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IT'S
TIME TO RACE!!
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Five Straight for Conrad in Legends Action at Orlando SpeedWorld
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by Dave Westerman
New starting procedures for the RE/MAX Legends Cars didn't deter Patrick Conrad from taking his fifth consecutive victory Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld.
After winning his heat, the young Clermont driver started on the inside of row three for the 25 lap feature. Wesley McLeod led lap one but caution was out immediately as James Rodriguez and Bobby Byars tangled and hit the wall in turn one. Both cars were done for the night.
Jeremy Colangelo took the lead on the restart only to see the caution out again as originally pole sitter Darin "T-Bone" Coker spun in turn one.
Colangelo continued to hold the lead as Conrad moved into second spot by the end of lap four. The two young drivers, who grew up racing Quarter Midgets against each other, ran nose to tail for several laps before Conrad made the pass for the lead on lap eleven.
Colangelo stayed on Conrad's bumper the remainder of the distance but Conrad held on to remain undefeated for 2004. Colangelo was second for the third race in a row with brothers Kevin and Kory Abbott third and fourth. Sam Watts came from deep in the 18 car starting field to finish fifth.
RE/MAX Legends heats were won by Conrad and Colangelo.
The Florida Mini Cup Racing Association brought 18 cars to the speedway and put on quite a show. Wes Thompson put his Chris Fontaine Challenge machine ahead of early leader Doug Smith and held off Terry Tullis for the win in a race that went 25 laps green to checker.
Smith came home third in front of Carlos Gonzales and David Taylor.
Thompson and Terry Tullis won the heats.
It was a brother act at the head of the FWRA Modified Lite feature. Mark Landis of Delray Beach slipped by early leader Wild Bill Burback on lap four but had older brother George Landis right behind him.
The only caution of this 25 lap run was for Burback who uncorked an engine in turn one on lap 18 spreading oil and pieces of metal all over the race track.
Once the field returned to green, no one had anything for the Landis brothers as Mark took the win followed by George with Dan Berry coming home third. Phil Krauthoff and Stan Hope were fourth and fifth.
Mark Landis and Burback won the Mod Lite heats.
The always competitive Pro Challenge cars put on quite a show including a pretty nasty wreck in turn one that saw Tim Hart's car towed from the track after collecting a spinning Mark David.
Ken Watts led the opening ten laps in his truck before Todd Currier sped past and led the remainder of the way in his Ford Taurus bodied car.
Another brother act, Rob and Brad Sanders, took second and third. Mark David drove a great race to come back from his earlier incident to finish fourth followed by Howard Brennan in fifth.
Pro Challenge heat races were won by Currier and Brennan.
It was a great race in the Bandelro Young Guns feature as 13 year old Chelsea Schillig passed early leader Brandon Thomson and went on to win her second straight feature event. Scott Jarrett came home second followed by Derrick Wood, Thomson and Matthew Jarrett. Great Grampa Dave Jarrett was the top finishing "Outlaw." Schillig also won the heat.
Gerald White, Jr. topped both the heat and feature in relatively easy fashion to win for the third consecutive week in Bandelero Bandits action. Ryan Rust, Blake Eden and Donovan Ponder trailed White.
Greg Bruce drove his Ford Escort to the Hurricane win, his third of the year, and, although the class runs only for trophies, was presented $62 cash in victory lane raised by the fans. "The car only cost me $100 to put on the track, so now it's almost paid for!" said Bruce.
Brian Bleau came home second followed by A.J. Flywheel, Red Buttz, and "Raybo."
Action continues next Saturday at 7PM as the Modified Lites and Pro Challenge cars will be back along with the RE/MAX Legends, Bandeleros and Hurricanes. As always, grandstand admission is just five dollars or you can get a free admission coupon by stopping in at Bumper to Bumper Auto Parts of Taft in South Orlando.
RESULTS - ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD - 3/27/04:
RE/MAX LEGENDS (25 Laps):
1) Patrick Conrad #2
2) Jeremy Colangelo #05
3) Kevin Abbott #98
4) Kory Abbott #5
5) Sam Watts #73
6) Wesley McLeod #22
7) Darin Coker #00
8) Johnny Sabo #5X
9) Brandon Thomson #29
10) Derrick Wood #33jr.
11) Mike Fazio #38
12) Dion Hinsky #4
13) Mike Verhaagh #7
14) Bob Wilson #27W
15) Doug Hall #55
16) Kyle Dombeck #20
17) James Rodriguez #19
18) Bobby Byars #22A
FLORIDA MINI CUP ASSOCIATION (25 Laps):
1) Wes Thompson #47
2) Terry Tullis #8
3) Doug Smith #17
4) Carlos Gonzales #19
5) David Taylor #15
6) Rick Blair #31
7) Wendy Kash #05
8) Larry Folino #43
9) Rick Auriemma #12
10) Dan Suggs #29
11) David Tullis #24
12) Eric Cunningham #83
13) Frank Pfister #66
14) Jeff Young #16
15) Heather Suggs #48
16) Mark Blair #5
17) Sonny Saxon #33
18) Matt Oravets #2
MODIFIED LITES (25 Laps):
1) Mark Landis #22
2) George Landis #5
3) Dan Berry #44
4) Phil Krauthoff #2
5) Stan Hope #8
6) Todd Diers #40
7) Robert Crandall #33
8) Robert Hight #13
9) Spanky McFarland #49
10) Bill Burback #77
11) Max Howe #51
12) Nick Shadid #68
PRO CHALLENGE (25 Laps):
1) Todd Currier #2
2) Rob Sanders #1
3) Brad Sanders #12
4) Mark David #24
5) Howard Brennan #56
6) Kenneth Watts #18
7) David Hall #22
8) Dale Horn #20
9) Mike Lago #25
10) Tim Hart #10
BANDELERO YOUNG GUNS (15 Laps):
1) Chelsea Schillig #75
2) Scott Jarrett #97
3) Derrick Wood #33
4) Brandon Thomson #54
5) Matthew Jarrett #9
6) Nik Wesenick #7
7) Kara Clarke #21
1) Dave Jarrett #9OUTLAW (Outlaw winner)
2) Sam Gearhart #26
BANDELERO BANDITS (15 Laps):
1) Gerald White, Jr. #38
2) Ryan Rust #18
3) Blake Eden #17
4) Donovan Ponder #8
HURRICANES (15 Laps):
1) Greg Bruce #4U
2) Brian Bleau #231
3) A.J. Flywheel #6
4) Red Buttz #6X
5) Raybo #1
6) Terry Rodell #1X
7) Bobby Crites #B1
8) Jeffery Fosnick #414
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