Anderson, Bass and Deschamps top Clyde Hart Memorial Night at New Smyrna Speedway
by Jane Smith
FASCAR Owner Robert Hart(left) and Sunbelt winner Wayne Anderson with rodeo star Tater Porter
Samsula, Fla. (July 3, 2005) The bottom dropped out just as the Super Late Models were getting ready to qualify for the 7th Annual Clyde Hart Memorial. After almost an hour and a half rain delay, vehicles were sent out to dry the track. With the after rain humidity that only Florida seems to have, the track was dried and it was down to business.
Twenty six Super Lates, twenty eight Mini Stocks and 12 Pro Trucks qualified for what turned out to be a perfect race night. The on-track autograph session was cancelled due to the rain delay but fans were not disappointed as Tater Porter, Grand Marshall, put it a different way to start the race.
As Porter stood in front of the fans and the cars lined up on the track in a Bull Rider's standard safety wear - his hat - the command "Gentleman - GET r DONE" was given.
Wayne Anderson, defending champion of the 2004 Clyde Hart Memorial, sat on the pole with his fast time of 18.096.followed by B.J. McLeod 18.121, Mac Johnson 18.128, Jason Boyd 18.150 and Brian Finney 18.173.. The field was set, last minute warm up laps were made and the track was dry, time to race.
Anderson sat on the pole but on the green it was B.J. McLeod who pulled to the lead over Anderson, Johnson, Boyd, and Choquette.
Jason Boyd (left) and Car Owner Dick Anderson patiently await their turn to qualify in the Super Late Models
Boyd took no time in passing Johnson for third but on lap 3, McLeod began to slip backwards as he seemed to get loose in the rear-end. McLeod gathered it back up but found himself instead of first, eighth. After having one good car, a car that would have been hard to beat, B.J. McLeod goes into the pits with a broken rear-end.
Anderson asumed the lead followed by Boyd, Johnson, Choquette, Scofield and Finney.
With Florida's summer heat, cars can do strange things as Mac Johnson loses all power in his steed coming off turn 2 on lap 16. Joining Johnson in the pits is Jody Turner from Jacksonville who needs some crew attention and Mario Gosselin whose crew determines that he is done for the night.
The race goes green again but Don Hale Jr. brings out the yellow as he spins in Lake Turn 2. Hale is fine and maybe a little cooler from the lake. Chet Morrison has now gone into the pits.
Jimmy Cope (left) and Wayne Anderson inspect the track just minutes before qualifying at the Clyde Hart Memorial
One more try and it is green again as Anderson, Boyd, Choquette, Scofield, Finney, Cope, Pierce Froelich, Warren, and Etheredge lead the way. Cope passes Finney taking over fifth as Finney settles into sixth. Suddenly the fourth place car slows and begins to crawl around the backstretch to the pit entrance. The race goes yellow as Scofield sees what would have been a top five finish go down the drain.
Once again the green comes out with Anderson, Boyd, Choquette, Cope and Finney in the top five. But it is a short green as David Froelich brings out the yellow as he spins down low on the track in the water and hits the wall. Froelich now retires to the pits.
Lap 55 goes green as Anderson is in control followed by Boyd, Choquette, Cope, and Finney. The action is heating up as Finney chases Cope and Choquette is right ono Boyd. Shelnut, who wheeled the red, white and blue car for the ocassion, retires into the pits with mechanical problems as Choquette continues to let Boyd know "I am here".
Steve Weaver, who races at Hialeah Speedway, brings out the yellow as he spins coming down the frontstretch but does a great job of saving the car from the wall. The race resumes on lap 74 as Choquette continues to let Boyd know he is there. Warren passes Pierce for sixth as Pierce goes back to seventh. Fain Skinner retires from the race into the pits.
Boyd does a valiant job of holding off the hard charge of Choquette but Choquette sees an opportunity and takes over second as Boyd goes to third followed by Cope and Finney.
Daytona's Dalton Zehr (5), Clermont's Patrick Conrad (2) tangle while Steve Weaver of Ft. Lauderdale finds a way past them.
The yellow comes out as one car spins in the top of turns 3 and 4 wth Bobby Fleckinger, Patrick Conrad and Dalton Zehr all up in the turn wall but not really hurt. Sixteen cars are left on lap 84 as Anderson leads the way over Choquette, Boyd, Cope, Finney, Warren, Pierce, Foster, Wayne Morris and Chris Fontaine. Fontaine lets Morris know that he is there as he tucks neatly under Morris but Morris holds. Finney is now all over Cope for fourth but Cope "Mr. Exitement" is holding on.
