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| WILLIAMS DUSTS SPEEDWORLD SUPER LATE MODELS | By Dave Westerman
Although the forecast was for showers and thunderstorms which affected the car count, the wet stuff never materialized, and the only lightning on the track Friday night at Orlando Speedworld was the bright orange South 40 Motorsports 2001 Monte Carlo of Michael Williams as he dominated the evenings' 25-lap Super Late model Feature.
Williams won the heat and started third in the feature as Eddie King put his Thunderbird out from on the start from his outside front row starting spot. Williams was on the charge, and after exchanging a liitle paint in turn four on lap two, Williams sped past King for the top spot that he would hold the remainder of the race leaving the winners of the first two Speedworld SLM races, Rusty Ebersole and B.J. McLeod to fight it out for second.
The only caution of the race came on lap four when Williams' teammate, George Murphy got in some oil dry low on the track in turn two and spun. At the finish, it was Williams ahead of Ebersole and McLeod. King was fourth with Jim Erb fifth after making his first start in three years. Murphy came back to get sixth.
Tim Laurent captured the 15-lap Modified feature event holding off a determined Jason Boyd at the checker for his first win here in over a year. Frank Polly started scratch on the field and came home third in front of Ted Head, Shain Held, and heat winner Jeremy Thompson.
Tim "Missleman" McPhail finally put it all together to win the Mini-Stock 15 lapper holding off a late charge from last weeks winner Tim Clark who had a nice drive after starting last in the field. Jeff Guilbault made his first start of the new year and came in third ahead of Rose Dickerson and Rae Williams.
Doug Samion became the first two-time winner in the Sportsman class leading most of the way, but he had to hold off a late-race charge by Rich Clouser to do it. Kelly Jarrett crossed the stripe in third trailed by Rich Hight and Angelo Arcure. Bill Loomis won the heat, but his car developed a fuel leak during the feature and he was black-flagged.
Duane Freed finally found a little luck and victory lane on the same night as he posted the win in the Super Stocks. Freed won out in a dandy three way battle over hard-charging Bill Loomis and Carl Peters. BIG BOB Wines led the early laps but faded to fourth at the finish with Doug Gould getting fifth in his first race here since 1996.
John Stevens drove his Pontiac Grand Prix to the Strictly Stock win over the four-cylinder Mustang of Allen McClelland. Vernon Ward, Tim Walters, and William Hindman rounded out the top five.
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