| Jefferson Surprises Modified Foes on "Reutimann Night" at Ocala Speedway | by Dave Westerman
 Not many of the drivers and fans at Ocala Speedway Friday night were too familiar with St. Petersburg area driver Wayne "Rocketman" Jefferson, but they became very familiar with him in a hurry as he ran off with the evening's 20-lap WIND-FM Modified feature while it was a famous racing family's time to shine in the visiting United Sprint Car Series main event.
Jefferson, well known to fans at places like Sunshine Speedway, Desoto Speedway and Charlotte County Speedway, made his first start at Ocala Friday night at the wheel of the bright orange Armstrong Homes/Petty Quarterhorses open wheeler subbing for regular driver Patrick Williams
Jefferson, the next to last car to qualify, set quick time at 15.461 seconds then on the re-draw picked the pole position and he used that advantage to streak out to an early lead in the feature only to see the red flag out at the end of lap one as newcomer Donald Karles pounded the frontstretch wall eventually coming to rest at the pit entrance. Karles wasn't hurt but his new car was pretty used up.
Jefferson was on the gas again on the restart, but David Baxley quickly moved into second and was hounding his back bumper when Robert Gulvin, Jr. spun on lap five for caution number two. The field could make only two more laps under green before Kevyn Terry looped his mount for what would be the final caution of the race.
The remaining thirteen laps were all green as Jefferson was able to keep Baxley at bay the remaining distance to score his first Ocala win in his very first start here.
Baxley's second place finish gives him sole possession of the early-season point lead in the Modifieds.
Troy Robinson dusted off his "batmobile" and overcame some early race handling problems to take third spot with a lap 16 pass of Jeremy Gerstner who finished fourth just ahead of Jamie Tinkham.
John Foerg, Johnnie Newsome, Chris Fadling, Robert Gulvin, Jr. and Paul Combast rounded out the top ten.
Twenty-one USCS Sprint Cars made the trek to Ocala Speedway with USAC star and recent Copper World Classic winner Dave Steele setting quick time although surprisingly no one was able to beat the track record of 13.271 seconds despite several laps in the high 12's being unofficially recorded in practice the night before.
Former USCS Champion Terry Gray, Dave Slawiak and Dude Teate took heat race wins while the dash went to Kenny Adams.
Wayne Reutimann, Jr. had the pole for the 40-lap feature and wasted little time in showing the rest of the winged wonders that he meant business on this night as there was action aplenty behind him with a number of spectacular passes and an equal number of spectacular "saves" as many drivers were having some trouble getting a handle on the unique Ocala layout.
Early caution flags for minor incidents kept the field bunched behind Reutimann, Jr., but after a lap 10 caution for Dave Slawiak, the remainder of this one would go green, a situation that played into the hands of both Reutimann, Jr. and his dad and teammate Wayne Reutimann, Sr.
The younger Reutimann was dialed in and pulled away to a huge lead over second year driver Randy Weaver who was doing an excellent job against a host of pavement sprint car veterans.
The elder Reutimann, admitedly not a very good qualifier, started the race mid-pack but stayed out of trouble and managed his tires well during the first half of the race. In the second half, Reutimann, Sr. was a rocket as he picked off cars one by one, eventually taking second from Weaver with eight laps to go.
By that time, the kid had gotten lost, opening up a half-lap lead over the old man and winning by the same margin lapping all but the top five. Senior felt he had something for Junior, but never got a late caution needed to help him catch up.
Victory lane turned into a wild family reunion as both drivers took time to pose on top of their "wings" to the delight of the huge crowd in the stands. The father-son duo is getting a chance to race together on a regular basis thanks to their sponsors Case Contracting and James Rivard Pontiac GMC and plan to make all of the USCS "Asphalt Thunder" shows in 2003.
Weaver turned in a great ride for third spot just ahead of Kenny Adams and Terry Gray. Gray's run to fifth was the show of the night as he spun early in the race and came from the rear of the field to be the last car on the lead lap although Reutimann, Jr. was right behind him when the checker fell.
Brad Davis was sixth while Aubrey Black, who actually had some laps here before in dwarf car racing, was seventh. Chris Hill, local Ocala driver Mike Love, and Ted Williams rounded out the top ten.
Fans who left early after the sprint car race missed plenty of wild action in the Modified Mini Stock 15-lap feature.
Rick Sirmans grabbed the early lead but things would take a scary turn at the end of lap two. Jake Garver got high coming out of turn four, slapped the wall, then spun directly into the path of Neal Durbin. After clipping Durbin's car, Garver's machine did a reverse 360 with enough momentum to actually roll the car over on its roof. Garver's Mustang spun around upside down three times before stopping in the entrance to turn one. Garver scrambled out unhurt although the ordeal left him a bit "dizzy" with the car itself receiving mostly cosmetic damage.
With the green back out, Clint Foley was on the move as he took the top spot from Sirmans on lap three and appeared to be headed for victory. Sirmans had other ideas and he put his Fascats Cattery machine back out front on lap 13 and sped to the win while Larry Goolsby passed Foley on the final lap for second. Jeff Stalnaker, Sr. and Marlon Durbin were fourth and fifth.
