Jacob Warren Wins in last 4 laps at Orlando SpeedWorld and Team FASCAR Sunbelt Super Late Model Feature
by Jane Smith
Bithlo, Fla (May 2, 2003) - Twenty six of Florida's finest Super Late Model drivers headed to the 3/8th mile bullring we affectionately call Orlando SpeedWorld. All but one qualified as Jimmy Cope lost an engine in practice and had to sit and watch instead of drive and bump.
B.J. McLeod of Wauchula, Fl. set fast time with a 13.645 but pulled a 5 pill which inverted the top five putting David Rogers of Orlando, Fl. on the pole. Rogers quickly jumped to the lead on the green but before even a half lap was down, the yellow came out and turned to red when Mario Gosselin, Bruce Lawrence, Aric Almirola, Bruce Lawrence, II., Ronnie Roach and John Lowers all got tangled as they went into turn one. None of the drivers were hurt but Roach was out for the rest of the night and Lowers ended up with a modified after repairs.
No lap was recorded so the race was a total restart. Rogers once again jumped to the lead with Jacob Warren, Mike Good, B.J. McLeod and James Powell in the top five. On lap 6, Aric Almirola brought out the yellow as he spun on the frontstretch. Almirola was driving the #80x of Finney Racing for this event.
The race restarted on lap 8 with Rogers in the lead but only two laps later, lap 10, Mike Good spun in turn 2. On the restart, Powells bumps McLeod on the frontstretch sending McLeod in a spin. After setting fast time and running really good, McLeod was done for the night with a broken transmission.
Rogers holds the point for the restart but on lap 16, Barry Willoughby and Bruce Lawrence II get together with Willoughby pitting for repairs and McLeod being pushed in for the night. On the restart, once again a number of cars tangled together - Jonny Kay, Mario Gosselin, Ricky Wood, and James Powell. it was beginning to look like a long night.
On the restart, it was Rogers, Warren, Anderson, Finney and Jay Middleton in the top five. Racing was heating up hot and heavy until lap 35 when Aric Almirola spun betweens turn 3 and 4.
On lap 51, Middleton gets the move on Finney who was running fourth and takes over fourth putting Finney fifth. Five laps later, lap 56, Bruce Lawrence II spun on the backstretch bringing out the yellow. On the restart, Rogers holds the point with Warren, Anderson, Middleton and Finney in the top five. Fain Skinner brought out the yellow on lap 67 when he spun on the frontstretch.
On the restart, it is still Rogers in the lead. Barry Willoughby does a good save as his car slips going into turn 3 and goes high towards the wall but Willoughby does a great job of controlling the car. On lap 83, Middleton is all over the rear-end of Anderson looking high, low to pass Anderson and take third. Middleton gets loose and slides giving Finney the chance to retake fourth which he does and Middleton settles back into fifth.
Mike Good brought out the next caution when he spun in turns 1 and 2.on lap 86. The race goes back green on lap 89 with Rogers, Warren, Anderson, Finney and Middleton leading the pack. On lap 96, Rich Pratt and James Powell get together with both spinning in turn 2. On lap 106, Chet Morrison brushes the frontstretch wall with concrete dust flying but continues racing. The top ten are Rogers, Warren, Anderosn, Finney, Middleton, Morrison, Kay, Chris Fontaine, Bruce Lawrence and Barry Willoughby.
Rogers builds a fairly good lead over Warren who has a few car lengths between him and the third, fourth and fifth place cars of Anderson, Finney, and Middleton who are going nose to tail around the track. Finney gets the nose of his machine slightly in front but Anderson shuts the door. Finney, who is a very clean racer, settles back in and continues to look for a way to pass Anderson but Anderson blocks all attempts.
Chet Morrison, who was running sixth, spun on lap 118 on the backstretch ending his sixth place finish. Now the craziness begins as Bruce Lawrence II goes under someone's rear-end and ends his night up in steam with a broken radiator. On the restart, Rogers who has lead every lap, breaks giving Warren the lead for the last four laps taking his first checkered in 2003 in the Team FASCAR Sunbelt Super Late Model Series. Following Warren to the checkers was Wayne Anderson, Brian Finney, Jay Middleton, and Jonny Kay.
