Storm or No Storm, Speedworld Puts on a Show | Mike Hinegardner Outguns Young Zehr for Super Late Model Win
By Dave Westerman
Quite a few drivers were scared away Friday night by predictions of heavy rain associated with Hurricane Katrina, but those who showed were treated one of the nicest nights of the year and the fans were treated to some fine racing.
The FASCAR Pro Trucks were on the schedule for 50 laps. Young Dalton Zehr in his Speed Racer truck set fast time at 15.359 seconds but it was third quick qualifier Sean Bass, driving one of the Johnson Race Team trucks, on the pole with Matt Martin in his Gatorade Ford truck on the outside pole for the start of the half-century run.
Bass took off on the start and basically got lost while Martin got shuffled back several spots early. This was a relatively tame race by truck standards with only one major slowdown. Michael Pilla spun in turn four with Dustin Dunn and Bill Stacy getting together trying to avoid him.
Zehr was able to keep Bass in sight but could never mount a challenge and settled for second. Jamie Skinner passed George Gorham on the final lap to claim third with Gorham fourth and Martin rounding out the top five. Brandon Johnson took sixth with Dewayne Barrus, Marty Wolf, Pilla and Bobby Owens rounding out the top ten.
Twenty-three Open Wheel Lite/Mod Lite cars started their 20 lap main event. Mad Max Howe, driving his new car, led the opening eight laps but no one in the field was a match for Brian Gingras.
Gingras, who was also behind the wheel of a beautiful new machine, sped by Howe and checked out as the Winter Haven driver weaved his way expertly through lapped traffic and took the victory. Howe snapped up the second spot in front of Mike Belusar, Ron Towles and Rick Lundeen. Rounding out the top ten were Dennis Diehl, Dab Nyhan, Bill Burback, Alain Paradis and Phil Krauthoff. Lite heats were won by Howe, Towles and Gingras.
Jared Allison looked to have the Super Late Model feature well in hand until the rear end broke in his car spreading parts all over the race track. Mike Hinegardner took over at that point and led the remaining distance to win for the third time this year.
Dalton Zehr came back from a big heat race crash that eliminated Chris Fontaine's car for the night in the heat race to finish second in a car that was missing all of its front body work. Zehr equaled his Pro Truck finish while newcomer Matthew Stichman was impressive in finishing third.
Cliff White, Dusty Cornelius, Allison and Bobby Fleckinger completed the finishers. Hinegardner also won the heat.
Josh Hermann had his newly purchased car running to perfection and ended Sean Bass' win streak in the Mini Stocks. Hermann led all the way to take the win over Kenny Padgett, Bass, Pedie Allison, Lee Davis, Michael Seay, Billy Carlbert, and John Cook. Hermann was also the heat winner.
Ted Head picked up his second win of the year in the Super Stocks passing Bobby Riley on the last lap to secure the win. Riley then spun out and ended up last in the field. Ray Mullis came home second ahead of Sean Bass, Kelly Jarrett, Tom Vento, Jason Pick, Mike Bennett and Riley. Head also took the Super Stock heat race.
Brandon Thomson won the Pro Challenge heat race and led much of the feature before Brad Sanders slipped by. Sanders' lead was short-lived as his brother Rod Sanders sped around him a lap later to lead the remaining distance to claim the win. Thomson got around Brad Sanders late in the race to nab second with B. Sanders third in front of Bobby Robillard and Howard Brennan.
Point leader Corey Freed led all the way to win the Modified feature over a short field. After Jared Allison's car blew up in flames, Bob Beiler inherited second spot with Allison scored third. Freed also won the heat.
Rudy Bronson and his Honda Prelude scored a popular win in the Strictly Stocks over a field of mostly V-8 powered cars. Bob Trombley wound up second in front of Rudy Arnold, John Rowe and Ray Brown. Bronson also claimed the heat race win.
[ED NOTE:Dalron Zehr will be a featured guest on Short Track America radio show Monday night at 6 PM.]
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD, AUGUST 26
SUPER LATE MODEL
1. #15 Mike Hinegardner 2. #05 Dalton Zehr 3. #75 Matthew Stichman 4. #32 Cliff White 5. #22 Dusty Cornelius 6. #34 Bobby Fleckinger 7. #18 Jared Allison 8. #47 Chris Fontaine DNS
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #12 Corey Freed 2. #44 Bob Beiler 3. #18 Jared Allison
SUPER STOCK
1. #92 Ted Head 2. #316 Ray Mullis 3. #17 Sean Bass 4. #97 Kelly Jarrett 5. #55 Tom Vento 6. #44 Jason Pick 7. #00 Mike Gennett 8. #46 Bobby Riley
MINI STOCK 1. #98 Josh Hermann 2. #16 Kenny Padgett 3. #28 Sean Bass 4. #92 Pedie Allison 5. #77 Lee Davis 6. #10 Michael Seay 7. #11 Billy Carlbert 8. #24 John Cook
PRO TRUCK 50
1. #14 Sean Bass 2. #5 Dalton Zehr 3. #60 Jamie Skinner 4. #10 George Gorham 5. #66 Matt Martin 6. #41 Brandon Johnson 7. #33 DeWayne Barrus 8. #9 Marty Wolf 9. #24 Michael Pilla 10. #24x Bobby Owens 11. #59 Dustin Dunn 12. #32 Bill Stacy
STRICTLY STOCK
1. #03 Rudy Bronson 2. #8x Bob Trombly 3. #3 Rudy Arnold 4. #21 John Rowe 5. #4 Ray Brown 6. #16 Robert Remus 7. #98 Heath Phillips 8. #04 Shane Lingerfelt 9. #07 Daniel Laszlo 10. #7
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