Tim Russell wins Clyde Hart Memorial Sunbelt 200 at New Smyrna Speedway
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla. (July 2, 2006) If you were a gambling person, you would have never believed that the Clyde Hart Memorial 200 would have ever run yesterday with all the gloom and doom in the air. It rained hard in the morning, then cleared but was still black. But fans who did not take a chance to come to New Smyrna, missed a great race.
Twenty of the finest Super Lates made up the field for the 200 lap event with Mike Fritts of Debary qualifying on the pole with his Brian Corporation No. 27 machine. Fritts, had blown his motor the week before at New Smyrna, had Mike Good's power plant under the hood and it proved to be just that, a power plant. Completing the top five were Jeff Scofield of Plant City, Tim Russell of Longwood, Jason Boyd of Orlando and B.J. McLeod of Wachulla.
Boyd, who backed his machine into the wall on Friday night during practice, worked all night Friday and Saturday to get his car back into shape to race. Boyd looked tired but happy after qualifying.
The race was to begin around 7:30 but with the rain delay it was more like 8:30 but fans were already excited after seeing Kyle Eastham win his first FASCAR Pro Truck race. Eastham won the 75 lap race over Scott Reeves and Scott Bishop. After driver introduction, it was time to strap the drivers back into their cars for 200 laps of the best short track racing in Florida.
As the green flag waved, it was Mike Fritts to the pole followed by Jeff Scofield, Jason Boyd, Jeff Choquette, and Tim Russell. Russell, who had flown back home from the ARCA race in Kansas that morning, quickly passed Choquette for fourth as Choquette settled into fifth. By lap 7 it was Fritts, Scofield, Boyd, Russell, Choquette, McLeod, Travis Kittleson, Mike Bresnahan, and Justin Drawdy running up front.
Lap 16 saw Kittleson put the heat on McLeod as he took over sixth and McLeod slipped to seventh. McLeod got shuffled more as Bresnahan passed for seventh with Drawdy following for eighth and Wayne Anderson in ninth. McLeod found himself tenth.
In the meantime, Boyd found his mirror full of Russell who was hot to trot passing Boyd for third as Boyd settled into fourth. Lap 21 Anderson passes Drawdy for eighth as Drawdy goes to ninth.
Kittleson is a man on a mission as he passes Choquette for fifth and goes side-by-side with Boyd for fourth. Boyd does his best to protect his position but Kittleson proves to have the better car as he takes over fourth. Now it is Fritts, Scofield, Russell, Kittleson, Choquette, Bresnahan, Boyd, Anderson, Drawdy and McLeod.
By lap 35, Fritts has once again checked out on the field and it is clear sailing for the No. 27. On lap 36, we see Chad Pierce of Orlando go into the pits with no brakes. Pierce, who had his best qualifying time ever in eighth, was disappointed but brakes is a necessity in a 200 lap race.
Kittleson is once again on the move as he is right on Russell for third. Russell holds but Kittleson proves he has the move and takes over third. Drawdy leaves the field on lap 41 with mechanical problems leaving 18 cars running. Caution comes out when David Rogers and Scott Millar get together sending Millar into the turns 1 and 2 wall. Millar is fine but done for the night.
At this time you see several cars come onto pit road for some crew attention. Chris Fontaine and Brian Finney both retire from the field with mechanical problems. Finney has a broken stud which ends his night.
The field goes back green with Fritts, Scofield, Kittleson, Russell and Choquette leading the way. Kittleson looks high and low to pass Scofield for second but Scofield will have nothing to do with it and holds his position. In the meantime Anderson takes over sixth as Bresnahan takes over seventh. By lap 67 it is Fritts, Scofield, Kittleson, Russell, Choquette, Anderson, Bresnahan, Skinner, Patrick Conrad and Jerry Artuso.
Anderson puts the heat on Choquette and by lap 75, Anderson has fifth as Choquette goes to sixth. Tires are beginning to show their wear around halfway when the yellow comes out for Jason Boyd and Jerry Artuso who have spun coming off four going down the frontstretch in a cloud of smoke. Drivers take advantage of the yellow as they go in for gas and new tires.
On the restart on lap 99, it is Fritts, Anderson, Choquette, Russell, and Brenahan. By lap 102, Choquette, who has new tires, passes Anderson and Fritts and takes over the lead. Both Fritts and Anderson did not pit yet for tires and begin to slide backwards as Choquette, Russell, Scofield, Fritts, and Fain Skinner are in the top five. Skinner now shows his strength as he passes Fritts and takes over fourth.
Lap 113 sees Anderson have a flat as he goes up towards the wall in turns 1 and 2. The caution is thrown as he limps back to the pits for new tires along with Fritts for new tires. By lap 117, the green is out again with Choquette, Russell, Scofield, Skinner and Jason Boyd in the top five.
By lap 121, Scofield has put the heat on Russell taking over second as Russell settles into third. Lap 124 sees first the yellow and then the red as Patrick Conrad and Fain Skinner have gotten together sending Skinner hard into the turns 1 and 2 wall. Skinner is okay but his car is not. Conrad is black flagged and told to go in for rough driving.
By lap 128 the race goes back green with Choquette, Scofield, Russell, Boyd, and Artuso in the top five. Scofield begins to put the heat on Choquette and by lap 129, it is Scofield on the point followed by Choquette, Russell, Boyd, and Anderson.