In Victory Lane Jacobs was obviously excited and said "we have had some good luck and some bad but this is really awesome. I feel bad for David but that is racing sometimes."
In other action, Mathew Jarrett had the pole for the Bandolero Bandit division but it was Derrick Wood who made the pass early in the race and took the lead and the checkers for the win. Following Wood to the checkered was Josh Williams, Mathew Jarrett, Spencer Taylor and Matt Bowers.
Brandon Thomson had the pole for the Bandolero Young Guns and quickly jumped to the lead. Jessica Murphy brought out the yellow as her #40 machine hit the turns 1 - 2 wall and lost a tire. Jessica was fine but done for the night.
Thomson, who lead every lap, broke about 3 laps before the finish turning the lead over to Scott Jarrett who was able to hold strong and take his first win over Kevin Henry, Dalton Zehr, Sam Watts, and Troy Atkins.
Well guys, we finally saw a new winner in the Sportsman division as Doug Samion did not win this feature. Richard Hight sat on the pole and quickly jumped to the lead. Dennis Gillman brought out the yellow as he spun in turns 1 and 2.
On the restart, Richard Hight holds the point over Robert HIght, Rob Kasey, Justin Hall and Doug Samion. Samion passed Hall taking fourth putting Hall fifth. Hall brought out the yellow as he spun on the backstretch and retires for the night.
Hight holds the point over Robert Hight, Doug Samion, Kelly Jarrett and Dennis Gillman. Then Kasey spun in turns 3 and 4 and Samion, Danny Shearer, and Dennis Gillman all get together in turns 1 and 2. Shearer has a broken spindle and retired to the pits as well as Gillman who goes in. Only Samion stayed out and at this point, we have 4 Sportsman left on the field.
Richard Hight holds the point on the restart and takes his first win of 2003 over brother Robert Hight, Eric Travis, Doug Samion, and Kelly Jarrett.
Frank Polly held the pole for the Modified division and quickly jumped to the lead over Jason Boyd, Shane Held, Lynn Dicandio and Glen Bradley. Andy Saffioti puts the pedal to the medal and moves into fourth pushing Dicandio to fifth and Bradley sixth. Suddenly Saffioti spun in turns 3 and 4 bringing out the yellow and rejoining the race in the rear of the field.
On the restart, Boyd powers pass Polly taking the point with Shane Held, Lynn Dicandio and Chad Pierce filling out the top five. John Bennett spun on the backstretch biringing out the next yellow. On the restart, Boyd holds strong over Polly. Glen Bradley and Ray Wheeler get together bringing out the yellow once again. Bradley is able to continue but Wheeler takes the long journey to the pits on the hook, done for the night.
Boyd holds the point once again on the restart as Saffioti has worked his way back up to sixth from the rear. Charlie Pitts brought out the yellow as he controls for mosquitos around the track. The race goes green but Chris Gillespie has spun high in turns 3 and 4 bringing out the yellow again.
Boyd again holds the lead on the restart and takes the checkered over Frank Polly, Shain Held, Chad Pierce, and Lynn Dicandio.
Dave Wright had the pole for the Super Stock feature but before a lap was down, Wright hit the wall with Mike Soukup spinning down on the bandolero track. Soukup was able to take the restart but Wright was done for the night.
Cory Freed now had the pole position and wasted no time taking the lead on the green followed by Mike Soukup, Bob Wines,. Ron Whaley, and Billy Cuddy. On lap 3, Soukup goes up in smoke and brought out the caution. Freed holds the point on the restart with Billy Cuddy, Bob Wines, Ron Whaley and Glenn Castrol in the top five.
Ron Whaley brought out the caution when he hit the turn 2 wall and limped in with a broken spindle. Justin Reynolds has to retire his machine also as he begins to smoke badly. Reynolds, who earlier in the season hit the wall hard, is just returning to racing.
Cuddy chases Freed trying to get the lead but Freed holds storng. Bob Beiler and Glenn Castro touch but both drivers did a fantastic job of controlling their machines and not causing a caution. Freed takes the checkered followed by Billy Cuddy, Bob Wines, Bob Beiler, and Glenn Castro.
