(Orlando, FL; 8/26/2000) Where There's Smoke...There's RACING!

With a huge brush fire burning to the East and a huge thunderstorm looming to the West, Orlando Speedworld still got Friday evening's show in the record books...and in record time.

All heats and features were completed in one hour and twenty minutes. Helping the situation was an unusually low car count as many competitors stayed away fearing that major roads in the area would again be closed like they were earlier in the day due to heavy smoke.

Those who did show up put on quite a show. Justin Drawdy outgunned the combined Super Late Model/Late Model field for his second win of the season.

Drawdy started his Drawdy Brothers Construction/R&J Crane Chevy on the outside pole and jumped to a commanding lead that he never relinquished. Sid Stites put his recent spate of bad luck behind him with a strong run to second over Rusty Ebersole, Marc Kinley and Travis Kittleson.

Jon Compagnone, Jr. won his first race here in several years taking a green to checker win in the Modifieds. Compagnone had to hold off a late challenge from Jim "Hoot" Flynn to get the victory with Hank Sanders, Frank Polly and Sam Seay, Jr. rounding out the top five.

A wild finish in the Sportsman feature saw Larry Osteen go from third to first in the final turn as leaders Jeff Wright and Doug Samion tangled. Osteen took his first win in the class in a car recently purchased from Jon Harney while Richard Hight zipped by for second. Wright crossed the line going backwards to get third with fourth and fifth going to Matt Griffin and Ed Berberich.

Marty Pierce outfoxed a small field of Mini-Stocks who still put on a great race. Early leader Kelly Jarrett was second ahead of Kenny Hankins and Geoff Williams.

Duane Freed led all the way to win the Super Stock race, his third of the year. Apparent second place finisher John Smith was disqualified for being too light over the scales giving the runner-up spot to Carl Peters. Bob Wines, Rob Watford and Leonard Story rounded out the top five.

Russ Rinaldi outlasted a wild group of Strictly Stock cars taking the measure of Allen Prater, Kevin Reese, Russ Noyes and James "Freighttrain" McConnell.

-Dave Westerman-

SUPER LATE MODELS & LATE MODELS COMBINED * Late Model
1 12 JUSTIN DRAWDY
2 17 SID STITES
3 47 RUSTY EBERSOLE
4 17X MARC KINLEY
5 88 TRAVIS KITTLESON
6 *26 SCOTT BRAMLETT
7 40 GEORGE MURPHY
8 19 TOM ROOT
9 *67 CHAD ALLMAN
10 *20 LYN DICANDIO

MODIFIEDS
1 26 JON COMPAGNONE, JR.
2 57 JIM "HOOT" FLYNN
3 90 HANK SANDERS
4 34 FRANK POLLY
5 87 SAM SEAY, JR.

SPORTSMAN
1 45 LARRY OSTEEN
2 23 RICHARD HIGHT
3 50 JEFF WRIGHT
4 7 MATT GRIFFIN
5 44 ED BERBERICH
6 04 DOUG SAMION

MINI STOCKS
1 75 MARTY PIERCE
2 97 KELLY JARRETT
3 8 KENNY HANKINS
4 17 GEOFF WILLIAMS

SUPER STOCK
1 11 DUANE FREED
2 1 CARL PETERS
3 7X BOB WINES
4 17 ROB WATFORD
5 L3 LEONARD STORY

STRICTLY STOCK
1 76 RUSS RINALDI
2 74 ALLEN PRATER
3 1 KEVIN REESE
4 4 RUSS NOYES
5 0 JAMES MCCONNELL
6 09 RODNEY HALL
7 007 TIM SIDENBENDER

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