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2001
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| Monday, December 16, 2002 | |
| Bresnahan Rides Again at Citrus Winter Spectacular II | by Larry MacMillan
Inverness, Fla - Cold, windy weather greeted drivers and fans but they were determined to make a go of it for the first of two Winter Spectacular races at Citrus County Speedway Saturday night. Nineteen Late Models qualified in time trials with Mike Bresnahan getting the right set up to pull of fast time and add $300 for fast qualifier at 13.730 second run despite a very cold race track.
Rookie Richie Smith won the pole and battled with Rex Struble for the first 20 laps of the 125 lap main to hold the initial lead before the two got together on turn two that turned them both around and sent them to the rear of the pack for the restart. Jimmy Thompson took over the lead on the restart with Jonny Kay in hot pursuit for the next 20 laps before Kay tapped the leader coming out of turn four to bring on another caution that sent him to the rear of the pack for the restart going into lap 38. On the restart, Thompson, Herby Neumann, Jr., and Mike Bresnahan were in a three-car match race that saw Bresnahan make that familiar move on the outside lane and go to the front to set the pace right to the checkered flag.
Scott Grossenbacher found some extra horsepower late in the race to come through a lot of traffic to make a pass on Jimmy Thompson and Herb Neumann, Jr. with 20 laps left. He was closing on Bresnahan in the final 20 laps of the 125 but there just wasn't enough time left to outrun the perennial winner of the big money races run at Citrus County Speedway during 2002. When the checkers flew it was Bresnahan for the win followed by Scott Grossenbacher, Herb Neumann, Jr., Jimmy Thompson, Tom Haselmayer and Danny Johnson in the lead lap. Rounding out the top ten were Daniel Keene, Jr., first time Late Model driver Mark Dominique, Mike Hinegardner and Jonny Kay.
Mini Stocks set up for their 75 lap main event with time trails that saw Robby Yoakam turning a 15.220 second fast qualifying time and Richard Kelly right with him at 15.244. The two fast qualifiers took the front row for the green flag and Kelly won the drag race to turn one with Yoakam locked on to his rear bumper. The only thing Richard Kelly saw for the entire 75 laps was Robbie Yoakam in his rear view mirror as the $1,200 win purse went to St. Petersburg with Kelly. Yoakam had to settle for second with Rick Sirmons holding off the rest of the 22-car field for third place money. Mark Sowell held off a very agressive Chris Thornton in the run for fourth. Dustin DesChamps, Michael Birk and Jimmy Bartley were the only cars left in the lead lap at the finish line. Ron Bartley salvaged a ninth place finish over Billy Smith to round out the top ten.
Three 2002 champions took home wins in the other three events that made up the evening of winter racing. Richie Smith came off the outside pole in the Hobby Stock 25 for the win over Curtis Neumann, Daniel Webster, Curtis Youmans, and Glen Colyer Sr.
Mike Bell was a run away winner in the Street Stock 30 lap run over Fred Tuski who took over the driving chores for Ernie Reed, Danny Cretty outran J.D. Goff and Melvin Farmer in the run for third.
Sixteen Thunder Stocks chased two-time champion Stuart Madison for 25 laps in a race that saw several crashes that changed the finish at the checkers. Lee Keller got sent to the rear early in the race and came back through the field to chase Robin Bauer to the line in the race for second. Gary Johnson held out over Larry Triana for fourth.
Wrapping up the evening was the nine-car Powder Puff race that was rained out on the final night of action at Citrus County Speedway. Angie Paris looked like she was going to make it a runaway coming off the pole and setting the pace all the way until the final turn when she was being challenged by the scratch starter Theresa Hoyner. The pressure got to Paris just a car length short of the finish line as she lost it and put her car in the infield just 18 feet from taking the win after leading fourteen laps of the fifteen lap feature. Theresa Joyner took home the win and Bonnie Yoakam picked up second with Angie Paris salvaging a third place finish.
Racing for 2002 is all over and the drivers and fans will have time to celebrate the holidays. The 2003 season kicks off with Winter Spectacular II, another Late Model 125 for $5,000 to win plus a full program featuring the Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Thunder Stocks and a Demolition Derby that was rained out in the finale in 2002.
From all the personnel at Citrus County Speedway may we wish all of our fans, drivers, owners and sponsors a very Happy Holiday and we look forward to seeing you for our kick off to our 48th racing season on February 8th with the TBARA Sprint cars for openers.
Citrus County Speedway Results 12/13/02
Late Model Winter Spectacular 125 - 19 cars
1. #3x Mike Bresnahan
2. #09 Scott Grossenbacher
3. #98 Herb Neumann, Jr.
4. #90 Jimmy Thompson
5. #13 Tom Haselmayer
6. #96 Danny Johnson
7. #5K Daniel Keene, Jr.
8. #8 Mark Dominique
9. #15 Mike Hinegardner
10. #77 Jonny Kay
11. #3c Terry Cater
12. #42 Richie Smith
13. #50 Kevin Fair
14. #00 Robert Yoho
15. #72 Bud McIntyre
16. #3 Rex Struble
17. #93 Alan Struble
18. #75 Dave Pletcher
19. #0 Rich Pratt
Mini Stock Feature - 75 Laps - 22 Cars
1. #61 Richard Kelly, Jr.
2. #8 Robbie Yoakam
3. #05 Rick Sirmans
4. #5 Mark Sowell
5. #24 Chris Thornton
6. #51 Dustin DesChamps
7. #10 Michael Birk
8. #6 Jimmy Bartley
9. #6x Ron Bartley
10. #00 Billy Smith
Street Stock Feature - 30 Laps -9 Cars
1. #17 Mike Bell
2. #55 Fred Tuski
3. #01 Danny Cretty
4. #17x J.D. Goff
5. #18 Melvin Farmer
Hobby Stock Feature - 25 Laps - 14 Cars
1. #42 Richie Smith
2. #01 Curtis Neumann
3. #1 Daniel Webster
4. #70 Curtis Youmans
5. #44 Glen Colyer Sr.
Thunder Stock Feature - 25 Laps - 16 Cars
1. #2 Stuart Madison
2. #97 Robin Bauer
3. #21 Lee Keller
4. #1x Gary Johnson
5. #1 Larry Triana
Powder Puff Derby - 15 Laps 9 Cars
1. #86 Mini Stock - Theresa Joyner
2. #39 Thunder Stock - Bonnie Yoakam
3. #17x Street Stock - Angie Paris
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