IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

July 10, 2004 FSCR Jason Boyd takes Goodyear Challenge Late Model 100 at SpeedWorld by Jane Smith Bithlo, Fla. (July 9, 2004) With a number of families and drivers taking vacation right before school starts, only 16 Late Models showed for the Goodyear Challenge Late Model race at Orlando SpeedWorld. But those 16 gave the fans one heck of a show. Jason Boyd of Orlando set fast time but drew the number five pill putting Joe Winchell of Davie, Florida on the pole. Winchell did not hesitate taking the lead on the green followed by Doug Samion, Martin Pierce, Wayne Morris, and Jason Boyd. Boyd took little time making his move on Morris and taking over fourth. On lap 12, the caution came out for Steve Smith of Lakeland who spun in turns 3 and 4. A number of cars were spinning avoiding Smith with Charles Kopach of Astatulo getting the worse end when he hit the turns 3 and 4 wall. Kopach was fine but done for the night. Travis Wilson also suffered some frontend damage but was able to continue racing with Smith joining the field in the rear. Winchell held the point on the restart as Doug Samion of Orlando found his hands full of Jason Boyd. As Samion and Boyd went side-by-side for several laps, it was Boyd in the end in second with Samion in third followed by Martin Pierce and Wayne Morris. The yellow came out for another spun car in turns 3 and 4 and during the caution, Wayne Morris took his ride in for the night with mechanical problems. Winchell retained the number one spot on the green with Jason Boyd, Doug Samion, Martin Pierce, Greg Kaouk in the top five. Chuck Burkhalter began to make his move as he passed Kaouk and took over fifth with Kaouk sliding back to eighth. Now it was Winchell, Boyd, Samion, Pierce, Burkhalter, Tate Pierce, David Green, Greg Kaouk, Rich Clouser, Travis Wilson and Steve Smith in the top 11. Boyd looks high and low but Winchell is not to be passed. On lap 50, Doug Samion spun out in turns 3 and 4 and retired from the race after being told he had to go to the rear. Winchell still holds strong on the restart although Boyd is giving him no room for a mistake. By lap 52, Boyd has passed Winchell on the outside and set sails in the lead followed by Winchell, Pierce, Burkhalter, Tate Pierce, Kaouk, Clouser, Wilson, Jerry Artuso, David Green, Bill Ostriker, Dawayne Bryan and Steve Smith. Artuso takes over eighth as Tate Pierce fights back the charge of Greg Kaouk. Pierce holds him off and retains fifth but Chuck Burkhalter pulls off and is done for the night. The top five are now Boyd, Winchell, Pierce, Tate Pierce and Greg Kaouk. Boyd now holds about a 10 car lead over Winchell who has about a 10 car lead over Pierce. It is the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh place cars of Pierce, Kaouk, Clouser and Artuso who are putting on the show as they fight their way forwards. Clouser makes his move on the outside passing taking over fourth with Jerry Artuso coming along for the ride in fifth. Tate Pierce retires his car to the pits. Closuer closes in on Pierce but is unable to pass Pierce who is determined to finish this race with a good position. Boyd takes the win and the checkered followed by Joe Winchell, Martin Pierce, Rich Clouser and Jerry Artuso. Alan Bruns had the pole for the Modified feature and quickly took the lead over Mark Emberson, Ronnie Roach, Matt Wheeler and Ricky Wood. No cautions were thrown even though Bruns spun while leading on the backstretch but quickly got his car back on the track without bringing out the yellow giving Emberson the lead. Emberson took the checkered followed by Ronnie Roach, Matt Wheeler, Ricky Wood and Alan Bruns. Two Modifieds were taken out during the heat race - Justin Reynolds