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| Richie Smith Wins “Andy Henessey Memorial 33” | by Larry MacMillan
(Inverness, Fl 04/01/01) One Hundred forty two racecars packed the pits as seven divisions restarted the racing season at Citrus County Speedway Saturday night. Race starved fans got their moneys worth with 6 of the seven division features getting in before the curfew cut the evening short, postponing the Street Legal Junkers until next Saturday night when the Sunbelt Series 125 takes on the fast quarter mile.
Richie Smith came into week three of the Hobby Stock point race and qualified fast time for the TLS Motorsports Andy Henessey 33 Memorial after Edward England lost the fast qualifier spot on illegal tires. Smith pulled the #11 pill for his start and moved to the front by lap 20 of the 33-lap event, taking home his third feature win and a total of $500 for the night. Needless to say he heads up the early point race. Early leader Steve Thomas held out for second followed by Brandon Johnson, Art Bruengingsen and rookie Eric Sharrone in the Hobby Stock Special.
Twenty-four Late Models kicked off the 2001-point season and saw Herb Neumann Jr. smoke the field in a racecar that was riding on a rail. John Chance started sixth and outran 9th starter Billy Bechtelheimer to the flag in the race for second. George Ingole slipped by Tim Sharrone in the final laps for a fourth place finish. Neumann, Bechtelheimer and Jimmy Wear won the heat races.
Seventeen cars took the green in the Sportsman feature and Sport Wilson found the outside groove to his liking, making his 13th starting spot pay off for his second win in a row in the 20 lap feature. Early leader Chris Hooker celebrated his 17th birthday with a solid second place finish over defending champion Mike Veltman, Rex Struble and pole sitter Jimmy Wilson. Hooker and Veltman took the heat wins.
Street Stocks were the largest field of the night with 27 cars taking the green flag. Ernie Reed worked his way from 10th to the winners circle in the 20 lap main. Travis Nichols gets the Hard Charger award for the night, advancing from 19th to second at the checkered flag. Three cars finished side by side in the race for third with Mark Sanders winning the spot by inches over Wes Wilson and Don Teague. The three heat winners were Sanders, Reed and Dean Lawyer.
In Mini Stock action, Mark Sowell started 12th and took his first win of the season over the 17 car starting field. Kevin Harrod survived an early wreck and held out for a second place finish over Mike Moore, Richie Powers and Don Faunce. Moore and Sowell locked in the heat wins.
Fourteen Figure 8s chased Scott Knight for the entire 20 laps as Scott found the winners circle for the first time in over a year. Defending champion Robert Aaron locked onto Knight for a second place finish over Darryl Hage, Robbie Hage and Charlie Meyer. Figure 8s take off next week and get back on the schedule on April 14th.
The Sunbelt Series 125 takes on Citrus County Speedway Saturday night with time trials opening up the night of racing featuring some of the best Late Model pilots in Florida. Many of the local drivers are also expected to lock horns with these heavy hitters. Street Legal Junkers will go in a twin feature after not racing Saturday night. Street Stocks and Hobby Stocks will round out the race card. Sportsman and Mini Stock will have the week off.
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