Brad May sees Victory Circle in Goodyear Challenge Late Model Bunny Hop 100 at New Smyrna Speedway
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla. (April 15, 2006) Skies were blue, weather was a little warm, kids dreaming of Easter egg hunts and plenty of action at New Smyrna Speedway as the Goodyear Challenge Late Model Bunny Hop 100 took center stage.
Thirty cars were on hand for the 100 lap event but in hot laps, John Ripley of Sanford lost a plug in the rearend coating the track and making it slick. Jacob Warren was the one who got the hard end of the stick as he hit the oil and backed the Tim Clark No. 8 Late Model into the wall ending their night before it began. Dropping out of qualifying was Charlie Vest with the No. 21 Late Model giving us a twenty eight car field.
One by one in the warm spring sun, each qualified with Brad May of Orlando taking fast time with a 18.375. Sam Watts of Winter Springs set second fast time with a 18.474 followed by Rich Clouser of Palm Bay with a 18.603. The previous winner at Bronson Motor Speedway, Travis Cope, set fourth fastest time with a 16.625 with Jonny Kay of Deerfield Beach fifth with a 18.683. Kay, who has been missinig in action for almost a year, was a welcome site to see back behind the wheel of a racecar. May pulled the ninth pill inverting the field the first nine spots putting points leader Joe Winchell on the pole with Charles Kopach on the outside.
After an on-track autograph session and driver introduction, it was time to go Goodyear racing.
On the green, Winchell quickly took the lead followed by Charles Kopach, Doug Moff, A.J. Curreli and Jonny Kay. Moff put pressure on Kopach taking over second with Kay and Rich Clouser following putting Kopach in fifth. Curreli got caught in the shuffle and went backwrads but quickly found the fifth place. The first caution came out for Dean Ferri, Amanda Gogel, Jeremy Colangelo, and Chuck Abell on the backstretch. Ferria and Colangelo were done for the night with Gogel and Abell continuing but with damage. On the restart, Winchell and Moff are going side-by-side for the point but Moff proves he has the stronger car and takes over the lead. Curreli puts the muscle on Winchell next taking over second with Winchell in third. But it is not yet over as Brad May moves from fifth to third leaving Winchell fourth and Clouser fifth.
Just as the action is really heating up, the caution comes out for Amanda Gogel who spins on the frontstretch and Sam Watts dusts the turn one wall but is able to continue. Alli Owens has her problems as she sits at the exit of pit road with a broken transmission. The track is cleared and it is back to green.
Lap 23 sees the restart with Moff, Curreli, May, Clouser and Chuck Burkhalter in his brand new car in the top five. Curreli is puting pressure on Moff but Moff holds strong as May puts pressure on Curreli. Moff and Curreli are once again side-by-side as Curreli takes the lead followed by May, Moff, Clouser, and Burkhalter.
But May has a strong car and is now challenging Curreli for the lead which May gets It is now May, Curreli, Moff, Clouser, Burkhalter, Kay, Deschamps, Cope, Winchell, Chad Pierce and Mike Greenwell running up front.
Half way sees six cars out of action leaving the field twenty one strong. May leads the way followed by Clouser, Curreli, Burkhalter and Moff. Joe Strehele brings out the yellow as he spins in turn 4. The field is quickly realigned as May once again takes control of the race on the green followed by Clouser, Curreli, Burkhalter, and Moff. After running in the top five all night, lap 79 sees Moff exit the track into the pits along with Troy Hall. The yellow comes out on for Charles Kopach and Ali Zargaran who have gotten together on the backstretch. Zargaran is done for the night but Kopach is able to continue on.
May holds the point on the restart followed by Clouser, Burkhalter, Curreli and Deschamps. Burkhalter and Curreli is doing some of that side-by-side action as Curreli slides up and falls back letting Deschamps in fourth followed by Jonny Kay in fifth as Curreli settles into sixth. With laps winding down, Clouser tries to move on May but it is just not happening. May is on rails and ready for a win under his belt. Travis Cope brings out the red on lap 95 when he gets loose coming off four, slides sideways, and hits the frontstretch wall hard. Cope was not hurt to the crowds delight but ended one very good run for the previous winner at Bronson. With only five laps left, it is make your move now or forget it.
May holds on to the point for the final five laps followed by Clouser, Burkhalter, Deschamps and Kay. As the top three go to the frontstretch for a victory celebration, Mike Greenwell brake checks Chad Pierce on pit road smashing Pierce's front end. Greenwell is disqualified for poor sportsmanship after a good run. Tempers get hot but uncalled for actions do get penalized.
A very happy and hot Brad May thanked the crowd and everyone who helped him get into Victory Lane. Clouser, missing one of his most important crew member daughter Kate, was also very happy with his finish. And a worn out Burkhalter was leaning on his new car happy that they were able to do as well since the car was new and he had backed it into the wall Thursday night at practice. The crowd was happy, the drivers were happy and everyone enjoyed a very good stockcar race the night before Easter.
The Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series moves next to Columbia Motorsports Park on May 6. In the first three races there have been three different winners. Who will win Columbia?? You have to be there to find out.
OFFICIAL RESULTS GOODYEAR CHALLENGE LATE MODEL BUNNY HOP 100 NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY, APRIL 15
1. #10 Brad May, Orlando 2. #9 Rich Clouser, Palm Bay 3. #1x Chuck Burkhalter, Clermont 4. #51 Dustin Deschamps, Brooksville 5. #48 Jonny Kay, Deerfield Beach 6. #2 A.J. Curreli, Daytona Beach 7. #57 Joe Winchell, Davie 8. #19x Chad Pierce, Orlando 9. #88 Justin Larson, Safety Harbor 10. #37 Redd Vann, Wesley Chapel 11. #4k Amanda Gogel, New Smyrna 12. #31 Greg Kaouk, Penbroke Pines 13. #40 Jeremy Goddard, Naples 14. #53 Charles Kopach, Clermont 15. #83 Joe Strehle, Deland 16. #26 Travis Cope, Bronson 17. #32z Ali Zargaran, Pompano 18. #00 John Ripley, Sanford 19. #30 Troy Hall, Coral Springs 20. #46 Doug Moff, Fort Myers 21. #73 Sam Watts, Winter Springs 22. #47 Robert Kayse, Eustis 23. #19 Chuck Abell, Apopka 24. #22 Alli Owens, South Daytona 25. #05 Jeremy Colangelo, Deland 26. #99 Dean Ferri, Deerfield 27. #4b Alan Bruns, Clermont DNS 28. #8 Jacob Warren, Orlando DNS 29. #21 Charlie Vest, Orlando DNS 30. #191 Mike Greenwell, Alva DQ'D (unsportsmanship conduct)
