(Bradenton, FL; 11/4/2000) Last Saturday night at DeSoto Speedway, three divisions boasted first-time winners and the track suffered the first known fog-out of the last two races. With the Callaghan Tire Open Wheel Modified 50-lap event just getting under way a heavy fog rolled in, giving the 90 mph race cars the appearance of ghost ships blazing out of the dense mist. After a barely seen mishap on the backstretch officials decided to call off the race and the TQ Midget event. "It was just too dangerous," said head flagman Burt Thomas. "We could barely see the cars in the corners."

Fans still got an exciting eyeful with the six completed events. In the Q Auto & Injury Attorneys Stock Minis feature high school band member, Todd Freed of Bradenton went from marching on the grid-iron to blazing down the straightaway into the winner's circle. It was the first win for the young stock car driver. "The car handled pretty well," Freed said. "It started off a little loose and the further I ran with my tires getting hotter, it started pushing. Then I saw Clay (Joseph) and everyone coming up behind me. I just took the inside line and held on." Clay Joseph of Bradenton gave Freed a run for it but came in second with Arlin Pope of Bradenton taking third place.

Bondia Martin of Bradenton also claimed her first feature win in the Manatee Lumber Modified Minis event. "I hated to see that yellow on the 18th lap," Martin said. "The car doesn't handle well for the first couple of laps after a restart, but it did well tonight. It's my husband Michael's car and he does everything on it. I just drive. I'm really excited. I've ran here in stock but this is my first win in this class." Greg Luecke of St Petersburg took second place and Chip Gaines of Sarasota placed third.

Mark Gill of Bradenton passed a loose Greg Banach of Bradenton in turn four and held on to win the Contemporary Cabinetry & Closet Concepts Pure Stock feature event. Gill gave credit for the win to a new set of shoes. "I think it's the tires that made the difference," Gill said. "It's gotta be. I've been running all year and never looked that good. I put the new tires on last week. Or it could be the chrome rims that made it faster." Banach held on for second place and Gary Flinn of Palmetto took third place.

Scott Faulkner of Sarasota raced to the winner's circle in the Express Personnel Service Street Stock feature event. "We just wanted to prove it's a winner one more time," Faulkner said. "This car has been great for us, we've had over a dozen wins in the last two years, but it's going up for sale. We're looking at going to Open-Wheel Modifieds next year. We need some help so if there's any potentials sponsors out there. I'd like to thank all the fans, without them there's no sense racing." Wallace Ramsey of Bradenton placed second in the event, and Ben Kelly of North Port took third place.

Johnny Cassidy took his first win of the season in the Selective HR Solutions Sportsman feature event. "This car is really working good," Cassidy said. "We worked for four or five weeks to get it right. Clyde (Cole) was giving me all I could ask for, so I guess we got it right." Clyde Cole of Sarasota placed second. Lonny Miller of Bradenton took third place.

In the DeSoto Speedway Pro Truck class, Paul Grenewicz of Hudson qualified seventh, started fifth and jumped to an early lead. He stayed ahead of the field of 25 to claim his first win of the season in the 25-lap event. "We've been doing good and there were a lot of trucks out there tonight," Grenewicz said. "I was worried about the lapped trucks but I was able to sneak by them. I've won at a couple of other places but this is my first win here. We were strong tonight."

Next week is the last Saturday night races of the season and features strong racing also. DeSoto Speedway is hosting a 125 lap Enduro race and 50 laps of Limited Late Models racing. All regular division are racing except the Street Stock.

-Ken Willis-

SELECTIVE HR SOLUTIONS SPORTSMAN
1. #5 JOHNNY CASSIDY,
2. #17 CLYDE COLE, SARASOTA
3. #98 LONNY MILLER, BRADENTON
4. #11 JOE SHAVER, ARCADIA
5. #41 GUS COORSSEN, SARASOTA
6. #3 WAYNE METCALF, MYAKKA CITY
7. #31 HAL VICKERY,
8. #89 JIMMY COOK, SARASOTA
9. #86 JEFF ANDERSON, BRADENTON
10. #62 BUDDY BROWN,
11. #23 JAMES KNIGHT, BRADENTON
12. #7 PATRICK MCGINNIS, BRADENTON
13. #75 BILL CLOSE, BRADENTON
14. #1 STEVE GAINEY, BRADENTON
15. #21 JAMES CARTER, BRADENTON
16. #03 BARRY CARLSON, LARGO

