| DUFRESNE AND LAWTON MOTORSPORTS, A FAMILY AFFAIR | By Robin Smith Meiser
 Very few drivers know their way around the 3/8's mile oval of Charlotte County Speedway better than Fort Myers limited late model driver, Jeff Dufresne. He has been competing there since shortly after the gates were opened over a decade ago. He started in the pure stock division in 1992 and moved up to street stocks in 1993. He took the division championship, as well as rookie of the year in that year.
He then quit racing for several years and worked on 2000 All Pro Series Champion and now current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver, Billy Bigley, Jr.'s, pit crew from 1995 to 1997. Dufresne not only gained a vast amount of racing knowledge from Bigley, he also eventually earned his current ride, in the Dennis Lawton owned 1999 Monte Carlo that Dufresne drove to his first Circle One Limited Late Model Six Pack Series victory on April 7 at CCS.
Jeff didn't do this overnight, however. First he returned back to local track racing at Charlotte with his dad, Jeff Dufresne, Sr. The senior Dufresne is the one person that has always been there in his son's pit whenever he races. As Jeff, Jr. says "My dad has been right there the whole time. Every day of my racing career, he has been there." Senior has also been there for son, John Boyer, who also races at Charlotte in the Rebel Road Warrior division. Their mom, Gloria, is also a seasoned race veteran who was a scorer at Hialeah Speedway for over 25 years. Jeff's girlfriend, Terry, is there too serving as his biggest cheerleader and fan.
Racing has always been a family affair in the Dufresne household. Jeff, Sr. raced late models at Hialeah Speedway against the likes of Bobby and Donnie Allison. The family traveled all over in the early 70's while their father raced. They eventually left Dade County and moved to south Lee County. Jeff, Jr. is an elevator repairman when he is not racing stock cars.
His race life has been like that too, having its ups and downs. He won his first limited late model feature at Charlotte in 1997 but didn't have the right equipment to be really competitive. All that changed this year, when he began driving for Lawton Motorsports out of Naples. Not only is Dufresne racing at CCS, he is also racing for points at DeSoto Speedway in Bradenton. The last time he raced there, he finished second despite a wreck and having to go to the pits for quick repairs by the Lawton pit crew. Like the Dufresne family, the entire Lawton family is in the pits along with other crewmembers working hard to bring their car to victory lane. They return to DeSoto on April 21 for their next race.
They hope to be as competitive there as they have been at Charlotte County this year. In the Six-Pack race, he inherited the lead from Fort Myers driver, Richie Anderson, who led the first 75 laps until engine problems caused his early retirement from the race. Right behind Dufresne, seasoned veteran Randy "Hondo" Fox tried repeatedly to pass to Jeff, pulling alongside him on the outside more than once. Fox was unable to pass him though and Dufresne took the checkered flag first for his second showing in a row at CCS. Several weeks back he won a regular 50 lap race after duelling with Anderson and Fox.
When Dufresne pulled into his pit, he climbed out the car and promptly called his mentor, Billy Bigley, Jr. who had finished 16th in the Craftsman Truck Race in Martinsville due to mechanical problems, to give him the good news of his victory. The other person he called was his engine builder, Dan O'Connell. For Dufresne, this first major short track victory was a long time coming but well earned, for both him and the entire Lawton Motorsports team and all wanted to bask in the glory.
-Robin Meiser
Note : Jeff Dufresne, Randy Fox, Wayne Jefferson, and many other Charlotte County drivers will be appearing on the KARNAC.com Racin' Talk Radio show April 11.
 Watch a few laps from the Charlotte Six-Pack Limited Late Models
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