After having a good run, McLeod retires from the field on lap 132. Top ten are Scofield, Choquette, Russell, Boyd, Anderson, Fritts, Bresnahan, Kittleson, Artuso and Rogers. Kittleson passes Bresnahan as he once again is on the move towards the front. Lap 158 the yellow comes out for Artuso who has spun in turn 4.
On the restart, Scofield is on the inside with Choquette charging hard for the lead on the outside. Scofield pinches Choquette to the wall when they touch sending Scofield hard into the turns 1 and 2 wall. Scofield is okay but mad as he gets out of his car and hits Choquette who is strapped in his car. Officials quickly come out and restrain Scofield as his car is towed off the track. Choquette is fine but shaken.
In the meantime, Boyd is showing his distaste at Blake Lehr as he goes over to his car and lifts the face shield on Lehr to give him some few choice words. The old saying, "I went to a fight and a race broke out" was never more true.
By lap 165, the green is shown with Choquette, Russell, Fritts, Kittleson and Rogers in the top five. Russell puts the heat on Choquette and takes over the lead as Choquette goes to second followed by Fritts, Kittleson, Rogers, Bresnahan, Anderson, Boyd, Artuso, Rich Pratt and Blake Lehr. Racing is getting very hot and heavy as the laps dwindle down when the caution comes out for Blake Lehr who has spun in turn 4.
The race goes back green on lap 175. Rogers is showing his stuff as he goes to pass Choquette and suddenly veers straight into the turns 3 and 4 wall with what looked to be a tire go down. With Choquette on the outside, Rogers collects Choquette who also is in the wall. Fans are on their feet waiting to hear if both drivers are fine or not. Rogers, who had a very bad wreck at Orlando SpeedWorld last year, is temporarily knocked out but does come to. The race is red flagged while the safety crew attend the drivers and the wreckers go to work getting the cars apart. Both drivers seem to be okay but shaken as the fans applaud them.
The race goes back green as Russell leads the way for Fritts, Anderson, Kittleson, Bresnahan, Artuso, Boyd and Pratt. Boyd passes Artuso and takes over sixth. Fritts is looking to pass Russell but Russell holds strong.
In the meantime, Anderson puts the heat on Fritts and takes over second looking now at Russell. Anderson and Russell get together as Russell spins. Russell is given his spot back and Anderson goes to the rear for the restart. Lap 196 sees Russell, Fritts, Kittleson, Bresnahan, and Boyd in the top five.
But it is a short green as Anderson spin bringing out the yellow on lap 198. With very few laps left, there is one more caution as Boyd spins in turns 3 and 4. Now it is a green, white, checkered as Russell holds the point followed by Fritts, Kittleson, Anderson, and Bresnahan.
Tim Russell of Longwood, after very little sleep, wins the Clyde Hart Memorial 200. All cars passed tech with a joyous Russell in Victory Lane.
Scofield is disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct and Boyd is given last place points and money for unsportsmanlike conduct.
A few short sidenotes: Rich Pratt, who finished seventh, ran all 200 laps on the same set of tires. Pratt, who was not up to his normal pep, decided just to ride out the race. He said he could have put on a new set but it would not have mattered so instead he chose to race on one set of tires. Very smart move and gave him a seventh place finish.
Fritts, who did take on new tires, said the old tires were much better than the new tires. The new ones just never did come around as good as the first set.
Blake Lehr, running only his second Super Late Model race, broke a caliper which forced him out of the race. Lehr did a great job of staying out of the way of the lead cars and said he learned alot.
Fain Skinner was having a great run but said he may miss out on USA International and the Florida State Late Model Championship on July 22 and 23 which he is the defending Champion of 2005. Skinner said his car suffered alot of damage and he is not sure they can repair it in such a short period of time.
The next event for the Sunbelt Super Late Model Series will be July 23 at USA International Speedway in Lakeland for the Florida Late Model Championship. This will also be a 200 lap event. For more information, to to fascar.org or usaspeedway.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS CLYDE HART MEMORIAL 200 JULY 1
1. #36 Tim Russell, Longwood 2. #27 Mike Fritts, Debary 3. #88 Travis Kittleson, Merritt Island 4. #84 Wayne Anderson, Wildwood 5. #3 Mike Bresnahan, Lecanto 6. #5 Jerry Artuso, Sault Saint Marie, CA 7. #0 Rich Pratt, Anthony 8. #70 Jeff Choquette, Loxatchee 9. #11 David Rogers, Longwood 10. #4 Blake Lehr, Orlando 11. #78 B.J. McLeod, Wachula 12. #1 Fain Skinner, Like Oak 13. #2 Patrick Conrad, Clermont 14. #20 Scott Millar, Ocala 15. #47 Chris Fontaine, Auburndale 16. #80 Brian Finney, Merritt Island 17. #12 Justin Drawdy, Fort Pierce 18. #57 Chad Pierce, Orlando 19. #15 Jason Boyd, Orlando 20. #07 Jeff Scofield, Plant City DQ'D
FAST QUALIFIER: #27 Mike Fritts TOP ROOKIE: #36 Tim Russell HARD CHARGER: #84 Wayne Anderson
