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2001
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| School Bus Figure Eights At DeSoto Speedway | by Ken Willis
Jimmy Gill of Sarasota won his first ever School Bus Figure 8 race before a crowd of more than 3500 race fans at DeSoto Speedway Saturday night. "I'm ready for another 20 laps," said an elated Gill. "What a ride! This guy drove me hard. He nearly put me in the parked bus three times. It was tough. I moved back to third and then I came back up. The high line was working for me so I just left it there."
Gill and Fran Madera of Palm Harbor established dominance early in the 10 bus race, hitting the intersection at more than 50 miles an hour side-by-side until a quick move by Gill gave him the lead. Racing into the intersection one bus had to lag when the husband and wife team of Andy and Jeanne Whitted of Sarasota broke down and became stranded near the intersection. "They kept cutting me off at the stalled bus," Gill said. "There ain't no rules so I took it to the outside on the grass. It worked, it really helped me." The maneuver helped Gill win the race but not without close calls. As the buses stretched out over the length of the track, they'd roar through the intersection with only inches to spare. "I tried to block him off on that stranded bus but he caught on and passed me," said Madera who has raced buses in Figure 8s before. "I really like this track. You can go on the high banks and really take it deep. Jimmy had a great bus that ran great. It was a little too much for me."
Brian Hayn of Safety Harbor is also a veteran bus driver and came from near the rear of the field to take third place. "I always end up starting in the rear," Hayn said. "I used any little thing I could profit off and keep on moving until you get farther ahead. That little bus running around here was like the eight ball at the intersection. If there had been a pile up with the leaders I would've been in it. I like this track, it's different going from the flat to the banked corners." The little bus shooting through the intersection was piloted by the Cowabunga Cowboy, Dave Manning of Bradenton, who showed his city-street driving skills by keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats. Although fiesty and fast the Cow-painted bus finished seventh behind Bill Mcleod of Myakka, John Walentukoniz of Tampa and Matt Musselman of Bradenton. Kevin King of Plant City finished eighth and, although Andy and wife rode out the race sitting at the intersection, they finished ninth with Paul Maness of Ona taking tenth because he had to go to the pits.
The first ever School Bus Figure 8 race at DeSoto Speedway highlighted a night of clean hard racing and the elation of one lucky fan, Robert Stephens Sr of Tampa. Stephens won $1491.50 in the evening's 50/50 drawing.
In other races: The Callaghan Tire Open Wheel Modifieds saw Pat Nanney of Bradenton blazing to the checkered flag to take the feature win as a pleasant surprise. "That was the last thing I thought I was going to fall into tonight," Nanney said. "I figured I had third place and was just sitting there riding until Rocco and D. J. spun each other around. I inherited the lead and had just ten laps to hold everyone off." Bill Davis of Wauchula gave Nanney plenty of pressure but ended up in second place. Tommy Schnader took third place.
Jimmy Cook of Sarasota took the checkered flag in the Selective HR Solutions Sportsman. Hal Vickery of Bradenton placed second and Wallace Ramsey of Bradenton took third place. Clint Roberts of Duette claimed the winners circle in the Comcast Street Stock. with John Whitsell of Bradenton in second and Rich Clouser of Grant taking third place.
John Clouser of Grant took his first ever feature win in the Pure Stock division. Paul Huffstutler of Bradenton placed second and Mark Gill of Bradenton took third. Steve Gill of Sarasota collected the win in the Manatee Lumber Modified Minis with Chip Gaines of Sarasota in second and Ronnie Allen of Lehigh Acres in third place. Another first came from Greg Krom of Sarasota who collected his first ever feature win in the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Stock Minis. Jesse Dutilly of Bradenton placed second and Eric Anderson of Bradenton took third place.
TOP TEN:
SCHOOL BUSES: 1. #88 Jimmy Gill, Sarasota; 2. #96 Fran Madera, Palm Harbor; 3. #00 Brian Hayn, Safety Harbor; 4. #31, Bill Mcleod, Myakka; 5. #72 John Walentuknoz, Tampa; 6. #77 Matt Musselman, Bradenton; 7. #8 Dave Manning, Bradenton; 8. #3 Kevin King, Plant City; 9. #63 Andy Whitted, Sarasota; 10. #4 Paul Maness, Ona.
CALLAGHAN TIRE OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED: 1. #60 Pat Nanney, Bradenton; 2. #15 Bill Davis, Wauchula; 3. #20 Tommy Schnader; 4. #2 J.r. Wade; 5. #67 Rocco Rannallo, Bradenton; 6. #22 Caleb Reschar, Palmetto; 7. #8 D.j. Hoelzle, Dunedin; 8. #33 Scott Faulkner, Sarasota; 9. #3 Barry Carlson, Largo; 10. #92 Steve Perez.
SELECTIVE HR SOLUTIONS SPORTSMAN: 1. #89 Jimmy Cook, Sarasota; 2. #31 Hal Vickery; 3. #38 Wallace Ramsey, Bradenton; 4. #67 Jimmie Best, Sarasota; 5. #23 James Knight, Bradenton; 6. #77 Ed Kratzert; 7. #11 Joe Shaver, Arcadia; 8. #98 Lonny Miller, Bradenton; 9. #86 Jeff Anderson, Bradenton; 10. #62 Buddy Brown.
COMCAST STREET STOCK: 1. #95 Clint Roberts, Duette; 2. #7 John Whitsell, Bradenton; 3. #8 Rich Clouser, Grant, Fl; 4. #1 Casey Hall, Tampa; 5. #44 David Cassidy; 6. #8 Sue Purington, Nokomis; 7. #67 Shawn Best, Sarasota; 8. #05 Bruce Sherwood, Bradenton; 9. #98 Johnny Allen; 10. #69 Chet Roberts.
PURE STOCK: 1. #52 John Clouser; 2. #74 Paul Huffstutler, Bradenton; 3. #54 Mark Gill, Bradenton; 4. #56 Gary Flinn, Palmetto; 5. #4 Bob Petrilli, Sarasota; 6. #00 Jody Collins; 7. #68 Stewart Bradshaw, Tampa; 8. #20 Greg Banach, Bradenton; 9. #17 Brian Ambrose, Bradenton; 10. #31c Mark Colmorgia.
MANATEE LUMBER MODIFIED MINI: 1. #5 Steve Gill, Sarasota; 2. #72 Chip Gaines, Sarasota; 3. #68 Ronnie Allen, Lehigh Acres; 4. #7 Steve Martin, Pinellas Park; 5. #47 Mark Gonzalez, Wesley Chapel; 6. #0 Bob King; 7. #X Bondia Martin; 8. #98 Mike Mitrisin, Brooksville; 9. #82 Jimmy Warram; 10. #3 Matt Watts, Dade City.
Q AUTO & INJURY ATTORNEYS MINI STOCK: 1. #35 Greg Krom, Sarasota; 2. #30 Jesse Dutilly, Bradenton; 3. #34 Eric Anderson, Bradenton; 4. #14 Jon Bailey, St. Petersburg; 5. #17x Syndee Brown, Bradenton; 6. #70 Tony Elrod Jr, Lakeland; 7. #97 Todd Freed, Bradenton; 8. #22 Shane Whitbeck, Sarasota; 9. #23 Mike Gayle, Sarasota; 10. #98 Arlin Pope, Bradenton.
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