| Powell Bests Anderson In Sunbelt At Ocala | by Dave Westerman
 James Powell III grew up at Ocala Speedway and learned to race here when his family owned the track, scoring many victories.
However, Powell had never won a race here since the track was paved, in fact, hadn't won a race at Ocala Speedway since his family sold the facility several years ago.
That all changed Friday night as the FASCAR Sunbelt Super Series Late Models came to town.
Wildwood's Wayne Anderson, who won the season-opening 50-lap SLM race here last week, picked up where he left off by setting quick time of 15.920 seconds, just a tick faster than Aric Almirola at 15.942 seconds.
Rusty Dixon, Jonny Kay and Patrick Williams rounded out the fast five in qualifying while Powell timed eighth-quick and started from that position as the field took the green the way they qualified with Anderson on the pole.
Anderson quickly assumed the lead with Almirola in tow. Just three laps in, Dixon and Kay got together off turn two with Kay spinning top bring out the first of many caution flags on the night. Both cars were sent to the rear for the restart.
Only seven more laps of green flag racing could be completed before Mike Bresnehan got turned around in turn four for caution number two.
Anderson continued with a somewhat comfortable lead only to be slowed again on lap 16 as Herb Neumann, Jr. spun in turn two.
Powell was on the move following the restart as it appeared his crew had made all the proper adjustments after time trials and his Natural Difference Skin Care Products Chevy was the fastest car on the track.
E.J. Wise spun in turn four for the fourth yellow flag on lap 35. Two laps after the restart, Powell moved by Almirola for second and set his sights on Anderson.
An altercation that started in turn four finally culminated with a lap 45 crash on the backstretch between David Baxley and Mike Bresnehan. Baxley's car backed into the wall while Eric Black ran out of room and gently nudged Bresnehan's stalled car.
Black continued while Baxley's car went off on the hook and Bresnehan pitted for quick repairs, getting back out before racing resumed.
As the green flew, Powell began to put the pressure on Anderson eventually making the pass for the lead on lap 56. Mike Franklin, Jr. powered his way into third three laps later.
Just as the field took the crossed flags for half-way, caution was displayed for the sixth time as Tom Hasselmayer spun in turn three.
The top ten at mid race were Powell, Anderson, Franklin, Almirola, Michael Williams, Brock Oglesby, Mac Johnson, Patrick Williams, Jonny Kay and Eric Black.
Powell seemed to have the field covered at this point, easily holding on to the top spot through three more caution periods including a lap 89 altercation between Almirola and Johnson, who were battling for fifth spot.
On lap 104, Robert Yoho spun in turn one while being lapped by the leaders causing a big jam up that saw Michael Williams at the back of the accordion getting punted into the turn one wall.
The 2002 Sunbelt Champion's South 40 Motorsports car was done for the night and the red flag was displayed to conserve caution laps late in the race as Williams' machine was towed from the track.
Then came the big wreck that didn't happen. On the restart, Anderson dove under Powell coming off turn four. The two cars banged together several times and were headed towards the new light pole in the infield in turn one. Somehow, both drivers managed to get control of their machines and maintain their positions although Anderson dropped back quickly with the handle gone on his #84.
Meanwhile, Franklin and Oglesby also got together with Oglesby's car dropping off the pace as well.
The driver on the move now was Jonny Kay. Coming all the way back through the field after his lap three spin, Kay took third from Franklin just before the final caution came out on lap 119 for Scott Grossenbacher's spin.
Kay was up to challenge Anderson for second over the final laps but Anderson was able to hang on to the spot as Powell pulled away to an easy victory.
Although Anderson had some choice words for Powell in victory lane regarding the restart incident, Powell had finally gotten the Ocala Speedway monkey off his back after losing so many big races late in the going.
Powell was very complimentary to the new Ocala Speedway management team in victory lane. "This old place sure looks great," he said.
Anderson claimed second and solidified his Sunbelt Series point lead after two races while Kay received a nice round of applause from the fans for his driving efforts that netted him the show position.
Frankin stayed in the hunt all the way to checker fourth while Mike Bresnehan saw the track from about every conceivable angle during the race, yet was able to mount a late charge for fifth spot.
Rusty Dixon was sixth with Tom Hasselmayer the top Sunbelt rookie in seventh. Jay Middleton, Oglesby, and Fain Skinner completed the top ten. Thirty-nine Mini Stocks signed in for the second Florida Mini Stock Challenge Series race of the year, with four drivers including 2002 FMSC Champion Robbie Storer suffering mechanical problems in warm-ups keeping them from taking part in the show.
