jacobs 2086; 5. Greg Wilson 2053; 6. Jason Johnson 2025; 7. Travis Rilat 2008; 8. Rodney Duncan 1957; 9. Jerrod Hull 1905; 10. Mike Wagner 1741. .

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