WHEATLEY WINS AFTER FOUR YEAR HIATUS | (Inverness, FL; 8/5/2000) Despite a major downpour just two hours before race time, track personnel got the track dried out and 220 laps of an all feature race card are in the books.
The M. Dominique Mobile Home Restoration Limited Sportsman kicked off the night with time trials for their 40-lap special. Travis Nichols set fast time with a 15.710 second qualifying run on a very green racetrack for the $100 bonus.
Twenty cars took the green with second-fast qualifier, Mike Veltman, jumping off the outside pole and taking the flag-to-flag win. Robbie Yoakam started ninth and moved to finish second over hard charger Travis Nichols who moved up from tenth to third. Rounding out the top five were pole sitter, Jimmy Wilson, and Jim Smith.
The re-organized Pro Truck Series brought in eleven racers after a two month hiatus and David Froelich, Jr. locked in a fast qualifying time of 14.678 seconds and picked up the fourth starting position on the pill draw. Second-fast qualifier, Richie Powers, drew the pole position and set the pace from flag-to-flag in the 25-lap main event, which saw Froelich chase him to the checkered flag. Defending truck champion Butch Yoakam picked up third ahead of former Late Model champ Bruce Gaskins and another local, Terry Woodard, to round out the top five finishers.
Three lead changes and a lot of patience put Danny Johnson in victory lane in the J.D. Concession Late Model Big Purse Challenge. Pole sitter, Keith Zavrel, took the early lead in the 15 car, 30-lap main, being pushed hard by Mike Bresnahan and Herb Neumann, Jr. Neumann got sent to the rear after an early spin. Zavrel and Bresnahan got together, sending them both to the rear at the mid-point of the race. Danny Johnson inherited the lead and the win being chased to the flag by Al Lawrence, Herb Neumann Jr., Mike Bresnahan and Tate Pierce.
Wes Wilson notched his sixth Street Stock win of the season and some cushion in his point lead in the division in their 25 lap main event Saturday night. When the green dropped, the only thing Wilson needed to worry about was lapped traffic after his brother Sport lost another transmission in the only challenge he had for the lead. Victor Stanley moved from 14th to 2nd when the checkered flag flew followed by Otis Hamilton, outside pole sitter Cliff Erhardt and Harley Wilson Sr.
Tim Henault blazed through the intersection 40 times being chased right to the flag by Charlie Meyer and Robbie Hage. Henault chalked up his first feature win of the season after Gary Swing's racecar gave out on him for the second week in a row while leading the race. Robert Aaron held on to a fourth place finish over Mark Wilkins in the 12-car event.
After a four year hiatus in Mini-Stock action, Rob Wheatley found his way to victory lane Saturday in a wire-to-wire win over point leader, George Neumann, and runner-up Mark Sowell. John Coleman survived a first lap spin to get back on track on the restart for a fourth place finish over his dad, Frank Coleman, who picked up the Womens Racing Club (WRC) Hard Charger Award.
Twenty-six Hobby Stockers went to war in their 25-lap feature run and young Mike Ruff outran point leader Chris Hooker for the win. Jim Hand picked up a third place finish over Mickey Burns and Patrick Lewis. Mike Piazza moved from 24th to 7th to pick up the WRC Hard Charger Award.
The Street Legal Junkers ran a pair of 15-lap runs. In the make-up race from last week, Rick Ellis picked up the win over a 14-car field. Seventeen cars took the green for the second race of the night and Dale Earnhardt look-alike, Roy Blotz, took his #3 car to the point for the bonus win and pocketed $100 for his effort.
Next Saturday night will see the Mini-Stocks in the JD Smith Termite and Pest Control 40-lap special plus the first Demolition Derby of the year and the WRC bicycle races for three age groups. Mini-Stocks will qualify in time trials and the Late Models, Limited Sportsman, Street Stocks, and Hobby Stocks will qualify in heat races. Street Legal Junkers will also be back in action.
-Larry MacMillan-
Citrus County Speedway Results for Saturday August 5, 2000 J.D. Concession L.M. Big Bonus Challenge, 30 Laps - 15 Cars 1. #96, Danny Johnson, Crystal River 2. #90, Al Lawrence, Spring Hill 3. #98, Herb Neumann, Jr., Inverness 4. #31, Mike Bresnahan, Lecanto 5. #81, Tate Pierce, Wesley Chapel
M. Dominique Mobile Home Restoration Sportsman Special, 40 Laps 20 Cars 1. #55, Mike Veltman, Crystal River 2. #44, Robbie Yoakam, Hernando 3. #39, Travis Nichols, Inverness 4. #34, Jimmy Wilson, Hernando 5. #32, Jim Smith, Inverness Fast Qualifier, Travis Nichols 15.710 sec.
Pro Trucks, 25 Laps 11 Trucks 1. #9x, Richie Powers, Crystal River 2. #40, David Froehlich, Jr. 3. #47, Butch Yoakam, Hudson 4. #37, Bruce Gaskins, Inverness 5. #87, Terry Woodard, Brooksville Fast Qualfier, David Froehlich 14.678 sec.
Street Stock Feature, 25 Laps 19 Cars 1. #20, Wes Wilson, Floral City 2. #26, Victor Stanley, Brooksville 3. #36, Otis Hamilton, Brooksville 4. #75, Cliff Erhardt 5. #20x, Harley Wilson, Sr., Floral City
Mini-Stock Feature, 25 Laps 14 Cars 1. #88, Rob Wheatley, Hernando 2. # 1, George Neumann, Inverness 3. # 5, Mark Sowell, Hernando 4. #21, John Coleman, Brooksville 5. #20, Frank Coleman, Brooksville
Hobby Stock Feature, 26 Cars 25 Laps 1. #23, Mike Ruff, Homosassa 2. #24, Chris Hooker, Floral City 3. # 5, Jim Hand, Zephyrhills 4. #22, Mickey Burns, Inverness 5. #46, Patrick Lewis, Inverness
Figure-8 Feature, 20 Laps 12 Cars 1. #69, Tim Henault, St. Petersburg 2. #94, Charlie Meyer, Pinellas Park 3. #74, Robbie Hage, Pinellas Park 4. # 6, Robbie Aaron, Brooksville 5. #32, Mark Wilkins, Floral City
Street Legal Junker 1st Feature, 15 Laps 14 Cars 1. #15, Rick Ellis, Inverness 2. #36, Eric Sharrone, Floral City 3. # 4, Allen Turner
Street Legal Junker 2nd Feature, 15 Laps 17 Cars 1. # 3, Roy Blotz 2. #55, John Donahue 3. #18, Travis Kipp
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