Hernando's Robbie Yoakam set quick time as 20 cars were locked in from time trials while Tom "The Hammer" Jones, Jr. led most of the way in the 15-lap Consy race as eight more cars were added to the field for the 50-lap feature.
The re-draw saw Yoakam start from fifth spot with second-quick qualifier Rick Sirmans outside of him in sixth.
Darren "Action" Jackson had the pole but suffered a mechanical problem and took his car to the pits before the green flag flew.
Richard Kelley, Jr. jumped to the lead only to see a multi-car tangle in turn four bring out the caution on lap five.
Yoakam was wasting no time as he blew by Kelley for the lead on lap seven. Three laps later, Rick Partridge pounded the turn four wall breaking the rear axle on his car. Jimmy Wear played soccer with the tire off of Partridge's machine, as the Goodyear Eagle "took flight" but stayed within the confines of the speedway.
Yoakam maintained the lead although he couldn't shake Kelley while Rick Sirmans appeared to be faster than the leaders as he was closing from third.
On lap 26, the engine in Wear's car erupted in a ball of flame going into turn three. Before he could get stopped, Wear had slid into the edge of the infield "lake." The red flag was displayed at this point to clean up the oil on the track and remove Wear's car from the drink.
On the restart, Sirmans headed to the pits with problems just before Chris Thornton found the infamous Ocala Speedway turn four wall on lap 28 to bring out another caution.
On this restart, Kevin Macy, who had worked his way up to third spot, also suffered mechanical woes and fell off the pace.
On lap 30, Mary Green and Jason Kuykendall tangled in turn four. Proving that third spot was not the place to be, the driveshaft broke on Larry Goolsby's car, leaving him stranded on the front straightaway.
Yoakam and Kelley continued to put distance on the field as the race looked like it would go the final 20 laps all green until Mike Mitrisin spun in turn one on lap 47.
Kelley was unable to make a late charge as Yoakam pulled away to the victory, giving him back-to-back wins to open the 2003 FMSC season.
This was a mirror image of race number one at Auburndale Speedway as Kelley was second once again. Young Chris Hooker drove a great race to nab third spot while Jeff Stalnaker, Sr. was the top finishing "local" in fourth with Tom Zimmerman fifth.
Punta Gorda's Jimmy Warram drove a smart race to lead the second five across the line with Dennis Valdez, Lee Davis, Marty Neikens, and Charlie Brown rounding out the top ten.
Wally "The Wall" Schneider looked like he was going to celebrate his birthday in style as he led the first 16 laps of the Diamond H Air & Heat Sportsman 20-lap feature.
However, "Rocket" Robbie Cooper had other ideas as he planted his Bronson Lube Chevy out front on lap 17 and never looked back.
Things didn't get any better for Schneider as he got tangled up on lap 18 and ended up in the frontstretch wall and had to head pitside.
Cooper took an easy win followed by Pete Close, Jr., Roger Damron, Tom Posavec, and Charles Hornbeak who has returned to the Ocala track after five years running the dirt tracks.
For the second week in a row, the K-Country Street Stock field spent most of the race looking at the back bumper of Tommy Roberts' blue Camaro as he dusted the class for the second week in a row on a night which saw his son Todd make his Street Stock debut with a fifteenth place showing.
After taking the lead from Mike Fiddia on lap six, Roberts was on cruise control and was enjoying the battles going on behind him in his rear view mirror.
Kyle Maynard worked his way up from his "lucky" 13th starting spot to claim second while Doug Webster came back from a bout with the turn four wall to take third. Estle Morrow did a great job to take fourth in his new car while Mark Mitchell came from 21st on the starting grid of 26 to complete the top five.
The Durbin brothers dominated the Four Cylinder Stocks again, this time with Justin Durbin claiming the win over brother Joey who won last week.
This class continues to grow as 23 machines started the 20-lap run which just barely finished before the 30-minute time limit.
Tom Ellis used his patented outside groove to be the first non-Durbin across the line with Rick Kuhn and Steve Gallagher fourth and fifth.
128 cars signed in for the five division program.
Figure Eight racing returns to Ocala Speedway next Friday night for the first time in three years as all divisions except Mini stocks will be in action.
