Citrus County Dodges Bad Weather to see 2003 Season Opening
by Larry MacMillan INVERNESS, Fla. - Mother Nature blessed Citrus County Speedway with reasonably decent weather after a day of major storms in north Florida reeked havoc with hail and storms all day long. Fortunately the seven-division race card went without a hitch featuring the FASTRUCK make up after their rain out last week and the first race of the season for the Late Models.
Eighteen of the thirty FASTRUCK Series registrants kicked off the evening with qualifying time trials. Bartow´s Tommy King turned the 3/8ths mile at a 14:942 second clip to take the fast qualifying honors. Marty Wolf out of Edgewater locked down second fast time with a 15:000 second run. Tim Shaffnier out of Ft. Lauderdale won the pole and set the pace for the first 17 laps of the 50 lap main event. Jeff Firestine out of Nokomis took his chevy truck to the front and set the pace for the balance of the race with Jimmy Gills on his rear bumper most of the way to the checkers. Five cautions flags tightened up the field for a final fifteen lap all green run to the flag with Firestine, Gills, Auburndales´s James Wright III, Tommy King and pole sitter Tim Shaffnier rounding out the top five.
Eighteen Late Models turned on the horsepower for their first point race of the year and Jim Smith out powered the entire field for a flag to flag win in their 30-lap main. Mike Bresnahan was unable to make his typical last lap pass on the Smith when the checkers came out and had to settle for a second place finish right on Smith´s rear bumper. Defending Champion Rex Struble managed to come up through traffic for a solid third place finish over Richie Smith, who was right in his tire tracks at the flag. Out side pole sitter Scott Grossenbacher held the early lead but slipped back to a fifth place finish when it was all over. Danny Johnson and Bresnahan took the heat wins.
Bill Oesterreicher was the hot shoe in Sportsman action, charging out of his seventh starting spot to take his first win of the 2003 season. Rookie Michael Bell continues to let the field know that he is serious about being a contender after moving up from his Street Stock championship in 2002 with a second place finish. Four time champion Mike Veltman is definitely looking at a year of heavy competition if he expects to claim his fifth crown in a row, settling for a third place finish. Chris Cross held out for fourth after an early race spin and Phillip Rook drove through a lot of traffic to pick up fifth. Bill Ryan and Oesterreicher locked down the heat wins.
Another young gun made his mark in the Mini Stock 20 lap feature. Outside pole sitter Dustin DesChamps out of Tampa locked onto the point from the green flag and never looked backed despite three caution flags. Rob Wheatley made his way through traffic from his seventh starting spot to pull in a second place finish. Don Faunce out ran Phillip Joyner in the race for third with Chris Thornton salvaging a fifth place finish after an early spin that sent him to the rear of the pack. DesChamps and Wheatley took the heat wins.
Travis Nichols car owner and primary sponsor, John Wiley lost a battle with cancer Friday morning and Nichols was definitely a man on mission in his memory. Nichols won the pole in his first ride in the car for 2003 and smoked the sixteen-car Street Stock field in both his heat and the 20 lap main event. Danny Cretty had his work cut out for him from his fourteenth starting spot but he managed to take advantage of several caution flags and worked his way through traffic for a solo run in second at the flag. The race was for third with Jo Jo Viverito coming from the scratch starting spot to outrun Scott Guthman and Daniel Webster for his third place finish after winning his first race two weeks ago. Ernie Reed took the win in the second heat but suffered a DNF in the feature.
Twenty Hobby Stocks took the green flag with Sport Wilson taking the point at the halfway point. Two-time defending champion Richie Smith worked his way from the scratch spot to second but couldn´t find the power to make a run at Sport. This was the first time Sport Wilson was able to finish a race in the early going. Dean Lawyer made a run from 19th to hold out for a third place over Curtis Neumann and Roy Perkins. Wilson and Troy Davis logged heat wins.
Point leader Roy Blotz started 15th and took the long way around the outside groove on the 3/8ths mile fast track to take his second feature out of three in a breeze. Pat Quick gave him a run for his money after she settled an on track encounter with Louie Cioe and pulled off a second place finish in their 20 lap Thunder Stock feature. Larry Triana led the parade for third over Jimmy Nash and James Crossley. Rick Badessa and Blotz won the heats.
Citrus County Speedway will take a 3-week hiatus making room for the Citrus County Fair activities. The Sunbelt Series 125 will kick off the restart of the 2003 season on March 29th. This will be the first of four Super Late Model Specials that will be held at Citrus this season.
Citrus County Speedway Results 3/1/03
FASTTRUCK Series 50 Laps 18 Trucks
1. #93 Jeff Firestine Nokomis
2. # 5 Jimmy Gills Sarasota
3. #56 James Wright Auburndale
4. #16 Tommy King Bartow
5. #29r Tim Shaffnier Ft. Lauderdale
Fast Qualifier - #16 Tommy King 14:932 Seconds
2nd Fast Qualifier - # 9 Marty Wolf 15:000 Seconds
