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| WOOD WINS CLASSIC CAR OPENER AT OCALA IN WILD FINISH | The Classic Auto Racing Series started the 2002 season off with a bang at Ocala Speedway Saturday night with an outstanding field of cars, great racing, some controversy, and a winner who not only wasn't expecting to drive, but didn't feel he ought to be in victory lane.
At 4PM, Ricky Wood was working on his own Super Late Model car when he got a call from Simeon Spagnuolo who said he was too sick to race but needed Wood to take his car to the track and earn points since Spagnuolo plans to run for the championship this year.
Wood and Dave Nunes quickly picked up Spagnuolo's Door Operating Systems/Mark's Mobile sponsored coupe and sped to the race track, just making it for the final practice session.
Orlando's Ed Yates raced away from the field to win the first heat while Bud spencer drove his newly re-painted Lavender Love Machine sedan to victory in heat two. Wood started the second heat in ninth and worked his way up to fourth at the end of the 10 laps.
The way Yates dominated his heat, everyone was expecting him to run away and hide in the 20-lap feature, but Yates lost the coin-toss to Spencer and started on the outside of row one. Yates slipped ever so slightly as the green fell, and before he could get a grip on the newly-paved Ocala track, he was all the way back to fifth.
Spencer took off from the pole slot into the lead with a freight train behind him consisting of Jim Rahman, Eddie Thornton, Wood, Yates, Frank Conrad and Dennis Gilliam.
Everyone jockeyed for position lap after lap, with no one wanting to try the slick outside groove. Thornton eventually worked his way past Rahman into second and was challenging Spencer for the top spot when Russ Antonucci's engine came unglued on lap 15 to bring out the first caution.
After the restart, things got very interesting. Thornton dove under Spencer with three laps to go in turn three and the two locked horns. Wood, now riding third, drilled the back of Thornton's car as he and Spencer slowed, sending both Spencer and Thornton spinning. Jim Rahman, Frank Conrad, and the lapped car of Ray Frazee also got involved. When all was cleared, Spencer and Conrad were out, Thornton was sent to the rear of the field, and Wood was the surprised leader.
Wood led the final two laps and claimed the win but was rather vocal in victory lane. "I think Eddie and Bud got a raw deal," said Wood. "When we had that caution, I tried to tell the track officials that there was oil in the groove in turn three, but they weren't paying attention or just didn't understand," he said. "Eddie hit that slick spot and that's why he got into Bud. I hit it too and slammed Eddie and that's why they spun. I really think they should've got their spots back, but that's racing I guess. I'll take the win because I know it'll make Simeon (Spagnuolo) feel better," said Wood.
"I don't know what happened," said Thornton. "Bud and I got together, and it looked like we were OK, then - bang - I got hit and around we went," he said.
The normally mild-manned Spencer was visibly upset and reserved his comments about the incident.
Following Wood under the checker was Ed Yates, who takes the early-season points lead since Wood drove for Spagnuolo and, per Classic Auto Racing Series rules, can earn only last-place points for the regular driver.
Jim Rahman drove his usual steady race to place third followed by Dennis Gilliam, who was the top finishing rookie in the South 40 Motorsports sedan. "We were loose in practice and tight in the heat, but Michael Williams, Chad Elliott and the crew did a great job of getting the car really good for the feature," said Gilliam. E.T. McGhee was never out of contention and rounded out the top five.
Mike Albert came from 13th on the grid to finish sixth followed by defending Rookie of the Year Al Hagan who came from 20th at the start after hitting the wall in his heat to place seventh in the feature. Rookies Keith Roberts and Harvey Ewing were eighth and ninth while Thornton blasted back from the rear of the field in just two laps to round out the top ten.
The Classic Auto Racing Series heads south for their next event, March 23rd at Charlotte County Speedway near Punta Gorda.
OFFICIAL FINISH: OCALA SPEEDWAY 3/2/02 (20 Laps)
1) Ricky Wood, Orlando #21
2) Ed Yates, Orlando #74
3) Jim Rahman, Clermont #5
4) Dennis Gilliam, Mims #42
5) E.T. McGhee, Deland #1
6) Mike Albert, Winter Springs #24
7) Al Hagan, Merritt Island #6
8) Keith Roberts, Groveland #31
9) Harvey Ewing, Brooksville #17
10) Eddie Thornton, Orlando #4
11) Patrick Sanders, Winter Garden #8
12) George Hall III, St. Petersburg #9
13) E.B. Carr, Okeechobee, #90
14) George Hall, Jr., St. Petersburg #32
15) Frank Conrad, Ft. Pierce #11 - DNF/crash damage
16) Bud Spencer, Palm Harbor #7 - DNF/crash damage
17) Ray Frazee, Oak Hill #43 - DNF/handling
18) Russ Antonucci, Jacksonville #46 - DNF/engine
19) Dan Hammerbeck, Clermont #2 - DNF/overheating
20) Wayne Ashton, Ft, Pierce #78 - DNF/electrical
Lap leaders:
1-18: Bud Spencer
19-20: Ricky Wood
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