| Florida Pro Series Fires Up 2003 Campaign | Wayne Anderson Dominates At Charlotte
by Dave Westerman
Wayne Anderson plans to stay close to home this year for his racing efforts and his new Florida Pro Series team made an impressive debut Saturday night, leading all but three laps of the 100-lap FPS season opener held at Leroy Davidson's Charlotte County Speedway in Punta Gorda.
Wayne Anderson and Florida Pro Series Promoter Bert Ashelman
"I haven't been back here to Punta Gorda since 1995 and it looks like LeRoy Davidson is trying to do a lot of improvements here." Anderson said in Victory Cirle. "Great asphalt to race on, the car had great forward bite. It's been a great weekend."
Seventeen Florida Pro Series Super Late Models made the trek to the newly repaved Charlotte County quarter-mile oval and practiced with the backdrop of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels doing maneuvers overhead as part of a big air show going on next door at Charlotte County Airport.
Anderson was expected to set fast time judging from timed laps in practice, but he brushed the wall on his second qualifying lap and ended up fifth quick as David Froelich, Jr. led the group with a lap of 14.350 seconds, almost two-tenths quicker than second quick Jay Middleton.
Joey Middleton 2002 Florida Pro Series Rookie of the Year with crew
Froelich pulled ten for the re-draw, thus the top ten in qualifying pulled pills to set the starting line-up. Froelich would start eighth while Shane Sawyer was on the pole with local standout Chris Turner ouside of him in his first FPS start. Billy Bigley, Jr. lined up third with Scot Walters on the outside of row two and Anderson fifth as the field took the green.
Sawyer led lap one until Bigley blew by for the lead. Bigley's turn at the point would be short-lived as Anderson was dialed in and took the top spot on lap four bringing 2002 FPS Rookie of the Year Jay Middleton with him.
Jody Turner became the first driver to drop out of competition as the engine went sour in the Jacksonville driver's car on lap seven.
Green flag racing continued until lap 17 when the first caution came out for a Kent Bissell spin. Anderson and Middleton resumed their battle for the point as caution was out again on lap 27 as Kevin Gillum's looped his car.
Once the green came back out, it remained apparent that Anderson and Middleton had the cars to beat.
Caution was out again on lap 38 as Brian Finney and Scot Walters got together with Finney heading to pit road with rear end damage and Walters pitting to replace a tire.
Just before the halfway mark, Kenny Vaughn got turned around by Gillum to bring out caution number four. Vaughn was given his spot back in the running order.
At halfway it was Anderson leading followed by Middleton, Chris Turner, Bigley, Froelich, Doyle Boatwright, Mike Faulk, Steve Lamb and Vaughn, all on the lead lap. Polesitter Shane Sawyer dropped from the running on lap 52 then caution came out for the fifth time on lap 57 as Ricky Thorpe hit the turn one wall.
Anderson and Middleton continued to hold the top spots as Bigley moved back up to third as green flag racing continued to lap 75 when Doyle Boatwright and Mike Faulk got together in turn four with Froelich hitting Faulk's car and having to head for the pits with major front end damage.
Then on lap 85, the rear end broke on Boatwright's car and he spun in turn four, done for the night.
Anderson, Middleton, and Bigley continued to set the pace as the final caution flag flew on lap 92 as Kent Bissell hit the turn one wall. As the field took the five to go signal, the red flag was displayed to allow crews to clean up radiator water spilled from Bissell's machine.
Anderson dominated the final five laps as Middleton held on for a solid second place finish. Bigley drove a car just prepared in time for this race to a nice third place with Steve Lamb turning in the run of the evening in his new Ford Taurus coming from 12th on the starting grid to fourth while Super Late Model rookie Chris Turner, a top Modified driver over the past few years at Charlotte County, was an impressive fifth. Veteran Kenny Vaughn, steady as ever, took sixth and was the last car on the lead lap.
Mike Faulk and Kevin Gillum were seventh and eighth, one lap down, while Scot Walters was ninth, two laps off the pace and the last car running. Bissell was credited with tenth spot.
The next Florida Pro Series event is slated for April 26th at Hialeah Speedway.
KARNAC.com Florida Pro Series Slideshow: Click Here!
FLORIDA PRO SERIES NOTES:
Wayne Anderson was driving a car owned by Larry Calabrese of Davie sponsored by Airframe International. Veteran South Florida driver Mario Maresca has driven for this team over the years. It was the first time Anderson has raced at Charlotte County Speedway since 1995.
Jay Middleton had his best career FPS finish in second behind Anderson. The defending Rookie of the Year jumped out of his car in victory lane, promptly grabbed a camcorder, and videotaped the winners' ceremony.
All of the FPS drivers were very complimentary of the new Charlotte County track surface. "Leroy Davidson has done a heck of a job with this place," said race winner Wayne Anderson.
Third place Billy Bigley, Jr. indicated the Winston Cup team he plans to drive for (Harry Melling's old team) will be testing at USA International Speedway in Lakeland soon, then test at Richmond, VA in hopes of running the May 5th Winston Cup race there which would be Bigley's Winston Cup debut. "We are planning to go to Richmond if the tests go good," said Bigley. "If the tests don't go well, we'll continue to work on our program and begin racing when we are sure we can qualify and be competitive," he said.
OFFICIAL FINISH - FLORIDA PRO SERIES SLM - CHARLOTTE COUNTY SPEEDWAY:
1) Wayne Anderson, Wildwood #14
2) Jay Middleton, Lake City #74
3) Billy Bigley, Jr., Naplews #33W
4) Steve Lamb, Miami #99
5) Chris Turner, Naples #94
6) Kenny Vaughn, Naples #127
7) Michael Faulk, Gainesville #25
8) Kevin Gillum, West Palm Beach #20
9) Scot Walters, Naples #2
10) Kent Bissell, O'Brien #97
11) Doyle Boatwright, Starke #57
12) David Froelich, Loxahatchee #22
13) Brian Finney, Merritt Island #80
14) Ricky Thorpe, Davie #33B
15) Shane Sawyer, Royal Palm Beach #38
16) Jody Turner, Jacksonville #7
DNS - Craig Seewald, Hollywood #44
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