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| OWEN CASHES IN AT BRONSON IN LMS 50 LAPPER | by Dave Westerman
Gainesville's Gene Owen managed to survive two opening lap skirmishes and went on the lead every lap of the 50-lap Late Model Sportsman race Saturday night at Bronson Motor Speedway. Arthur Conquest had the pole for the start with rookie Jerome Brown making his first LMS start from the outside pole. As the field came to the green flag, Brown made a rookie mistake, mashing the gas a little too hard sending his Chiefland Flea Market Monte Carlo into a spin. Owen managed to just barely miss Brown's machine, but Doc Batson, winner of the March LMS 50-lapper here, had nowhere to go and hit Brown's car. With severe front-end damage including a broken radiator, Batson was out before the race even started. Young Brock Ogelsby was also forced out of the event with a hole in his cars' radiator as well. The second attempt to start the event didn't go smoothly either as Owen tried to duck underneath Conquest in turn three and both spun. Since no laps had been completed, both drivers got their spots back. The third time was the charm as Owen got a good jump on Conquest and set sail. The entire 50 laps were then reeled off under green. Owen built up a straightaway lead at one point but Roger Damron, Jr. was on the charge. Damron made a good run of it but never got the caution flag he needed and he settled for a second place finish two car lengths behind Owen's Crown Automotive Monte Carlo. Jerome Brown made a great comback in his first LMS race to nab third while Conquest and Dennis Himmelberger rounded out the top five.
Again the best race of the night was in the Mini Stock division as Larry Goolsby held on to beat point leader Jeff Stalnaker, Sr. by about six inches at the line. This race ran all 20 laps under green with Stalnaker, Sr. doing everything he could to get around Goolsby, all the while having to fend off third place finisher Tater Stalnaker. Dave Westrich crossed the stripe in fourth while fifth went to Tim Riviere. Point leader Mickey Burns added to his big early-season lead as he took advantage of a late-race caution to pass early leader Jason Holbrook with two laps to go and claim the Pure Stock 20-lapper. Holbrook looked to have things in hand but a caution for David Knutson's spin allowed Burns to close in and eventually take the win. Holbrook held on for second over a fast-closing Gerry Hodge. Doug Webster and Larry Welters rounded out the top five.
The Super Stock main was a cakewalk for Len Owens as he powered to the front early and won by nearly half a lap. No one else could ever seem to get a handle on the racetrack as Bubba Hodge battled a loose racecar to get second spot followed by Al Bouchard, Doc Batson, and Wesley Keller.
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