| Mike Fritts Wins Clyde Hart Memorial Sunbelt race at New Smyrna Speedway | by Jane Smith
 Samsula, Fla (July 3, 2003) After two straight rainouts at New Smyrna Speedway, only a few short sprinkles dampened the day's activities. Thirty four Super Late Models came to honor Clyde Hart and race the 125 lap event.
Fain Skinner arrived at the track right after qualifying so he had to start at the rear of the field. Joe Strehle had to pull out of the race when he had mechanical problems during hot laps. But it was David Frohlich of Loxahatchee, Fl. who went out and set fast time for the thirty two super lates that did qualify. Frohlich ran a 18.124 to set fast time followed by B.J. McLeod with a 18.136, Justin Drawdy with a 18.131, David Rogers with a 18.173 and Mike Fritts with a 18.175. Frohlich pulled the number 6 pill which put Mike Fritts on the pole.
The drivers were lined up on the frontstretch and introduced to the crowd that came out for the Clyde Hart Memorial, a very nice size crowd. The drivers buckled in, made their parade lap and wave lap and the field was ready for the green flag.
David Rogers took the lead on the green over Mike Fritts, B.J. McLeod, Justin Drawdy, and James Powell. The caution came out on lap 3 when Brian Finney spun on the backstretch and was sent to the rear of the field for the restart.
The race went back green on lap 6 with Rogers still in the lead. But on lap 10, Michael Williams brought out the yellow when he spun at the entrance to pit road. Williams rejoined the field in the rear. The race restarts on lap 13 with Rogers in the lead.
Dick Anderson, who has only raced once this season at Ocala Speedway and took home the victory, was making his way towards the front with good speed. On lap 21, Bruce Lawrence brought out the yellow when he spun in the same place that Michael Williams had, the entrance to pit road. Lawrence rejoined the field in the rear and the race restarted on lap 24.
Rogers holds the lead followed by Mike Fritts, B.J. McLeod, Justin Drawdy, and James Powell. On lap 27, Williams, Mario Gosselin, and Jack Cook all spin in turns 1 and 2. Gosselin retires his ride for the night, Williams goes on to pit road for his crew's attention. The race goes green on lap 31.
Anderson is now really moving and on lap 37, Anderson passes Wayne Parker for seventh and sets his eye on Jimmy Cope. It is now Rogers, Fritts, McLeod, Drawdy, Powell, Cope, Anderson, Parker, Jacob Warren, and Bruce Lawrence, Jr.
Lap 41, James Powell finds himself with a Jimmy Cope right on his tail but Powell is able to hold off the hard charging Cope. By lap 44, Brian Finney who was sent to the rear earlier in the race has moved into fourteenth.
On lap 50, Powell puts the pedal to the medal and takes over fourth from Drawdy with Drawdy sliding back to fifth. Lap 54, Chris Fontaine seems to have something break which puts him hard into the frontstretch wall. Fontaine is okay but his car is done for the night.
The race goes back green on lap 59 with Rogers in the lead. But only two laps later Jack Warren spins in turns 1 and 2 and the yellow is thrown. James Powell exits the track and goes into the pits, done for the night.
Lap 66 sees the green out again as Rogers leads the pack followed by Fritts, McLeod, Cope and Justin Drawdy. But Drawdy has his hands full with Dick Anderson who is going side-by-side with Drawdy for the fifth place spot. By lap 70, Anderson has taken fifth. On lap 71 Drawdy hits the turn 1 wall and he is fighting once again with Anderson for the fifth place spot. Drawdy is fine but done for the night.
The race goes green on lap 74 with Rogers, Fritts, Cope, McLeod, Anderson, Parker, Finney, Lawrence, Jr., Mike Good, Barry Willoughby, and Eric Black. Three laps later, lap 77, Anderson takes fourth from McLeod sliding McLeod to fifth. Scotty Crockett brings out the caution on lap 78 when he slows and it looks like he might need help to get back in the pits.
The race goes green on lap 79 with Rogers now finding his hands full of a hard charging Fritts who wants the lead bad. Two laps later, lap 81, Fritts moves to the point with Rogers, Cope, Anderson and McLeod behind him.
