IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 28, 2004 FSCR Rogers, Murphy, Flynn winners at New Smyrna Speedway by Jane Smith Weather in Florida can be very unpredictable at times but Saturday night at New Smyrna Speedway could not have been more perfect weather. Clear skies, crisp breeze and plenty of hot action. Chad Carpenter had the pole for the Mini Stock feature and quickly jumped to the lead over Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius, Brian Bellaw, Wayne Wells and Ben Cutler Jr. Lap 1 brings out the first caution for Cutler and Wells as they get alittle too close going into turns 3 and 4 spinning each other out. Both are sent to the rear for the restart. Vulpius is able to pass Carpenter on the restart and take over the lead with Carpenter, Bellaw, Justin Kembro and Pug Puglisi in the top five. But it is a short green as on lap 2, Puglisi and Cutler spin in turns 1 and 2. The race goes back green but on lap 3, Kembro gets very squirrelly coming off turn 4, tries to correct as he is going down the frontstretch and goes into the frontstretch wall, driver's side. The race goes red as Kembro is helped out of his car with a hurt shoulder. Vulpius holds the lead on the restart with Bellaw, Carpenter, Wells and Cutler in the top five. On lap 8, Cutler spins one last time and is sent into the pits for the night due to the rule of three spins and you are out. Bellaw tries on the restart to take Vulpius but just does not have the power. Vulpius holds and takes his first feature win for the 2004 season with Brian Bellaw, Chad Carpenter, Wayne Wells, and Pug Puglisi in the top five. Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius won the heat race. Jim "Hoot" Flynn had a rough time in his first two races of the Penske Racing Shocks United Pro Modified Series but Saturday night, Flynn proved that all that bad luck was behind him. Flynn sat on the pole for the feature event and lead every lap from green to checkered in the cautionless feature. Following Flynn on the start was Glen Bradley, Bobby Blake, Matt Wheeler, and Art Kunzeman. Blake puts the pedal down and takes over second with Bradley going to third. On lap 8, newly married Matt Wheeler makes his presence known to Bradley and takes over third with Bradley slipping to fourth. Blake tries but cannot catch Flynn as Flynn takes the checkered for his first feature win of 2004. Following Flynn to the checkered was Bobby Blake, Matt Wheeler, Glen Bradley and Art Kunzeman. Jim "Hoot" Flynn won the heat race. Paul Hudson had the pole for the Sportsman feature but it was Dale Clouser who quickly took the point followed by Ken Lewton, Paul Hudson, Cory Kaiser, and Chris Peludat. Donnie Williams, who won the first feature of the new year, started in the rear of the field but quickly made his way into third putting pressure on second place Peludat. By lap 7, Williams had takes second and was in high gear going for the lead. On lap 12, Glen Castro made his first appearance in the top five passing Ken Lewton but it was not to be Castro's night as he dropped a cylinder and Lewton was able to repass Castro for fifth. Castro ended up pulling off the track on the last lap. Williams tried but could not catch Clouser who took the checkered for his first win of the 2004 season. Following Clouser to the checkered was Donnie Williams, Chris Peludat, Cory Kaiser, and Ken Lewton. Dale Clouser won the heat race. David Froehlich had the pole for the Super Late Model feature and quickly took the point on the green over Bruce Lawrence, Chet Morrison, Eric Black and Bruce Lawrence Jr. David Rogers, who started in the rear, quickly took over fifth from Lawrence Jr. and was aiming towards the front. On lap 10, Lawrence and Froehlick are going hard and heavy as