Strictly Stocks were being teched after their race so I am not sure of the finish but before tech it was Robert Ward, Roger Benton, Jim Leslie, Frank Constantino, and Greg Bruce.
Next week at Orlando SpeedWorld - 50 Lap Super Stock feature with Super Lates, Sportsman, Open Wheel Modifieds, and Mini Stocks. No Strictly Stocks.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD MAY 2
Sunbelt Super Late Model Race - 125 Laps
1. #51 Jacob Warren, Orlando, Fl. 2. #84 Wayne Anderson, Wildwood, Fl 3. #80 Brian Finney, Merritt Island, Fl 4. #74j Jay Middleton, Lake City, Fl 5. #77 Jonny Kay, Deerfield Bch, Fl 6. #47 Chris Fontaine, Lakeland, Fl 7. #74 Barry Willoughby, Port St. Lucie, Fl 8. #16 Bruce Lawrence, Sorento, Fl 9. #27 Mike Good, Lake Mary, Fl 10. #37 James Powell, Astor, Fl 11. #86 Chet Morrison, Houma, La 12. #1 Fain Skinner, Live Oaks, Fl 13. #11 David Rogers, Orlando, Fl 14. #116 Bruce Lawrence, II, Sorento, Fl 15. #80x Aric Almirola, Tampa, Fl 16. #0 Rich Pratt, Anthony, Fl 17. #22 Larry Osteen, Clermont, FL 18. #10 Eric Black, Vero Beach, Fl 19. #59 Mario Gosselin, Lake Wales, Fl 20. #33 Ricky Wood, Orlando, Fl 21. #78 B.J. McLeod, Wauchula, Fl 22. #02 John Lowers, Lakeland, Fl 23. #14 Ronnie Roach, Orlando, Fl 24. #40 George Murphy, Mims, Fl 25. #12 Justin Drawdy, Ft. Pierce, Fl. 26. #61 Jimmy Cope - DNS blew engine in practice
BANDOLERO BANDITS
1. #33 Derrick Wood 2. #6 Josh Williams 3. #9 Mathew Jarrett 4. #X Spencer Taylor 5. #01 Matt Bowers 6. #60 Chad Atkins 7. #17 Blake Edan 8. #95 Mathew McGilliwray 9. #74 Eric Salvesen 10. #38 Gerald White, Jr.
BANDOLERO YOUNG GUNS
1. #97 Scott Jarrett 2. #9 Kevin Henry 3. #63 Dalton Zehr 4. #26 Sam Watts 5. #14 Troy Atkins 6. #75 Chelsen Schillig 7. #54 Brandon Thomson 8. #40 Jessica Murphy
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #2x Jason Boyd 2. #34 Frank Polly 3. #55 Shane Held 4. #51 Chad Pierce 5. #20 Lynn Dicandio 6. #17 Dink Sullivan 7. #721 John Bennett 8. #1 Andy Saffioti 9. #4 Glen Bradley 10. #20 Chris Gillespie 11. #5 Charlie Pitts 12. #96 Ray Wheeler
SPORTSMAN
1. #23 Richard Hight 2. #13 Robert Hight 3. #76 Eric Travis 4. #04 Doug Samion 5. #9 Kelly Jarrett 6. #40 Dennis Gillman 7. #77 Danny Shearer 8. #75 Rob Kasey 9. #50 Justin Hall
SUPER STOCKS
1. #12 Cory Freed 2. #64 Billy Cuddy 3. #7b Bob Wines 4. #44 Bob Beiler 5. #42 Glenn Castro 6. #22 Andy Nichols 7. #28 Ron Edwards 8. #08x Paul Hudson 9. #2 Ron Whaley 10. #20 Justin Reynolds 11. #45 Mike Soukup 12. #65 Dave Wright
STRICTLY STOCKS (UNOFFICIAL)
1. #27 Robert Ward 2. #14 Roger Benton 3. #45 Jim Leslie 4. #33 Frank Constantino 5. #4u Greg Bruce 6. #11 Debbi Aubee 7. #98 Bobby Woodley 8. #10 Rogert Ladieu 9. #27 Barry Parks 10. #8 ?