Lap 85, Parker breaks and his good run for the night is over. On lap 88, Jim Mattheus and B.J. McLeod hit when Mattheus slows in turns 1 and 2 and McLeod spins. Both drivers are fine but their night is over.
Lap 96 goes green with Fritts in the lead. On lap 99, Cope gives Rogers a little boot which gets Rogers very loose but he is able to keep control on the car. Cope takes second. Now it is Rogers and Finney getting together coming off turn 4. Rogers seems to go sideways with Finney pushing the No. 11 Super Late Model down the track until he can slow and stop. Finney is towed to the upper pits after a very good run and coming from the rear to the top of the field. Rogers pits for his crew's attention and returns to the race.
Lap 104 goes green with Fritts finding Cope all over his bumper. Fritts is not to be shaken nor will he give up the point to Cope. Fritts holds strong and Cope remains second followed by Jay Middleton, Eric Black and Mike Good.
Lap 109 sees the last caution of the night when a car slows and has to be helped into the pits. The race goes back green on 110 with Fritts, Cope, Middleton, Black and Good in the top five. There are seventeen cars left running out of the thirty three.
Fritts holds strong and keeps the lead and takes the checkered followed by Jimmy Cope, Jay Middleton, Mike Good, and Eric Black.
Chris Peludat had the pole for the Sportsman feature but it was Ron Lufcy who lead from green to checkered for the win. On lap 4, Peludat hits the backstretch wall. Peludat pits but does come back out again after some repairs.
Lufcy holds the lead on the restart followed by Cory Kaiser, Bill Spade, Dale Clouser and Rob Kayse. On lap 4 on the restart Kaiser spins on the frontstretch while fighting with Bill Spade for second. Spade is done for the night and is towed into the pits. Avoiding the wreck, the No. 75 of Rob Kayse spins on the frontstretch avoiding Spade. During the caution, Dusty Downer retires his Sportsman along with Chris Peludat.
On more restart on lap 4 with Lufcy in the lead followed by Dale Clouser, Mike Trocki, Rob Kayse, and Bill Love. By lap 7, Kayse has moved into third with Trocki fourth. John Nusbaum brought out the caution on lap 10 when he spins at the entrance of pit road.
On the restart, Lufcy holds the lead but Clouser seems to have missed a shift and falls back some. Clouser regains his composure and takes back second.
Lufcy takes the checkered followed by Dale Clouser, Rob Kayse, Mike Trocki, and Bill Love.
Wayne Clark had the pole for the Mini Stock feature and took the lead on the green followed by Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius, Tim "Missleman" McPhail, Rex Christensen, and Rex "Boneman" Hollinger.
Vulpius passes Clark for the lead on lap 3 but Hollinger taking over fifth from Christensen. But by lap 9, Christensen regained the fourth place spot putting Hollinger back to fifth
With no cautions in this feature, it is Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius taking the checkered followed by Wayne Clark, Tim "Missileman" McPhail, Rex Christensen, and Rex "Boneman" Hollinger.
Josh Wronkowski had the pole for the Super Stock feature and took the lead on the green but it did not take Charlie Collins long before he took over the lead putting Wronkowski to second followed by Ron Whaley, Jeff Colburn, and Mike Amato.
Coy Riddle brought out the caution on lap 5 when he broke and needed help into the pits. On the restart it is Collins, Whaley, Wronkowski, Colburn, and Amato. Colburn breaks with Amato taking over fourth and Jim Rix into fifth.
Nick Vogler brought out the caution on lap 10 when he hit the frontstretch wall hard. Vogler was fine but his car was done for the night. Collins holds the point on the restart in spite of a hard charging Whaley on his rear bumper.
On the restart, Collins holds the point. Sean Bass, driving the No. 17x, did a great job of coming from the rear of the field into the fourth place spot. Bass was driving one of the Super Stocks of Rob Watford. Before the final lap, Bass was able to pass Wronkowski for third with Amato in fourth and Wronkowski settling into fifth.
Collins takes the checkered with Ron Whaley, Sean "Weasel" Bass, Mike Amato and Josh Wronkowski.