and Tom Root. Mark Emberson won the heat race. Dave Wright had the pole for the Super Stock feature but it was Ted Head who took the point quickly over Wright, Bob Beiler, Corey Freed and Bill Loomis. This was also a caution free race with Beiler passing Wright for second and Wright sliding back to fifth. Head took the checkered followed by Bob Beiler, Corey Freed, Bill Loomis and Dave Wright. Dave Wright and Ted Head took the heat wins. Richard Hight set on the pole and won from the pole in the caution free Sportsman race. Following Hight on the green was Bobby Joe Woodley, Bruce Gayton, Scott Seither and Justin Hall. Gayton put the pressure on Woodley taking over second as Woodley went to third. Then Woodley seemed to have some mechanical problems as Seither then Hall both passed him as Woodley settled into fifth. Hight took the checkered followed by Bruce Gayton, Scott Seither, Justin Hall and Bobby Joe Woodley. Bruce Gayton took the heat win. Dick Owens had the pole for the Mini Stock feature but it was Josh Hermann who quickly took the point over Keith Lilley. Sean Bass, Dick Owens and Dick Laszlo. Laszlo puts the pressure on Owens and takes over fourth with Owens in fifth. Coming from the rear of the field is Chad Ashley, the points leader in the Mini Stock division. Ashley passes Owens and takes over fifth and eventually passes Laszlo taking over fourth. Hermann takes the checkered, another caution less race, followed by Keith Lilley, Sean Bass, Chad Ashley and Dick Laszlo. After the race, Lilley was penalized one spot for jumping the start and ended up third with Bass in second. Sean Bass took the heat win. Bobby Crites had the pole for the Strictly Stock feature but it did not take Richie Laszlo long before he was leading the way for Crites, Derek Slade, Kent Bruns, and Bob Cherry. Derrek Slade does a nice spinning job but does not bring out the yellow as Laszlo takes yet another checkered followed by Bobby Crites, Kent Bruns, Derek Slade and Bob Cherry. Richie Laszlo took the heat win. OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD - JULY 9, 2004 GOODYEAR CHALLENGE LATE MODEL 100 1. #15 Jason Boyd, Orlando, Fla. 2. #57 Joe Winchell, David, Fla. 3. #75 Martin Pierce, Sanford, Fla. 4. #9 Rich Clouser, Palm Bay, Fla. 5. #5 Jerry Artuso, Ontario 6. #31 Greg Kaouk, Penbrook Pines, Fla. 7. #47 David Green, Ft. Pierce, Fla. 8. #62 Travis Wilson, Bartow, Fla. 9. #0 Bill Ostriker, Ridge Manor, Fla. 10. #28 Steve Smith, Lakeland, Fla. 11. #81 Tate Pierce, Zephyrhills, Fla. 12. #63 Dawayne Bryan, Lake Alfred, Fla. 13. #1 Chuck Burkhalter, Clermont, Fla. 14. #04 Doug Samion, Orlando, Fla. 15. #56 Wayne Morris, Mulberry, Fla. 16. #53 Charles Kopach, Astatulo, Fla. FAST QUALIFIER: #15 Jason Boyd TOP ROOKIE: #62 Travis Wilson OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 1. #30 Mark Emberson 2. #51 Ronnie Roach 3. #96 Matt Wheeler 4. #81 Ricky Wood 5. #4b Alan Bruns 6. #7 Justin Reynolds DNS 7. #19 Tom Root DNS SPORTSMAN 1. #23 Richard Hight 2. #93 Bruce Gayton 3. #00 Scott Seither 4. #50 Justin Hall 5. #98 Bobby Joe Woodley 6. #8 Dusty Cornelius DNS 7. #721 John Bennett DNS SUPER STOCK 1. #92 Ted Head 2. #44 Bob Beiler 3. #12 Corey Freed 4. #22 Bill Loomis 5. #65 Dave Wright 6. #14 Roger Benton 7. #34 Brandon Evans 8. #5 John Castro 9. #25 Robert Ward 10. #28 Ron Edwards 11. #118 Donald Springer 12. #3-16 Ray Mullins MINI STOCK 1. #98 Josh Hermann 2. #28 Sean Bass 3. #99 Keith Lilley 4. #87 Chad Ashley 5. #07 Dick Laszlo 6. #96 7. #24 John Cook 8. #4 Dick Owens 9. #72 Matt Roller 10. #61 Rick Gamache STRICTLY STOCK 1. #07 Richie Laszlo 2. #B1 Bobby Crites 3. #4B3 Kent Bruns 4. #126 Derek Slade 5. #10 Bob Cherry Have an opinion on this story? 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