By Billie May

Paul Gibbs - Super Stock Winner

(KNS)For the second week in a row the racing action at Auburndale Speedway was exciting and full of heated action.

The V-8 Street Stocks took to the track with just a couple laps into this race the bumping and rubbing got started. Brian Harbin in the #65 gave a tap to #63 Donald Gatlin and sent him spinning, with Gatlin going to the rear, and Harbin keeping his position the race restarted. David Holland #32 had the lead from the start with Brian Harbin second wiht #17 Alex Abbott running third, then #66 of Wesley Harbin spun in turn four bringing out the caution.

On the restart Holland went high coming out of turn two allowing Brian Harbin to take the lead.

Jason Stifle #38 was black flagged for leaking fluid, and Wesley Harbin spun in turn four causing caution once again.

On the next restart with the top three still the same, #25 Jeff Davis was running fourth but lost control of his car coming out of turn four and Jason Deaton clipping him but was able to maintain his position, moving #00 Rodney Peterson into the top five.

David Holland went high again coming out of turn two and lost three positions then ended up spinning out between turns one and two. With only a hand full of laps left Brain Harbin took the win and Jason Deaton went to the inside to take the second spot away from Alex Abbott on the last lap.

After going through tech Alex Abbott was DQed, moving #00 Rodney Peterson to third.

Mini-Stock action had the crowd booing the winner after this exciting feature was over. On the point was #89 Scott Sharpe taking the lead with #01 Donnie Howell second and #9 Robbie Storer in the third spot. Scott Sharpe stretching his lead over second place and starting to get into heavy lapped traffic, with no cautions his lead kept getting bigger.

With the top three cars weaving in and out of lapped traffic, #12 Terry Westcott (lapped car) got tapped by Robbie Storer coming out of turn four and Westcott ended up spinning causing a caution. With the field bunched up for the restart, it didn't take long for Storer to take over the first spot and take his second win in a row with Sharpe second and Donnie Howell finishing third.

The reason the crowd booed Storer was the spinning out of the lapped car.

4-CYL Bombers had drivers trying to pass in the dirt when # 96 Larry Chumney Jr. was going for the lead and went down in the dirt and ended up having his car slow and off the pace taking himself out of the race. Restart # 7 Ronnie Hyatt leading, # 1 David Jouppi second and # 56 Wayne Hough in the third spot, David Jouppi got loose and sideways in turns 1 & 2 loosing two positions to Wayne Hough and # 3 Terry Jones. Ivan Davis # 5 and Kevin Lumley # 43 got together and Lumley spun.

Restart after David Jouppi was running in the top three he pulled in the infield moving Kevin Lumley into the top three after coming back from a spin. A couple laps left Terry Jones was putting on a charge for the top spot and trying the outside but not being able to take the position from Ronnie Hyatt and he went on to win with Terry Jones second and Kevin Lumley third. After going through tech, the top 3 cars were DQed about their off-set wheels, giving # 5 Ivan Davis the win, second to # 31 ! Donnie Guy, and third to # 1 David Jouppi.

Super Stocks were on the track next with a good field of cars.On the first lap # 12 David Williamson went to the inside of # 51 Randy Shearer they got together and spun causing a 5 car pile up taking just one car out of the race. Complete restart, # 2 Paul Gibbs took the lead with # 01 Chris Lewellen second, and # 80 Dustin Breeden in third. A couple laps later # 00 Shawn Harper went high and spun out collecting David Williamson and that ended Williamsons night. Restart, # 34 Jeff McCaw went to the inside of the # 13 Aaron Williamson for the fourth spot with # 8 Jim Orisich following dropping Williamson to sixth.

Caution again for a slow car on the track bunching the field up for another restart, McCaw looking to the outside of Breeden but fell back in line behind Breeden while # 56 James Wright III was coming up to the top five until Jim Orisich and Wright bump tires sending Wright spinning. Restart, McCaw went to the outside of Breeden to make a pass and coming out of turn! four Breeden got pinched down and got sideways on his own and McCaw took the third spot, following Chris Lewellen second and Paul Gibbs taking the win.

Great side-by-side racing in the limited Late Models between # 1 Bart Weatherford and # 71 Dave Dunkin. Weatherford took the lead with Dunkin on the outside for several laps, # 20 Greg Kielma running third. Ollie Harbin # 65 and # 45 Sammy Cressman were running side-by-side for the fourth spot, followed by # 21 Von Pope and # 55 Richard Elkins Jr. running side-by-side battling for the fifth position. Elkins finally taking the fifth spot, Kielma slipped up and Cressman went to third and Elkins followed putting Kielma back to fifth. Von Pope lost control and spun going into turn one barely tapping the wall, but went to the pits with over heating problems.

