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2001
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| Jimmy "Mr Excitement" Cope Takes Final Florida Pro Race | by Jane Smith
Lake City, Fla. - Twenty three Super Late Models took to the racing surface of Columbia Motorsports Park for the final Florida Pro race in 2002. The 200 lap event saw a pit stop midway thru at 100 laps for fuel and any needed adjustments.
Rich Pratt set fast time on Saturday night, December 7 followed by Jimmy Cope. Cope, who is going Hooter ProCup racing next year, brought two cars with him to Columbia Motorsports Park selling one on Saturday night to Patrick Williams. By the end of the race, Cope must have wondered if he sold the right car or not since the Williams's car stayed right on his back bumper.
Michael Faulk sat on the pole but it was Patrick Williams who took the lead on the green. But it was short lived as the red flag was thrown before a lap was down for Donnie Odom who shot straight off the frontstretch and into the woods. Odom was okay but was done before he even started.
On the second restart, another red flag was thrown before a lap could go down on the books as Michael Williams, Doyle Boatwright, Kent Bissel, Chris Bowers, Jay Middleton all got tangled on the frontstretch. All but two were able to go in for repairs and return for another restart.
The third restart was the charm as Patrick Williams took the lead over Michael Faulk, Jimmy Cope, Dick Anderson and Rich Pratt. Caution three was thrown for Kevin Dicks who was off the track.
On the restart, Cope works on Faulk for the second spot and eventually is able to take it putting Faulk third. Anderson hung on to Cope's tail wind and also passed Faulk with Faulk settling down in fourth.
Jay Middleton brought out the next caution when his drive shaft or rear-end broke sending him into the pits for repairs. On the restart, Cope held the lead followed by Anderson, Patrick Williams, Michael Faulk and Rich Pratt.
Michael Williams brought out the next caution when he spun on the frontstretch and the #8 Eddie Gainey was black flagged and sent into the pits for the night.
On the restart while running in the fifth position, Pratt broke a rocker arm and was forced out of the race. Kevin Durden now held fifth position.
Coming off turn 1, Anderson does a flying trick, goes off the track and on top of a mountain of dirt. Not a typical move for Anderson. The safety crew quickly got to the car and checked on the "King of Florida Short Track Racing" and found him to be fine. The car was towed into the pits and before the fans knew what happened, Anderson was back on the track.
The halfway flag was thrown and all cars pitted for gas and any minor repairs needed. At this point, 16 cars were running.
Cope holds the point on the restart with Patrick Williams, Kevin Durden, Michael Faulk and Michael Williams moving into the top five. Cope found himself being hunted down by his own "old" car sold the previous night and Durden close behind Patrick Williams. Michael Williams moved into fourth with David Hodges in fifth when the South 40 Motorsports car of Michael Williams broke and went into the pits.
Kevin Dicks brought out the caution when he spun on the frontstretch coming off turn 4 in his newly refurbished Super Late Model Modified.
On the restart, Patrick Williams looked low, high but could not find a path around Cope. Anderson brought out the next caution when his car finally died in turn 4.
Cope once again holds the point on the restart with Williams, Durden, DeWayne Dempsey and Michael Faulk in the top five. But just as Williams tried again to take Cope, the red flag is flown for Kent Bissell and David Hodges. Hodges is fine and put back in his sixth place spot as the Bissell car is done.
Twelve cars finished the race with Cope holding off his own car for the win. Following Cope was Patrick Williams, Kevin Durden, DeWayne Dempsey, Michael Faulk, David Hodges and David Browning.
Senator Bill Posey took his #51 Super Late Model out of mothballs to join the 200 lap Florida Pro final race finishing the race. Posey hopes to be able to race a number of Classic Auto Racing Series races in 2003 since the "race bug" has bitten him once more. In anyone deserved the Hard Charging Award, it would be Posey.
J.F. McClelland won the 50 lap Modified event followed by DeWayne Dempsey.
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