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| 2002 Season Winds Down With Lots of Action at Citrus Co. Speedway | By Larry MacMillan
(Inverness, FL. 10/26/02) With just four weeks left in the 2002 season, Citrus County Speedways pits were loaded with 118 cars that took on the 3/8ths mile racecourse with a vengeance. Three division championships are still undecided and they are running close for top ten finishes in each division. Heat and feature finishes can make all the difference in the world and the competition will even be stronger in the final three weeks.
Defending Late Model champion Herb Neumann Jr. had his way with the seventeen car starting field after Raymond Lovelady and Danny Johnson tangled in a race for the lead and sending them to the rear. Neumann inherited the lead in lap 20 of the 30 lap main event with point leader Rex Struble chasing him all the way to the checkered flag. Herb Hoefler moved through traffic from his ninth starting spot to nail down a third place finish with point runner up Jim Smith right on his rear bumper. Tom Haselmayer locked in fifth. Heat winners were Danny Johnson, Herb Neumann and Raymond Lovelady.
Late Model Feature 30 Laps - 17 Cars
1. #98 Herb Neumann Jr.
2. # 3 Rex Struble
3. #22 Herb Hoefler
4. # 9 Jim Smith
5. #13 Tom Haselmayer
1st Heat Winner - #96 Danny Johnson
2nd Heat Winner - #98 Herb Neumann Jr.
3rd Heat Winner - #17 Raymond Lovelady
Bill Oestreicher chased Johnny Sanders for the first 10 laps before he could make the pass for the lead in the Sportsman 20 lap main. Mike Veltman made a run from the rear of the 13-car pack to put the pressure on in a side-by-side finish. Johnny Sanders fell back to sixth before caution flags helped him move back up to a third place finish followed by Harold Cannon who was subbing for Kyle Bookmiller in the points chase. Mark Dominique held out for fifth. Heat wins went to John Gann and Bill Loomis.
Sportsman Feature 20 Laps 13 Cars
1. # 0 Bill Oestreicher
2. #55 Mike Veltman
3. #36 Johnny Sanders
4. #03 Harold Cannon
5. # 7 Mark Dominique
1st Heat Winner - # 9 John Gann
2nd Heat Winner - #17 Bill Loomis
Ernie Reed moved from fifth to first in the early going in the Street Stock feature and spent the rest of the race watching a four-car battle for second in his rear view mirror that lasted for 17 laps. Joe Viverito held off Mike Bell, Danny Cretty and Travis Nichols in the seesaw battle for the position. Mike Bell was able to pick up another 18 points over Travis Nichols in their battle for the championship crown with his third place finish. Owen Leigh picked up his first heat win ever and Travis Nichols nailed the win in the second heat.
Street Stock Feature 20 Laps 13 Cars
1. #55 Ernie Reed
2. #72 Joe Viverito
3. #17 Mike Bell
4. #01 Danny Cretty
5. # 2 Travis Nichols
1st Heat Winner - #24 Owen Leigh
2nd Heat Winner - # 2 Travis Nichols
Rob Wheatley chalked up his 6th win of the season, driving for Jake Garver who spent all day putting a new motor in his racer that didnt work for the start. He will get the points for the win. Mark Sowell chased Wheatley to the flag with Chris Thornton finishing third over Chris Hooker. Hooker managed to hit the front straight wall in the first lap accident but managed to go to the pits and get back into the tail end of the field before the restart. Last weeks winner Ray Miller came from the back end of the field to hold out for a fifth place finish. Heat wins went to Rob Wheatley and Chris Hooker.
Mini Stock Feature 20 Laps 14 Cars
1. #88 Rob Wheatley
2. # 5 Mark Sowell
3. #24 Chris Thornton
4. #1x Chris Hooker
5. #63 Ray Miller
1st Heat Winner - #88 Rob Wheatley
2nd Heat Winner - #1x Chris Hooker
Richie Smith continues to be the man to beat in Hobby Stock action as he came from the back end of the 23 car field to log his 12th win of the season He also took his inaugural run in his new Late Model just to fill in his spare time. Roy Perkins held him off up to the final five laps and then had his hands full of Dean Lawyer in the race for second. Newcomer Frank Buchanan made his presence known with a fourth place finish from his 18th starting spot. Dustin Aaron moved his 10th starting spot to finish fifth. Heat winners were Alvin Williamson and Smith.
Hobby Stock Feature 20 Laps 23 Cars
1. #42 Richie Smith
2. #07 Roy Perkins
3. #19 Dean Lawyer
4. #07b Frank Buchanan
5. #98 Dustin Aaron
1st Heat Winner #09 Alvin Williamson
2nd Heat Winner - #42 Ritchie Smith
Bobby Taylor has been the new kid in the Thunder Stock division for six races and has come up a winner four times. Josh Teague got back into the point race lead with a second place finish over Stuart Madison who came up illegal in a post race inspection. Robert Jordan who moved into the lead last week had a DNF and an 18th place finish which killed his lead. Larry Triana moved up to third by virtue of the Madison D.Q. while Michael D. Wilson inherited fourth just ahead of Shawn Conner. Heat Wins went to Josh Teague and Robin Bauer.
Thunder Stock Feature 20 Laps 25 Cars
1. #66 Bobby Taylor
2. #20 Josh Teague
3. #1 Larry Triana
4. #39 Michael Wilson
5. #44 Shawn Conner
1st heat Winner - #20 Josh Teague
2nd Heat Winner - #97 Robin Bauer
Figure 8s started 12 cars and had eight finish their 20-lap escapade through the intersection. Dwayne Fults took the point from the green flag and set the pace to the midpoint when Curtis Youmans ate the wall bringing on the caution flag and ending his night. On the restart, Robert Aaron launched his racer to the point with Fults chasing him to the checkers. Ron Schriefels managed to work his way from a back end restart back up to third followed by Mark Wilkins and Peanut Higgenbotham to round out the top five. Figure 8s have one more race on the 9th of November to close out their season.
Figure 8 Feature 20 Laps 13 Cars
1. # 6 Robert Aaron
2. #00 Dwayne Fults
3. #64 Ron Schreifels
4. #98 Mark Wilkins
5. # 5 Peanut Higgenbotham
Next Saturday night will feature the Late Models in the Fall Finale 150 for $7,500 to win. Qualifying time trials will kick off the full night of all feature racing at 5 P.M. There will be a Friday night practice only.
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