IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 14, 2004 FSCR Booth Tops Classic Auto Racing Series Opener at Orlando by Dave Westerman Veteran Ben Booth of Deland, the 2003 Dan Webster for U.S. Senate Classic Auto Racing Series champion, got his quest for a second straight championship off to a good start by leading all 25 laps of the season-opening race Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld. Eighteen cars signed in for the fist race of the year with Booth and Orlando's Ed Yates topping the twin heat races and earning front row starting spots for the 25 lap feature event. Booth squeezed Yates to the wall in turn two on the opening lap to grab the lead while Yates settled into second in front of 2004 Rookie of the Year challenger Corey Freed. Daryl Grief and Tim Ousley got together in turn one at the completion of lap two with Grief spinning to bring out the first caution of the race. Neither car was damaged and both restarted from the rear of the field. Yates applied the bumper to Booth on the restart but Booth held his ground and began to pull away as Jim Rahman worked his way into fourth behind Freed. Bill Posey spun in turn two on lap nine following a bump from Wayne Ashton. Beaver Daughtrey had no place to go and drilled Posey's car on the passenger side. Fortunately Posey, who had fractured his lower back in a crash here last month during the Winternationals, was able to get out of his car in OK shape while Daughtrey was treated for a foot injury. Booth continued to lead as the race went back to green as Rahman began to work on Freed, finally passing him for third and setting out after Yates. Newcomer Tim Powers of Okeechobee, whose car had been smoking for several laps, spun in turn four on lap 23. With his car leaking fluid, Powers headed for the infield while track crews cleaned up the liquid. This set up a green-white-checker situation, but Booth was up to the task as he sped to victory over Yates, Rahman and Freed who finished in tight formation. Freed's fourth place finish earned him "rookie of the Race" honors. Joey Strehle came home a solid fifth with another new driver to the Series, Norm Agostinho of Ocala taking sixth in his first competitive race in some 30 years. Wayne Ashton, Daryl Grief, Bud Spencer and Crazy Eddie Ward rounded out the top ten. Ashton gained ten spots to win "Hard Charger" of the race. The Classic Cars have almost a month to re-group before their next race, right here at Speedworld on April 10th. RESULTS - ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD - 3/13/04: 1) Ben Booth, Deland #12 2) Ed Yates, Orlando #74 3) Jim Rahman, Clermont #5 4) Corey Freed (R), Orlando #44 5) Joey Strehle, Deland #X11 6) Norm Agostinho (R), Ocala #0 7) Wayne Ashton, Ft. Pierce #78 (Hard Charger) 8) Daryl Grief, Deland #1 9) Bud Spencer, Palm Harbor #7 10) Eddie Ward (R), Ft. Pierce #45 11) Steven Cole Smith, Groveland #2 12) Tim Ousley (R), Windermere #88 13) Randy Grief, Orlando #87 14) Tim Powers (R), Okeechobee #59 15) Bill Posey, Rockledge #00 16) Beaver Daughtrey (R), Eustis #17 17) George Hall III, St. Petersburg #9 18) George Hall, Jr., St. Petersburg #32 (R) Denotes Rookie Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!