Foley and Stalnaker, Sr. won the heats.
Thirty K-Country Street Stocks filled the pits with Krystal Batson, Tom Fralish and Doug Webster claiming heat race wins. Due to the large field, a B-Main was needed which was won by Zephyrhills driver Paul Fletcher.
The 15-lap main event would also see the bulk of its caution flags in the early going, all for minor incidents. Gordon Cade led the first two laps while Mike Fiddia led the next pair. Kyle Maynard was on the charge however, hoping to make up for an incident with a lapped car the previous week that cost him a sure win.
Maynard took the point on lap five and led the rest of the way while the action behind him was intense as his Southside Builders teammate Frank Buchanan held off a furious charge from Tommy Roberts to place second while Fralish and David Chastain completed the top five.
Ric Fort looked to finally have it all together in the Four Cylinder Stocks as he took the lead from Tom Ellis with three laps to go and sped to an apparent victory.
However a post-race teardown revealed an improper flywheel in Fort's Toyota Celica and the win went to Ellis, his second of the year. Michael Stalnaker backed up his win last week with a second place this week with Weird Harold Barup getting a career-best third place finish. Dan Sanderson and Justin Durbin rounded out the top five.
Four Cylinder Stock heat wins went to Justin Durbin, Michael Stalnaker and Fort.
All six of Ocala Speedway's regular racing divisions will be in action next week including the Steven A. Bagen Super Late Models, WIND-FM Open Wheel Modifieds, Diamond H Air & Heat Sportsman, K-Country Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, and Four Cylinder Stocks.
RESULTS FOR 4/4/04:
USCS SPRINT CARS (40 Laps):
1) Wayne Reutimann, Jr. #00
2) Wayne Reutimann, Sr. #99
3) Randy Weaver #97
4) Kenny Adams #4A
5) Terry Gray #10
6) Brad Davis #4D
7) Aubrey Black #21
8) Chris Hill #4H
9) Mike Love #7
10) Ted Williams #2
11) Jim Raptis #77
12) Bill Pettijohn #6
13) Anthony Nave #5
14) Dude Teate #0
15) Skeeter Faulconer #6F
16) Shane Butler #18
17) Chase Taylor #40M
18) Dave Slawiak #79
19) Jim McKenzie #81
20) Daryl Smith #3
WIND-FM MODIFIEDS (20 Laps):
1) Wayne Jefferson #57
2) David Baxley #64
3) Troy Robinson #0
4) Jeremy Gerstner #70
5) Jamie Tinkham #98
6) John Foerg #1
7) Johnnie Newsome #31
8) Chris Fadling #29
9) Robert Gulvin, Jr. #33
10) Paul Combast #90
11) Kevyn Terry #007
12) Bobby Valeo #8
13) Wayne Kissam #78
14) Donald Karles #27
MINI STOCK (15 Laps):
1) Rick Sirmans #05
2) Larry Goolsby #27
3) Clint Foley #7
4) Jeff Stalnaker, Sr. #10B
5) Marlon Durbin #72
6) Jeff Stalnaker, Jr. #8
7) Wayne Wells #23
8) Don Stroshal, Jr. #15
9) Rocky Bowden #1
10) Jake Garver #10R
11) Neal Durbin #2X
12) A.J. Schreier #98
K-COUNTRY STREET STOCKS (15 Laps):
1) Kyle Maynard #07
2) Frank Buchana #0
3) Tommy Roberts #44
4) Tom Fralish #1
5) David Chastain #17
6) Pete Close, Jr. #08
7) Doug Webster #72
8) Mark Mitchell #71
9) Mike Fiddia #41
10) Estle Morrow #02
11) Paul Fletcher (Zephyrhills) #28
12) Bobby Taylor #66
13) Gordon Cade #21X
14) Rick Bass #21
15) Jamie Dunn #24
16) Bobby Carter #99
17) William O'Quinn #09
18) Sid Mosbrucker #62
19) Rick Hart #13
20) Dot Kelly #38
21) Krystal Batson #B4
22) Harold Edwards #65
23) Todd Roberts #4T
24) Don Abney #6X
DNQ: Don Maynard, Paul Fletcher (Ocala), Andy Taylor, Michael Rosa, Travis
Wofford, Shirley Johnson.
FOUR CYLINDER STOCKS (15 Laps):
1) Tom Ellis #31
2) Michael Stalnaker #8
3) Harold Barup #3
4) Dan Sanderson #7
5) Justin Durbin #34
6) Rick Kuhn #47
7) Joel Byall #40
8) Terry Dunbar #72
9) Harry Drier #61
10) Randy Futch #9-11
11) Dennis Harden #17
12) Kurtis Mitchell #00
13) Steve Moulton #41
14) Clark Pittsley #64
15) Richard Antis #5
16) Chris Noce #99
17) Jeff Pittsley #20
DQ - Rick Fort #2
DNS - Brooke Driggers #25
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