| Sunbelt Race Goes to #51 Jacob Warren | by Jane Smith
(KNS)Twenty six cars qualified for race number two of the
Racecar Enginnering Sunbelt Super Late Model Series on
an overcast but not rainning day. Travis Kittleson
set fast time with an 18.034 followed by Jacob
Warren at 18.206, Mike Good 18.212, David Rogers
18.215 and Dick Anderson with an 18.218. Kittleson
pulled a 5 on the pill draw and the field was
set with Jacob Warren on the pole.
After driver introductions and a few kids asking for
autographs, the drivers were buckled in for a 125
lap race. The green flag was thrown but before the
first lap was on the board, the #10 of Eric Black
hit the front stretch wall ending his night very
early. The field was realigned for a complete
restart. Anderson, in the #174, took the lead easily
over Jacob Warren followed by Mike Good and Travis
Kittleson. Mac Johnson #6 and Bruce Lawrence #16
were having their own side by side battle for the
eighth place position with Johnson finally taking it.
Caution 2 came out on lap 9 as Mike Good #27 spins out
between turns 1 and 2. He gets his car going and goes
to the rear of the pack for the restart. Lap 11 the
green is thrown once again with Anderson in the lead.
But suddenly the #37 of James Powell has smoke on the
front stretch. Either an oil line or power steering
broke causing several cars to spin out in fluid. The
#14 of Aric Amirola is given a push to refire his car
and the race is once again green.
Caution 3 comes out for debris on the track and the #56
of Michael Skaggs pulls into the pits ending his night.
While under caution on the backstretch near the pit
entrance, the #22 of David Froehlick, #81 of Tate
Pierce and the #19 of Tom Root somehow all get united.
Root gets the worst end of this stick and has to pit
to make a few quick repairs.
Lap 28 the race goes green again still with Anderson
leading the pack followed by Warren, David Rogers,
Kittleson, Daniel Keene, Jr., Mac Johnson, Bruce
Lawrence, Scott Bramlett and Jonny Kay. But 3 laps
later, lap 31, caution 4 comes out for the #9 of J.R.
McMackle comes out as he backs into the turn 4 wall
and slides to the bottom of the track. He then
retires into the pits for the night. By lap 33 we
are green again. The #5 of Sammy Graham suddenly
goes very wide almost hitting the turn 4 pit wall
but does an excellent job of saving the car. Lap
37 the yellow comes out again for caution 5 as the
#77 of Jonny Kay spins over in turns 1 and 2 and
comes around with a very damaged back end. Not a
good night for Kay.
Lap 40 is green with Anderson leading but the #11 of
David Rogers and the #88 of Travis Kittleson are in a
heated battle for the third place position with Kittleson
finally taking it. By lap 45, Kittleson has taken
the second place position from Jacob Warren and hot
on the hells of Anderson. Good, who was put to the
rear early in the race, has moved back up into the top
ten and the #7 of Scott Bramlett is off the pace and
making his way to pit road. Now Kittleson and Anderson
are swapping paint both fighting for the lead.
Caution 6 comes out on lap 55 when the #5 of Daniel Keene,
Sr. spins on the front stretch. Keene is not damaged and
realigns for the green. Lap 60 is green and Kittleson
is hot. He does a really good "bump and run" on Anderson
who has to check up just alittle and Kittleson takes
the lead. But three laps later, lap 63, Anderson's car
slows tremendously and is done for the night as he retires
it to the pits. Now it is Kittleson, Warren, Rogers,
Keene, Jr., Johnson and Good who has worked his way to
seventh. Good is hot on the bumper of Mac Johnson #6
for that sixth place position but Johnson is not to
be rattled and maintains his position.
As Kittleson builds his lead over Jacob Warren, Barry
Willoughby #74 and Bruce Lawrence, Jr. #116 are hot
in battle over the 9th place position. They go side by
side and finally Willoughby gets the nose of his car
just in front of Lawrence and takes the position. The
#6 of Mac Johnson, #27 of Mike Good and #16 of Bruce
Lawrence are having their own race in fifth, sixth
and seventh positions. They go tail to tail for laps
trying their best to shake the other but all hold their
positions. Barry Willoughby #74 makes his move on the
#74 of Jay Middleton for the seventh place spot and
Willoughby gains one more spot. At this point, Kittleson
has put the 10th place car a lap down.
Caution 7 comes out for #16 Bruce Lawrence who spins
on the front stretch. During the caution the #80 of
Brian Finney dashes into the pits for alittle R&R
and returns to the race. The race goes green again
on lap 102 but before lap 103 is on the board, the
#22 of David Froehlick and #27 of Mike Good spin on
the backstretch. The race is restarted with Kittleson
still holding on to his lead. David Rogers #11 and
Jacob Warren #51 are side by side for the second place
position with Warren holds but Rogers wants. Rogers
does everything he can to take the position but Warren
holds strong.
By now the #6 of Mac Johnson and the #5x of Daniel Keene
Jr. are hard into it for the fourth place position.
Johnson nudges his way in and Keene goes back to fifth.
Now it is Kittleson, Warren, Rogers, Johnson, Keene, Jr.,
Willoughby, Lawrence, Jr., Sammy Graham, Jay Middleton,
and Tommy King running hard. Kittleson is able to hold
his lead and takes the win.
After tech inspection, the #88 of Travis Kittleson was
disqualifed for ground intake which is the same intake
he has raced with for the last 3 or 4 races. The
trophy is taken from Kittleson and given to Jacob
Warren the second place car. This moved David Rogers
in second, Mac Johnson third, Daniel Keene, Jr. fourth
and Barry Willoughby fifth.
Travis Kittleson was not happy in the tech area but
he ran a very good clean race and did the best "bump
and run" I have ever seen done on Dick Anderson. Travis
said, "I thank all my sponsors and crew for all their
help and you will see me again." And that is what
racing is all about, winning, loosing and sometimes
being disqualified.
The next Sunbelt race will be at Lakeland's USA
International on April 27th with the Goodyear Challenge
Late Models and the Pro Modifieds also on the day's
program.
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