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| PRATT, GERSTNER, MASCIARELLI, CLOSE AND DURBIN CLAIM OCALA HONORS | BY Dave Westerman
Another big field of cars, cool temperatures and hot racing greeted fans Friday night at Ocala Speedway.
St. Augustine's Scott Lagasee, Jr. topped the Super Late Model field in time trials earning $100 from Midway Transmission, but the pill draw wasn't kind to him and he started the 50-lap feature race from the seventh starting spot.
Kevin Bryant, making his first start at Ocala in several weeks, set the pace from his outside pole spot as the green came out with Patrick Williams, Rich Pratt, and Robbie Smith in tow. Only a quick turn two spin by Rusty Dixon slowed the going in the early laps.
Bryant continued to set the pace as Pratt got by Williams and set his sights on the leader. Lap 14 would prove Lagasee's undoing as he got tangled up with another car and tapped the frontstretch wall to bring out the caution. Several other cars, including that of point leader Robbie Smith, received damage with both Lagasee and Smith heading to the pits for repairs. Both made it back out, but a lap down to the field.
Pratt had his car dialed in perfectly, got around Bryant for the lead, and had a relatively easy run to the checker. Smith was soldiering on minus the front bodywork of his machine trying to earn points when his car began to smoke and he dropped from the race on lap 43. Smith did not lose much ground in the points race as the second and third place drivers in the standings, Brock Oglesby and Brad Atkins, did not race.
Pratt, who had won earlier in the year in Limited Late Model competition, took his first Super Late Model victory of the Fall season in his Chevy Monte Carlo sponsored by Groeb Farms, Gourmet Jose Authentic Salsa, Holox Welding Supplies, and Augie's Signs and Designs. Patrick Williams wheeled the Armstrong Special to second place and word has it that Brock Oglesby will take over the wheel of this car starting with the Fall Festival 400 on November 17th.
Kevin Bryant held on for a third place finish while Keith "Last Minute" Zavrel came from the last starting spot on the grid to take fourth. John Buzinec had his best run of the season with a fifth place finish while Lagasee was sixth, a lap down just ahead of Mac McCullough, Georgia visitor Braden Copeland, Roger Shinholser and Bob Brennan.
Alan McCafferty was at the wheel of a new Modified ride, blistered the field in qualifying, and looked to have the car to beat in the feature. His night would come to an abrupt end early on lap five when the engine blew. A red flag was needed to allow track crews to clean up the mess, but it would be the only slowdown as the remaining laps ran all the way under green.
Tampa's Jeremy Gerstner had the pole at the start and never looked back as he drove his Running Great Automotive/All Season Air Conditioning machine to a solid win, his first of any kind in several years.
Troy Robinson broke clear of traffic just past halfway and thought he had the horses to catch Gerstner, but his car began jumping out of gear and he became a "one-armed bandit," holding the car in gear with one hand and driving with the other to finish in second spot.
Johnny Newsome had his best run of the year taking third in front of a hard-charging Jason Garver and the winner's brother, John Gerstner.
Mike Wilson, David Baxley, Bobby Dixon, Kevyn Terry and Chris Fadling rounded out the top ten.
The Steven A. Bagen Sportsman feature got off to a wild start as Patrick Mennenga got loose on the frontstretch with several cars getting jammed up trying to miss him. When all was said and done, William Edwards, Wally Schneider, Roger Damron and Kenny Abney among others had damage to their cars.
Bob Masciarelli survived an early-race scrape to lead all the way in this one but there was plenty of action behind him as only one more caution flag slowed the action for Dale Rodgers' blown engine on lap eight.
Tom Posavec moved into second but couldn't catch Maciarelli's JD Squared sponsored Camaro. Pete Close, Jr. and Damron tangled on the last lap with Close spinning and Damron crossing the line third.
Track officials placed Close third in the final running order ahead of Damron who felt he had position on Close, but shrugged off the decision as "just racing." Either way, Damron saw his win streak snapped at three.
Wally Schneider came home fifth with the second five consisting of Tommy Brakeman, Tommy Roberts, Doug Levesque, Michael Jordan, Jr. and Jim Higginbotham.
Tom Posavec and William Edwards won the heats.
Next week, the Steven A. Bagen Sportsman cars will wrap up their season with a 50-lap shootout.
