Twenty-eight cars qualified for the Goff Racing Hobby Stock thirty lap special Saturday night and the teenage drivers were the stars of the show. Seventeen-year-old Mike Ruff was fast qualifier, turning a time 17.393, followed by Richie Smith and Chris Hooker who were just 1/10 and 4/10 of second off the fast time.

On the pill draw for position, thats where Ruffs luck ended putting him in the ninth starting position while Smith and Hooker drew the one and two pill. When the green flag dropped it was chase Smith and Hooker all the way to the checkered flag. Smith picked up his second win of his rookie season and pocketed $450 for his nights work while point leader Hooker had to settle for a tight second place run. Defending champion Roy Perkins held out for third while the grandson of sponsor George Goff J.D. Goff moved from tenth to fourth at the finish line. Another young gun, Kreg Belcastro had his first top five finish in his rookie season.

The father and son team of Perry and John Lovelady put it on a short Late Model field in the American Freightways Big Purse Challenge. Brad Atkins jumped off the pole to set the early pace holding off young John Lovelady who took his first start at Citrus County Speedway. John made it payoff when Atkins went wide on three and four giving up the lead and falling back to fourth in the run for the flag. John Lovelady took the $1300 win purse followed by his father Perry Lovelady who held off a late charge from defending champion Danny Johnson. Point leader Mike Bresnahan finished fifth in a battle scared racecar and was the last car to survive in the eleven-car field. Dan Johnson and Bresnahan won the heats.

In Limited Sportsman action Rex Struble logged his first feature win of the year in a last lap pass on Jim Smith who was looking for his third win in a row bonus. It looked like Smith would be the second Sportsman driver to accomplish that feat but three laps from the end of the 20-lap main he lost power and Struble was able overtake Smith for the win. Smith held out for second ahead of point leader Mike Veltman, Mark Dominique and John Gann. Veltman and Travis Nichols won the heat races.

Wayne Lewis took his first trip to Victory Lane in the Street Stock 20 lap main event. Mike Bell logged his best finish since moving up from the Hobby Stock division with his second place run. Sport Wilson was the hard charger in the 25-car field moving from 11th to third being chased by Mike Bresnahan in a Wilson team car. Ernie Reed rounded out the top five. Heat winners were Sport Wilson, Wes Wilson and John Levecque.

Seventeen cars took the green flag in the largest Mini Stock field of the year. Rick Coleman blasted out of the outside pole position and was looking at a rear view mirror full of point leader George Neumann all the way to the checkered flag. Neumann just couldnt power past Coleman who logged his second win of the year. Mark Sowell locked on to Neumann and made several runs at him but had to settle for a third place finish. Kevin Harrod and Frank Coleman locked horns for their fourth and fifth place finishes. Harrod and Sowell picked up the heat wins.

Joe Donahue and his brother Joe outran the 20-car Street Legal Junker field and Stuart Madison banged his way through heavy traffic to finish third. Tom Holmes took his 90 Corvette to an easy win in the first fan participation race of the year.

Saturday night will be driver autograph night at intermission with a full field of Late Models going in the Pennington Cabinet Big Bonus Challenge plus Figure 8s, Limited Sportsman, Street Stocks, Mini Stocks, Hobby Stocks and Street Legal Junkers. Fans are invited to tune up the family grocery getter for the Fan Participation race. They must register at the pit gate before 6:30 pm to run in the one on one oval drag race.

By Larry MacMillan



Citrus County Speedway Results 05/27/00
American Freightways Late Model Feature 25 Laps 11 Cars
1. #78 John Lovelady Lakeland 2. #68 Perry Lovelady Lakeland 3. #96 Danny Johnson Crystal River 4. #25 Brad Atkins Summerfield 5. #31 Mike Bresnahan Lecanto

1st Heat Winner #96 Dan Johnson Crystal River
2nd Heat Winner - #31 Mike Bresnahan

Lecanto Goff Racing Hobby Stock Feature 30 Laps 28 Cars
1. #42 Rickie Smith Hernando 2. #24 Chris Hooker Floral City 3. #07 Roy Perkins Inverness 4. #14 J.D. Goff Brooksville 5. # 3 Kreg Belcastro Inverness

Fast Qualifier - #23 Mike Ruff Homosassa 17.393 Sec.

Limited Sportsman Feature 20 Laps 12 Cars
1. #69 Rex Struble Homosassa 2. #32 Jim Smith Inverness 3. #55 Mike Veltman Crystal River 4. # 7 Mark Dominique Inverness 5. # 9 John Gann Brooksville
1st Heat Winner - #55 Mike Veltman Crystal River
2nd Heat Win - #39 Travis Nichols Inverness

Street Stock Feature 20 Laps 25 Cars 1. #28 Wayne Lewis Zephyrhills 2. #17X Mike Bell Dunnellon 3. #94 Sport Wilson Floral City 4. # 4 Mike Bresnahan Lecanto 5. #55 Ernie Reed Inverness

1st Heat Winner - #94 Sport Wilson Floral City
2nd Heat Winner - #20 Wes Wilson Floral City
3rd Heat Winner - # 6 John LeVecque Inverness

Mini Stock Feature 20 Laps 17 Cars
1. #20 Rick Coleman Brooksville 2. # 1 George Neumann Inverness 3. # 5 Mark Sowell Hernando 4. #34 Kevin Harrod Bushnell 5. # 0 Frank Coleman Brooksville
1st Heat Winner - #34 Kevin Harrod Bushnell
2nd Heat Winner - # 5 Mark Sowell Hernando

Street Legal Junker Feature - 10 Laps 20 Cars 1. #68 Joe Donahue 2. #55 John Donahue 3. # 2 Stuart Madison

Fan Participation Race Winner Tom Holmes Lake Pansoffkee

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