IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 13, 2005 FSCR Wild Rise in School Buses at Bronson Motor Speedway By Rick Warren The multitudes that turned out for the carnage and destruction of the School Bus Figure 8 certainly got their money’s worth. Fourteen big yellow school busses took to the high banks at the Bronson Motor Speedway. The final event was an excellent way to cap off a night of fantastic racing action. Not an empty seat was left in the house as the fans packed the seats for the first school bus action of the season. Robbie Cooper started on the front row and pushed teammate Roger Damron up the track to take the early lead. All of the scheduled fifteen laps saw close calls at the intersection of the race course. The man on the move early was Jim Bertello racing from dead last to second. Unfortunately Bertello’s effort would get derailed after a huge collision at the intersection. The result was the first bus roll-over of the season. Tempers boiled over as two drivers not involved in the incident, got into a fist fight on the backstretch during the cleanup. The conflict was the result of an incident earlier in the season and on this particular race night. Order was quickly restored and the cleanup time was minimal. After the restart, Robbie Cooper was able to cruise to his first School Bus Figure 8 triumph of the season. The night’s festivities got under way early with the Mini Stocks. Billy Smith led the first few laps, but was overtaken on lap three. New leader, Don Faunce then opened up a sizeable lead by the mid-way point of the event. Ronnie Hicks had cut into Faunce’s lead but would see his night end on lap fifteen. Faunce was able to hold off a late charge from Paul Combast to pick up the win. Next into action was the Pure Stock division. In what always proves to be close action, this event was no exception. While Jason Holbrook was out front, the battling was fierce behind him. Positions changed hands throughout the entire race. In the end though, Holbrook was able to bring his Cross City Marina # 17 home with the victory. Kyle Owen and last week’s winner, Donnie Roberts were second and third to the finish. In Hungry Howie’s Sportsman competition, Robbie Cooper came from mid pack to pick up his second win of the young season. Cooper worked his way around early leader, Arthur Conquest on lap 6 on his way to another victory. Conquest was able to fend off the challenge of Roger Damron to run second. Damron piloted his Stone’s Diamond BP #76 to a respectable third place finish. Figure 8 stock cars followed the sportsman event and on the excitement. Zack Perry claimed the lead early in the event. Hot on Perry’s tail though were Robbie Powell, and Robert Aaron. The duo would trail the #42 of Perry for the entire event. Late in the race, Ronnie Shreifels passed Aaron for third. On this night, no one was able to run down Perry’s machine. The young man picked up his first ever Figure 8 win. All in all, the race was jam-packed with the close calls and action the fans came to see. The final Bronson Racing Series event of the night was the rough and tumble Thunder cars. Eighteen cars took the green in the feature event. It took a couple of tries to get the event going. After the start though, the event was almost caution free. The top five ran nose to tail for virtually the entire event. For some time it appeared any one could come out with the win. At the conclusion, Willard Driggers would hold off Charlie Kennedy and Bobby Taylor. The win snapped the streak of Michael Holbrook, who had won two events in a row. Driggers continued the first time winner’s trend picking up his first ever win also. Next week, the Penske Pro Modifieds take to the high banks for a 50 lap feature event. Over twenty five modifieds are expected to try to qualify for the race. The entire month of March is packed with action as many more traveling series come to visit. School Bus Figure 8 1. Robbie Cooper 2. D. Russ 3. Robert Aaron 4. Roger Damron 5. Dewayne Fults Mini Stock 1. Don Faunce 2. Paul Combast 3. Billy Smith 4. Rex Christensen 5. Ronnie Hicks Pure Stock 1. Jason Holbrook 2. Kyle Owen 3. Donnie Roberts 4. Bobby Johnson 5. A.J. Northup Hungry Howie’s Sportsman 1. Rob Cooper 2. Arthur Conquest 3. Roger Damron 4. J.T. Reneau 5. Brett Flagg Thunder Cars 1. Willard Driggers 2. Charlie Kennedy 3. Bobby Taylor 4. Ken Sheffield 5. Michael Holbrook Figure 8 1. Zach Perry 2. Robbie Powell 3. Ron Schreifels 4. Seth Nestock 5. Robert Aaron Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!