Bradenton, Fl. - DeSoto Super Speedway would not only host a full card of racing action on the night but also U.S. Congresswoman Katherine Harris. Harris who was at the speedway not only to support her upcoming election for the Senate but was also sponsoring one the drivers in the Open Wheel class Bill Davis.
Harris who was interviewed on the front stretch was asked if she has ever been to the speedway before, "I have never been here before but I am having such a great time I'll be back". Harris proved the point by talking to almost every fan in the stands.
The night's racing started off with qualifying for three classes. In the Bomber division 50 lap shoot out it was Randy Johnson taking the fast time and the extra $100 put up by Richard Markow from Gulf Coast Auto Parts. Following him was Jerome Slideways Watland, Milena Firestine, James Crawford Jr. and Radical Rick Germony.
The Rocketman Wayne Jefferson took the fast time for the 75 lap feature in the Q-Auto and Injury Open Wheel Modifieds, second fast was Tate Pierce the John Sarppriacone Jr. in his first race of the season followed by 04 Champ Bobby Baldwin and Wayne Bowman.
Twenty-eight cars rolled out onto the speedway for the 50-lap Bomber shoot-out. The roll of the die inverted the field the full six rows putting Dave Davis and Robert Shaver on the front row.
One of the crowd favorites Jerome 'Slideways' Watland encountered problems early with a flat tire. Watland would make his way back out onto the track but he would finish several laps down in the twenty-first spot.
The racing was wild as always with three and four wide through out the field. Positions were being swapped but up front Davis was showing his patience and dominance in the fifty lap events. Davis was the winner in last years shoot-out. Davis was never really challenged throughout the event but behind him the competition was hot and heavy.
Robert Shaver had a strong run going in the second spot but it wasnt long before team mates Pistol Pete Barr and Radical Rick Germony made their way through the field and by the second place Shaver. The team dueled back and forth for the spot.
All the fans were on the edge of their seats Saturday night as the Bombers put on a whale of a show, especially Congresswoman Katherine Harris
When the smoke cleared and the checkers flew it was Davis taking his second shoot-out win in as many years, Germony moved up and took second, third was Barr, fourth went to The Punsher Michael Crooks and fifth went to fast qualifier Randy Johnson.
"I just want to thank all the guys in this class, it wasnt long ago that flipped this car and everyone got together and helped me get it back out in a week", said a choked up Davis in the winners circle.
Q-Auto and Injury Open Wheel Modifieds: A zero came up on the roll of the die and field took the green the way they qualified. Wayne Jefferson driving the number 61 of Chet Senkossoff jumped out to the lead with Tae Pierce in the second spot.
John Sarppraicone Jr. who had spent last season running the Hooters Pro Cup series wasted no time and got around Pierce and set his sites on the leader.
A crash on the backstretch ended the night for Bill Davis as coming out of turn two he had no where to go and slammed into two cars who had spun in front of him.
Also involved in a violent crash was Wayne Bowman who had a solid top five run going when he got caught up in a crash on the front stretch. Getting caught up with Eric Rudd, going airborne and nearly going into the catch fence. Bowman was able to walk away from the wreck but his car went off on the hook.
The racing up front was heating up as Sarppraicones car closed in on Jefferson in every turn.
But his run for the top spot would end in turn two as bump sent Jefferson around in a cloud of smoke sending Sarppraicone to the rear of the field. He would climb back up and finish in the sixth spot.
Jefferson would take the green to checkers win, second was Tate Pierce, in a solid run Mike Hingardner finished third, fourth was Mark Nelson and fifth Sean McLaughlin.
Florida Mini-Stock Challenge Series:
Congresswoman Katherine Harris dropped the green flag on Florida Mini Stock Challenge Series race
The Florida Mini-Stock Challenge Series was in town and Robbie Storer, who has had his share of laps and wins at DeSoto, came out on top and took fast time.
Robbie Storer and Ronnie Larson had the fans on their feet as they battled for the lead in the fifty-lap FMSC race but the two got together and spun sending both cars to the rear of the field.
Chris Thornton was the Lucky Dog in fray as he took win and increased his lead in the points race in the series, second went to Robbie Yoakam, third was Ray Folwell, fourth Ronnie Larson and fifth Chuck Frazier.
