Dale Clouser Wins Sportsman 50 Lapper under CLEAR skies at New Smyrna Speedway July 26
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla. (July 26, 2003) The weather finally gave New Smyrna Speedway a break and all features were run without one single drop of rain. But it was obvious in the number of restarts that the racers were over-anxious to return to the high banks.
Heat races were taken off the schedule to make sure that all features got run. But as long as they got to race, the racers were ready for the features.
Terry Tillis jumped to the lead for the caution free 30 lap Mini Cup feature. On the green it was Tillis, Mark Ross, Dan Suggs, Doug Smith and Rich Crisafulli. Doug Smith slowly started his move to the front first taking third, then second and by lap 7, Smith had the lead.
Tillis tried to get the lead back but could never pass Smith. Smith held on and took the checkered followed by Terry Tillis, Dan Suggs, Mark Ross and Bobby Payton.
Chris Lawrence lead from green to checkered in the Late Model division. Following Lawrence on the green was Don Hess, Tim Clark, Brian Bellaw, and Travis Wilson. By lap 7, Clark had passed Hess and taken over second but just could not catch Lawrence to battle for first.
On lap 11, Travis Wilson goes around in turn 4 bringing out the only caution in the 15 lap feature. On the restart it was Lawrence, Clark, Hess, Bellaw, and Lynn. A second restart was in order since the first one was no good but the same five took the lead.
Lawrence holds on and takes the checkered with Tim Clark, Don Hess, Brian Bellaw and Wade Lynn in the top five.
Josh Wronkowski had the pole for the 19 car Super Stock feature and took the lead on the green followed by Ron Whaley, Nick Vogler, Jeff Colburn, and Sean Bass. Before a full lap was completed the yellow came out and then the red for Pat Buckley who somehow got up on the backstretch rail. Also involved was James Smith and Steven Detwiler. No drivers were injured but the race did got red to fix the railing.
On the second restart, Charlie Collins brought out the yellow when he hit the backstretch wall. The third restart saw Josh Wronkowski's tire go down in turn 4 with Wronkowski in the wall. One more restart and it is Ron Whaley to the lead followed by Jeff Colburn, Robert Skinner, Sean Bass, and Butch Pierce.
Lap 4 Bob Bailey brought out the caution when he hit the turns 3 wall. Bailey was fine and was able to continue racing. On the restart it is Whaley who takes the lead but the caution comes out once again for fluid on the track. Still on lap 4, the race is restarted once again but it is Sean Bass who brings out the caution when he gets up into the backstretch wall and takes a little wall ride. Mike Soukup is also involved and out of the race.
Another restart with Whaley in the lead. Charlie Collins runs second but jumped the restart and is penalized two spots wherever he finishes. By lap 12 it is Whaley, Collins, Skinner, Pierce and Amato. Pierce passes Skinner and takes over third. Whaley takes the checkered followed by Collins, Pierce, Skinner, and Amato. Due to the jump at the restart, the final top five was Ron Whaley, Butch Pierce, Robert Skinner, Charlie Collins and Mike Amato.
Tank Tucker had the pole for the 16 car field of Open Wheel Modifieds and lead from green to checkered. Following Tucker on the green was Matt Wheeler, David Castello, Mark Vandevender and Rob Underwood. Underwood passes Vandevender and takes over fourth. On lap 10, Art Kunzeman brought out the caution when he spun at the top of turn 4.
Tucker holds the points on the restart followed by Matt Wheeler, Rob Underwood, Bobby Blake and David Castello. Lap 12 Ed Kuhel brought out the caution when he spun in turns 3-4.
Tucker holds the point for the restart and takes the checkered with Matt Wheeler, Rob Underwood, Bobby Blake and David Castello in the top five.
Nineteen Sportsman qualified for their 50 lap feature event. Ron Lufcy had the pole but before one lap was down, eight cars were involved in a pile-up in turns 1 and 2. Lufcy, Bill Spade, Mike Carr, Jim Snyder, Earl Beckner, Bill Love, Cory Kaiser, and Bryan Dula. Dula, Snyder, and Spade had to be towed into the pits and were down before one lap was down.
On the restart, Rich Clouser jumped to the lead followed by Brett Builtemeier, John Nusbaum, Mike Trocki, and Steve Redditt. Clouser suddenly slows with a broken belt and is out of the race. Builtemeier takes over the lead followed by Trocki, Dale Clouser, John Nusbaum, and Steve Redditt. Lap 4, Cory Kaiser's engnine blows and he is out of the race.
