BEN BOOTH GETS FLORIDA CRACKER CLASSICS WIN AT ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD
By Dave Westerman
Ben Booth sped to victory in the Florida Cracker Classics Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld.
If Saturday night's show is any indication, it should be a banner year for the Florida Cracker Classics racing club as 18 cars took part in the season opener Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld.
Deland veteran Ben Booth grabbed the win in heat one while 2005 champion Jim Rahman of Clermont topped heat number two.
Booth had the pole for the feature and quickly assumed the top spot but it was Norm Agostinho moving from his mid-pack starting spot up to challenge in just a few laps. Agostinho found that catching the wily Booth was one thing but passing him another as he looked lap after lap for the needed room to get by.
The race looked like it would run a 25 laps green to checker, but newcomer Steve Ray pounded the turn four wall to bring out the only caution of the race on lap 18.
Agostinho's car began to overheat during the slowdown period and he got a terrible restart bottling up the field as Jim Rahman went low and Joey Strehle high making it four wide going into turn one. Somehow everyone made it until the completion of the lap. With water getting on his rear tire, Agostinho spun into the infield while Strehle got loose and spun out right by the flag stand. Both cars kept going and no caution was needed as Booth was able to race the final laps unchallenged to the win as Rahman couldn't make up the distance in time.
Booth took the win ahead of Rahman, John Smith, Rodney Eary and Eddie Thornton (who was filling in for Simeon Spagnuolo). rounding out the top ten were Danny Shearer, Greg Helton, Ron Gustafson, Strehle, and Bud Spencer. Completing the finishers were Tommy Kirk, Fudd Nunes, George Hall II, Wayne Ashton, Agostinho, Ray, George Hall, Jr. and Jeff Wright.
The Florida Cracker Classics will be back in action in two weeks at Orlando Speedworld.
