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| Johns Wins Sportsman 50 Lapper, Helmes Wins Super Stock at NSS | Samsula, Fla. (May 18, 2002) The rain stayed away from
NSS (just a few sprinkles) and heats and features were
completed. The fans were treated to a 50 lap Sportsman
race and the ever exciting FASTRUCKS 50 lapper.
Justin Henderson #16 Open Wheel Modified was a double
winner. Not only did he win the heat race for the mods
but also sat on the pole for the feature race and led
flag to flag. Henderson, from Port St. Lucie, currently
holds the point lead in the Open Wheel Modified division
and is having one heck of a year. Following Henderson
to the checkers was #99 Jeff Anderson, #7x Mark Vandevender,
#00 Brad May, and #2x Bobby Blake.
Brian Bellaw #77 won the heat race for the Late Models
and sat on the pole for their feature event. But it
was the #11 Jeremy Fitch who quickly jumped to the
lead over Bellaw. Only two cautions in this feature,
one for the #7 Charlie May and one for #8 Cindy Strahley
who had to be towed off the track. Mike Murphy #26
worked his way from the rear to the second place spot
when on the last lap coming out of turn 4, he got loose
and spun giving the second place spot to Bellaw. Follow-
ing Fitch and Bellaw were #5 Sammy Graham, #28 A. J.
Carelli (his first race), and #23 Robert Hight.
Up next was the Sportsman 50 lapper. The #07 Ron Lufcy
sat ont he pole but before a lap was down and coming
off 3 wide in turn two, Lufcy spun down the front
stretch and slightly hit the frontstretch wall. The
race was a total restart with #30 Dale Clouser taking
the lead and the #111 Donnie Williams sent to the rear
for the Lufcy spin. Rick Johns #4 quickly overtook
Clouser and maintained the lead for the rest of the
race. Randy Hecker #62 was running in the third place
position but had to withdraw due to mechanical problems
and so did the #111 Williams who was running fourth.
Following Johns for the checkered was #30 Dale Clouser,
#25 Trick Thomas, #28 Chris Pedulat and #62 Joe Adams.
The top three had to pull motors for tech. The #30
Dale Clouser who was second, declined to pull his motor
and was dq'd. This gave second place to #25 Trick
Thomas. Both the #4 and #25 were found LEGAL and
Johns was declared the winner.
Next up, the FASTRUCKS. Twenty one qualified but 22
took the green with #40 Paul Grynewicz on the pole. When
the green flew, it was the #44 Paul Grynewicz, III. who
quickly took the lead. Grynewicz was able to hold his
lead. The #05 Ronny Gill brought out the caution when
he hit the frontstretch wall, got out of his trucks,
and was shaking a "not so friendly" fist at the #56 James
Wright, III. The #05 was towed in and by this time, the
#8 Brad May had worked his way from the rear of
the field to eight place. Grynewicz held his lead on
the restart but the #8 was coming fast, passing trucks
one by one. The #25 Gary Foxworth was running in the
fifth spot when suddenly smoke filled his truck. The
caution came out, Foxworth was fine but out of the
race. On the restart, Brad May took off like a bullet
and took the lead from Grynewicz. Only one more caution
stopped the race when the #40 Paul Grynewicz had a fire
and the safety crew quickly put it out. Grynewicz was
fine but his truck was alittle smokey. Brad May held
the lead on the restart and went on to take the checkers
followed by #44 Paul Grynewicz, III., #93 Jeff Firestine,
#27 Shawn Icely, and #19 Steve Arnold. Sixth and
seventh place were #56 James Wright, III. and #10 Kim
Scheffler.
Clint Foley #7x and Tim "Missileman" McPhail won heat
race 1 and 2. Foley sat on the pole for the feature
event but it was the newly remodeled #7 Tim "Missileman"
McPhail who jumped to the lead and led every lap until
the last 10 feet when the #1 David Castello bumped McPhail
and took the win by a few feet. Following Castello
was #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail, #7x Clint Foley, #71
Ted "Mr. Mini Stock" Vulipus, and #0 Vern Rozier. In
tech, carbs were checked and weight. The #7x was light
and dq'd putting the #71 to third.
John O #9 and Rick Johns #llx won the heat races for the
Super Stocks. Mike Wieczoreck #30 sat on the pole for
the feature race and lead every lap until coming off
turn two on the last lap, the #61 Ted Helmes made a
move on Wieczoreck, made it stick, and took the win.
After the race Ted said, "I did not expect to win. I
was not sure the move would work and Mike is a hard
racer but it did." Following Helmes was #30 Mike
Wieczoreck, #2 Ron Whaley, #27 Ted Head and #91 Alan
Dillion.
#66 Tim Edmundson and #48 David Smith won the heat races
for the Strictly Stocks. The #l Joe Whittenton sat on
the pole for their feature but it was the #65 James
Smith who took the lead over #48 David Smith and held
it to the end. Following #65 James Smith was #48
David Smith, #3 ?, #66 Tim Edmundson, and #l Joe
Whittenton.
Next week at NSS - THE FLORIDA MINI STOCK CHALLENGE.
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