Tuesday, February 18, 2003 Johnny Sanders Picks Up First Feature Win Saturday at Citrus County By Larry MacMillan After nine years of hard work and perseverance, paraplegic driver Johnny Sanders picked up his very first feature win in his long career. Johnny started out his racing career in a modified Bomber that had been owned and driven by young Mike Bresnahan in his first championship year with hand controls. Over the past nine years he has moved through the ranks with a couple of heat wins but this night was special for the 42 year old whose racing career first started after a tragic motorcycle accident that left him in a wheel chair. He spent his early years in racing working on his brother Dale’s car and watched him win championships in just about every division he raced in. He wasn’t going to be left behind. Johnny and brother Dale worked on his sportsman racer and put on one new tire, arriving late and not getting any warm up time because of the early time trials for the modifieds. What ever they did, worked. Sanders inherited the pole position for the 20 lap main event after J.D. Goff had to park his racer. Johnny inherited the lead when Scott Hendrickson lost a wheel in turn four after holding the lead for the first ten laps. He held off all challengers right down to the final turn when defending champion Mike Veltman made a last ditch effort to take the win away from him. Johnny kept Veltman at his rear bumper right to the checkered flag. Johnny was definitely a crowd favorite and celebrated with him with an on their feet welcome home. Johnny Gann, Bill Ryan and Bill Ostreicher took care of the top five positions. Mike Bell and Scott Hendrickson won the heat races. MODIFIEDS Thirty-three Pro Modifieds came to try on Citrus County Speedway’s 3/8th mile and 25 qualified for the main event through time trials and a B Main. The balance had an opportunity to run for a $500 purse in a 12-lap consi. Only Raymond Vann couldn’t make the race after blowing a motor in warm ups. Dwayne Dempsey was top qualifier with a 13.252 second run in the best of two laps. J. F. McClellan was runner up with a 13.792. Jeremy Gerstner, John Gerstner, Mike Wilson, Rob Partelo, Bryan Campbell and Kevin Durden all turned in 13 second runs with Partelo winning the pole on the pill draw and Dempsey starting 7th. Twenty qualifiers came out of time trials and the final five from the “B” Main to round out the 25-car field for the 50 lap all green feature race. Jeff Conyers picked up the win in the “B” Main followed by Chris Fadling, Red Vann, Butch Yoakam and Bobby Dixon took care of the final five qualifiers, finishing in that order. When the green fell, Rob Partelo charged to the front and set the pace for all 50 green laps despite five caution flags and one red flag to clean up a five-car wreck on turn one late in the race. Mike Wilson parked behind Partelo for the entire race and held off all challengers for second. Dwayne Dempsey moved from the 7th starting spot to finish third. Bryon Campbell was chased to the checkers by John Gerstner, J.F. McClellan, Michael Johnson, Jamie Burrows, David Baxley and Larry Martin to round out the top ten. All fifteen of the finishers were in the lead lap in the tightest race to date at Citrus County Speedway. In other action, it was Joe Viverito coming from the middle of the 14-car pack to take the win in the Street Stock 20 laps feature with Mickey Burns in hot pursuit, Danny Cretty in tow and Ernie Reed outrunning early leader Elmer Crofoot. Robbie Yoakam came from the back of the pack to win the Mini Stock feature after Mark Sowell had to drop out just short of taking the win. Phillip Joyner, Chris Thornton, Chris Hooker and Tom Giddings round out the top five. Ritchie Smith made it two in a row, again from the back of the 22 car starting field in the Hobby Stock 20 lap main followed by early leader Dean Lawyer, Curtis Neumann, Victor Stanley and Glen Colyer. Topping off the night of action Elmer Crofoot Jr. won his very first race at Citrus County Speedway in the Thunder Stock Feature. Eighteen Cars took the green flag and Pat Quick came up through traffic to give the young Crofoot a run for his money but had to settle for second. Roy Blotz held off Louie Cioe and Lee Keller for the top five positions. Next Saturday the FAST Trucks will run in their inaugural race at Citrus County Speedway with a regular race card to support a full night of action. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!