On the backstretch Harbin and Kielma tangle sending Kielma spinning, Kielma out of the race, meantime Dave Dunkin after running on the outside, pulled in due to over heating problems. Elkins passed Cressman for the second spot, and Harbin giving pressure to Cressman for the third spot, he slipped alittle allowing Harbin to go underneath him, on the next lap Cressman passed Harbin back but contact was made sending Cressman in a spin on the last lap, Harbin kept control and crossed the line in third, after Weatherford took the win and Elkins Jr. second.

Bart Weatherford "That was the most fun you can have out there, racing side-by-side like that. I knew Dunkin would race me clean and I was just a laughing every lap and having fun". Cressman came and stopped on the track and approached Harbin, they shook hands and showed GREAT Sportsmanship.

The featured race of the night was going to be the Open Wheel Modifieds, but with just three cars showing up for the race, it was cancelled and will be rescheduled for a later date.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

Every week KARNAC.com will feature a driver from Auburndale Speedway. This week we selected the only woman that races at Auburndale, and she won the first night of the 2002 racing season.

Meet Terry Jones, 36 years of age from Zephyrhills. Her husband Steve Jones also runs at Auburndale, and she has 3 children Justin, Tommy, and Hailey Paige.

Terry has been racing for 5 years. She runs in the 4-CYL Bomber class, racing the # 3 Dodge Charger and is sponsored by Zephyrhills Natural Spring Water, Car Quest, Attorney Andy Forman, Total Performance Vinyl & Graphics, & Deals U-pull-it.

She started out in the 4-CYL Bomber Powder Puff class which is all women driving. Her best finish in the point standings was 4th, and she was voted "Most Popular Driver" by the fans. Her most memorable race was finishing 1st and her Husband Steve finishing 4th in the same class.

Her goals for the 2002 racing season is to do the best she can, hoping to finish up front and bring the car home in one piece. She would like to say a "Special Thanks" to her Husband Steve, without him she could not be racing every week, and her children for their support, Rick & Todd for always helping out, and her sponsors for backing her up.


RESULTS:
V-8 Street Stocks
1-65 Brian Harbin
2-99 Jason Deaton
3-00 Rodney Peterson
4-63 Donald Gatlin
5-38 Jason Stifle
6-7 David Williams
7-97 Paul Cressman
8-28 James Calhoun
9-32 David Holland
10-51 Mark Lowe

Mini-Stock
1-9 Robbie Storer
2-89 Scott Sharpe
3-01 Donnie Howell
4-15 Bryan Storer
5-97x Richie Acres
6-87 Bobby Judah
7-97 Brian Dorer
8-33 David Fair
9-57 Jason Rendell
10-5 Chris Palmer

4CYL-Bombers
1-5 Ivan Davis
2-31 Donnie Guy
3-1 David Jouppi
4-56 Wayne Dunnavent Jr.
5-27 Wayne Guy
6-06 George Gorham Jr.
7-96 Larry Chumney Jr.

Super Stocks
1-2 Paul Gibbs
2-01 Chris Lewellen
3-34 Jeff McCaw
4-80 Dustin Breeden
5-13 Aaron Williamson
6-56 James Wright III
7-51 Randy Shearer
8-3 Chuck Steele
9-74 Andy Dorman
10-08 Jim Orisich

Limited Late Models
1-1 Bart Weatherford
2-55 Richard Elkins Jr.
3-65 Ollie Harbin
4-54 Steve Black
5-45 Sammy Cressman
6-71 Dave Dunkin
7-20 Gregg Kielma
8-21 Von Pope
9-25 Billy Norris Jr.

Next weeks schedule is all regular classes plus the Racing for Kids Club. This class has grown over last year and has over 30 kids ranging in age from 10 to 15 years old signed up to drive this season at Auburndale Speedway.

Racing starts at 7:00pm.

-Billie May

Click Here for links to all 2002 News Articles

Copyright© Future Enterprises 1997-2002 KARNAC.com is electronically published by Future Enterprises. The KARNAC© name, logo and trademarks are owned by and used with the permission of Future Enterprises of Florida. Reproduction or republishing in whole or part for inclusion in any work is strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the electronic publisher. Information may, however, be printed for the sole purpose of contacting our advertisers.