Lap 7 while running second, Trocki is out of the race. It is Builtemeier, Clouser, Nusbaum, Redditt, and Dennis Gillian. Beckner has now come from the rear of the field and moved into fourth. By lap 13, Beckner has taken over third. Suddenly on lap 17, the leader Builtemeier is out of the race and Dale Clouser now finds himself on the point with Beckner, Nusbaum, Redditt and Gillian.
On lap 28, Ron Lufcy and Dennis Gillian are going side-by-side for the fifth place spot. Two laps later, lap 30, the caution is thrown for Earl Beckner who has spun on the backstretch. Clouser holds the point on the restart followed by Lufcy, Redditt, Gillian, and Beckner who was sent to the rear of the lead lap cars for the caution.
Beckner once again puts the pedal to the metal and takes over fourth putting Gillian fifth. But on lap 35, Beckner breaks and is done for the night. Clouser holds the lead with Redditt, Lufcy, Gillian, and Nusbaum in the top five.
On lap 47, Lufcy slides back to fifth after running third. Clouser takes the checkered for the 50 lap event followed by Steve Redditt, Dennis Gillian, John Nusbaum, and Ron Lufcy.
Bobby Fleckinger sat on the pole for the Super Late Model 25 lap feature but it was B.J. McLeod who took the lead on the green. Following McLeod was Fleckinger, Wayne Parker, Guy Thomas and Brock Oglesby. Parker passes Fleckinger and takes over second looking towards McLeod. David Rogers passes Oblesby and takes over fifth putting Oglesby sixth.
Just when it looks like clear sailing for a win for McLeod, on lap 16 Bobby Fleckinger brought out the yellow when he spun on the frontstretch. McLeod holds the lead on the restart followed by Parker, Rogers who has worked his way to third, Thomas, and Oglesby.
Lap 19 the yellow is flown again when Fleckinger spun between turns 3 and 4. Not what McLeod needed for a win. On the restart, David Rogers passes McLeod and takes over the point. Parker and McLeod go side-by-side with one of the closest finishes for second that we have seen in a very long time. Rogers takes the checkered with Parker in second but an inch followed by McLeod, Guy Thomas and Brock Oglesby.
Coming to the checker, Fleckinger and Mike Finn spin. Finn makes the show when he crosses the finish line backwards and waves to the crowd who are giving him the high five for a great show.
Ben Hutto had the pole for the 15 lap Mini Stock feature but it was Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius who took the lead on the green and never looked back. Following Vulpius was David Castello, Rex Christensen, Tim "Missileman" McPhail, and Wayne Clark.
Castello slips back to fourth with Christensen in second and McPhail in third. Christensen and McPhail do some side-by-side action for second with McPhail taking the postion and Christensen in third. On lap 14 after running a good race and fifth, Wayne Clark retires his No. 15 to the pits with Chris Jones taking over fifth.
Vulpius takes the checkered followed by Tim "Missileman" McPhail, Rex Christensen, David Castello and Chris Jones.
Twenty three Strictly Stocks ran the 25 lap Special. Roger Benton sat on the pole and took the lead on the green followed by Eric Hodge, Bert Ward, Roger LaDieu, and Tim Edmondson. On lap 1, Jeremy Hovencamp brought out the yellow when he spun on the backstretch.
Benton holds the point but on lap 2, Thomas Dorman spun on the entrance to pit road and the yellow is flown again. Benton holds the point for the restart but it is Bert Ward who takes over the lead followed by Benton, Kerry Payne, Curtis Smith, and Tim Edmundson.
On lap 6, Mike Wofford and the No. 58 tangle in turn two. On the restart, Curtis Smith jumps to the lead followed by Ward, Benton, Payne and Edmundson. Lap 8, Hovencamp spins on the frontstretch and slightly hits the inside pit wall. Hovencamp gets the car going again and returns to racing. Smith holds the point on the restart but on lap 10, John Zimmerman brings out the caution when he is in the wall at the top of turns 1 and 2.
On the restart, Eric Hodge spun on the frontstretch getting temporarily stuck in the mud but is able to get his car out and return to racing. Ward holds the point on the restart with Benton, Payne, Edmundson, and Barry Parks in the top five. The caution is flown again for a car that has spun at the bottom of turns 1 and 2.
Ward holds the point on the restart but on lap 13, Parks brings out the yellow when his tire goes down and he goes into the turn 1 wall. Parks is okay but done for the night. Ward holds the point for the restart followed by Benton, Payne, Edmundson, and Hovencamp.
