| Tenth Annual Powell Memorial Race Set for Tuesday | By Jack Bacon
2005 marks the tenth running of the Powell Memorial 125 Super Late Model race. The race will be contested Tuesday June 7th at Ocala (FL) Speedway.
Thirty or more of Florida's top Super Late Model drivers will take to the 3/8 mile Ocala Speedway oval on Tuesday (6/7/2005) to contest the tenth running of the Powell Memorial 125 which honors the memory of six members of James Powell's family who were lost in Gainesville, FL airplane crash on June 7th, 1995.
The Powell Memorial has grown into Florida's "All-Star" Super Late Model race as teams and drivers from all over the Southeast usually show up for the annual running and the $5,000 first place check. Previous winners are Jeff Purvis, Freddie Query, David Reutimann, three-time winner Wayne Anderson, Mike Franklin, Jr., Mike Fritts and James Powell.
This year's event should continue that legacy and a strong field of competitors is expected.
 James Powell has been working the phones to line up standouts such as local favorite and current NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor David Reutimann, ARCA competitor "Super" Mario Gosselin, multiple NASCAR All Pro champion Wayne Anderson, two-time Florida Pro Series champion Mike Franklin, Jr., Travis Kittleson, David Pletcher, Brian and Kevin Finney, Jason Boyd and rookie sensation and 2004 Governor's Cup winner Jeff Choquette.
2005 will be the 10th running of the Powell Memorial 125 Super Late Model race. Begun in 1996, the race honors the members of racer James Powell III's family who were lost in a Gainesville, FL airplane crash in June of 1995. Tragically, James lost six members of his immediate family: his twin daughters, his mother and father, and an aunt and uncle.
James and his father Buddy Powell owned and operated Ocala Speedway where James began his career racing on the then dirt 3/8 mile oval. Racing had been such a big part of Buddy Powell's life that James decided to create a special event race for Super Late Model stock cars to honor his lost family members. The "Powell Memorial 125" was born in 1996 at Ocala Speedway with a large field of cars showing up for the inaugural event. NASCAR Busch Series star Jeff Purvis took the checkers in that first race with James Powell finishing second.
In 1997, it was NASCAR All Pro Series Champion Freddie Query that took home the trophy with James Powell again finishing second. Current Craftsman Truck Series driver David Reutimann held off Query to win the 1998 event. In 1999, Wayne Anderson won his first of three Powell Memorials. Mike Franklin, Jr. held off Anderson to win the 2000 edition. Wayne Anderson became the first two-time winner in 2001 and Mike Fritts took home a $10,000 paycheck from the 2002 event held at Citrus County Speedway. Finally, in 2003 James Powell won the event that means so much to him and Wayne Anderson captured his third Powell race by taking the 2004 run.
The "Powell" is steeped in the tradition of big name drivers taking the checkers. Certainly the list of winners is impressive. What hot shoe will add his name to that prestigious winner's list this year? Mario Gosselin would surely like to add the "Powell" to his trophy room. Reutimann, Franklin, Fritts and Powell will have a shot at becoming two-time winners.
Jeff Choquette has seemingly mastered New Smyrna Speedway but can he figure out the Ocala "roval"? Jason Boyd is hot off his first win for Dick Anderson and could be the one to beat. And of course, three-time winner Wayne Anderson has established himself as the man to beat in this race.
The 10th anniversary "Powell" is likely to draw one of the best fields of Super Late Models you'll see this year so come on out to Ocala Speedway for Tuesday's event and help James Powell honor his fallen family members.
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