| Classic Auto Racing Series Opens 2003 Season at Thundercross | by Dave Westerman
 Drivers are geared up and ready to go as the Classic Auto Racing Series heads south to Okeechobee to open its 2003 season at Thundercross Motorsports Complex.
Nineteen races are already on the 2003 schedule with a couple more expected to be added to the slate soon.
As of now, the CARS machines will head to seven different tracks, both asphalt and dirt, this year.
For the first time in the eight year history of the Classics, drivers will have the opportunity to run East Bay Raceway near Tampa, plus the Series will return to Desoto Speedway near Bradenton for the first time in three years.
Several races are booked for the Classic Auto Racing Series' "home" track, Orlando Speedworld, including several Saturday shows at the traditional Friday night track that will bring together a number of the traveling road shows including the Classics, Modified Lites, Legends Cars, and Mini-Cup Cars as well as showcasing the kids' Bandelero class.
CARS also has three races at FASCAR's other track, the high-banked half-mile New Smyrna Speedway including the traditional season-ending 50-lap showdown slated for November 29th.
Along with the season opener, the Classics will visit Thundercross Motorsports Complex on two other occasions and will also visit JAX Raceways twice in 2003. a single race date is slated for Ocala Speedway in April.
Probably the most interesting aspect of the 2003 season for the Classic Auto Racing Series will be the battle for the Door Operating Systems Rookie of the Year as seven drivers are currently eligible, many of whom have quite a bit of racing experience.
Ben Booth of Deland, who dominated the Modified class at Orlando Speedworld in the early '90's is one of the favorites and he'll have a new car at his disposal for 2003.
Bill Posey of Rockledge, who'll jet down from Tallahassee to Okeechobee this weekend from his duties as a Florida State Senator, raced for many years beginning at the old Eau Gallie Speedway and is best known as a top Super Late Model competitor at both Orlando Speedworld and New Smyrna Speedway scoring many victories.
Posey is coming off a strong showing at Thundercross during Speedweek where he raced to a fourth place finish on his first time ever on dirt behind three drivers from Maryland with loads of dirt track experience.
Deland's Joey Strehle has all kinds of experience in just about every type of stock car imaginable on both types of surfaces. He joined the Series late in the 2002 campaign and scored two wins, however he is eligible for the rookie title this year and has to be considered a favorite.
Also eligible for 2003 rookie honors will be Wally Smith of Ft. Myers, who has quite a bit of experience, especially at Charlotte County Speedway near his home. Orange City's Greg Helton is another driver who joined the Series late last year with virtually no racing experience and showed vast improvement. Sharen Ewing of Brooksville, whose husband Harvey ran for Rookie of the Year last year, will be making her initial attempt at stock car racing with the Classics this year. And Steven Cole Smith of Groveland, Editor of the "Ride" automotive section in the Thursday editions of the Orlando Sentinel newspaper and a former announcer for the NAMARS Midget Series who has driven everything from jet dragsters to SCCA sports cars, will also be racing in the Series this year. Smith gets to spend his week test driving everything from Volkswagen Beetles to BMW's to Hummers and is expected to be a great ambassador for the Series as well.
With this kind of "rookie" competition, the veterans of the Classic Auto Racing Series will have their work cut out for them.
Defending and two-time CARS champion Jim Rahman of Clermont will be back in the saddle again as will Ed Yates of Orlando who will drive a back-up car provided by Okeechobee's E.B. Carr since his machine won't be ready for the opener.
The father-son combo of George Hall, Jr. and George Hall III return for yet another year of competition from their home base in St. Petersburg while fellow Florida West Coast driver Bud Spencer of Palm Harbor, a two-time winner in 2002, will be back in his "Lavender Love Machine."
E.B. Carr will not be the only South Florida driver in action as the Ft. Pierce tandem of Frank Conrad and Wayne Ashton will be at it again and thankful for the three races at Thundercross which are "just down the street" for them.
Deland's Daryl "The Bald Bomber" Grief, who is a new daddy, returns to action for 2003 as well as defending Door Operating Systems Rookie of the Year Patrick "Bam Bam" Sanders, who insists his first victory is right around the corner.
2001 Rookie award winner Al Hagan won't have his car ready for the opener, but will instead wheel the CARS "house" car at Thundercross, the same machine that Randall Grief drove to two top five finishes there during Speedweek.
Simeon Spagnuolo of Vero Beach, whose Door Operating Systems business sponsors the CARS rookie program, plans to run for points in 2003 but unfortunately will be unable to make the opener this weekend. Instead, veteran driver David "Fudd" Nunes will wheel his car and earn points for him per Classic Auto Racing Series rules.
The biggest change to the Classic Auto Racing Series for 2003 is the elimination of the handicap system used formerly to line up cars by points.
At Thundercross, all drivers will draw for starting positions. Beginning with the second race of the season at Orlando Speedworld on March 28th, the top two finishers from the previous race will start from the rear of the field while the remainder of the drivers will draw for starting spots. A similar format is used by Florida's FASTRUCK Series and has proven very popular.
"I don't think you'll see too many back to back winners," says veteran Classic driver Frank Conrad. Thus Conrad and his racing partner E.B. Carr, better known as DAWB Motorsports, have instituted the "DAWB Worst to First" award for 2003 that will pay $100 to any driver who can win two races in a row.
Racing action at Thundercross Motorsports Complex starts at 7PM Saturday evening.
2003 CLASSIC AUTO RACING SERIES SCHEDULE (as of 3/5/03):
3/8 Thundercross Motorsports Complex
3/28 Orlando Speedworld
4/12 New Smyrna Speedway
4/18 Ocala Speedway
4/26 East Bay Raceway
5/3 Orlando Speedworld
5/17 JAX Raceways
6/7 Orlando Speedworld
6/20 Orlando Speedworld
7/5 Orlando Speedworld
7/12 DeSoto Speedway
7/26 Thundercross Motorsports Complex
8/2 Orlando Speedworld
9/6 Orlando Speedworld
9/27 New Smyrna Speedway
11/8 Thundercross Motorsports Complex
11/TBA JAX Raceways
11/28 Orlando Speedworld
11/29 New Smyrna Speedway
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