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| THOMAS WINS WILD FIGURE 8 NIGHT AT SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY | PINELLAS PARK, FL: Donnie Thomas took over the lead after leader, Jack Boswell, got caught up in a incident with a lapped car at the "X" just before halfway in the Figure 8 feature at Sunshine Action Speedway. Thomas was then able to hang on to the lead through a furious race that was cut short by rain. Boswell started on the pole position and quickly took the lead and was able to stay in front until lap eight. He was able to avoid a lap seven incident, when Zach Perry got into Randy Larson and they spun into the turn one wall. But on the next lap Bobby Towe spun in turn two, spun into the wet grass and went right to the "X" as the leaders were coming through it. Boswell was unable to avoid him and hit him hard. He had to pit and although he was able to come back, he was done for the night. Thomas and Shane Grigsby then broke away on the restart and was able to go to lap 19 when both the second place car of Grigsby and the third place car of Ron Davis both spun in turn three. Rain had already started falling and as officials tried to complete the race, the track was just too slick and track conditions were to blame for the spin. While under caution, all drivers were signaling to the officials that it was just too slick to race anymore and the checkers flew. Thomas, Grigsby and Davis were the top three.
In the Outlaw Late Model feature, Ed Kidd started on the pole, took the early lead and went on to lead wire-to-wire. Rick Haugh was in second, but on lap two, he went high and that allowed Troy Johnson and Robert Crisp to move into the second and third spots. Kidd was able to build a four car length lead over Crisp by lap 15 and Crisp had a seven car length over the third place car of Robbie McAuliffe. Pete Coon and McAuliffe put on a great race for the third spot over the final five laps. Coon took the outside groove on lap 19 and was able to take the third position at the white flag. They raced side-by-side on the final lap with Coon able to hang on to the spot by half a car length.
Macky Mongold won the Mini-stock feature, surviving a last lap bump from Mike Birk. Mongold took the lead from pole sitter and early leader, Rick Taylor on lap 10. This was after Taylor and Mark Moniz raced side-by-side for the second spot, tangled and Moniz hit the wall going into turn one. Meanwhile Birk was moving steadily through the field, after starting in the 12th spot. On lap 11, Birk passed Taylor for third and they raced side-by-side for two laps. On lap 18, Birk used the outside groove to get outside of Joey Caterelli and finally get by him on the white flag lap. As Birk caught up to Mongold in turn three, Birk put on his best Kevin "crash" Harvick imitation, bumped Mogold in the rear bumper and turned Mongold around. Sunshine race officials, unlike NASCAR officials, were quick to put Birk in the rear for a last lap shootout. Mongold was able to hold on to the top spot with Caterelli and Marty Neikens rounding out the top three. Birk wound up in 13th.
In the Open Wheel Modified feature, Chico Alberto took the lead and was able to lead a three-car train of himself, Mike Hinegardner and Allyn Summers as they pulled away from the rest of the pack. On lap 16 Hinegardner was able to get to the inside of Alberto in turn one and by the time they got back to the start/finish line, Hinegardner was the leader. On the final lap, Hinegardner and Alberto went door-handle-to-door-handle for the entire lap, with Hinegarnder able to keep in front by half a car length for the win. Alberto finished second, with Summers coming home third.
Rain finally got the best of the track and the Enduro and the Street Stock features were postponed.
As always, results listed are pending post tech inspections.
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