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| Tank Tucker Takes Pro Modified Win at New Smyrna Speedway | By Jane Smith
(KNS)New Smyrna Speedway returned to racing action on Saturday,
March 16. With heats and features in all divisions plus
a 50 lap Pro Modified race, the action was never ending.
The Mini-Stock feature started off the night's events
with Ted "Mr. Mini Stock" Vulipus on the pole. But it
was suppose to be David Castello's #1 on the pole but
he got out alittle late but before the cars were aligned
and was put back some from that thus giving the pole to
#71.
Tim "Missileman" McPhail had problems with the #7
Missile car and drove the #8 of Trisha Gray for the feature
race. Ron Dubeau's #4 brought out the caution of the
race and had to be towed back in the pits. But it was
Vulipus leading the way with the #8 of McPhail and #01
of Conrad Grenier chasing him.
But it was the #l of David
Castello coming from mid-pack and working his way into the
second place position and finishing there. Top five
were #71 Ted "Mr. Mini-Stock" Vulipus, #1 David Castello,
#01 Conrad Grenier, #8 Tim "Missileman" McPhail and
#v3 Rex Christenson.
Randy Hecker's #62 sat on the pole for the Sportsman
feature but it was the #111 of Donnie Williams who lead
the race until the last few hundred feet when Hecker
stole the lead. Top five were #62 Randy Hecker, #111
Donnie Williams, #2 Brett Bultemeier, #07 Ron Lufcy,
and #74 Bob Glover.
David Rogers sat on the pole for the Super Late Model
feature and won from the pole. Barry Willoughby's #74
did a great job of coming from the rear to the third
spot until he overdrove the car into turn 3 and spun out
hitting the wall.
Up until then, Barry was making some
very good moves getting closer to the lead. Top five
were #11 David Rogers, #16 Bruce Lawrence, Sr., #5 Sammy
Graham, #116 Bruce Lawrence, Jr., and #7 Mark Vandevender.
It was the Tank Tucker show for the 50 lap Pro Modified
race. Fast time was set by the #66 of Jerry Symons with a
19.030. But it was Tucker who started on the outside pole
that took the lead from the drop of the green with Andy
Saffioti's #1 close behind.
Three cautions halted the
race but each time Tucker was able to get the jump on
the second place car. Jerry Symons was involved in one of
the cautions sending him to the rear of the field but with
style and grace he made his way back up to the second place
postion chasing his favorite modified contender for the lead.
But Tucker held tight and took the win for the first Pro
Modified race of 2002. Top five were #15 Tank Tucker,
#66 Jerry Symons, #1 Andy Saffioti, #7 Mark Vandevender,
and #41 John Crawford.
DeWayne Bryant's #63 sat on the pole for the Late Model
race and was leading the race when he and Mike Murphy's #26
tangled taking them both out of the race and giving the
lead to Randy Dye's #43.
Tim Clark, driver of the #15
Mini-Stock, made his debut in his new #8 Late Model and
took home a fifth place win for his first try. Also
finishing in the top five were #43 Randy Dye, #77 Brian
Bellaw, #90 Robert Anderchek, #3 Earl Beckner and #8 Tim
Clark.
Mike Soukup sat on the pole in his #45 Super Stock and
lead until he and the #2 of Ron Whaley tangled. Soukup
came in for repairs while Whaley was sent to the rear.
This gave the lead to the #66 of Dean McGlotlin but
somehow in the realignment of the field, the #29 of
Steve Cochran was placed in front of the #66 who was
the leader at the caution. In the end, it was the #29
winning with #66 Dean McGlotlin, #11 Shane Stacy, #77
Warren Schurk, and #47 Leon Fox filling out the top five.
Bob Thombley's #38 and Barry Parks's #27 did a great job
of switching the lead off to each other in the Strictly
Stock race. But it was the #38 of Thombley finally taking
the lead when it counts most, at the finish line. Following
Thombley was #27 Barry Parks, #1x Joe Whittenton, #66 Tim
Edmundson, and #10 Roger Ladieu.
Next week there will be plenty more racing action with
all divisions except Mini-Stocks and a V-8 Demo Derby
and Mini Cup Cars.
Jane Smith
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