| Day Two Costly for Some, Happy for Others at USA International | by Jane Smith
Lakeland, Fl. (January26, 2008) Day two of Speefest 2008 at USA International proved to have more sun for sure but when the sun started to set, the damp, cold air moved in and it was gloves, jackets, and hot chocolate weather.
As racing goes, a few cars were lost before qualifying even began. Sam Watts took his Super Late Model home due to ill handling. Sam and his crew worked on the car all day but could not get it to handle and figured USA was no place to have an ill-handling race car. Fain Skinner also took his Super Late home when something broke on it. Scott Millar blew his motor and although he said he could put in another and fix it decided it was best to call it a day. Then Drew Brannon, one of the South Crate Late Models, hit the wall during qualifying and found himself going home.
The Crate Late Models started out the evening's racing with two 25 lap races with Chris Fontaine on the pole for the South 25 and Jimmy Land for the Norht 25. Wayne Morris led the South race for quite some time until Travis Cope took over and there was no looking back for Travis. Morris retired to get the lead back but Cope was having nothing to do with it and won the 25 lapper followed by Wayne Morris, Travis Wilson, Chris Fontaine, and Patrick Staropoli.
The North saw Jimmy Lang lead for the first 16 laps or so but it was Wheaton, IL's Eddie Hoffman who took the lead from Lang and never looked back. Hoffman was set on rails for the win and took it followed by Jimmy Lang, Sean Murphy, Beau Slocumb, and Kris Stump.
Jeff Choquette of Loxahatchee set fast time for the South 100 but it was Scotty Crockett of Land O Lakes who was on the pole. But it was Wildwood, Florida's Wayne Anderson who jumped to the lead on the green. Jeff Scofield of Plant City was the first caution of the race and was towed off the track as Justin Drawdy of Ft. Pierce was sent to the rear. Anderson continued to lead the point on the restart followed by Crockett, Travis Cope, Jeff Choquette and Jay Middleton.
Lap 36 sees Choquette put the pressure on Anderson for the point and takes it and as they say, never looked back. Choquette fights off a hard charging Anderson and Middleton but their charges do not shake him at all. Lap 76 sees the end of Wayne Anderson's night as he finds himself in the turns 1 and 2 wall.
Choquette maintains the point and takes the win followed by Jay Middleton, David Rogers, Scotty Crockett, and Tim Russell.
Russell, who qualified in the bottom of the field, fought his car all day and was very pleased with his fifth place finish. Russell will finish Speedfest and run to Port Canaveral, Florida where he will get on a crew ship and be married on Sunday by the ship's captain. What a weekend for Russell.
The North 100 was the last race of the night and much colder causing some problems with the Northern cars. Jon Wes Townley of Watkinsville, GA. had the pole but it was Auburn, ME's Ben Rowe who took the point on the green. But obviously it was not meant to be for Rowe as he found himself out of the race on lap 12. Augie Grill of Hyden, AL was the new leader followed by Ryan Sieg, Ryan Lawler, Aaron Pierce, and Eddie Hoffman. But it seemed the point leader was destined for disaster as Grill found himself wrecked and out of the race. One by one, the Northern cars grew less and less.
But it was Ryan Lawler of Colleyville, TX who held off a very hard charging Kyle Busch of Las Vegas, NV. for his first win at Speedfest. Lawler was followed across the checkered followed by Kyle Busch, Scott Hantz, Mike Rowe, and Shane Sawyer.
When the 200 lapper takes the track on Saturday, the North will also be short some of the original cars. Going home from the North are Corey Williams of Boothbay, ME., Augie Grill of Hayden, AL. and Ben Rowe of Auburn, ME.
Pits open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, January 25th, with an on-track autograph session for all cars at 6:30 p.m. If you love to watch practice, practice wil run from 2 pm to 3:30 pm. Racing beings at 8 pm with the Crate Late Model Challenge 100 presented by Goodyear to be followed by the Speedfest Super Late Model NOS Energy Drink 200 presented by GOODYEAR.
