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| FASCAR Goodyear Challenge Series Race 7 | Samsula, Fla. - Jerry Symons recorded FASCAR Goodyear
Challenge Late Model Series 100 win number three in
2002 on Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway during
a runaway victory on the one-half mile track.
Symons of New Smyrna, Fla. also made it a double-
header feature winning night also winning the FASCAR
Pro Modified Series 50 after starting fifth.
"We did normal things all week and brought it (Late
Model), but when we got on the scales here at the
race track we had to work on it until qualifying
to get it right," said Symons.
The winning Goodyear Challenge Series driver started
from the pole after posting a fast time with a
second lap time of 18.732 seconds in the Gene Kelly
Roofing Chevrolet and led 17 Late Models to green.
Both track and drivers chased a speedy Symons all night,
but the winner felt he had one possible weakness and
only one driver was able to try the advantage.
"My car was bad on restarts, but after I got a full lap
in the front tires grabbed and took off," said Symons.
"Morris had a real shot on the restart on the 80th
circuit and that was it."
Wayne Morris of Auburndale, FL, driving the Crenshaw
Motorsports owned Michael Holley Chevrolet, had his
chance in lap 80 between turns one and two, but Symons
finally got his car to stick and that's all it took.
Morris settled for a second place race finishing
effort.
"The car was tighter than it was the last time we were
here," said Morris. "It (car) was real bad on restarts
then it would come to me and get a little bit better,
but still wasn't as good as it needed to be. Symons was
just as bad on restarts, but he could get back faster."
Only four cautions slowed this race and Mirris was the
only driver that had a chance at the leader, who opened
a 20-car lead by lap 60. Larry Osteen of Clermont, FL
driving the Central Florida Express car was third.
In lap 70, Symons was still followed by Morris and
eventually third place race finisher Mike Hovis of Ft.
Myers, FL driving the Budweiser ride, who had moved
to third after Osteen fell off the pace.
"Ever since I put this set of tires on it's just been
brutal," said Hovis. "I guess I got a bad set of tires
or something else went wrong. I was really fast in
practice with old tires."
Now rounding out the top five were Jerry Artuso of Soo,
Ontario, driving the JD Thompson machine and Sean
Murphy of Fort Lauderdale, FL.
During a restart in lap-80 Symons failed on green and
Morris tried to make his pass, but failed.
Symons crossed the finish line followed by Morris, Hovis,
Kenny Crites of Orlando, FL and Tony Amico of Clearwater,
FL.
The next FASCAR Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series 100
will be at USA International Speedway on August 31,
2002.
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