IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

August 1, 2004 FSCR Symons sees Winner Circle at NSS by Jane Smith Samsula, Fla. (July 31, 2004) The skies could not have been darker but the Rain Gods were kind and totally skirted around New Smyrna Speedway. Mark Vandevender had the pole for the Open Wheel Modified feature but before a lap was down, Max Moxley brought out the yellow as he spun off turn 4 going to the green. The field was realigned with Rob Underwood taking the lead followed by Vandevender, Jerry Symons, Red Vann and Tank Tucker. Symons, who has not seen Winner's Circle very often this year, puts the pedal down and passes Underwood althought he had to work for it and takes over the point. The caution comes out for Mark Vandevender who spins in turn 2 and Moxley retires to the pits. On the restart it is Symons, Underwood, Vann, Tucker and Jimmy Britts in the top five. Tucker brings out the caution as his sway bar has broken and he has raced three laps with a broken sway bar causing him to spin in turns 3 and 4. Symons holds the point on the restart as Red Vann tries everything to pass Underwood for second but Underwood is not budging. Britts is all over Vann for third but Vann is not budging. Symons takes the checkered for the win followed by Robert Underwood, Red Vann, Jimmy Britts and Bobby Blake. Tank Tucker and Jimmy Britts took the heat wins. Barry Parks had the pole for the Super Stock feature but before a lap was down, Michael Williams brings out the caution as he spins coming off 2 calling for a total restart. Parks takes the point on the restart but it is Josh Wronkowski who passes Parks and takes over followed by Jason Foster, Ron Whaley, Jack Lenzen, and Parks. Whaley passes Foster for second. The caution comes out for Chuck Smith and Barry Parks who have gotten together in turns 1 and 2. Both are sent to the rear for the restart. Wronkowski holds the point followed by Whaley, Foster, Lenzen, and Jay Trocki. Trocki puts the pedal down and passes Lenzen for fourth with Wronkowski taking the checkered followed by Ron Whaley, Jason Foster, Jack Lenzen, and Jay Trocki. S Jason Foster and Ron Whaley took the heat wins. Brian Bellaw had the pole for the Mini Stock feature but it was hard for all the Mini Stocks to focus after seeing Alli Owens and Chad Carpenter both sent to the hospital from the heat race. Carpenter spun in turns 1 and 2 with Owens hitting him with no place to go. Owens is reported to be okay but with a very sore neck and Carpenter has a very bruised foot but not broken. On the green for the feature, Bellaw took the point followed by Ben Cutler Jr., Pug Puglisi, Ted Vulpius and Rex Christensen. Vulpius makes his way up to second but cannot pass Bellaw for the lead. Bellaw takes the checkered followed by Ted Vulpius, Ben Cutler, Jr., Rex Christensen, and Pug Puglisi. Bellaw was protested after the race for his steering column and found illegal giving Vulpius the win. Ben Cutler Jr. won the heat race. With only two Super Lates in the field, the Super Lates and Lates ran together. On the pole for the Super Lates was Shane Nichols and for the Lates Troy Atkins. When the green was waved, it was David Rogers and Shane Nichols for the Super Lates and Atkins, Chuck Burkhalter, Alan Bruns, Don Hess and Randy Dye. Atkins and Dye bring out the yellow as Atkiins spins in front of Dye with Dye having no place to go in turns 1 and 2. Atkins continues but Dye retires to the pits. Also retiring to the pits was Gig Smith and Mark Smith, who does return. Rogers holds the point for the Super Lates on the restart followed by Nichols with Burkhalter leading the Lates followed by Alan Bruns, Don Hess, Sam Watts and Hank Baker. Watts passes Hess for third with Hess now in fourth. Brian Shubert