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Kentucky Motor Speedway - Bandolero Races - September 2nd, 2007

Bandolero Nationals

By Jason Buckley

Finchum Wins Over Bassett and Ruston For Young Guns Victory

With 30 of the best Bandolero Young Guns drivers showing up at Kentucky Speedway for the Nationals, everyone knew the battle to be the best of the best would be fierce. Drivers like Ronnie Bassett, Jr., Dylan Pack and Bryce Walker all showed up to take the top honors, but at the end of 25 laps of racing it was Chad Finchum winning the event in dominating fashion.

Finchum started from the pole position alongside Bassett, but was able to get the jump and the lead. While Bassett tried to take the top spot away from him late in the race, he was forced to finish second behind Finchum.

“It was a good race,” said Bassett. “I didn’t have a good starting spot in the outside pole, but I got in pretty quick. We came up one position short. Chad ran a good race here today and I guess I did too. You don’t win all of them.”

Finchum stayed on top of his game all day as Bassett kept the pressure on him for the top spot. Staying cool under pressure, Finchum drove his #19 Bandolero to the victory.

“We had a good weekend and a good car,” said Finchum. “We had a little loose problem earlier today. It was hard. I thought he (Bassett) was going to get me in lapped traffic, but we came out on top and was able to get the win. It feels really good being this is my first year. It hasn’t sunk in yet. I don’t know what to say.”

Finchum wasn’t the only driver to who was happy and shocked to have a great finish. Oklahoma racer Kenzie Ruston started from the 10th position. She used skill and patience to work her way up through the field to finish in the third spot.

Chad Finchum was the Young Gun to beat all weekend. (photo by Hendrick Sports Photography)

The top five in the Young Lions Nationals. (photo by Hendrick Sports Photography)

“I am stunned,” said Ruston. “I was stunned when I got the white flag. I never thought I would be this good. I am still shaking. I got in a wreck the first few laps but they brought the caution out for someone else and I got my spot back. I just was faster than people and got around them.”

All three drivers were happy with their finishes, but Bassett wanted just a little more. After seeing a bump and run move on the last lap in the Legends Young Lions race earlier in the day, there was only one thing he wanted late in the race so he could take the win.

“Another caution with one to go,” said Bassett with a smile on his face. “I wouldn’t have wrecked him, but I would have given him a little bump to let him know I was there and move him out of the way.”

The Kyle and Kyle Show: Benjamin Wins Over Plott In Bandits Race

In the 2007 Summer Shootout at Lowe’s Motor Speedway (NC), Kyle Plott and his #99 Bandolero dominated most Bandit events. With six straight victories and the Shootout championship, Plott was a favorite to win the Nationals event at Kentucky. At the end of the day, a “Kyle” was the winner of the event, but it wasn’t Kyle Plott, rather Kyle Benjamin that was crowned the 2007 Bandolero Bandit Nationals winner.

Kyle Benjamin (top) and Kyle Plott (bottom) both had good cars. (photos by Hendrick Sports Photography)

Plott started from the pole position alongside Stephen Bergh. Davey Matthews quickly showed his strength early, but contact with a lapped car sent him spinning out of the lead. This handed the lead back over to Plott, who tried to fend off the lead from multiple drivers throughout the race.

Meanwhile, Benjamin started from the seventh spot and was forced to work his way around some of the top Bandit drivers in the country.

“It was pretty hard to get to the lead,” said Benjamin. “I put on a pretty good fight with Stephen Bergh.”

“I started on the pole and had a great day,” said Plott. “My car started to get tight and I didn’t know what to do with the car. When I slipped, Kyle Benjamin got up under me and I couldn’t get back around him. We came out here with two new cars with two different setups on it and this one worked the best, so we just ran this one.”

Once by Plott for the lead with just a few laps remaining, Benjamin went from attack to defend mode as he wanted to make sure Plott didn’t get back by him.

“I passed him and I kind of went low a little bit because I knew he was going to try to get under me,” said Benjamin. “It (the win) is awesome. It took me a good crew chief and my papa’s support.”

Behind the two Kyles, Blake Jones, Mason Massey and Bergh all had solid races, finishing in the top five.

The best of the Bandits drivers enjoyed their trip to victory lane. (photo by Hendrick Sports Photography)

“I thought we had the car to win if we could have got up there,” said Jones. “When we first ran it was a little too loose, then we tightened it and it was just about right, but we still didn’t have the car to get up there and win.”

For Massey, patience in the car kept him calm, bringing home a fourth-place finish in a race plagued with many early cautions for spins.

“It was a hard race,” said Massey. “It was a long 25 laps. It was pretty hard, and under caution I think about what I have to do on the restarts. We did good.”