OFFICIAL RESULTS - OCALA SPEEDWAY - 3/14/03:
SUNBELT SUPER LATE MODEL SERIES (125 Laps):
1) James Powell III #37
2) Wayne Anderson #84
3) Jonny Kay #77
4) Mike Franklin, Jr. #115
5) Mike Bresnehan #3
6) Rusty Dixon #97
7) Tom Haselmayer #13
8) Jay Middleton #74
9) Brock Oglesby #88
10) Fain Skinner #1
11) Scotty Ellis #31
12) Robert Yoho #00
13) Mac Johnson #6
14) Scott Grossenbacher #09
15) Herb Neumann, Jr. #98
16) Michael Williams #40
17) Aric Almirola #14
18) Patrick Williams #57
19) Eric Black #10
20) E.J. Wise #7
21) David Baxley 364
DNS - Terry Cater #11
FLORIDA MINI STOCK CHALLENGE (50 Laps):
1) Robbie Yoakam #8
2) Richard Kelley, Jr. #61
3) Chris Hooker #1X
4) Jeff Stalnaker, Sr. #10
5) Tom Zimmerman #Z55
6) Jimmy Warram #82
7) Dennis Valdez #40
8) Lee Davis #77
9) Marty Neikens #70
10) Charlie Brown #11
11) Tom Jones, Jr. #60
12) Mary Green #11X
13) Terry Westcott #12
14) Mike Mitrisin #1M
15) Jason Kuykendall #00
16) Sean Bass #28
17) Jeff Stalnaker, Jr. #8X
18) Larry Goolsby #27
19) Rick Sirmans #05
20) Kevin Macy #19
21) Chris Thornton #24
22) Jimmy Wear #113
23) Mark Moniz #41
24) Brian Dorer #97
25) Michael Seeright #18
26) Rick Partridge #13A
27) Marlon Durbin #72
28) Darren Jackson #7D
DNQ: Wayne Wells #23, David Moskwa #71, Donnie Lockard #66, David Carr, Jr.
#56, Jesse Henley #2X, Neal Durbin #2, David Carlbert #1
DIAMOND H AIR & HEAT SPORTSMAN (20 Laps):
1) Robbie Cooper #98
2) Pete Close, Jr. #86
3) Roger Damron #76D
4) Tom Posavec #01
5) Charles Hornbeak #67
6) Frank Buchanan #07
7) Patrick Mennenga #16
8) Mike Jordan, Jr. #7
9) Charles Kopach #53
10) Bob Masciarelli #72
11) Kathy Ray #63
12) Wally Schneider #57
13) Big John Smith #31
14) Steve Seymour #88
15) Ray Reavis #40
16) Jim Higginbotham #76
K COUNTRY STREET STOCKS (20 Laps):
1) Tommy Roberts #44
2) Kyle Maynard #07
3) Doug webster #72
4) Estle Morrow #02
5) Mark Mitchell #71
6) Rick Hart #13
7) Don Teague #2X
8) Moose Alderman #7
9) Chuck Stewart #8Ball
10) Bobby Taylor #66
11) Ken Asbell #89
12) Mike Fiddia #41
13) Bobby Carter #99
14) Rick Bass #21
15) Todd Roberts #44T
16) Mike Rosa #76
17) Steve West #78
18) Jamie Dunn #24
19) Harold Edwards #65
20) Davey Kinsey #57
21) Gordon Cade #21X
22) David Chastain #17
23) Jeff Teague #8
24) Kenny Abney #6X
25) Sid Mosbrucker #62
26) Krystal Batson #B4
FOUR CYLINDER STOCKS (20 Laps):
1) Justin Durbin #34
2) Joey Durbin #38
3) Tom Ellis #31
4) Rick Kuhn #47
5) Steve Gallagher #39
6) Rick Fort #2
7) Joel Byall #40
8) Harold Barup #3
9) Harry Drier #61
10) Curtis Mitchell #00
11) Randy Futch #9-11
12) Chris Noce #99
13) Clark Pittsley #64
14) Robert Antis #57
15) Doug Auriemma #27
16) John Naber #3T
17) Steve Moulton #41
18) Jeff Pittsley #20
19) Robert Young #82
20) Dan Sanderson #7
21) Rocky Bowden #1
22) Terry Dunbar #72
DQ: Michael Stalnaker #8
DNS: Mike Muroski #611
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