brings out the yellow when he spins cominig off turn 4 down the frontstretch. The race goes back green with David Rogers taking the checkered over Shane Nichols and Chuck Burkhalter taking the checkered over Alan Bruns, Sam Watts, Don Hess and Hank Baker. David Rogers won the first heat race for the Super Lates and Randy Dye won the first heat race for the Lates. Shane Nichols won the second heat race for the Super Lates with Chuck Burkhalter winning the second heat for the Lates. Don Tracey had the pole for the Sportsman feature but it was Mike Soukup who took the point on the green followed by Randy Jones, Dale Clouser, John Nusbaum and Donnie Williams. Clouser passes Jones for second as Williams makes his move and passes Nusbaum and then Jones for third with Jones in fourth and Nusbaum in fifth. Soukup makes Clouser work for the pass but coming off four, Soukup washes up high and Clouser dives under for the lead. Williams tried but cannot pass Soukup. Clouser takes the checkered followed by Mike Soukup, Donny Williams, Randy Jones and John Nusbaum. Dale Clouser won the heat race. Travis Scott had the pole for the Strictly Stock feature but it was Bruce McGonigal Jr. who took the point on the green followed by Tim Logue, Scott, Mike Dahm, and Todd Driscoll. Scott passes Logue and takes over second with Driscoll coming along for the ride in third and Logue in fourth. Driscoll then puts down the pedal and passes Scott and takes over second. The caution comes out for Chris Ridley who breaks coming down the frontstretch and has to be pushed into the pits. On the restart, it is McGonigal Jr., Driscoll, Logue, Scott and Dahm. Kent Bruns now makes his first appearance into the top five when he passes Dahm for fifth. Driscoll passes McGonigal and takes over the lead as Scott has problems and must retire to the pits. Driscoll takes the checkered followed by Bruce McGonigal Jr., Kent Bruns, Mike Dahm and Chris Guidry. In tech, Driscoll was disqualifed for having driven a Super Stock last year and Bruns was disqualified for failing to go to scales. The new finishing order was Bruce McGonigal Jr., Mike Dahm, Chris Guidry, Tim Logue, and Brian Shubert. Todd Driscoll won the heat race. OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY - JULY 31 SUPER LATES 1. #11 David Rogers 2. #65 Shane Nichols LATES 1. #1X Chuck Burkhalter 2. #4b Alan Bruns 3. #73 Sam Watts 4. #64 Don Hess 5. #52 Hank Baker 6. #97 Ali Zarqaran 7. #05 Brian Shubert 8. #48 Mark Smith 9. #78 Mark Miller 10. #14 Troy Atkins 11. #43 Randy Dye 12. #02 Gig Smith OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 1. #66 Jerry Symons 2. #09 Rob Underwood 3. #32 Red Vann 4. #91 Jimmy Britts 5. #75 Bobby Blake 6. #96 Matt Wheeler 7. #7 Jamie Skinner 8. #70 Dave Savicki 9. #7x Geoff Marquand 10. #9 David Hite 11. #61 Ted Helmes 12. #15 Tank Tucker 13. #44 Max Moxley SPORTSMAN 1. #30 Dale Clouser 2. #45 Mike Soukup 3. #111 Donny Williams 4. #75 Randy Jones 5. #70 John Nusbaum 6. #25 Don Tracey 7. #7 Tom Gamache 8. #6 Bruce McGonigal Jr. SUPER STOCK 1. #21 Josh Wronkowski 2. #2 Ron Whaley 3. #49 Jason Foster 4. #4 Jay Trocki 5. #211 Jack Lenzen 6. #29 James Adams 7. #01 Chuck Smith 8. #27 Barry Parks 9. #52 Bruce Wingato 10. #7 Michael Williams 11. #73 Scott Smith MINI STOCKS 1. #71 Ted "Mr Mini Stock" Vulpius 2. #83 Ben Cutler, Jr. 3. #v3 Rex Christensen 4. #11 Pug Puglisi 5. #61 Rick Gamache 6. #6 Mark Broat 7. #31 Chad Carpenter DNS 8. #22 Alli Owens DNS 9. #1 Brian Bellaw DQ'D STRICTLY STOCK 1. #22 Bruce McGonigal Jr. 2. #21 Mike Dahm 3. #X Chris Guidry 4. #75 Tim Logue 5. #60 Brian Shubert 6. #93 Travis Scott 7. #77 Chris Ridley 8. #91 Todd Driscoll DQ'D 9. #4 Kent Bruns DQ'D Have an opinion on this story? 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