Desoto Super Speedway Bradenton, FL ----05/13/2006
BOMBERS Pos Driver (Car) 1 DAVID DAVIS (6) 2 RICK GERMONY (8) 3 PETE BARR (81) 4 MICHAEL CROOKS (33) 5 RANDY JOHNSON (73) 6 DON SLACK (57) 7 SEAN CAVANAUGH (25) 8 TERRY SHAVER-R (07) 9 JAMES CRAWFORD JR (34) 10 CHRIS HUNTOON (39) 11 LARRY BRANNON (18) 12 CLIFF MITCHELL (17) 13 ROBERT SHAVER-R (10) 14 KENNY GIBSON (23) 15 TODD JACOBS (44) 16 JOHN STEWART (02) 17 LOU RUSSELL (3) 18 STEPHEN HUTTON-R (64) 19 DONNIE BATHJE (36) 20 MATTHEW BROWN (15) 21 JEROME WATLAND (31) 22 MARK BOXELL (88) 23 MILENA FIRESTINE (93) 24 STEVE KING (49X) 25 ROBERT BLACKMORE-R (12) 26 JASON CARR (37) 27 DANIEL SWILLER (13) 28 JAY KING (80X) 29 MARK ANDERSON (35) DNS
COWBOY CADDYS Pos Driver (Car) 1 DUANE CAMPBELL (77) 2 ROGER SWINTON (88) 3 ANTHONY EASTON (95) 4 CHRIS BETZ-R (73)
MINI STOCKS Pos Driver (Car) 1 DEAN BUTRUM (32) 2 ROB STODGELL (15) 3 JON BAILEY (14) 4 ROBERT CARTER (30) 5 MIKE KERRIVAN (45) 6 TODD SCHNEIDER (89) 7 MICHAEL PEACE (25) 8 RYAN BELLAMY (9) 9 ROBERT HAYGOOD (55) 10 STEVE DANIELS (48) 11 EUGENE DAVIDSON (3) 12 CAMERON CRUSE (22)
MODIFIED MINIS Pos Driver (Car) 1 RONNIE LARSON (61X) 2 RAYMOND FOLWELL (03) 3 MARTY NEIKENS (70) 4 DUSTIN PEREZ (0) 5 STEVE BOOTH (15) 6 JEFF BARNES (5X) 7 BILLY CARLBERT JR (11) 8 MARK MONIZ (41) 9 MATTHEW PERKINS (99) 10 RICK SIRMANS (05) 11 ROBBIE STORER (9) DNS 12 SCOTT RANNEY (02X) DNS 13 JAMES ELLIS (98) DNS
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED Pos Driver (Car) 1 CHET SENOKOSSOFF (61) 2 TATE PIERCE -Mllm (81) 3 MIKE HINEGARDNER (1X) 4 MARK NELSON (11) 5 SEAN MCLAUGHLIN (99) 6 JOHN SARPPRAICONE JR (88) 7 BOBBY BALDWIN (4) 8 CHRIS ESCOTT (8) 9 HERMAN BRAME (47) 10 RIKK McMEHAN (12R) 11 MARK CHAPMAN (40) 12 BARRY CARLSON (3) 13 ANDREW ALDERMAN (83) 14 ERIC RUDD (12) 15 WAYNE BOWMAN (21) 16 BRAD BISCHOFF-R (53) 17 ROBERT CRISP (75) 18 RALPH BOWMAN (2) 19 DUSTIN CHISHOLM (23) 20 TOMMY YOUNKMAN (36) 21 BILL DAVIS (15) 22 BRIAN TEETERS (44) 23 SCOTT McDANIEL (19) 24 JOHN ROGERS (2R) DNS
PURE STOCKS Pos Driver (Car) 1 JEFF DUFRESNE (12) 2 DARRIN ELLIS (71) 3 DUANE BEST (67) 4 JOHN BROWN (6) 5 TYLER LAU (1) 6 JODY COLLINS (18) 7 BOBBY ERVIEN-R (21) 8 EARL CHAMBERS (91) 9 GEORGE BARTIMAC (5) 10 KEVIN SHEPHERD JR (92) 11 RICHIE THORBIN (30) 12 KEN SMITH (11) 13 TROY MEREDITH (75) 14 JIMMIE BEST (35) 15 WILLIAM SLACK (41) 16 LEONARD McCUE (70) 17 BILLY MOORE (15)
STREET STOCKS Pos Driver (Car) 1 JEFF PADILLA (21) 2 DENNIS WILSON (42) 3 CASEY HALL (11) 4 TODD FREED JR. (8X) 5 WILLIAM SLACK (57) 6 WAYNE LEWIS (28) 7 BRUCE RIGGIO (75) 8 JAMIE CASSIDY (72) 9 JOEY BARNES (19) 10 ALEX ABBOTT (17) 11 DAN HALL (12)