IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 20, 2005 FSCR Kory Abbott scores win in RE/MAX Legends at Orlando SpeedWorld by Dave Westerman Orlando Speedworld kicked off the 2005 season for the RE/MAX Legends Cars with 28 of the fast little machines showing up for racing duty Saturday night. Action took place both on and off the track during the heat races. A.J. Fulgenzi took the checker first in heat one and Paddy Rodenbeck appeared to have his first career win in heat two. Fulgenzi was dq'd in tech for ride height while Rodenbeck failed to come to tech after the race and was also disqualified while the third place finisher in heat two, Brian Silas, was also set down for a rules infraction. When all was said and done, Jeff Deggeller had the heat one win (his first ever), Kevin Howard was awarded heat two, and Kory Abbott became the only heat winner to actually make in through tech unscathed as he claimed the win in the third heat race although apparent second place finisher Bobby Byars' car was also found to be too low. All 28 cars started the 25 lap main event with pole sitter Deggeller jumping out to an early lead. Abbott was on a mission though and took the point on lap three and would never look back. The race was stopped only once for a nasty crash on the backstretch between Brandon Thomson and Mike Verhaagh on lap 16. Thomson, who hit the wall in practice trying to avoid another spinning car, had started in the rear of the field and was battling Verhaagh for a spot in the top ten when the tangle sent him into the wall again. Thomson was done for the night, but Verhaagh made repairs and restarted the race. Following the restart, something broke on James Rodriguez' car and he headed to the infield while running a strong third. Abbott cruised the rest of the way to his second career RE/MAX Legends Car feature win with Tallahassee driver Stuart Dutton running a solid second spot while apparent third place finisher Kevin Howard lost his good run in tech when the wheelbase of his car was found to be too long. Third spot was awarded to Wesley Mcleod with Fulgenzi coming from deep on the starting grid after his heat race dq to checker fourth with Deggeller coming home in fifth spot. Rounding out the top ten were Mitch Verhaagh, Doc Richardson, Jared Cawley, Byars and Darin Coker. The Florida Mini Cup Racing Association All Pro division ran a 30 lap feature which, as usual, was a real barn-burner. Rick Blair and Doug Smith won the heat races, but Smith opted to start the race dead last rather than the outside pole. Blair grabbed the early lead and held off a host of challengers until just following the only caution of the race on lap ten for Larry Folino's spin. Frank Pfister turned up the wick and grabbed the lead after the restart but all eyes were on Doug Smith as he worked his way up to second place with six laps to go. Smith did everything he could, but Pfister was up to the challenge and took the win over Smith, Ed McKenzie, Rick Auriemma and Wendy Kash. Blair, David Taylor, Rick Hockman, Folino and Paul Tyson rounded out the top ten with Heather Suggs, Brian Ayers, Tom Mellin, Nando Pinto, Richard Fiore and Mike Holt completing the finishing field. The companion Mini Cup Junior All Stars feature was won by Tylor Payton as he led easily to the checker over Seth Greco, Thomas Warnick, heat winner Eric Cunningham and Carson Bomar. Josh Williams topped the Bandelero Outlaws holding off Gerald White, Jr., Blake Eden, Donovan Ponder, Christina Baluch, Tyler Rahman, and Zach Harris. Ryan Rust took the Bandelero Young Gun win over Dalton Bergman and Jeff Black while Kara Clarke was the Bandelero Outlaw winner. Racing veteran Don Stives, now retired in Homosassa, took the measure of a fine field of Vintage racers. Stives, a stand out in the New York/New Jersey Modifieds in the 60's and 70's, was driving a 1937 Chevy-bodied Modified powered by 334 C.I. Chevy engine that Stives raced from 1974-79 in New York, New Jersey and Delaware. Joe Farnsworth of Hartland, VT, drove a former Richie Evans NASCAR Modified to second followed by Jim Moore of Plant City in his 1934 Ford six-cylinder "Skeeter" Modified. Ken Breck in another 1934 Ford six-cylinder was fourth with fifth going to Gary "Squeaky" Gates in another "Skeeter" Modified 1938 Chevy. Hank Baker, Jr. of Edgewater drove his newly refurbished 1968 Chevy Nova Late Model to the heat win but dropped out of the feature. Bobby Crites won the Hurricane feature over Greg Bruce and Adam Baum. RE/MAX LEGENDS CAR FINISH: 1) Kory Abbott #X 2) Stuart Dutton #32 3) Wesley McLeod #22 4) A.J. Fulgenzi #33 5) Jeff Deggeller #91 6) Mitch Verhaagh #9 7) Doc Richardson #100 8) Jared Cawley #31 9) Bobby Byars #12 10) Darin Coker #00 11) Kyle Dombeck #20 12) Mike Fazio #38 13) Paul Reschar #55 14) Doug Hall #55X 15) Paddy Rodenbeck #29X 16) Chelsea Schillig #75 17) Mike Verhaagh #7 18) Steve Turbeville #77 19) Spike Sabo #5 20) Bob Wilson #27W 21) Marke Beebo #7X 22) Brian Silas #57 23) James Rodriguez #19 24) Brandon Thomson #54 25) Tom Clarke #66 26) Kara Clarke #21 27) Evan Russell #37 DQ Kevin Howrard #29 Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! news@karnac.org or send a letter to the editor!