There was plenty of racing excitement to go with sweltering temperatures Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld.
Much improved Jimmy Norman and defending RE/MAX Legends Car track champion Kory Abbott split the twin heat races for the Legends as 19 cars signed in for action.
Norman led the opening lap of the 25 lap feature but it was Brandon Thomson who took over to lead laps two and three before caution flew for a turn four tangle between Tony Sansom and Troy Mahrt with both able to continue. On the restart, Eric Eichelberger ran up and over the car of Andy Logan sending both to the sidelines for the remainder of the event.
Abbott wasted little time grabbing the lead from Thomson on the restart and was able to lead the remaining distance despite a red flag on lap nine.
Chelsea Schillig and Shaughn McCormick got together coming out of turn two which forced Matt Bowers to hit the wall hard trying to avoid them. Further back in the field, Mark Bibeau also got sideways trying to avoid the slowing cars in front of him and he too tagged the concrete. Bowers and Bibeau were out of the race while Schillig and McCormick restarted from the rear of the field and would put on quite a show coming back to the top five.
Abbott would take the checker by a somewhat comfortable margin over Thomson and Norman. However, Norman's machine was disqualified in tech with Norman's team subsequently filing a protest against the DQ that has to be heard by officials at 600 Racing in Charlotte before results can be made official.
Should the disqualification stand, McCormick will move up to third in the finishing order after a great run from the back with Masters Division driver Mike Verhaagh having another strong run for fourth and Schillig working her way back to a fifth place finish. Rounding out the top ten (pending the protest) were Jimmy Rodriguez, Sansom, Josh Antley, Mitch Verhaagh and Mahrt.
The very popular Outlaw Modifieds made their second of three appearances this year and, as usual, did not disappoint the fans although Mike Bean scored a rare run-away win for this highly-competitive group of racers.
Miami's Bean, who hit the wall in practice here earlier in the year and never got to race, took over the lead at the drop of the green and built up a large advantage as second heat winner Raymond "Superfrog" Jones made his way to second and was trying to hold off first heat winner Cliff Steinman and Mike Bean's older brother Robbie. As the three swapped spots constantly, Mike Bean drove a steady pace and dispatched of lapped cars expertly to maintain his advantage.
At the checker, Bean was about ten car lengths in front of the second place battle that went to Jones with Robbie Bean making a great late move to take third ahead of Steinman and Robert Campbell, who took fifth after starting the race dead last in 16th. Robbie Bean's third place finish gives him a one point lead over Steinman in the Outlaw Modified Point standings.
Billy Campbell crossed the line in sixth with Doug Hopper, Tom Meyer, Craig Sherar and Tom Giddings completing the top ten.
Heat winner Brandon Beach, Jason Schroeder and Rick Blair all took turns leading the Florida Mini Cup Racing Association Pro Division feature before Blair came home with his first win of the year here. Schroeder brought his "deck of cards" machine home second ahead of Beach, Tom Mellin and Randy Burris with Phil Beede, Scott Crossman, Dan Mays and Doug Smith rounding out the finishers.
The FMCRA Junior Division put on another good show, but the result was the same as last time with Ray Black, Jr. coming home the winner. Daniel Miller won the heat race and led the opening 12 laps of the feature before settling for second ahead of Seth Greco, Devin McLeod, Thomas Warnick, and Zach Hoyt. Jack Sims and Brady Marshall were involved in a hard crash at the beginning of the race and did not finish, however neither driver suffered any injury.
The Florida Open Wheel Lites were also on the race card and it was West Palm Beach driver Dennis Diehl securing his second win of the year leading all the way after winning the first heat. Rick Lundeen drove his "Flying Grape" to second spot in front of second heat winner Mad Max Howe, Sonny O'Sullivan and Brian Paradis. Phil Krauthoff was running second as the field took the white flag, but his car suffered mechanical problems and he dropped all the way back to sixth at the finish with Jason Stout, Robert Johnson, Alain Paradis and Nick Shadid rounding out the top ten.
Mark "Ice Man" Hooven continued as the dominate force in the Bandelero Bandits taking both his heat race and feature once again. Donovan Ponder was a close second in the feature ahead of Nicholas Baluch, Shawn Hooven, Zach Harris and Coty Bibeau.
It was yet another win for Gerald White, Jr. in the Bandelero Young Guns as he swept the heat and feature race action ahead of Gerald Campbell, Kristina Baluch, Kaleb Hearndon and Chicago, IL visitor Vern Fagerberg.
A good field of Hurricanes were on hand but it was Rob Reynolds proving uncatchable once again as he drive his Mazda to win number six on the year. Dave Thompson was second ahead of Bobby Crites, Jr., Blaze Fisher and Steve Anderson.
With their 91 year old great-great-great grandmother looking on, Kody Kasper and his younger sister Taylor took the Junior Stock wins drawing a great round of applause from the fans.
OFFICAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD - AUGUST 5, 2006
RE/MAX LEGENDS
Due to a protest in the finish, race results are held
1. #12 Mike Bean (first win at SpeedWorld) 2. #41 Raymond Jones 3. #28 Robby Bean 4. #23 Cliff Steinman 5. #10 Robert Campbell 6. #11 BillyCampbel 7. #15 Doug Hopper 8. #4 Tom Meyer 9. #78 Crfaig Sherar 10. #83 Tom Giddings 11. #2 Zack Rudd 12. #22 Ric Mills 13. #69 Ric Voisey 14. #7 Phill Brigham 15. #1 Buddy Ryan 16. #8 Matt Delaney
FLORIDA OPEN WHEEL LITES
1. #18 Dennis Diehl 2. #04 Rick Lundeen 3. #80 Max Howe 4. #0 Sonny O'Sullivan 5. #68x Brian Paradis 6. #2 Phil Krauthoff 7. #27 Jason Stout 8. #B14 Robert Johnson 9. #40 Alan Paradis 10. #68 Nick Shadid
ALL PRO MINI CUP
1. #8 Rick Blair 2. #45 Jason Schroeder 3. #1x Brandon Beach 4. #3 Tom Mellin 5. #04 Randy Burris 6. #40 Phil Beade 7. #1 Scott Crossman 8. #30 Don Mays 9. #20 Doug Smith
MINI CUP JR. ALL STAR
1. #4 Ray Black Jr. 2. #00 Daniel Miller 3. #74 Seth Greco 4. #04 Devin McLeod 5. #9 Thomas Warnick 6. #67 Zach Hoyt 7. #1 Jack Sims 8. #18 Brady Marshall
1. #A1 Rob Reynolds 2. #66 William Hindman 3. #B4 Bobby Crites Jr. 4. #61 Blaize Fisher 5. #27 Steven Anderson 6. #88 Narj Wells 7. #B1 Bobby Crites 8. #344 Shane Keamer 9. #T13 Gary Thomas 10. #22 Miguel Barrenechea
