By Michael Despain

JUNCTION CITY, KENTUCKY (May 26, 2023)– The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series would begin their 2023 points season on Friday evening at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY for the Bobby Carrier, Sr. Tribute and Josh Rice of Verona, KY would lead all forty laps of the contest on his way to a $7,500 payday.

The win by Rice, a 24-year old second-generation racer would be his seventh career Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series victory and would come aboard the Sunesis Holdings, BLOX Spiked Ice, Extreme Sportswear, Map It Right Engineering and Land Surveying, Chain Locker USA, Maxwell Trucking, AirMax Motorsports, Northern Kentucky Equipment sponsored Rocket Chassis with a Vic Hill Race Engine providing the horsepower under the hood.   

Josh Rice would take the lead at the start of the Bobby Carrier, Sr. Tribute Valvoline A-Main event, with Jensen Ford, David Webb, Zack Dohm, and Victor Lee giving chase.  The front five positions would stay the same until Lee would roll past Webb for third on lap five.  A caution would appear on lap 7 that would become a red flag for a medical emergency in the main grandstand area.  Once action resumed, Rice would maintain the race lead, while Lee would work past Ford for the runner-up slot, with Dohm taking fourth from Webb as well.  Rice would begin to motor away from the field at this point and would begin lapping slower traffic on lap fifteen.  Meanwhile, Devin Gilpin would begin to charge through the field and would make his way into the fifth position by Webb on lap nineteen.  Rice would build over a five second advantage over the field at this point until a caution on lap twenty-four would wave for a slowed Camaron Marlar on the backchute area.  The restart would again see Rice continue to lead, while Ford would reclaim the second position from Lee, with Gilpin grabbing the fourth spot from Dohm.  Rice would begin working slower again by lap thirty-three, with Dohm and Gilpin battling back and forth for the fourth position, while tenth place starting Justin Rattliff would claim the fifth spot from Webb on lap thirty-five.  The final caution appeared one circuit later for Gilpin, who slowed in turn one with a flat right-rear tire.   Rice would lead the final circuits and claim the victory, with Ford finishing second and Dohm coming home third.  Lee and Rattliff would complete the top five.  The remainder of the top ten would be Gilpin, who charged back through the field after having the flat tire, followed by Webb, Dakotah Knuckles, Adam Ahl, and Jeff Watson.    

The next event for the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern and Southern Series will be on Saturday May 27 at Lake Cumberland Speedway in Burnside, KY for the 6th Annual Johnny Wheeler Memorial, paying $7,531 to win and $500 to start.

For more information about the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series, please contact Chris Tilley at (828) 361-5981 or visit the tour’s webpage at www.IMDIRT.net or visit the tour page Iron-Man Racing Series on Facebook and Iron-Man Series (@CTPROMOTE) on Twitter. 

The Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Series would like to thank the following sponsors and marketing partners for their support of the 2023 racing season:  Valvoline, Zerex by Valvoline, Brucebilt Performance Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, E-Z-GO, Sunoco Race Fuels, Bazell Race Fuels, SFP Performance Systems, MyRacePass, Impact Race Gear, XS Power Batteries, Vic Hill Racing Engines, Racecar Engineering, American Racer Tires, Keltner Contracting, Todd Steel Buildings, TW Taylor Trucking, Earnhardt Technologies Group, Weichert Realtors-Ford Brothers (Judith Dyehouse-Agent), Swafford Signs, KY Clutch, DIRTCAR Racing, Brown Haven Homes, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Coosa Heating and Cooling, Stakt Products, KND Safety, Chattanooga Valley Auto Parts, PopBit, Denby’s J&J Construction, Jim and Nancy Viox, Advanced Transportation, Lowe’s Tows, Reno’s Roadhouse, and Racetrack Safety Initiative.

About Valvoline™
Valvoline Inc. (NYSE: VVV) is a leading worldwide marketer and supplier of premium branded lubricants and automotive services, with sales in more than 140 countries. Established in 1866, the company’s heritage spans more than 150 years, during which time it has developed powerful brand recognition across multiple product and service channels. Valvoline ranks as the No. 3 passenger car motor oil brand in the DIY market by volume. It operates and franchises approximately 1,400 quick-lube locations, and it is the No. 2 chain by number of stores in the United States under the Valvoline Instant Oil ChangeSM brand and the No. 3 chain by number of stores in Canada under the Valvoline Great Canadian Oil Change brand. It also markets Valvoline lubricants and automotive chemicals, including the Valvoline High Mileage with MaxLife technology motor oil for engines over 75,000 miles; Valvoline Advanced Full Synthetic motor oil; Valvoline Premium Blue™ heavy-duty motor oil; Valvoline Multi-Vehicle Automatic Transmission Fluid; and Zerex™ antifreeze. To learn more, visit www.valvoline.com.

Official Summary of Results

Feature Results for the Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern/Southern Series Bobby Carrier, Sr. Tribute at Ponderosa Speedway in Junction City, KY on Friday May 26, 2023  
1. Josh Rice-Verona, Ky.
2. Jensen Ford-Johnson City, Tenn.
3. Zack Dohm-Cross Lanes, West Va.
4. Victor Lee-Danville, Ky.
5. Justin Rattliff-Campbellsville, Ky.
6. Devin Gilpin-Columbus, Ind.
7. David Webb-Nicholasville, Ky.
8. Dakotah Knuckles-Ewing, Va.
9. Adam Ahl-Morristown, Tenn.
10. Jeff Watson-Campbellsville, Ky.
11. Stacy Boles-Clinton, Tenn.
12. Austin Lay-Walton, Ky.
13. Shane Irvin-Dunnville, Ky.
14. Mike Bargo-Corbin, Ky.
15. Michael Chilton-Salvisa, Ky.
16. Camaron Marlar-Winfield, Tenn.
17. Steve Godsey-Campbellsville, Ky.
18. Skylar Marlar-Winfield, Tenn.
19. Larry Martin, Jr.-Maysville, Ky.

Time of Race:  22 minutes, 15 seconds  
Margin of Victory:  1.935 seconds
Yellow Flags:  Three (lap 7, 24, 26)
Red Flags:  One (lap 7-medical emergency in grandstand area)
Lap Leaders:  Josh Rice 1-40
Entries:  19  
E-Z-GO Time Trials Top Qualifier:  Dakotah Knuckles 12.502 seconds   
SFP Performance Systems Hard Charger Award ($100 product certificate):  Justin Rattliff (started 10th-finished 5th-advanced 5 positions)  
Provisionals:  None  

Todd Steel Buildings Heat Race One Finish (8 laps/all transfer):  Josh Rice, Zack Dohm, Dakotah Knuckles, Camaron Marlar, Devin Gilpin, Stacy Boles, Austin Lay, Mike Bargo, Steve Godsey (DNS-Skylar Marlar)  

SFP Performance Systems Heat Race Two Finish (8 laps/all transfer):  Jensen Ford, David Webb, Victor Lee, Adam Ahl, Justin Rattliff, Jeff Watson, Shane Irvin, Michael Chilton (DNS-Larry Martin, Jr.)  

Valvoline Iron-Man Late Model Northern Series 2023 Schedule/Results:
May 26-Ponderosa Speedway-Junction City, KY-Josh Rice (Verona, KY)