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| HOBO GOOD AND LUCKY IN DAVIDSON MEMORIAL | By Claude Lewis
Mike Hovis will swear by the old adage of rather being lucky than good.
The racer known as "Hobo" didn't have the fastest car in Sunday's Brian Davidson Memorial 150 at Charlotte County Speedway, but he was in the right place at the right time when the checkered flag fell.
Hovis, who hails from North Fort Myers, collected $5,000 for outlasting 22 other Limited Late Model competitors in front on a big crowd on an absolutely glorious mid-December day.
Joe Winchell was second and Doug Moff third.
"It doesn't matter how you got here. I got here," said Hovis in victory lane.
Mike Franklin Jr. pressed Hovis for most of the caution-plagued race. He had a couple of chances to take the lead, but in the end, it just didn't turn out to be his day.
On lap 106, Franklin actually slipped under Hovis in turns one and two. As luck would have it, Randy Fox had simultaneously wrecked in turn three. The yellow turned scoring back to the previous lap with Hovis still leading.
Franklin tried again for the pass on lap 115. This time, he barely tapped Hobo,s 29 car in turn two. It was hard enough for the 29 car to spin, bringing out the yellow. In a controversial call, Franklin was sent to the back for rough driving.
Franklin battled his No. 12 car back up to fourth, but he would get no closer.
"He hit me pretty good," said Hovis, who also won the Davidson Memorial two years ago. "I got really loose. I was just biding my time and try to hold the bottom."
The race had a whopping 23 cautions, most of them involving the same cars over and over again at the rear of the pack.
The race is named for the late son of Charlotte County Speedway ownerpromoter LeRoy Davidson. Brian's sister Wendy delivered the order "Gentlemen, start your engines."
Hovis picked up an addition $1,000 Saturday night for winning a 10-lap Race of Champions. The race involved the top 10 qualifiers in time trials Saturday. Franklin recorded fast time. Jason Kuykendall won the "Last Chance" race to start 11th in the Davidson Memorial.
The Outlaw Figure 8s made their Charlotte County debut Sunday with Gordon Brown outdueling the rest of the crazy crowd. He lost a tire right after receiving the checkered flag.
In the Road Warrior 40-lapper, Chris Huntoon was victorious, using a favorable call after a run-in with Ander Jackson while battling for the lead.
The big race Saturday night was season points finale for the Corteco Gulf Coast Modified series. Billy Mowery captured the 50-lapper ahead of Lee Collins and Moff. Mike Hinegardner clinched the points crown with a sixth-place finish.
In other races, Danny Caylor won the Super Stock feature; Dale Dean III captured the Sportsman race; Cheryl Weaver copped the Thunder Trucks feature; Rick Nastin was on top of the 4-Cylinder heap; and Paul Huffstutler was triumphant in TQ Midgets.
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