IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

July 9, 2006 Travis Cope Makes It Three Wins in Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series by Jane Smith Travis Cope (26) and Dustin Deschamps race for the corner at Columbia Motorsports Park. (Lake City, Fla. July 9, 2006) - When Travis Cope got up yesterday, it was just a Saturday morning when it was time to go racing. The hauler was packed, the car was ready and Travis and his crew made their way up the road just alittle from Bronson to Columbia Motorsports Park. He practiced the car and it was good. No rain clouds, alot of heat. And in the end, Travis won his third Goodyear Challenge Late Model race. It was not a good day for everyone. Alli Owens hit the hard concrete walls of Columbia in practice and knocked her car out of the race and hurt her foot. Jacob Warren, driving for Wayne and Tim Clark, looked good in practice but his motor seized and he was out of the race. Chuck Abel had a horse of a different color when his tow vehicle broke down on I-75 and he had to have parts brought to him to even get to Columbia. Abel arrived after qualifying and got only three laps on the track before the green. Daniel Keene set fast time for the 100 lap event with a 17.257 followed by Travis Cope, Dustin Deschamps, Sam Watts, and Joe Winchell. Keene pulled a three for the inversion putting Dustin Deschamps on the pole. After the on-track autograph session, it was time to race. Deschamps found his hands full from the beginning as he and Cope went side-by-side for the point. It took Cope little time to show his stuff as he led the way over Deschamps, Keene, Watts and Winchell. Being the "old pro" of the top five, Winchell spent no time getting around Watts for fourth as Watts went to fifth followed by Troy Hall, Rich Clouser, A.J. Curreli, Justin Larson and Jeremy Colangelo. Only 8 laps down, Abel ended his crazy night as he spun in turns 1 and 2 ending up against the wall. Abel was fine but disappointed with little practice time to shake down his car before the race. Not a very good Saturday night. Cope holds the point as the race goes back green followed by Deschamps, Keene, Winchell and Watts. Keene and Deschamps are doing some very hard racing for second as they touch with Keene going sideways and spinning in turns 1 and 2. Keene is sent to the rear for the restart for bringing out the yellow. Deschamps remains in second. VWith Keene in the rear, top five are now Cope, Deschamps, Winchell, Troy Hall, and Sam Watts. Suddenly Rich Clouser begins to go backwards ending up in ninth. Clouser slows on the backstretch almost to a stop when the yellow comes out for the ailing car to get to the pits. Clouser had a tire go down but his machine was running hot, too hot to continue racing and Clouser was done for the night. A brief green until the next yellow when Justin Larson spins in turns 1 and 2. At this time Matt Martin (66) pits to have his hood straightened that has some damage and is back on the track with John Coffman also getting crew attention several times. The green goes back out with Cope, Winchell, Deschamps, Hall, Watts, Curreli, Colangelo, Charles Kopach, Daniel Keene, Greg Kaouk, Dean Ferri and Matt Martin on the track. As Keene is working his way back up front, he and Kopach touch sending Kopach in a spin. Both cars are fine but must restart in the rear. Halfway shows Cope, Winchell, Deschamps, Hall and Watts as your top five but Watts begins now to put the heat on Hall passing Hall for fourth. The top five continue racing hard as Hall gets loose and slides backwards to seventh putting Curreli in fifth and Colangelo in sixth. Hall now finds a hard charging Keene giving him small "love" kisses but Hall holds. Keene tries again on the outside and this time makes it and takes over seventh. Running order is Cope, Winchell, Watts, Deschamps, Curreli, Colangelo, Keene, Kaouk, Hall, Martin and Kopach. Colangelo gets a good run on Curreli and takes over fifth as Curreli goes to sixth. Winchell, with the help of a lap car, passes Cope for the lead but Cope is not going for that and repasses Winchell and takes back his throne. Colangelo then puts the heat on Deschamps taking over fifth as Deschamps finds himself in fifth. The caution comes out on lap 91 for Charles Kopach who has spun in turn 4. With only 9 laps to go, Cope knows he has to have a good restart to hold off Winchell who is right on his tail. Cope gets a good start followed by Winchell, Watts, Colangelo and Deschamps. Curreli puts the heat on Deschamps as Deschamps slides backwards with Curreli now in fifth. Cope takes the checkered for his third win of 2006 in the Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series followed by Joe Winchell, Sam Watts, Jeremy Colangelo and A.J. Curreli. The next event for the Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series will be July 29 at New Smyrna Speedway. OFFICIAL RESULTS GOODYEAR CHALLENGE LATE MODEL 100 COLUMBIA MOTORSPORTS PARK - JULY 8 1. #26 Travis Cope, Bronson 2. #57 Joe Winchell, Davie 3. #73 Sam Watts, Winter Springs 4. #05 Jeremy Colangelo, Deland 5. #2 A.J. Curreli, Daytona Beach 6. #16 Daniel Keene, Land O'Lak 7. #31 Greg Kaouk, Penbrooke Pines 8. #66 Matt Martin, Port Orange 9. #51 Dustin Deschamps, Brooksville 10. #53 Charles Kopach, Clermont 11. #30 Troy Hall, Coral Springs 12. #99 Dean Ferri, Deerfield 13. #3 John Coffman, Live Oak 14. #88 Justin Larson, Safety Harbor 15. #9 Rich Clouser, Palm Bay 16. #19 Chuck Abel, Apopka 17. #1x Chuck Burkhalter, Clermont 18. #22 Ali Owens, South Daytona DNS 19. #8 Jacob Warren, Orlando DNS Have an opinion on this story? 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