Lap 21 Eric Hodge brought out the last caution of the night when he spun between turns 3 and 4. Ward holds the point for the restart and takes the checkered followed by Benton, Hovencamp, Edmundson, and Payne.
But the finish does not hold up in tech with four out of the top five cars being disqualified. Tim Edmundson is declared the winner followed by Eric Hodge, Ralph Jones, Teresa Trombley and Michelle Dyal.
OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY, JULY 26
MINI CUPS: 1. #17 Doug Smith 2. #8 Terry Tillis 3. #29 Dan Suggs 4. #12 Mark Ross 5. #14 Bobby Payton 6. #05 Wendy Kash 7. #15 David Taylor 8. #00 Rich Crisafulli 9. #21 Rich Cluriemmon 10. #3 Carlos Pinto 11. #44 Don Saxon 12. #36 Mike Holt 13. #48 Heather Suggs 14. #2 Matt Oravets 15. #55 Sony Saxon
SUPER LATES
1. #11 David Rogers 2. #3 Wayne Parker 3. #78 B. J. McLeod 4. #2 Guy Thomas 5. #88 Brock Oglesby 6. #7 Mark Vandevender 7. #8 Brent Hobbs 8. #6 Mike Finn 9. #34 Bobby Fleckinger 10. #02 Bo Jackson
LATE MODELS
1. #63 Chris Lawrence 2. #8 Tim Clark 3. #64 Don Hess 4. #77 Brian Bellaw 5. #28 Wade Lynn 6. #57 Chad Pierce 7. #62 Travis Wilson 8. #48 Mark Smith 9. #23 Joey Pletka 10. #76 Steve Troop
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS
1. #15 Tank Tucker 2. #96 Matt Wheeler 3. #09 Rob Underwood 4. #75 Bobby Blake 5. #2x David Castello 6. #18 Jared Allison 7. #70 Dave Savicki 8. #7 Mark Vandevender 9. #16X Justin Henderson 10. #16W David LeBeau 11. #88 Paul Duncan 12. #9 David Hite 13. #9A Art Kunzeman 14. #81 Mike Samples 15. #60jr John Claggett 16. #20 Ed Kuhel
SPORTSMAN 50 Lapper
1. #30 Dale Clouser 2. #1 Steve Redditt 3. #40 Dennis Gilliam 4. #70 John Nusbaum 5. #07 Ron Lufcy 6. #41 Mike Carr 7. #5 Jeff Colburn 8. #6 Bruce McGonigal 9. #48c Butch Yancy 10. #83 Earl Beckner 11. #2x Brett Builtemeier 12. #2b Bill Love 13. #46 Mike Trocki 14. #51 Ed Kennedy 15. #48 Cory Kaiser 16. #8 Rich Clouser 17. #15x Bill Spade 18. #18 Bryan Dula 19. #55 Jim Snyder
SUPER STOCKS
1. #2 Ron Whaley 2. #57x Butch Pierce 3. #50 Robert Skinner 4. #23 Charlie Collins 5. #2x Mike Amato 6. #8 Bob Trombley 7. #91 Todd Driscoll 8. #72 Adam Builtemeier 9. #3 Jeff Colburn 10. #11 Nick Vogler 11. #10P Bob Bailey 12. #37 Steven Metts 13. #17x Sean Bass 14. #45 Mike Soukup 15. #34R Jim Rix 16. #21 Josh Wronkowski 17. #57 James Smith 18. #34 Pat Buckley 19. #3x Steven Detwiler
MINI STOCKS
1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius 2. #7 Tim "Missileman" McPhail 3. #v3 Rex Christensen 4. #1 David Castello 5. #20 Chris Jones 6. #15 Wayne Clark 7. #38 Ben Hutto
STRICTLY STOCK 25 LAPPER
1. #66 Tim Edmondson 2. #00 Eric Hodge 3. #13 Ralph Jones 4. #8 Teresa Trombley 5. #26 Michelle Dyal 6. #10 Roger LaDieu 7. #22 Bruce McGonigal 8. #65 James Smith 9. #92 Curtis Smith 10. #6 Mark Broat 11. #27 Barry Parks 12. #91 Travis Scott 13. #07 Richie Laszlo 14. #8x Faris Crews 15. #40 John Zimmerman 16. #15 Mike Wofford 17. #58 18. #88 Nick Boley 19. #45 Thomas Dorman 20. #92x Bert Ward DQ'D 21. #14 Roger Benton DQ'D 22. #39 Jerry Hovencamp DQ'D 23. #11X Kerry Payne DQ'D