Jeremy Hovencamp had the pole for the Strictly Stocks feature but before the first lap was down on the books, a total restart was in order as Curtis Smith spun in turn 2. On the restart, Hovencamp takes the lead but it is short lived as Curtis Smith takes over the point and basically never looks back.
Smith takes the checkered followed by Travis Scott, Barry Parks, Eric Hodges (his first trip to NSS) and Ralph Jones.
Next Saturday night, July 12th, Mini Cup Florida Invitational, Sportsman 50 lapper with 911 Racing and Super Lates, Lates, Open Wheel Modifieds, Super Stock, Mini Stock and Strictly Stocks.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
CLYDE HART MEMORIAL SUNBELT 125
1. #27x Mike Fritts, Debary, Fla.
2. #61 Jimmy Cope, St. Petesburg, Fla.
3. #74j Jay Middleton, Lake City, Fla.
4. #27 Mike Good, Lake Mary, Fla
5. #10 Eric Black, Vero Beach, Fla
6. #5k Daniel Keene, Jr., Tampa, Fla
7. #51 Jacob Warren, Orlando, Fla.
8. #96 Jack Cook, Daytona, Fla
9. #16 Bruce Lawrence, Sorento, Fla
10. #40 Michael Williams, Mims, Fla
11. #57x Ivedent Lloyd, Jr., Ocala, Fla.
12. #84 Wayne Anderson, Wildwood, Fla.
13. #11 David Rogers, Orlando, Fla.
14. #0 Rich Pratt, Anthony, Fla.
15. #22x Larry Osteen, Clermont, Fla.
16. #8 Dick Ruckh, Chicago, Ill.
17. #74 Barry Willoughby, Port St. Lucie, Fla
18. #116 Bruce Lawrence, Jr., Sorento, Fla.
19. #80 Brian Finney, Merritt Island, Fla.
20. #92 Dick Anderson, Wildwood, Fla
21. #78 B.J. McLeod, Wauchula, Fla
22. #3 Wayne Parker, Mt. Dora, Fla.
23. #28 Scotty Crockett, Land O'Lakes, Fla
24. #7 Jim Mattheus, Titusville, Fla.
25. #12 Justin Drawdy, Ft. Pierce, Fla
26. #37 James Powell, Astor, Fla
27. #7x Matt Griffin, Clermont, Fla.
28. #47 Chris Fontaine, Lakeland, Fla
29. #22 David Frohlich, Loxahatchee, Fla
30. #59 Mario Gosselin, Lake Wales, Fla.
31. #7 Mark Vandevender, New Smyrna, Fla
32. #57 Jim Rider, Vero Beach, Fla
33. #1 Fain Skinner, Live Oaks, Fla.
34. #83 Joe Strehle, Deland, Fla. DNS
Fast Qualifier: David Frohlich
Hard Charger: Wayne Parker
SPORTSMAN
1. #07 Ron Lufcy
2. #30 Dale Clouser
3. #75 Rob Kayse
4. #46 Mike Trocki
5. #2 Bill Love
6. #48c Cory Kaiser
7. #70 John Nusbaum
8. #5 Jeff Colburn
9. #18 Brian Dula
10. #28 Chris Peludat
11. #15x Bill Spade
12. #09E Dusty Downer
13. #6 Bruce McGonigal
SUPER STOCK
1. #23 Charlie Collins
2. #2 Ron Whaley
3. #17x Sean "Weasel" Bass
4. #2x Mike Amato
5. #21 Josh Wronkowski
6. #34 Jim Rix
7. #17 Rob Watford
8. #45 Mike Soukup
9. #37 Steve Metts
10. #11 Nick Vogler
11. #91 Todd Driscall
12. #8 Bob Trombley
13. #3 Jeff Colburn
14. #1 Coy Riddle
MINI STOCK
1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius
2. #15 Wayne Clark
3. #7 Tim "Missileman"
4. #v3 Rex Christensen
5. #85 Rex "Boneman" Hollinger
STRICTLY STOCKS
1. #92 Curtis Smith
2. #91 Travis Scott
3. #27 Barry Parks
4. #00 Eric Hodges
5. #13 Ralph Jones
6. #8 Teresa Trombley
7. #99 Gordon Houck
8. #39 Jeremy Hovencamp
9. #21 Jason Charette
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