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| Dick Anderson Wins Race One Of The 2002 Season For Florida Pro | By Jane Smith
Dick Anderson, in a borrowed race car, started 16th in the field and ended up the winner of the first Florida Pro race for 2002. Driving one of Hubert Simmons's machines, Anderson's new Dodge is not yet quite ready for the racing season, Anderson started in the rear of the 16 car field. Although he qualified eighth, he chose to start at the rear since he had to change his tires from qualifying and he was still having a few bugs in the car.
Johnny Kay set fast time but after drawing the number 6 pill, Michael Faulk in the #36 Pierce Motorsports machine, had the lead position. On the outside of Faulk was the #12 of Justin Drawdy. Two cars did not qualify but did race, the #57 of Doyle Boatwright and the #19 of Todd Franz. The #6b of Jerome Brown was not able to make the field as it suffered damage the night before at open practice.
When the green was thrown, it was Faulk and Drawdy battling for the lead position with Faulk easing out in front. As they battled, Anderson quickly moved from 16th to 11th to 9th. But before the first caution flag flew, Faulk was seen off the pace and had to pull his #36 into the pits, retiring it and himself from his first possible Florida Pro win. Just as Drawdy took the lead, caution one came out for Drawdy as he overheated and put water on the track causing the #80 of Brian Finney and the #77 of Johnny Kay to go spinning with Kay landing hard in the front stretch wall. The race was red flagged. Finney was able to pit and repair his damage but Kay was done for the night.
On the restart, it was Mac Johnson leading Jonathan Brown, Jay Middleton, Dick Anderson and Eddie Gainey. Johnson and Brown were going side by side as Anderson was on the tail of Middleton for the third position. Just as things heated up, the yellow came out for the #5 of Sam Clark, Jr. and the #7 of Hubert Simmons, Jr. who had spun on the track.
At this point, only 11 cars were left running.
On the restart, Johnson and Brown were having a heated battle for the lead position. Anderson took third leaving Middleton fourth. Just as Johnson and Brown are doing alittle rubbing, Brown rubs alittle too hard and Johnson goes spinning. Both cars are sent to the rear giving Dick Anderson the lead.
Johnson and Brown both quickly move back up into the top five positions when Mac Johnson and Eddie Gainey rub a little too much sending them both around for caution 3. Once again both are sent to the rear with Anderson in the lead. Brown has now worked himself back into the third position but it was not long before he took over the second spot putting Jay Middleton to third. On lap 85, Middleton and Brown touched sending Middleton spinning on the front stretch. The #80 of Brian Finney and the #61 of David Browning end up wrecking trying to avoid Middleton who is in the middle of the track. Both Finney and Browning suffer major damage and retired, not very happy at all.
Only one more caution is thrown for the #19 of Todd Franz who had a pretty rough night when he spins out. Franz never could get his car up to speed and was lapped three times by lap 38 of the race. By lap 108, only seven cars remain on the track with Anderson, Brown, Johnson, Gainey, Dicks and Simmons filling out those seven spots.
Anderson retains his lead and takes his first win in 2002 in a borrowed racecar. As the cars sat on the frontstretch for the many fans to see, a heated discussion went on between Johnson and Brown. But no punches were thrown, only angry words.
Wally Finney summed up the night's events best when he said "what a waste. You come with a brand new racecar and go home with a shell."
Florida Pro Series 125:
1. Dick Anderson,
2. Mac Johnson,
3. Jonathan Brown,
4. Eddie Gainey,
5. Kevin Dicks,
6. Brother Simmons,
7. Todd Franz,
8. Jay Middleton,
9. David Browning,
10. Brian Finney,
11. David Hodges Jr.,
12. Doyle Boatwright,
13. Sam Clark Jr.,
14. Justin Drawdy,
15. Jonny Kay,
16. Michael Faulk.
Jane Smith
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