Orlando Speed World was the setting for the 1st “FREE Family Fun Night” Fast Motorsports Extravaganza. Opening the grandstands for free, apparently increased the normal Saturday Night fan count from few to many, but the many in attendance hopefully enjoyed all the FREE Family Fun. FREE T-shirts were shot into the stands, compliments of the Royal Tee’s sponsorship of the #81 of Anthony Campi. Other grandstand games were played for Mr. Goodwrench prizes from Autoway Chevy of Tampa, the sponsor of #1 Fast Late Model driver “Cowboy” Cody Pitts. Everyone seem to enjoy the evening, but the 4 Red Flags on the night, had most a little on edge.
No qualifying was required as that had all happened the previous week. So the line-ups remained the same, with a few racers unable to return and a few new ones making the trip in to Mickey Mouse country.
Classic Cracker cars and Antique Sprints returned for more battles and exhibitions. The #44 of Jeff Wright held on for the Karnac.Com Cracker Classic 25-Lap feature Win. While no one won the Antique Sprint exhibition. Sue Yonke was credited as the big looser, as she lost either the engine or transmission down the back stretch. Spinning in her own fluid and smoke, sending Roy Campbell’s #10 (the second looser) into the water barrel at the pit exit opening, causing everyone a little scare. But, Roy and Sue were OK and it was extremely nice to see Roy’s father, the legendary Harry Campbell in attendance. Good to see you Harry!
Fast Motorsports brought the Fast Kids division out first and the fireworks flew early, no pun intended. On lap-2 of the “Q” Auto & Injury Attorney’s 35, Michael Smith’s #23 made the inside move in turn 3 on the #59 of Dustin Dunn. Contact at the apex of the corner ended when Dunn hit the brakes hard and Smith’s truck accelerated into the turn 4 wall. The wall contact set the truck ablaze in the engine compartment and bought out the first Rad Flag. Smith exited quickly to the crowd’s relief, as the safety and fire crews arrived. Austin Howell was trying for two-in-a-row, when Anthony Campi’s #81 tangled with the #46 of new comer Matt Cohen coming out of turn two. Campi was committed to the high side run to the front after being sent to the back for contact earlier. His momentum along the wall caused his Waterside Realty/Royal Tee’s ride to hammer hard into the pit center divider, launching Cohn into the wall across the exit lane. Bring out the second Red Flag of the night. We’ve all seen the sudden stoppage of a race vehicle on video somewhere, but when it’s a young gun of the Fast Kids program, everyone’s heart sinks into despair. Young Matt Cohen exited his Ramm Transport/1st Choice Bar-B-Q ride fairly quickly after such a sudden stop, but Campi would remain in his destroyed race truck for 14 minutes, before being assisted out. Then only to sit briefly in a golf cart and be assisted again onto a rescue stretcher for transport. Some 25 mins later Campi would be on his way for further evaluation and treatment at an Orlando hospital.
As of Sunday morning I can happily report that Anthony Campi is reported released from the hospital, with no broken bones, but some ligament damage, tons of soreness and now truckless. The ligaments will be examined further in coming days.
At this point Fast Officials felt it was in the best interest of the Fast Kids program to call the race complete and that gave Austin Howell his second victory in a row in the Bob‘s Space Racer Amusement Game Design & Mfg special. Finishing second behind him would be returning asphalt sensation Drew Brannon, now 13 years old and much wiser to the game of truck racing. His second place finish would serve notice to the rest of this growing Fast Kids field, that Drew Brannon was back and ready to win. Third went to Inverness hot shoe John Kidwell in his M&C Bob Cat Clean-Up Services #7ny. Look out, our next Fast race is in Inverness. Fourth went to the Phil Smith Collision Center #31 of “Flyin” Brian Blum, as he held steady when push came to shove. Rounding out the top-5 with a great run after the earlier contact with the #23 of Smith, would be Dustin “Get It” Dunn. Cause he gets it when and where he can, and he also gets it done in the end.
Fast Late Models would see a wild one, with 12 cars starting, but only 5 left on the lead lap at the end of the Auto Trader Magazine 100. Cody Pitts and Sean Bass would be the first part of the action in this one, as they cut through, around and past competitors in their run to the front from the 9th and 10th starting spots. Sean would prove to be a bigger part of the action in the end as he was sent to the back once for contact and then elected to go in the pits for tires on a lap-35 caution. Also, Red flew in this one when the #15 of Rickey Thorpe made hard contact with the #111 of Donnie Williams, resulting in Thorpe’s car landing even harder into the back stretch wall, removing all the right front components and coming to rest in the infield. In the end it was young Longwood, Florida driver Spencer Taylor in Victory Lane in his #46 Advance Auto Parts, Fast Late Model. Second would go to an exhausted and asthmatic Cody Pitts in the Autoway Chevy/Broke & Poor/Autozone/Franscisco’s/ Pitt’s Stop Muffler #1 ride. Cody would all but collapse after exiting the car and he also lost his motor to Fast Truck Officials under the Triple Top Two Rule, finishing 1st, 1st and 2nd in the first three races of the season. So Team Pitts has a new crate motor, while their old one is sent back to the supplier for a close check and refresh for the next rules requirement. Third at the strip would be a very consistent and patient Brock Burns in the Burns Flooring/Modern Housing #40. Fourth went to Michael Seeright’s AceAmerica.com #8 in gutsy style. Last in the top-5 was Sean "Smallmouth" Bass in the beaten and battered #20 of Jeff Moyer Racing. He walks quietly and carries a lead foot.
Surf by and check out the www.Fastruckracingseries.com web site.
FASTRUCK PROS
2-Joe Coulter 141-Travis Hanson 01-Travis Roland 50-Danny Anderson 99-Jason Deaton 25-Gary Foxworth 05-Mike Powers 4-Al Neumann 33-Blake Koch 1-Tommy King 41-Brandon Johnson 78-Austin Hopper 30-Rick Bristol 07-Kyle Musselman 26-Glenn Bidwell 94-Andy Megronigle 36-JR Garcia 11-Mark McCann 7-Alex Petrone 15-Jerry Maxson 56-James Wright III 51-Stuart Robertson 46-Spencer Taylor 9-Levi Hobbs 75-George Gorham 87-Chad Ashley 79-Brad Stevens
46-Spencer Taylor 1-Cody Pitts 40-Brock Burns 8-Michael Seeright 20-Sean Bass 111-Donny Williams 15-Ricky Thorpe 3-Earl Beckner 33-AJ Fulgenzi 01-Bobby Spaeth 28-Steve Smith 2-David Hartin
Next stop for the Fast Motorsports program will be May 13th. Their first visit to Inverness, Florida’s Citrus County Speedway in 2006. For more info on Fast Motorsports racing, call FMG at (813) 817-7223.
