Portsmouth Raceway Park, Inc.


1996 Track Champions
Class Car No. Driver Points
Late Model A55 Bob Adams, Jr. 1315
Modified 18 Jeff Cunningham 1860
Street Stocks 12 Chris Blair 1535
Bombers 35 Tony DeHart 1375


LATE MODEL

Car# Driver Points A Main
Starts		 Wins Top 5's
A55
Bob Adams, Jr.
1315
15
6
5

Bob Adams, Jr. has been an instant success at Portsmouth Raceway.
Adams did not start making the weekly trek with his Late Model from Racine until several weeks into the 1995 season. Once he started running the PRP 3/8 mile oval, Adams became the dominant driver. He nearly won the Late Model championship in 1995 although missing several dates at PRP.
Adams took the title in 1996.
He racked up six victories in 1996. In 15 points races, he finished out of the top 10 only three times, He had five top 5 finishes and one top 10 to go with his wins.
If Adams has any of the success in 1997 he had the past two seasons, Adams should grab his 20th A Main win and could become the track's all-time leading Late Model feature winner.

MODIFIED

Car# Driver Points A Main
Starts		 Wins Top 5's
18
Jeff Cunningham
1860
18
11
6

Jeff Cunningham, 28, was the most dominant driver at PRP last season as he captured the Modified championship.
Cunningham tallied 1860 points, that is more than 300 points better than any of the other division champions.
In 18 races last season, the Portsmouth driver missed the top five only once. He went to Victory Lane 11 times.
Cunningham made the move from rookie to track champion in just three seasons. He credits his father, Harold Cunningham for his success.
"Dad's the one that taught me the basics," Cunningham said. "That's what a lot of people don't understand."
Cunningham added, "A car is just like a computer, you get out of it what you put in it." The 1997 season will be a busy one for Cunningham. He will be piloting both a modified and a late model. He introduced his late model last season, running three races late in the season.

STREET STOCK

Car# Driver Points A Main
Starts		 Wins Top 5's
12
Chris Blair
1535
17
6
6

Chris Blair, 29, won his first driver's title in only his second season behind the wheel. The Street Stock division was possibly the most competitive at PRP last season with at least 10 cars capable of winning almost every week.
Blair posted six wins, but it was his ability to stay away from bad nights that ultimately produced the championship. The Wheelersburg driver added six top 5 finishes and two top 10s to go with his wins for 1535 points.
The March flood has cut into Blair's preparation for the coming season as the family's construction business has been busy helping people and local governments recover from the food damage.
After driving a late model the last half of the season, along with his street stock, Blair's plans for the coming season are up in the air. "Right now it looks like nothing but work," Blair said. "I don't know if I'll have time (to race) or not."
Although still uncertain, Blair noted, "Probably, I'll run the street stock this year."
Blair credits "a lot of luck" and "hard work and determination" with producing his driver's title.

BOMBERS

Car# Driver Points A Main
Starts		 Wins Top 5's
35
Tony DeHart
1375
16
3
9

Tony DeHart, 31, drove away with his third consecutive Bomber title in 1996.
As in the previous years, DeHart won with consistency. He won only three point races, but he had nine other finishes in the top 5. That totalled out to 1375 points in 16 races. The Franklin Furnace driver has the distinction of being the first driver to win the same class three years in a row at PRP.
"We had good equipment and we tried to keep the maintenance up on the car," DeHart said in explaining his success. "Also, we had a lot of help."
There will be a new Bomber champion in 1997, Dehart began his racing career in 1992 in the Bomber division, but he as decided to move up this year.
"We're going to run Modified this year, a Dirt Works chassis," he said.
A caution to the bomber drivers, DeHart still has his car from last season.


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