Modified Summer Shootout Takes Center Stage At Putnam County
Tera Gunter
After rain cancelled Putnam County Speedway’s Friday night events, Mother Nature held steady for Saturday’s events. With live music by Ed Gunter before racing action began and during the intermission, fans enjoyed great racing action on the 3/8 mile banked clay oval.
Eighteen modifieds thundered onto the speedway for a 35 lap, no time limit race #2 of the Modified Summer Shootout. John Bradley took the lead with Mark Whitener and Jason Lowe following. Two cautions flew early, the first for a spinout and the second for an incident between turns 3-4 that shuffled the lineup as Lowe flew sideways and Roger Crouse, David Boerner, Mark Wortman, and Jamie Carter all tangled.
Bradley took the lead at the restart with Whitener and Jamie Burrows close behind. Whitener spun out and Burrows set his sights on Bradley, taking the lead on turn 3 while Jeff Matthews, who started near the end of the field, flew up to take third behind Bradley. Whitener, Crouse and Lowe worked through the field before Crouse and Whitener tangled out of turn 4, placing Lowe in fourth behind Matthews.
Matthews overtook Bradley for second and at the restart after a caution, Lowe challenged Bradley, and took third out of turn 1. A flat tire for Matthews handed Lowe second and Lowe set his sights on Burrows. Lowe fell victim to the two caution rule two laps later after he got loose in turn 1.
Jamie Burrows maintained the lead and Carter took second as Crouse and Bradley duked it out for third. Bradley’s night ended as he pulled his ride into the infield. Kenny Blair, who kept clear of all the incidents, dueled for third with Whitener before Burrows led Crouse, Whitener, Blair, and Wortman to victory lane.
Street stocks rumbled onto the speedway with Rick Land and Tim Dowling on the front row. Land and Dowling shot off side by side at the green flag start with Land taking the lead on the backstretch.
The first caution of the evening flew for Kinley in turn 4. Land and Dowling dueled for the lead at the restart and Dowling made his move of the race to take the lead in turn 2. Land fell out of contention as David Dowling Sr. and Kevin Mills battled for second. Mills overcame Dowling Sr. and set off after Tim Dowling while Dowling Sr. and Richard Adams settled into position behind Mills.
As Adams placed challenges on Dowling Sr., Kinley steadily moved through the field to take third behind Mills by lap 11. Mills closed in on Tim Dowling and began challenging the race leader before a lapped car caused Mills to lose two positions. A caution just after that handed Mills his position back.
The restart saw Tim Dowling, Mills, and Kinley in a heated battle out of turn 2 and Adams and Dowling Sr. battling for the 4th position. The final lap became an exciting shootout for the finish when Tim Dowling took the checkered as Kinley flew up beside of Mills out of turn 4. Kinley overtook Mills for second by inches as Adams and David Dowling Sr. rounded out the top five.
Blake Spencer and Steve Bennett lined up side by side in the mini stock feature with Bennett taking the lead. Jay Farris proved to be a worthy contender as did Troy Kruse. Kruse moved up to challenge Bennett for the lead, snatching the lead from Bennett out of turn 1 on lap 4. Kruse, Bennett, and Farris held onto the front running positions with Farris passing Bennett to take second as Spencer fought to catch up. Josh Leth, who, a few weeks ago, flipped his car on the front stretch in a scary wreck, pulled into position behind Justin Carney. Kruse fell out of contention a few laps later and Farris led Spencer, Bennett, Carney, and Leth to the checkered flag.
Hank Wilson and Mark Davis lined up in the front in the late model feature and Davis took the lead in one of this division’s more exciting races. A battle behind Davis shaped up as Billy Costello and J. O. Nobles dueled for position. Costello displaced Nobles and placed hard charges on Wilson, passing Wilson and taking a determined Nobles with him.
A restart after a caution proved to be David Crews’ moment as Crews, running 4th, charged hard down the backstretch and upstaged Nobles, Costello, and Davis out of turn 3 to take the lead. A caution before the lap could be completed placed Crews back in 4th, a place he would not remain for long. Davis, Costello, and Nobles took off at the restart with Costello and Nobles running side by side before Nobles and Crews passed Costello. Th
The battle for the lead continued as Nobles hard charged Davis while fending off hard charges from Crews. Nobles and Davis ran side by side before Nobles passed Davis and took a hotly contesting Crews with him. Nobles held off Crews before hard racing claimed both racers in turn 2. Nobles was placed to the rear as Crews entered the pit area.
The green flag flew before Crews could emerge from the pit but Crews became the lucky dog when a caution flew for John Trammell before the green flag lap could be completed. With Nobles and Crews at the rear of the lead lap, Davis took the lead once again with Costello in 2nd. Hard racing between Davis and Costello claimed Costello as he looped his car out of turn 2, handing 2nd to Michael Cherry. Nobles and Crews worked their way back through the field to take 3rd and 4th before Nobles’ ride failed him. Crews took the lead from Davis with Richard Ferry close behind. Crews led Ferry, Davis, Wilson, and Costello to the checkered flag in his first win of the season.
Tallie Lewis took the lead in the box stock feature after taking the win earlier in the evening in a make up event postponed from August 19th due to rain. Justin Dean flew up to take second on the backstretch with Shawn Pawlak following. A familiar battle looked to be shaping up between Dean and Pawlak as both racers dueled with Pawlak challenging Dean for 2nd.
Jack Miller and Lonnie McGruder proved to be worthy contenders as both fell into position behind Pawlak. Dean went to the rear after he got loose out of turn 3. McGruder challenged Pawlak for second and passed Pawlak before Pawlak spun on the backstretch due to a flat tire with Dean just barely missing him. Dean fell out of contention after the restart when his ride failed him. Lewis maintained his lead and led McGruder, Wayne Pawlak, John Stacy and Shawn Pawlak to the checkered flag.
Racing resumes next weekend both Friday and Saturday night with a 30 lap special Hobby Stock feature, the Florida Mini Sprint Association, a Spectator’s Race, and a Backwards Race on the card for Friday night, rescheduled events from August 25th. Saturday night is Clay County Citizen’s night with a $2 general admission and the mini sprints along with the regular show. Visit the speedway’s website at www.putnamcountyspeedway.com or call the track at 386-649-5210 for more information.
