IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

November 13, 2004 FSCR Roach Tops Super Late Feature in Final Race for 2004 at SpeedWorld by Dave Westerman Orlando Speedworld wrapped up the 2004 FASCAR stock car racing season with some great racing that saw local veteran Ronnie Roach put a season of hard luck behind him with a wire to wire Super Late Model win. Things got off to a rough start in the Super Late Model 25 lapper as Jared Allison went around in turn one on the initial start and was clipped by the car of Scott McKinley. McKinley's machine had to be towed off, but Allison pitted and came back out with most of the rear bodywork on his car missing. Ronnie Roach grabbed the lead following the complete restart with Patrick Conrad and Rich Clouser in tow. They would remain that way the entire distance as the race ran green to checker. After a season of mechanical failures and close calls, Roach finally found himself back in victory lane. Conrad was a close second and earned enough points to finish the season in third place behind Ricky Wood and Jared Allison. Clouser took third just ahead of teammate Bobby Fleckinger while tenth starter Wood worked his way through the field with the 2004 track champion eventually winding up fifth. Chad Pierce was sixth followed by Mike Hinegardner, Derek Strong (the former NBA and Orlando Magic player making his only start of the season), newcomer Mike Cappa and Georgia dirt track driver Tracy Pearson. Allson ran a few laps before pulling his damaged machine into the infield while McKinley was a DNF. Rich Bates did not start the feature. Roach and Conrad split the two Super Late Model heats. The Modified feature also was run in wire to wire fashion. Jim "Hoot" Flynn won a drag race with Ricky Wood into turn one then led the remaining distance for his fourth win of the season in his Business Archives/Got Beer? sponsored machine. Wood, who also topped the 2004 Modified point chase, settled for second ahead of Michael Williams, Corey Freed, and Lynn DiCandio. Tom Root, Dave Debelius, Brandon Pitts, Terri Bryant and Art Kunzman completed the finishers. Wood won the heat race. A special ceremony was held at intermission for Wood for his two track titles, and it was a special moment as well for his Modified car owner Mike Samples who was celebrating his birthday. Wood is moving to Georgia during the off season and plans to compete at Lanier Raceway in 2005. R.J. Arnone took the lead from Dick Laszlo on lap eight then used a pair of caution flags to his advantage to hold off Keith Lilley in winning his third Mini Stock feature of the year in Rick Bristol's Giovanni's Italian Restaurant/Broward Factory Service entry. Lilley was a very close second trailed by Michael Seay, Randy Blakeslee, Laszlo, John Cook, Michael Williams, Jr., and David LeBeau. The Mini Stock heat was won by Lilley. West Coast visitor Joe Shaver made his first ever Speedworld start a good one in winning the Sportsman main event. Shaver snared the lead from John Hodge as the engine in Hodge's car began to go sour and drove to a relatively comfortable win over Jeff Wright and Randy Hecker. Spence Lemmerman crossed the line in fourth with Glen Castro, Dusty Cornelius, Hodge and Sam Bowman trailing. Andy Nichols did not start. The Sportsman heat was won by Wright. Several caution flags kept the Super Stock field bunched up but no one had anything for Jack Lenzen as he took the lead on the opening lap from his fourth starting spot and dominated the event. Lenzen, a regular at New Smyrna Speedway on Saturday nights, was making his first start at Speedworld and took to the track like he'd run here for years. Corey Freed had a good outing in the R.K. Edwards car coming home second ahead of 2004 Super Stock champion Ted Head. Brandon Evans returned after his big crash a few weeks back with an outstanding effort in finishing fourth while Jason Foster was fifth. Rounding out the finishers were George Shaver, James Adams, Bobby Riley, Roger Benton, Pat Dunn, Jr., Brandon Duscherer, Donald Springer, Bob Starr, Ray Mullis, Dave Wright and Robert Ward. Super Stock heats went to Riley and Foster. The Strictly Stock feature was a wild affair that saw the top two finishers, Kevin Huckenberry and Bob Cherry, DQ'd after the finish giving Richie Laszlo the win in his final race in the class. Adam Soukup wound up second followed by Junkyard Dog Chuck Rush, Bobby Crites, Jim Leslie, Eric Ripley, Smokin' Scott Muroski, Ed Michalak, Bob Snyder, Brandon Thomson, Doug Webb, and Chester Sutorus. OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD, NOVEMBER 12 SUPER LATE MODEL 1. #14 Ronnie Roach 2. #9R Patrick Conrad 3. #34x Rich Clouser 4. #34 Bobby Fleckinger 5. #33 Ricky Wood 6. #57 Chad Pierce 7. #15 Mike Hinegardner 8. #41 Derek Strong 9. #05 Mike Cappa 10. #2 Tracy Pearson 11. #1 Jared Allison 12. #12 Scott McKinley 13. #4 Rick Bates DNS OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 1. #57 Jim "Hoot" Flynn 2. #81 Ricky Wood 3. #14 Michael Williams 4. #12 Corey Freed 5. #20 Lynn Dicandio 6. #19 Tom Root 7. #38 Dave Debeluis 8. #1x Brandon Pitts 9. #08 Terry Bryant 10. #09 Art Kunzeman SPORTSMAN 1. #11 Joe Shaver 2. #50w Jeff Wright 3. #62 Randy Hecker 4. #6 Spencer Lemmerman 5. #8 Glen Castro 6. #2 Dusty Cornelius 7. #00 John Hodge 8. #62x Sam Bowman 9. #66 Andy Nichols DNS SUPER STOCK 1. #211 Jack Lenzen 2. #28 Corey Freed 3. #92 Ted Head 4. #7 Brandon Evans 5. #49 Jason Foster 6. #25x George Shaver 7. #29 James Adams 8. #46 Bobby Riley 9. #14 Roger Benton 10. #15 Pat Dunn Jr. 11. #42 Brandon Duchscherer 12. #118 Donald Springer 13. #05 Bob Starr 14. #316 Ray Mullis 15. #65 Dave Wright 16. #25 Robert Ward MINI STOCK 1. #30 R.J. Arnone 2. #99 Keith Lilley 3. #10 Michael Seay 4. #77 Randy Blakeslee 5. #07 Dick Laszlo 6. #24 John Cook 7. #23 Michael Williams Jr. 8. #2L David Lebeau STRICTLY STOCK 1. #07 Richie Laszlo 2. #14 Adam Soukup 3. #K9 Chuck Rush 4. #B1 Bobby Crites 5. #45 Jim Leslie 6. #12 Eric Ripley 7. #86 Smokin Scott Murosky 8. #7 Ed Michalak 9. #16 Bob Snyder 10. #54 Brandon Thompson 11. #007 Doug of ABC Towing 12. #3 Chester Sortorus 13. #42 Kevin Huckenberry DQ'D 14. #97 Bob Cherry DQ'D Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!