| Tuesday, December 3, 2002 | |
| Robert Ray Carts Off The Loot in Ocala 150 Enduro | by Dave Westerman
 A big crowd was treated to picture perfect weather and some wild racing Sunday afternoon as Ocala Speedway closed out its 2002 season with the Steven A. Bagen Personal Injury & Accident Attorneys Ocala Enduro 150.
Between entries already filed and cars that showed up on race day, 87 machines were slated to do battle on the three-eighths mile. However, a major crash on I-75 south of Ocala closed the interstate to north- bound traffic and left several competitors stranged and unable to make the grid by the 2:30PM start time.
Still, a motley group of 81 cars were lined up three abreast for the beginning of what was to be a mess from the dorp of the green.
In fact, there were so many cars, five racers wee a lap down before they could cross the lie for the initial green flag!!
It was almost impossible to keep up with who was leading the race in the early going. Tommy Roberts led early but dropped back to conserve his machine only to be knocked out later in the event.
Eight red flags would be needed during the course of the 150 laps, the first coming just four laps in when a driver, for some unknown reason, got out of his stalled car on the backstretch and was walking on the track.
The second red flag came out when the engine blew up and caught fire in Herb Neumann's car while he was leading the race.
The worst crash of the day came when Grand Rapids, MI driver Paul Namey and Arnold Hughes, Jr. got tangled up on the frontstretch along with several others including Albany GA's Claus Vincent. Namey's car would be left as a roadblock and eventually was all but destroyed after being hit at least two more times before it finally rolled on it's own into the infield.
Red flag four was thrown for a fire in Travis Mattson's car with the fifth red also for a fire, this time in the car of Mason Love.
The sixth red was thrown on lap 100. With fifty laps to go, track officials set up a "kidney bean" confi- guration which had the cars turning into the figure eight course out of turn two then re-entering the track in turn three.
This created some of the craziest racing of the day with two more red flags coming out in the next six laps.
At this point the fans were asked which way they'd like to see the final laps run and they voted to return to full oval racing.
The final 44 laps were run under green with just a little less than half the starting field still running at the finish.
However, there was some confusion as to who was leading as the checker fell, so the scorers picked up the individual score cards and went to work determing the outcome.
After several minutes, it was determined that Floral City's Robert Ray had been the only car to complete 150 laps follwed by Orlando's Ray Hawk and Mike Garnache of Palm Harbor with 149 laps. Auburndale's Matt Scheffler, Miami's Victor Leo and Kevin Durden of Archer were next across the line with 148 laps in the books.
So, it was now on to the tech shed as the sun was setting and the temperature dropping.
When all was said and done, Robert Ray's car passed with flying colors and he was declared the winner. Ray earned a check for $10,000 for his afternoon and early evening of work.
Technical violations cost apparent second and fourth place finishers Ray Hawk and Matt Sheffler their spots in the final rundown as Mike Gamache was elevated to second and Victor Leo to third. Kevin Durden's car also passed tech and he was awarded fourth place with Tim Clayton of Inman, SC moving into fifth spot.
Although cars were still being checked at press time, unofficially in sixth through tenth spots were John Mamph of Bronson, Don Guest of Dallas, GA, New Port Richey's Todd Murphy, Archer's Patrick Williams and Kathy Ray of Floral City.
After being declared the winner, as per the rules of the event, Ray sold his car to Track Manager Tim Christman for $500. Christman then auctioned the car off with an unknown bidder eventually paying $2400 for the winning car. That money was then donated to Ocala Speedway's Chief Tech Inspector Rennie Wilbanks and his wife Carleen to help pay expenses as their son J.R. is battling cancer. J.R. was able to be at the track Sunday and had a great time. It appears the young man is winning his battle and the Wilbanks family wanted to express their thanks for all the prayers, cards, calls, and donations that have helped them make it through a rough period.
Drivers from all over the state of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Kentucky, and Michigan participated in the event.
The companion 10-lap School Bus Figure Eight race was won by Chuck "Junkyard Dog" Rush who arrived at the track just before race time after getting stuck in the I-75 traffic jam. Ocala Speedway Sportsman champion Roger Damron chased Rush to the checker in the wild affair.
Wrecking crews are now at the speedway demolishing the old grandstands and press tower in preparation for the new grandstands and tower that will be built and in place for the next event January 3, 4, and 5, 2003 with the $5,000 to win "Hangover 100" for Street Stocks.
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