The yellow comes out as three cars try to go three wide in turn 1 which does not work. Morris spins in the trio and rejoins the field in the rear of the lead lap.
With only a few short laps to go, Brian Finney's engine decides enough is enough and quits moving Warren into the fifth place spot. Cope passes Boyd for third and Choquette for second but does not have enough time to catch Anderson.
Anderson takes the checkered flag followed by Jimmy Cope, Jeff Choqcp,uette, Jason Boyd and Jacob Warren. In tech, Choquette was dq'd due to weight changing the top five to Wayne Anderson, Jimmy Cope, Jason Boyd, Jacob Warren, and Martin Pierce.
Brandon Johnson had the pole for the 50 lap Pro Truck race but it was Sean Bass who quickly took the point over Johnson, Matt Martin, George Gorham and fast qualifier Dalton Zehr. Gorham puts the heat on Martin and takes over third as Martin settles into fourth. Suddenly Johnson finds his hands full of a hard charging Gorham who is taking over second as Johnson goes to thrid. With very few cautions, it is a very exciting race as young Chad Akins moves his way from the rear of the field towards the front. The race goes smooth up until lap 38 when David Castello spins coming down the frontstretch. Castello is pushed into the pits and done after a very good race for the Mini Stock driver.
Bass continues to lead the way on the restart followed by Gorham, Zehr, Jamie Skinner, Matt Martin and Akins. Dawayne Barrus gets alittle sideways coming off four with Marty Wolf giving him a little push as he had no where to go as Barrus turned sideways. Wolf finally is able to slow and Barrus is fine. Wolf and Barrus rejoined the field in the rear for the restart.
Sean Bass Makes A Statement At New Smyrna
With no more cautions, Bass continues to lead the field although Gorham tries over and over again to take the lead but Bass is on a mission for the win. Bass takes the checkered followed by George Gorham, Brandon Johnson, Dalton Zehr and Jamie Skinner.
Raymond Folwell had the pole for the 50 lap Mini Stock event but there was trouble on the start as a mass pile of Mini Stocks piled up in turns 3 and 4 when one spun and all the other joined trying to avoid each other. It was a total restart with Ronnie Larson leading the way over Folwell, Gary Roebuck, Tom Zimmerman, and Chris Hooker. But once again it was a short green as Josh Hermann, Mark Moniz, Andrew Robertson, and Billy Carlbert meet in turn 4. Hermann goes in for crew attention but the others were basically done for the night.
Larson holds the point on the restart followed by Roebuck, Hooker, Folwell, and Robbie Yoakam. Folwell falls out as Robbie Storer comes into the top five in fifth. The yellow is thrown again for Larson and Roebuck who have gotten together in turns 2 with Chris Thornton cominig in on the hook with a severely damaged car. Larson and Roebuck rejoin the field in the rear but Thornton is done.
Chris Hooker now leads the way followed by Yoakam, Storer, Folwell, and our Georgia driver Billy Chancy. The caution comes out for Ronnie Hicks who has spun coming down the frontstretch. The races goes back green with Hooker, Yoakam, Storer, Folwell and Chancy in the top five.
Suddenly Joshua Robertson spins coming down the frontstretch with Wayne Wells and Hicks tangling in with no place to go. All the drivers are fine but towed in for the night. Once again another restart as Hooker has the point but Keith Roggen has problems and is at a dead stop up in turn 4 and Storer goes in with problems. Thus another yellow comes out.
Hooker holds the point followed by Robbie Yoakam, Dustin Deschamps, Chancy, and Folwell. Deschamps is now on a mission passing Yoakam for second and then Hooker for first. The yellow is thrown not for a wreck but for the ambulance who has been called to the grandstands.
The race goes back green as Deschamps leads the way over Hooker, Yoakam, Chancy, Folwell, Larson, Don Faunce, Tom Zimmerman, Rex Christensen and Justin Edwards. Jeff Pittsley brings out the yellow as he spins down the backstretch.
Deschamps leads the way on the restart but Hooker brings out the yellow as he spins down the backstretch.
Dustin Deschamps Wins Big In Mini Stock Challenge
With no more yellows, it is Deschamps leading the way over Yoakam, Chancy, Larson, and Folwell. Hooker quickly works his way back in the top five and takes over fourth as Deschamps takes the checkered for the win followed by Robbie Yoakam, Billy Chancy, Ronnie Larson and Raymond Folwell.
