One hundred fourteen racecars registered for week two of the 2000 racing season and the Late Models, and Figure 8s got their first opportunity to show off on the resurfaced quarter mile at Citrus County Speedway.

Most divisions are still trying to dial in on the new surface and the
attrition rate was high in several divisions due to multiple crashes on a cold racetrack. Set up, springs and tire pressure formulas seem to be the key to success on the new surface. Working in a second and third groove is a primary concern in getting the track in race ready
condition.

;Mr. Race Carin central Florida, Dave Pletcher, hopped into the
Pennington Cabinet, Ford Taurus, and set the pace from flag to flag, for the first $1,000 win purse in the 2000 season. The seventeen-car field saw an early race accident that took out Brad Atkins, Herb Newman Jr. and Lee McCullough. Ted Bolles and Fred Stoner suffered early mechanical problems and did not take the green flag for the 30-lap feature race. Tate Pierce was the only driver to give Pletcher any heat, finishing second on his rear bumper.Doc James Batson and Mike Bresnahan had a two-car dual for the entire race, for third and finished in that order. Rounding out the top five was defending late model champion, Danny
Johnson.

Mike Veltman won his heat and was chased to the checkered flag by Rex
Struble in his flag to flag win in the 20-lap Sportsman feature. Bill
Oestreicher outran Robert Pilkinton and Tom Jones in the race for third over the 17 starters. Veltman and Struble took the wins in their
respective heats winning the pole starting positions.

A Wilson trio made for another photo finish in the Street Stock
Feature. Harley Wilson Sr. snatched the win away from son Sport, off
turn four, in a last lap run for the checkers. Backing up the top three was last weeks winner, Wes Wilson. Robbie Yoakam chased Wes for the whole 20 laps with Otis Hamilton coming up to round out the top five.Four caution flags took out 10 of the 25 starters and cut the race short to 15 laps due to the time consumed for clean ups. Heat winners were Harley Wilson, Sport Wilson and Curtis Flanagan.

Kevin Harrod took the win in his heat and a flag to flag win over the
13-car Mini Stock Field in the 20 lap main event. Mark Sowell and
George Neumann locked onto Harrod but just couldn’t make the pass. Frank Coleman maneuvered through the traffic to salvage a third place finish ahead of nephew Rick Coleman. Don Faunce outran John Coleman in the race for fifth. Harrod and Neumann won the heat races.

Defending Hobby Stock champion Roy Perkins had the hot shoe Saturday
night, outracing last weeks winner Chris Hooker for the win. This
matched his numbers in the win column for the entire year in 1999. Scott Teague, Mike Ruff and Michael Bell survived the numerous caution flags that cut this one short to 15 laps due to the time period allotted for each race. Hooker and, newcomer, Mickey Burns won their respective heats.

Nine cars were scheduled to start the first Figure 8 race of the season but damages in earlier races in other divisions kept Phillip Rook, Don Teague and Scott Knight out of the running. Despite the short field, there was plenty of action in the intersection with Gary Swing holding off the charge of defending champion Robert Aaron. 1998 champ, Ron Schreifels came back strong after taking a year off and finished in a solid third over Ken Crews and Brad Cleaveland.

Stuart Madison took the win in the second Street Junker run of the
year.
Citrus County speedway will be quiet for the next three weeks while the Citrus County Fair activities take place. The speedway gets back into full-scale action on April 1st with the LaPerle Memorials Late Model race for a $1,300 win purse. Added to the program will be a full program to include the Figure 8s. Racing continues non-stop through November 11th.

Citrus County Speedway Results 03/04/00
Late Model Feature ­ 30 Laps- 17 Cars
1. # 3X Dave Pletcher Pinellas Park
2. #81 Tate Pierce Homosassa
3. # 4 James Batson Inverness
4. #31 Mike Bresnahan Lecanto
5. #96 Danny Johnson Crystal River
Lmtd. Sportsman Feature ­ 20 Laps ­ 17 Cars
1. #55 Mike Veltman Crystal River
2. #69 Rex Struble Homosassa
3. # 5 Bill Oestreicher Webster
4. #0X Robert Pilkinton Webster
5. #60 Tom Jones Inverness
1st Heat Winner - #55 Mike Veltman
2nd Heat Winner - #69 Rex Struble
Street Stock Feature ­ 25 Laps ­ 25 Cars
1. #85 Harley Wilson Sr. Floral City
2. #94 Sport Wilson Floral City
3. #20 Wes Wilson Floral City
4. #15 Robbie Yoakam Hernando
5. #36 Otis Hamilton Brooksville
1st Heat Winner ­ #94 Sport Wilson
2nd Heat Winner - #85 Harley Wilson Sr.
3rd Heat Winner - #22 Curtis Flanagan
Mini Stock Faeture ­ 20 Laps ­ 13 Cars
1. #34 Kevin Harrod Bushnell
2. # 5 Mark Sowell Hernando
3. # 1 George Neumann Inverness
4. # 0 Frank Coleman Brooksville
5. #20 Rick Coleman Wesley Chapel
1st Heat Winner ­ # 34 - Kevin Harrod
2nd Heat Winner - # 1 - George Neumann
Hobby Stock Feature ­ 20 Laps ­ 24 Cars
1. #07 Roy Perkins Inverness
2. #24 Chris Hooker Floral City
3. #02 Scott Teague Clearwater
4. #23 Mike Ruff Homosassa
5. #17x Michael Bell
1st Heat Winner - #24 Chris Hooker
2nd Heat Winner - #22 Mickey Burns
Figure 8 Feature ­ 15 Laps ­ 9 Cars
1. #22 Gary Swing Floral City
2. # 6 Robert Aaron Brooksville
3. #27 Ron Schreifels Hernando
4. #81 Ken Crews Tampa
5. # 7 Brad Cleaveland Floral City
Street Legal Junkers ­ 15 Laps ­ 9 Cars
1. #2 Stuart Madison
2. #55 John Donahue

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