Nobody could get close enough to Pete Close, Jr. to do anything with him in the Street Stock 20-lapper as he led from green to checker in John Betts' Baseline Tire Camaro despite several caution flags that kept the field on his bumper.
Moose Alderman had another solid run to claim second spot in front of Mark Mitchell, David Chastain and Frank Buchanan.
Point leader Doug Webster was sixth while Michael Rosa, Chip Owens, Paul Gladin, and Bobby Valeo rounded out the top ten.
Street Stock heats went to Kyle Maynard, Close, and Mitchell.
It was a "Durbin Double" in the Four Cylinder Stocks as Joey Durbin checked out on the field in his Mustang and won by a large margin in the caution-free race.
Neal Durbin took over the wheel of Dale Durbin's car and came out on top of a crowd-pleasing seven car battle that saw all seven drivers run in second spot for at least a lap.
Tom Ellis eventually wound up third in front of Robert Oxendine and Ric Fort.
Rick Kuhn, Steve Gallagher, Rocky Bowden, Mike Oglesby, and Joel Byall were sixth through tenth.
Next week, along with the 50-lapper for the Steven A. Bagen Sportsman, it will be Racing for Smiles night at the Speedway. It's also the final Friday night program of the 2002 season.
OFFICIAL RESULTS FOR 11/1/02:
SUPER LATE MODEL (50 Laps):
1) Rich Pratt #0
2) Patrick Williams #57
3) Kevin Bryant #54
4) Keith Zavrel #47
5) John Buzinec #08
6) Scott Lagasee, Jr. #22
7) Mac McCullough #86
8) Braden Copeland #77
9) Roger Shinholser #26
10) Bob Brennan #15
11) Lee McCullough #H20
12) Robbie Smith #01
13) Rusty Dixon #97
14) James Findley #89
MODIFIEDS (20 Laps):
1) Jeremy Gerstner #70
2) Troy Robinson #0
3) Johnny Newsome #31
4) Jason Garver #27
5) John Gerstner #77
6) Mike Wilson #79
7) David Baxley #64
8) Bobby Dixon #205
9) Kevyn Terry #13
10) Chris Fadling #29
11) Mike Batten #5.0
12) Timmie Hunley #03
13) Ray Etheridge #25
14) Jack Icard #39
15) Mike Barr #13B
16) Alan McCafferty #99
17) Jon Compagnone, Sr. #5 (DNS)
18) Buddy Wisham #205X (DNS)
STEVEN A. BAGEN SPORTSMAN (20 Laps):
1) Bob Masciarelli #72
2) Tom Posavec #01
3) Pete Close, Jr. #86
4) Roger Damron #76B
5) Wally Schneider #57
6) Tommy Brakeman #20
7) Tommy Roberts #07
8) Doug Levesque #27
9) Michael Jordan, Jr. #7
10) Jim Higginbotham #76
11) William Edwards #39
12) Doc Batson #4
13) Dale Rodgers #6
14) Kenny Abney #6X
15) Patrick Mennenga #16
STREET STOCKS (20 Laps):
1) Pete Close, Jr. #08
2) Moose Alderman #7
3) Mark Mitchell #71
4) David Chastain #17
5) Frank Buchanan #07B
6) Doug Webster #72
7) Michael Rosa #76
8) Chip Owens #151
9) Paul Gladin #9
10) Bobby Valeo #8B
11) Rick Hart #13
12) Jay Morgan #7X
13) Rick Bass #21
14) Jamie Dunn #24
15) Bobby Carter #99
16) Steve Mooers #1
17) Gary Hotalen #02
18) Doc Batson #4
19) Mike Fiddia #41
20) Chuck Stewart #8Ball
21) Tom Fralish #79
22) Roger Brass #81
23) Kyle Maynard #07
24) William O'quinn #88
25) Gordy Cade #21X (DNS)
FOUR CYLINDER STOCKS (20 Laps):
1) Joey Durbin #38
2) Neal Durbin #46
3) Tom Ellis #31
4) Robert Oxendine #24
5) Ric Fort #2
6) Rick Kuhn #47
7) Steve Gallagher #39
8) Rocky Bowden #1
9) Mike Oglesby #0
10) Joel Byall #40
11) Kurtis Mitchell #00
12) Wayne Penny #4
13) Harold Barup #3
14) Jeff Pittsley #20
15) Chris Noce #99
16) Chris Antis #11
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