OFFICIAL RESULTS CLYDE HART MEMORIAL SUNBELT SUPER LATE MODEL 125
1. #84 Wayne Anderson, Wildwood 2. #61 Jimmy Cope, St. Petersburg 3. #92 Jason Boyd, Orlando 4. #51 Jacob Warren, Orlando 5. #75 Martin Pierce, Sandord 6. #10 Ryan Foster, Lowell, Arkansas 7. #98 Wayne Morris, Mulberry 8. #47 Chris Fontaine, Lakeland 9. #5 Dalton Zehr, Daytona Beach 10. #34 Bobby Fleckinger, Cocoa 11. #80 Brian Finney, Merritt Island 12. #12 Steve Weaver, Ft. Lauderdale 13. #1x Daniel Webster, Brooksville 14. #29 Don Hale, Jr., Live Oak 15. #2 Patrick Conrad, Clermont 16. #1 Fain Skinner, Live Oak 17. #47x Keith Zavrel, Brooksville 18. #7 Daryl Shelnyut, Ft. Lauderdale 19. #22 David Froelich, Loxahatchee 20. #07 Jeff Scofield, Plant City 21. #8 Tal Etheredge, Sylvester, GA 22. #86 Chet Morrison, Huma, GA 23. #6 Mac Johnson, Gainesville 24. #59 Mario Gosselin, Lake Wales 25. #74 Jody Turner, Jacksonville 26. #78 B.J. McLeod, Watchula 27. #70 Jeff Choquette, West Palm Beach DQ'D 28. #27 Mike Good DNS 29. #27X Mike Fritts DNS
PRO TRUCKS
1. #20 Sean Bass 2. #10 George Gorham 3. #41 Brandon Johnson 4. #5 Dalton Zehr 5. #60 Jamie Skinner 6. #66 Matt Martin 7. #9 Marty Wolf 8. #3 Dawayne Barrus 9. #07 Vic Slacker 10. #99 Danny Foster 11. #32 Bill Stacy 12. #11K David Castello
FLORIDA MINI STOCK CHALLENGE 50
1. #51 Dustin Deschamps, Brooksville 2. #8 Robbie Yoakam, Hernando 3. #81 Billy Chancy, Kathleen, GA 4. #1x Chris Hooker, Floral City 5. #89 Ronnie Larson, Clearwater 6. #03 Raymond Folwell, St. Petersburg 7. #2 Don Faune, Spring Hill 8. #0 Tom Zimmerman, Clearwater 9. #v3 Rex Christensen, Port Orange 10. #12 Justin Edwards, Ft. Valley, GA 11. #20 Jeff Pittsley, Eustis 12. #94 Keith Roggen, Winter Haven 13. #07 Steven Simpson, New Smyrna Beach 14. #96 Gary Roebuck, Lakeland 15. #61 Rich Gamache, Port Orange 16. #9 Robbie Storer, Zephyrhills 17. #93x Joshua Robertson, Trenton 18. #19 Kevin Macy, Lakeland 19. #23 Wayne Wells, Paisley 20. #8H Ronnie Hicks, Trenton 21. #24 Chris Thornton, Clearwater 22. #40 Dennis Valdez, Tampa 23. #42 Jonathan Guy, Auburndale 24. #98 Josh Hermann, St. Cloud 25. #83 Andrew Robertson, Trenton 26. #41 Mark Moniz, Zephyrhills 27. #11 Billy Carlbert, Holmes Beach 28. #70 Marty Neikens, Clearwater 29. #33 Ryan Crosby, Bunnell DNS 30. #05 Rick Sirmans, Pinellas Park DNS
Brandon Johnson had the pole for the 50 lap Pro Truck race but it was Sean Bass who quickly took the point over Johnson, Matt Martin, George Gorham and fast qualifier Dalton Zehr. Gorham puts the heat on Martin and takes over third as Martin settles into fourth. Suddenly Johnson finds his hands full of a hard charging Gorham who is taking over second as Johnson goes to thrid. With very few cautions, it is a very exciting race as young Chad Akins moves his way from the rear of the field towards the front. The race goes smooth up until lap 38 when David Castello spins coming down the frontstretch. Castello is pushed into the pits and done after a very good race for the Mini Stock driver.
