|
| "Iron Man" Dwayne Dempsey Wins USA Survival Test | By Jack Smith
Dwayne Dempsey and car owner and sponsor Mike Leonard
Saturday night at USA International Speedway, near Lakeland Fl.,was one of those Fall Florida nights that remind all us who came from more northern climates why we made the move. It was a cool clear night and perfect for the Florida State Championships in asphalt stock car racing. This was the second Annual Foresters Race for the Kids, which raises funds to help support the Gulf Ridge Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Gulf Coast Division of Children's Home Society of Florida.
Qualifying was held in the afternoon with Mike Fritts of Debary Fl. topping the 27 car field of FASCAR Sunbelt Super Late Models, running the 3/4 mile in 20.814 seconds, an average speed of nearly 130 miles per hour.
After the pre-race festivities highlighted by Shriner's Motor Corps motorcycle revue and clowns entertaining the many children in attendance, the Super Late models roared onto Florida's biggest short track in front of a full house of race fans.
Mike Cope, Bronson Motor Speedway owner and ASA veteran, jumped out front on lap one of the 200 lap main event, and within a few laps more had a huge lead on the rest of the field.
Mike Fritts and Mike Cope
In what may have been an omen for what became a race just to survive, Justin Drawdy, one of Florida's top racers, broke down on the second lap and he came into the pits and the crew went to work, trying to repair a broken shock.
On lap 10 Series leader and reigning Sunbelt Champion Wayne Anderson, running in 9th, started to come to the front, nudged Jay Middleton and went by him on the long back stretch, with Ricky Carlton trying to follow the 84X. Coming off turn four Carlton was making the pass on Middleton when contact between the cars sent Carlton into the wall bringing out the first caution on lap 11. Carlton decided to test his helmet throwing skills, not once but twice, using Middleton's number 74 as a target, and was sent to the showers by the FASCAR officials.
Mike Cope started to slip a bit while Wayne Anderson worked his way past B.J. McLeod in the Dick Anderson #92, Jay Middleton, Mike Fritts, Scotty Crockett, Mike Cope and Sean Murphy to grab the lead by lap 90. This was about the time the racing gremlins caught up to McLeod and took his brakes away.
During a caution around the 80 lap mark, Mike Cope retired with a bad brake caliper, Mario Gosselin's night also ended with mechanical problems, and as the race finally got going again it looked for all the world like another runaway by the #84. At the halfway mark of 100 laps, Only Sean Murphy of Ft. Lauderdale and Mike Fritts could keep the pace Anderson was setting.
Twelve laps later Anderson blew a tire and smashed into the front straight wall with an impact that blew the side of the car apart, leaving the lead in St Petersburg, Fl. racer Dwayne Dempsey's hands. Dempsey had pitted at lap 90 and was ready to go the distance....if his equipment would last.
Jimmy Cope of Pinellas Park, Fl. stepped up to challenge Dempsey for the lead, but strange things were afoot this evening. Lap 125 Cope had to pull behind the wall when his oil pressure gage said he had lost all pressure. Turned out to be the gage that broke, not Cope's motor.
Crockett passed Lakeland Florida's Steve Dorer in the number 10 for second and followed Dempsey the remainder of the race for a second place finish. Sean Murphy held on for third place. Only eight cars were running when the FASCAR flagman waved the checkered flag for Dwayne Dempsey.
Mike Fritts, starting outside pole position and a definite contender, damaged a tire on a pit stop in the late stages of the race ending his bid to get the Midas Jeweler ring that goes to the Florida State Champion each year.
B.J. McLeod ran the last half of the race without brakes. "You can't race, you have to use the wheel too much and you wear out your tires and you can't run a line". He added "I am just happy I didn't wreck the car and finished the race". McLeod was driving Dick Anderson's car for the first time.
Out of state race teams included five cars driven by Georgia drivers and one from Arkansas. Matt Hawkins, #22 from Canton, Ga. was running in the top 10 when he was involved in a last race crash.
Race Car Engineering owner Steve Dorer also happy to finish the race on his birthday. "That last set of tires were bad, we we not as fast with them", Dorer said afterwards.
Dempsey said in the winners circle, "the biggest thing is to just finish this thing, don't look back and keep it wide open".
Dwayne Dempsey's Crew Celebrates as the 6 car crosses the finish line
Dempsey did the 'biggest thing', he finished first and is the Florida State Champion Super Late Model driver for 2004.
Race Results
Positon/ Car # / Driver/ laps
1 6 Dwayne Dempsey 200
2 28 Scotty Crockett 200
3 32 Sean Murphy 200
4 47 Chris Fontaine 200
5 74 Jay Middleton 200
6 10 Steve Dorer 200
7 92 B.J. McLeod 200
8 00 Robert Yoho 199
9 3 Wayne Parker 179
10 22 Matt Hawkins 176
11 27 Mike Fritts 152
12 10x Ryan Foster 129
13 61 Jimmy Cope 125
14 84 Wayne Anderson 124
15 5 Daniel Keene 90
16 59 Mario Gosselin 90
17 16 David Hodges 81
18 25 Mike Cope ?
19 1 Fain Skinner 62
20 5x Clay Dale 62
21 98 Wayne Morris ?
22 25x Lane Morrow ?
23 12 Justin Drawdy 25
24 70 James Glover 22
25 17 Mike Garvey 14
26 84x Ricky Carlton 11
27 41 Gus Coorssen 3
Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board!
<news@karnac.org>or send a letter to the editor!
|
|