EXPRESS PERSONNEL SERVICES STREET STOCK
1. #33 SCOTT FAULKNER, SARASOTA
2. #38 WALLACE RAMSEY, BRADENTON
3. #9 BEN KELLY, NORTH PORT
4. #12 DAN HALL, SARASOTA
5. #05 BRUCE SHERWOOD, BRADENTON
6. #69 CHET ROBERTS,
7. #40 MARK CHAPMAN, SARASOTA
8. #18 WAYNE DOVE,
9. #81 TRAVIS VICKERY,
10. #77 SCOTT WOODLAND, BRADENTON
11. #47 BRUCE AHLERS, BRADENTON
12. #8 SUE PURINGTON, NOKOMIS
13. #66 CRAIG PHILLIPS, SARASOTA
14. #75 BRENDA CLOSE, BRADENTON
15. #65 MIKE JOHNSON, SARASOTA
16. #2 DAVID DICK, PARRISH
17. #12 CASEY HALL, TAMPA
18. #16 JACK ROBEY,
19. #67 SHAWN BEST, SARASOTA
20. #93 JIM FRAKE, SARASOTA

CONTEMPORARY CABINETRY & CLOSET CONCEPTS PURE STOCK
1. #54 MARK GILL, BRADENTON
2. #20 GREG BANACH, BRADENTON
3. #56 GARY FLINN, PALMETTO
4. #68 GARY MCFALL, VENICE
5. #7 HOWARD HIGGINS, ARCADIA
6. #6 DANNY ANDERSON, BRADENTON
7. #67 DAVID YAHRAUS, SARASOTA
8. #93 CLINT SNYDER,
9. #69 TROY BUCKLES, BRADENTON
10. #3 PEGGY HURST, SARASOTA
11. #16 JASON ESPOSITO,
12. #13 BILL CURRIE,
13. #1 DOUG BENTLEY,
14. #4 BOB PETRILLI, SARASOTA
15. #51 CLARENCE SMITH, SEBRING

MANATEE LUMBER MODIFIED MINI
1. #X BONDIA MARTIN,
2. #31 GREG LUECKE, ST PETERSBURG
3. #72 CHIP GAINES, SARASOTA
4. #98 MIKE MITRISIN, BROOKSVILLE
5. #16 RONNIE HEARD JR, SEFFNER
6. #22 RANDY KOON, LAKELAND
7. #92 JEFF GUILBAULT,
8. #7 STEVE MARTIN, PINELLAS PARK
9. #25 SAM ROGERS JR., CLEARWATER
10. #3 MATT WATTS, DADE CITY
11. #1 BILLY CARLBERT JR,
12. #71 RON WOODCOCK, RIVERVIEW
13. #2 SAM ROGERS SR.,
14. #66 BOB MOYER,

Q AUTO & INJURY ATTORNEYS MINI STOCK
1. #97 TODD FREED, BRADENTON
2. #95 CLAY JOSEPH, BRADENTON
3. #98 ARLIN POPE, BRADENTON
4. #30 JESSE DUTILLY, BRADENTON
5. #4 TOMMY HUFFSTUTLER, BRADENTON
6. #9 ANDY WHITTED, SARASOTA
7. #23 MIKE GAYLE, SARASOTA
8. #68 DANNY POLING, SARASOTA
9. #34 ERIC ANDERSON, BRADENTON
10. #14 JON BAILEY, ST. PETERSBURG
11. #2 MARK CHAPMAN, SARASOTA
12. #35 GREG KROM, SARASOTA
13. #9 JEANNE WHITTED, SARASOTA
14. #8 STEVE GLOVER, BRADENTON
15. #70 TONY ELROD JR, KATHLEEN
16. #84 ROBERT HAYGOOD, BRADENTON
17. #79 JIM TAYLOR, SARASOTA

DSP TRUCKS
1. #40 PAUL GRENEWICZ, HUDSON


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