Tickets are $30.00 for the frontstretch, $20.00 for the backstretch, children 10 and under $10.00. Grandstands will open at 1 p.m. for spectators. For more information on USA International go to www.usaspeedway.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
SPEEDFEST 2008
USA INTERNATIONAL, JANUARY 25, 2008
SOUTH 100
1. #70 Jeff Choquette, Loxahatchee, FL
2. #74 Jay Middleton, Gainesville, FL
3. #11 David Rogers, Orlando, FL
4. #28 Scotty Crockett, Land O Lakes, FL.
5. #36 Tim Russell, Longwood, FL
6. #26 Travis Cope, Weeki Wachee, FL
7. #05 Jeremy Colanglo, Deland, FL
8. #12 Justin Drawdy, Ft. Pierce, FL
9. #80 Brian Finney, Merritt Island, FL
10. #5 Joe Boyd, Riverview, FL
11. #6 Mac Johnson, Newberry, FL
12. #88 Justin Larson, Safety Harbor, FL
13. #00 Robert Yoho, Pinellas Park, FL
14. #84 Wayne Anderson, Wildwood, FL
15. #22 Perry Brown, Riverview, FL
16. #2 Patrick Conrad, Clermont, FL
17. #9 Kurt Jett, Orange Park, FL
18. #170 Jeremy Gerstner, Wesley Chapel, FL
19. #07 Jeff Scofield, Plant City, FL.
NORTH 100
1. #31 Ryan Lawler, Colleyville, TX
2. #51 Kyle Busch, Las Vegan, NV
3. #72 Scott Hantz, Angola, IN
4. #2 Mike Rowe, Turner, ME
5. #38 Shane Sawyer, Buford, GA
6. #18 Hunter Robbins, Montgomery, AL
7. #49 Stanley Smith, Chelsea, AL
8. #78 Cassius Clark, Farmington, ME
9. #112 Augie Grill, Handen, AL
10. #89 Shane Seig, Tucker, GA
11. #1 Aaron Pierce, Daleville, IN
12. #67 Jeff Fultz, Mooresville, NC
13. #09 John Wes Townley, Watkinsville, GA.
14. #39 Ryan Sieg, Tucker, GA
15. #35 David Stremme, South Bend, IN
16. #8 Eddie Hoffman, Wheaton, IL
17. #99 Jason Shively, Ft. Wayne, IN
18. #14 Blake Lehr, Waxhaw, NC
19. #60 D.J. Shaw, Center conway, NH
20. #47 Corey Williams, Boothbay, ME
21. #10 Jack Landis, Edgerton, OH
22. #4 Ben Rowe, Auburn, ME
Crate Late Model Challenge
South 25
1. #26 Travis Cope, Weeki Wachee, FL
2. #56 Wayne Morris, Mulberry, FL
3. #63 Travis Wilson, Bartow, Fl
4. #47 Chris Fontaine, Auburndale, FL
5. #97 Patrick Staropoli, Plantation, FL
6. #19 Kevin Macy, Bartow, FL
7. #93 Rob Partelo, Largo, FL
8. #25 Steve Smith, Lakeland, FL
9. #07 George Crenshaw, Lakeland, FL
10. #127 Kyle Maynard, Weirsdale, FL
11. #70 Jeremy Gerstner, Wesley Chapel, FL
12. #24 Michael Pilla, Jupiter, FL
13. #08 Drew Brannon, Miami, FL DNS
North 25
1. #8 Eddie Hoffman, Wheaton, IL
2. #86 Jimmy Lang, Bluffton, SC
3. #32 Sean Murphy, Indianapolis, IN
4. #08 Beau Slocumb, Juliette, GA
5. #5 Kris Stump, Tipp City, OH
6. #76 Logan Ruffin, Brentwood, TN
7. #60 D.J. Shaw, Center Conway, NH
8. #16 Austin Siebert, Warrensburg, MO
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