Ivedent Lloyd Wins 75 lap National Late Model Race at Columbia Motorsports Park
by Marty Little
Lake City, Fla - Veteran Ivedent Lloyd paced the final 20 laps to win the 75 lap National Late Model Series dirt car feature Sunday afternoon at Columbia Motor- sports Park.
The event was originally scheduled at Cordele Motor Speedway but was moved after the Georgia track management cancelled it at the last minute. The race was the NLMS 2002 season finale.
Fast qualifier Skip Pannell lead the 25 car field from the pole position on the very fast half-mile paved oval as an early caution took out pavement standout Jimmy Britts.
Pannell had the field in tow but with only a dozen laps in the books Florida hot shoe Lloyd took his mount to the pits with a flat tire. A replacement was quickly fitted and he rejoined the field from the back. While brothers Jason and Shane Hylton were pressuring leader Pannell it was Lloyd who was putting on the show as he steadily moved through the field. On lap 55 Lloyd made his move and took the lead as Pannell slipped to second and the Hylton brothers trailed.
Lloyd was not to be denied on a sunny Sunday afternoon as he claimed the checkers five car lengths ahead of Jason Hylton and Shane Hylton. Cecil Eunice and Charles Sealey rounded out the top five runners, Henry Carter was crowned the 2002 NLMS champion.
In local division action Gale Grayer topped the street stocks ahead of Ray Wheeler and Nick Reid while Matt Stafford scored a last lap win in the pure stocks over Marty Wood and Eric Simson.
COMPLETE FINISH NATIONAL LATE MODEL SERIES 75
1. Ivedent Lloyd, 2. Jason Hylton, 3. Shane Hylton, 4. Cecil Eunice, 5. Charles Sealey, 6. Jay Carpenter, 7. Stacy Roberts, 8. Everett Phillips, 9. David Hodges, Jr., 10. Patrick Sheltra, 11. Keith Edge, 12. Henry Carter, 13. Gene Maine, 14. Johnny Collins, 15. Larry Perry, 16. Dusty Cone, 17. Skip Pannell, 18. Leon Childs, 19. Pal Etheridge, 20. David Augspurn, 21. David Clegg, 22. Jimmy Lee Davis, 23. Greg Ward, 24. Michael Lloyd, 25. Jimmy Britts