Bergh, along with Plott, was considered one of the favorites to win the event. Bergh won the KOIL Tour race the day before and started on the outside pole for the Nationals feature, but dropped back after a few resets of the field at the start of the event, forcing him to finish fifth.

“I just did the best I could,” said Bergh. “I started outside pole and had a couple good starts, but we got yellow flagged before we crossed the line. The one that didn’t get yellowed was the worst (start) for me.”

Bergh, Massey, Jones and Plott all had great showings in the Nationals event, but the glory and accolades belong to Kyle Benjamin.

After the race, standing next to a trophy much taller than him, Benjamin’s joy changed to concern as he wondered how he was going to leave with it.

“It (the trophy) is huge,” said Benjamin. “I am probably going to have trouble getting it home.”

McKinney Bests Small Outlaw Field For Victory

Even though there were more than 100 Bandoleros and Legends drivers showing up to race in Kenucky, a disappointing number of five Bandolero Outlaws entered that division’s Nationals event. Still, with only a handful of cars, a close battle on the track between Christopher McKinney and Kendall Sellers for the top spot kept everyone on their feet. When the checkered flew, it was McKinney taking the checkered flag over Sellers for the Nationals victory.

Christopher McKinney (left) outran Kendall Sellers (right) for the win. (photo by Hendrick Sports Photography)

The tight battle between the two drivers was evident during practice rounds and qualifying. Both cars were fast with Sellers taking the pole position over McKinney by a mere .035 seconds. In the race, McKinney was able to get by Sellers for the top spot. Sellers settled in behind, but kept close enough to him in case McKinney made a mistake. That mistake never came as he went on to collect the trophy for first place.

“It was a real good race,” said McKinney. “Everybody raced me real clean. I would like to thank my Dad for getting the car the best it has ever been here as well as everyone else that has helped me get to where I am today.

“I have raced a bunch in the KOIL Tour up here, so I knew we were going to be pretty strong. I just played my cards right and came out with the win in the end.”

Sellers might not have come out with the victory, but he was still satisfied with his race and his season this year in the Outlaws division.

“Today we really played catch up,” said Sellers. “We sat on the pole and had a good car in practice and qualifying, but after that it got tight and the car started smoking some. He beat us fair, and there are no disappointments there. He is a good racer and I love racing with him.

The top five Outlaws in the Nationals at Kentucky in victory lane. (photo by Hendrick Sports Photography)

“Nationals are always something everybody wants, but to have a stellar year like we have had winning 33 out of 38 races, you cannot ask for a better year. You can’t win them all, so you might as well enjoy them while you are.”

Behind the two leaders, Nathan Rodgers struggled with the track and the setup of his car, but he was waiting in the wings in case the two top drivers tangled late in the race. Settling for third position, Rodgers was still all smiles knowing he had a podium finish.

“I think I did alright,” said Rodgers. “The car could have been a little better. I had a little bit of trouble getting over the bump for the first few laps and it messed me up. They started getting close to each other so I just backed off in case something up there happened. It was an alright race. I had fun.”

Still, the race belonged to McKinney. Even a few days after the event, McKinney was still reeling over his victory in the Nationals event. To him, a small field didn’t matter – the victory did.

“I never thought that I would win,” said McKinney. “This is like something out of a dream, but my dream came true.”

DRIVER

Christopher McKinney

Kendall Sellers

Nathan Rodgers

Emily Patton

Kayla Turner

28in

POS

DRIVER

Chad Finchum

Ronnie Bassett

Kenzie Ruston

Bryce Walker

Dylan Pack

Dustin Sword

Devin Jones

Blake Eden

Kyle Nelson

Scott Hensley

Zac Carter

Jak Armstrong

Brandon Lynn

Clay Settles

Justin Campbell

Jake Dunsmore

Ryan Glenski

Rawlin West

Anthony Metallo

Jordan Coker

Aaron Moyer

Vern Fagerberg

Travis Robinson

Brandon Nelson

RESULTS

BANDOLERO BANDITS BANDOLERO YOUNG GUNS BANDOLERO OUTLAWS

680

20s

171

97x

94j

28nc

140

POS

DRIVER

Kyle Benjamin

Kyle Plott

Blake Jones

Mason Massey

Stephen Bergh

Dillon Bassett

Jordan Stillwell

TJ Michael

Layne Clifton

Justin Thomas

Tyler Poe

Brock Morris

Charlie Gresham

Zack Dunsmore

Corey Gordon

Sean Hosey

Ryan Eyer

Davey Matthews

Bayley Currey

Darius Garcia

Matthew Linker

Ty Rose

Alex Hickham

Brady Boswell

231

199

84m

711

97z

18g

POS