Thursday, October 9, 2003 UPM Modifieds Target Citrus County Speedway for Final 2003 Run by Larry MacMillan The UPM Modifieds will take on Citrus County Speedways 3/8ths mile for the final time in 2003, this Saturday night. Wayne Jefferson led the charge on their last outing with a 24 car field chasing him to the checkered flag. Kevin Durdin led for 73 of the 100 laps but fell to the fast qualifier with 27 laps left in the race. Dwayne Dempsey came off his previous win to hold out for third while Alan McCafferty beat out Steve Gainey in the race for fourth. A full field is expected Saturday night to time trial for starting positions in their final race of the year. Meanwhile, the point battles continue as the season winds down with just three weeks left for the leaders to hold onto the top spot and the rest of the division contenders to insure their spot in the top ten. Shares of the 2003 point fund are up for grabs. There have been 314 different drivers in the point’s races in the six regular divisions at Citrus County Speedway this season. Late Models will have to wait for next week to make any moves on Mike Bresnahan. Ricky Carlton and Jim Smith are still in the running to make it to the top but they will have to work on it after Mike picked up a 30 point lead on Carlton after Danny Johnson won his first race of the season and gave his 194 points to Bresnahan through the substitution policy at Citrus. Late Models have 51 drivers in the point’s race for 2003. Mike Bell picked up another two points on Bill Oesterreicher in the Sportsman race. Bill Ryan maintains a solid hold on third and Johnny Sanders continues to hold off defending four time champion Mike Veltman in the race for fourth despite Veltman’s fifth win of the season last week. Sportsman only had 31 drivers in the points race this season. Danny Cretty is going to have to work to overcome the lead that Ernie Reed holds in Street Stocks going into the final three weeks of the point season. Joe Viverito lost a little ground to Mickey Burns last week but still holds a 73 point lead for third. Burns and Daniel Webster are just 16 points apart in the race for fourth and this one will go right down to the final checkered flag on October 25th. Fifty four different drivers have tried on the 3/8ths mile in the Street Stock Division The Mini Stock Championship could go right down to the final race with Chris Hooker and Chris Hooker swapping the top spot all season. Only 38 points separate them in the final weeks of the season and Thornton locked on to his third win of the season last week so you can bet he is not giving up the battle. Hooker continues to run in the top five and has 5 heat wins which can make the difference. Phillip Joyner is still in the hunt and holds a pretty solid third position. Three time champion George Neumann continues to battle with Mike Lawhorn in the race for fourth. Fifty five Mini Stocks are on the points roster, not counting drivers who ran in the Mini Stock Challenge. Richie Smith looks like he is on the way to his third consecutive Hobby Stock Championship with second year driver Curtis Neumann putting the heat on him but trails by 73 points. Dean Lawyer has a solid hold on third over former champion Roy Perkins and Alvin Williamson. The Hobby Stocks have been the most populated division with 72 drivers earning points this season. About the only way Pat Quick can lose her first championship is not to show up for the next three weeks. She scored her 13th win of the season last week and continues to dominate the Thunder Stocks. Lee Keller gave it all he had and looks like he has a lock on second for the season. Louie Cioe, Larry Triana and Tim Wilson will be fighting for the third spot over the next three weeks. Fifty one cars have earned points in the division. Citrus County Speedway grandstand gates open at 4 p.m. with time trials starting at 6. Heat races will follow time trials with six feature races on the card. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! <news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!