RIVALRY IN SPORTSMAN DIVISION REACHES NEW LEVEL
IN SPEEDFEST 2000 PROGRAM

February 15, St. Augustine, Fla.- The volatile rivalry that has been stewing in the Sportsman division for several years at Florida Speed Park reached the boiling point this evening as St. Augustine's Todd Ponce and Kenny Hall
battled bitterly for the right to eventually finish fifth and seventh respectively.

Unfortunately, the hi-jinx on and off the track between these two may have overshadowed the outstanding driving clinic put on by first time winner, Jason Garver, and Joey Haslauer who swapped the lead late in the race and did
a great job putting the excitement right back in this division.

Haslauer led much of the 30-lap feature but was suffering from an overheating problem that was spraying water from the radiator overflow directly on to the critical right front tire. Finally the problem became significant enough that Haslauer's red No. 14 pushed up the racetrack in turn one opening the door for Garver and allowing him to slip underneath the No. 14, grab the lead and go on to his first ever win in the division.

Ronnie Tillman managed to keep his distance from most of the pushing and gouging that was going on to claim the third spot just in front of Nick Pilinko in fourth.

Jeff Lane of Knightstown, Indiana used some lapped traffic to snooker John Gearhart of Coldwater, Mich. on the last lap of the 35-lap Modified feature to pick up his first win in the SpeedFest 2000 racing action. In that last
lap dash to the finish Lane and Gearhart sandwiched a lapped car as they came to the finish line with Lane out-sprinting Gearhart to the checkers.

Last night's winner Robert Deal of Jacksonville finished third ahead of Cincinnati's Kim King and Dan Logan of Detroit who rounded out the top five.

In the Super Late Model division Wildwood, Florida's Dick Anderson, the fourth different winner in as many races, took the 35-lap feature in flag to flag fashion over last night's winner Tim Felver and Friday's winner Scott
Hantz. Big Jim Kelly held on to pick up another fourth and 16-year-old Tom McCann rounded out the top five.

The Truck division saw Wes Bullock of Cicero, Indiana edge out Bill Harkins and Rob Miller for his second SpeedFest 2000 victory.


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