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2001
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| McLeod Goes Wire to Wire In A.A.C.S. Win | 
by Rick Anges
(KNS)B.J. McLeod #78 again showed the way in qualifying blistering the track with a 14.48 second time around the high-banked oval. McLeod’s Father and car owner Darwin said before the race “We have the car hooked up, I think B.J. has a good chance tonight. Maybe we will finally get the monkey off our back.”
With a good crowd and twenty-four cars on hand track owner John Sarppraicone rolled a zero on the die putting the fast McLeod on the pole for the high powered 125 lap feature event with #5x of Billy Bigley Jr. sitting on the outside front row. Behind these two were the current first and second point’s holders in A.A.C.S. Dave Pletcher #75 and “Mr. Excitement” Jimmy Cope #61.
A light rain began to fall just before the race went green and went yellow with just fourteen laps in the books for the moisture falling from the sky.
After several laps under caution the green flew again and McLeod jumped out into the lead. Behind the leader Cope was all over the rear bumper of Bigley for the second spot eventually nosing the #61 under and by.
An anxious moment came on lap twenty-three when the #74 of Sonny Hughes spun in front of the oncoming leaders in turn four but everyone somehow managed to get by.
Justin Drawdy in the #12 was making his way through the pack picking off cars one by one making his way into the top 5 before the half waypoint.
Although Cope had gotten by Bigley earlier the former NASCAR All-Pro Champ wasn’t giving up. Cope’s car was slipping in turn two almost every lap and Bigley was doing everything he could to get by the black #61. The two ran side by side for a few laps until Bigley was able to get under Cope and take the spot.
Meanwhile McLeod was hooked up and flying making his way through the field lapping cars at will. The #78 car was on a rail as he was able to use the high or low groove and not slipping or sliding like some of the other cars. 
With McLeod out to a comfortable lead and Bigley maintaining a solid second place the points leaders Cope and Pletcher were in a battle of their own. It was a classic Late Model battle with the two old pro’s running hard against each other. Eventually Pletcher was able to eventually get under Cope for third but the race was long from over.
Lap 107 saw Cope racing with the lapped car of #82 Denny Neighbor Jr. Cope slammed hard into the turn two wall flatting the nose and crushing the radiator on his machine sending him to the pits and ending his night. 
Pletcher also had his problems as something apparently broke in his ride and faded to the rear of the field. Eventually he had to pull off the speedway after a shower of sparks flew from under his car going into turn one. Although he was able to fix the problem and get back onto the track he ended up thirteenth.
Bigley also had his own problems getting caught up in a late race spin with #51 Jacob Warren and being sent to the rear of the field. Also he got into a late race altercation with Drawdy this time though he was sent to the rear of the unlapped cars, which by this only numbered five cars.
McLeod cruised on to win race #3 in A.A.C.S. and a $3,000 payday with little or no problems. Drawdy made it back-to-back second places behind the lightening fast McLeod. Jeff Scofield powered his #07 across the stripe in third ahead of Bigley and Richard Till #53 rounded out the top five.
This race will scramble the points and make race #4 coming April 13th a real barnburner.
AACS LATE MODELS
1.BJ MCLEOD
2.JUSTIN DRAWDY
3.JEFF SCOFIELD
4.BILLY BIGLEY JR
5.RICHARD TILL
6.JOHN JACKSON
7.JOE BOYD
8.BRYAN MANSFIELD
9.LEE COLLINS
10.JACOB WARREN
11.DENNY NEIGHBOR JR
12.SAM COGHILL
13.DAVE PLETCHER
14.CLINT SLAGGY
15.PERRY BROWN
16.SONNY HUGHES
17.JIMMY COPE
18.MIKE ABBOTT
19.JEFF SLOAN
20.JONATHAN BROWN
21.ROBERT YOHO
22.BOBBY COYLE
23.BILLY BOYD SR
24.MARIO MARESCA – DNS
1/2 WAY LEADER - BJ MCLEOD
HARD CHARGER - JOHN JACKSON
In Other action:
Open Wheel Modifieds
Steve Perez returned to winners circle holding off Bill Davis, Rocco Ranallo, Andy Dynadal and Jimmy Debora
STEVE PEREZ
BILL DAVIS
ROCCO RANALLO
ANDY DYNDUL
BOB PARKER - DQ
JIMMY DEBORA
MARK CHAPMAN
Sportsman
Jimmy Cook took the lead and never looked back roaoring to the win in the sportasman division. Cliff Bifaro took the second spot, Gus Coorssen held onto third with Johnny Casady in fourth and Steve Black in fifth.
JIMMY COOK
CLIFF BIFARO
GUS COORSON
JOHNNY CASADY
STEVE BLACK
JAMES CARTER
DUANE BEST
JEFF ANDERSON
BUDDY BROWN
WALLACE RAMSEY
JAMES CASADY
DALE REIGLE
BILL ANDERSON
Street Stocks
Matt Scheffler made his first trip to the winners circle in the Street Stocks taking the lead after Chet Roberts slid high in turn four. Roberts was able to gather it up and finish second. Last weeks winner Dennis Wilson Jr. was third and said after the race “ I need new tires these are from last year”. Scott Woodland and Shawn Best rounded out the top five.
MATT SCHEFFLER
CHET ROBERTS
DENNIS WILSON JR
SCOTT WOODLAND
SHAWN BEST
TODD WOZNIAK
LUCKY BROWN
BRENDA CLOSE
DANNY ANDERSON
GARY MCFALL
DAN HALL
RODNEY MCCLAFLIN
TED ABBOTT
Pure Stocks
KEITH THORBIN
JODY COLLINS
MARK LAU
MARK PICKLESIMER
PEGGY HURST
TIM GARROD
JOE WENGARD
DONALD GATLIN
DUANE CAMPBELL
ROGER DUFRESNE
MINI STOCK
JESSE DUTILLY
JOHN DUTILLY
BRYAN WAGNER
TODD FREED JR
SHANE WHITBECK
GREG KROM
JOHN WILSON
JEANNE WHITTED
STEVE GLOVER
WILLIAM SLACK
HARLAN WILSON
MIKE DUNHAM
ED JASPER
LEGENDS
ANDY COGAN
DALE HORNE
JAMES RODRIGUEZ
JEFF JOHNSON
BRUCE SASSER
JOEY MCKINNEY
RUSS JODOIN
JOE CONSTANTINO
JORDAN RICHARDSON
MIKE VERHAAGH
GREG MONTGOMERY
MITCH VERHAAGH
BRUCE REBMAN
ANTHONY CAMPI
JASON ZEISMAN
RAY SASSER
KENNY WYATT
KEN PENTA
COWBOY CADILLACS
DON VAN ACKER
CHERYL WEAVER
BUCK WILSON
JUSTIN BRYANT
JAY BRYANT
MICHAEL BIALECKI
CHRIS OLIVER
JAMES WRIGHT
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