Lawrence gets slightly loose touching Froehlick who spins in turns 1 and 2. Both were told to go to the rear of the field but the decision was made for only Froehlick to go back. A call that was not well liked by the fans. The race goes back green on lap 10 with Lawrence, Black, Rogers, Morrison, and Lawrence Jr in the top five. On lap 12, Froehlich retires his new car to the pits. Rogers passes Black and takes over second getting right on the back of Lawrence. By lap 15, Rogers has made his way to the front passing Lawrence for the lead. Lap 21, Eric Black and Morgan Hoover get together in turns 3 and 4 as Black spins and Hoover has no place to go hitting Black. Black retires to the pits and Hoover is able to continue. Rogers takes the checkered for his second win in 2004 followed by Bruce Lawrence, Bruce Lawrence Jr., B.J. McLeod and Morgan Hoover. B.J. McLeod and Bruce Lawrence Jr. took the heat wins. Ron Whaley had the pole for the Super Stock feature and lead from green to checkered. Another cautionless race. No one was able to catch Whaley who took the checkered followed by Jack Lenzen, Jeff Colburn, Charlie Collins, and Pat Buckley. Ron Whaley took the heat win. Josh Schmidt had the pole for the Late Model feature and took the lead over Mike Murphy, Travis Wilson, Charlie Merz, and Mark Smith. Murphy puts the pedal down and takes the lead from Schmidt. On lap 9, David Pletka takes over fifth putting Smith sixth. Murphy holds the point and takes his first feature win in 2004 followed by Josh Schmidt, Travis Wilson, Charlie Merz and David Pletka. Mike Murphy won the heat race. Mike Dohm had the pole for the wild Strictly Stocks but in the end it was Todd McCrary in the very pink Strictly Stock who lead the most important lap, the last one. Following McCrary to the checkered was Kerry Payne, Mike Dohm, Jose Rivera, and Keith Kempton. Gordon Houck and Jeremy Hovencamp took the heat wins. Next week, the Penske Racing Shocks United Pro Modified Series will run for 50 laps at New Smyrna Speedway. OFFICIAL RESULTS SATURDAY, MARCH 27. SUPER LATE MODELS 1. #11 David Rogers 2. #16 Bruce Lawrence 3. #116 Bruce Lawrence Jr. 4. #78 B.J. McLeod 5. #39 Morgan Hoover 6. #86 Chet Morrison 7. #96 Dick Ruckh 8. #83 Joe Strehle 9. #10 Eric Black 10. #4 Rick Bates 11. #22 David Froehlick 12. #63 Joe Fitos DNS LATE MODEL 1. #26 Mike Murphy 2. #119 Josh Schmidt 3. #62 Travis Wilson 4. #7 Charlie Merz 5. #23 David Pletka 6. #14 Troy Atkins 7. #48 Mark Smith 8. #52 Hank Baker 9. #38 Randy Cooke OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 1. #57 Jim "Hoot" Flynn 2. #75 Bobby Blake 3. #96 Matt Wheeler 4. #4 Glen Bradley 5. #09 Art Kunzeman 6. #88 Adam McMaster 7. #4 Ron "Blackie" Blackard SPORTSMAN 1. #30 Dale Clouser 2. #111 Donny Williams 3. #27 Chris Peludat 4. #48 Cory Kaiser 5. #18 Ken Lewton 6. #7c Glenn Castro 7. #08 Paul Hudson 8. #330 Joe Gerard 9. #6 Bruce McGonigal 10. #7 Tom Gamache MINI STOCK 1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius 2. #1 Brian Bellaw 3. #31 Chad Carpenter 4. #23 Wayne Wells 5. #11 Pug Puglisi 6. #6 Mark Broat 7. #83 Ben Cutler Jr. 8. #41 Justin Kembro 9. #61 Rick Gamache DNS SUPER STOCK 1. #2 Ron Whaley 2. #211 Jack Lenzen 3. #3 Jeff Colburn 4. #23 Charlie Collins 5. #34 Pat Buckley 6. #27 Barry Parks 7. #8x Ferris Crews 8. #74 Jason Dreyer 9. #15 Mark Cormick 10. #1 James Adams STRICTLY STOCK 1. #24q Todd McCrary 2. #11x Kerry Payne 3. #21 Mike Dohm 4. #73 Jose Rivera 5. #14 Keith Kempton 6. #39 Jeremy Hovencamp 7. #15 Mike Walford 8. #99 Gordon Houck 9. #18 Matt Crews 10. #26 Michelle Dyal 11. #126 Derrick Slade 12. #91 Travis Scott 13. #08 Matt Conway 14. #151 Rick Langdon 15. #x Richard Renzi Have an opinion on this story? 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