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| POLLETT TAKES DEMOLITION DERBY AT SUNSHINE SPEEDWAY | by Thom"SUNSHINE"Watson
PINELLAS PARK, FL: Driving a gray Cadillac, with the front tires gone, Craig Pollett outlasted 26 other cars in the Demolition Derby Saturday night. After almost being black-flagged twice for being unable to move, the 3X of Pollett, was able to get help from the #32 of Ray Mclaughlin. Ironically, Mclaughlin, in trying to finish off Pollett, twice was able to get Pollett going. Pollett was about to be declared out, when Mclaughlin banged into the front of him and got him going again. Then driving mostly in reverse and with both front tires gone, Pollett was able to endure and finally put Mclaughlin out for good.
Jim Billera, #85, started on the pole for the Outlaw Late Model feature and quickly took the lead. With Ed Kidd in the #6 and Robert Crisp in the #2 racing side by side in the early laps, Crisp was able to take the second spot and hold on to it until lap seven when Kidd went inside of Crisp in turn three. A lap later the #20 of Steve O’lone tapped the rear bumper of Crisp and Crisp spun in turn two, with O’lone taking third. On lap 11, Kidd was able to over take Billera and it was all over. Kidd was able to build up a six-car length lead, when the yellow came out on lap 17. The second place car, #56 of Robbie McAuliffe could not mount a threat for the lead after the restart and was able to hold off the third place of Scott Holley, #1.
In the Street Stock feature, recent KARNAC.COM “Real Racin’ Talk Radio” guest, Harold “the duck” was able to take the lead late and hold on for the win. The #50 of Eric Johnson started on the pole and took the early lead in the feature. Johnson was able to lead through numerous yellow flags for the first 15 laps. Meanwhile, “the duck” started in fifth place and slowly worked his way up to second place by lap 12. On lap 15 Ashley went to the inside of Johnson in turn four to take over the lead. After a restart, Ashley immediately jumped out to a three-car length lead. Ashley went on to win his first feature of the year by five car lengths, with Johnson holding on to second and Roger Welch in the #98 taking third place.
The Mini-Stock feature had a first time feature winner, as Dan Smith, in the #72, was able to take the lead on lap two. Last weeks winner, Marty Neikens, #70, Matt Rotkis, #3 and the #32 of Troy Meredith all got tangled up in turn four of lap two. Shortly after the restart, Smith was able to go underneath the #8 of Tim Harman to take the lead and never looked back. Chris Thornton, #24, followed Smith into second on lap two, but could never mount a threat for the lead, as he had to settle for second. Joey Caterelli, #65 was also able to follow Smith and Thornton and take over third place on lap two. After letting the #16 of Glenn Kelly take over third on lap 9, Caterelli was able to take it back on lap 13. #10, Mike Birk, Jr., was able to steadily move through the field and finished fourth after starting in 12th place.
James Houle, in his #80 Open Wheel Modified, had to pass the #09 of Steve Harbuck twice before claiming the feature win. After starting on the pole, Harbuck was able to lead the first 8 laps in the feature event. After Houle passed Harbuck the first time, a yellow flew, wiping out the lead change, as they had to revert back to the previous completed lap lineup. After the restart, Houle passed Harbuck again, this time at the start/finish line, to take over the lead. Harbuck was able to hang on to second while the #55 car of Herman Brame finished third. Houle was able to build a four-car length lead by the time the checkers flew in the 20-lap feature event. “I finally got it hooked up tonight,” Houle said from victory circle. When informed that he was now in the point’s lead, Houle said, “ its such a long season we can’t think about that right now”.
In the figure 8 feature, another recent guest KARNAC.COM “Real Racin’ Talk Radio” guest, Zeebo Moctezuma, #18, dominated the event for the first 17 laps. The top three cars of Moctezuma, the #28 of Shane Grigsby and the #11, Art Caulkins were able to pull away and stayed nose to tail from lap 11, until finally, on lap 17, Grigsby was able to get by Moctezuma in turn one. On the last lap, Moctezuma went inside to try to pass Grigsby but could not pull off the pass. While he was trying to pass for the lead the third place car of Caulkins almost passed Moctezuma for second. The last few laps showed what clean hard driving can lead to an exciting race with door handle to door handle racing for the lead. The top three of Grigsby, Moctezuma and Caulkins gave each other room and gave the fans an exciting, safe race.
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