WILLIAM HINDMAN OUTLASTS ALL AUTO SALVAGE STRICTLY STOCKS AT SPEEDWORLD
By Dave Westerman
It was a great evening for racing at Orlando Speedworld as the Action Gator Tire Strictly Stock class got their moment in the spotlight going for 50 laps with a $500 purse put up by All Auto Salvage in Titusville.
By the end of the evening, several other sponsors stepped up to the plate to supplement the dollars put up by All Auto Salvage including Bruns Racing, Space Coast Portable Welding and Fabrication, Florida Confetti LLC of Satellite Beach, Semper Fidelis America, Inc., Independent Ukranian Adoptions, Affordable Construction/JQR RAcing, Buddy Leavitt, Lloyd Davis & Boss, and Issac's Track Shack NASCAR Collectibles.
The Strictly Stock drivers were even given the opportunity to qualify for their event with 27 of the 30 cars registered attempting time trials. The whole thing would be pretty much a moot point as four of the top five qualifiers had their times nullified in tech. The only car among the top five to pass with flying colors was the Ford Taurus station wagon of Dave Cyrwinski who thus earned quick time with a lap of 19.214 seconds.
All the cars DQ'd in tech made necessary changes and started from the back of the grid as 28 cars took the green with Gary Thomas grabbing the early advantage in his Chevy Corsica until John Hall took over on lap four. Hall held off a pack of cars for several laps before Kyle Peters took over the top spot on lap 14.
Peters held on to the top spot in his Monte Carlo through several minor caution periods and eventually found his rear view mirror full of the Mercury Cougar of William Hindman. Peters was in heavy lapped traffic when he touched one of the lapped cars on the 35th circuit and spun with a deflating tire. Peters pitted and Hindman took the point in his E&H Car Crushing sponsored machine never to be headed the rest of the way. Hindman was well in front of second place Bob Snyder as he celebrated his big win which was worth $250 of the money put up by All Auto Salvage.
Snyder claimed the $150 second place money while $100 went to David Leeper II for his third place run. Bryan Lynch, Jr. came from deep on the starting grid to take fourth with early leader Thomas holding on for fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Steven Streight, Robert Remus, Joey Willis, David Lasky and Justin Quates. Completing the finishing field were Miguel Barrenchea, Richard Barrenchea, Amanda Carr, Matt Sprenkel, John Hall, George Brown, Denny Johns, Pappy Thomas, Tom Stewart, Scott Edwards, Steve Houseman, Kyle Peters, Bobby Crites, Joey White, Dave Cyrwinski, Kay Carr, Joseph St. Clair and Junior Crites.
Ronnie Roach won the 30 lap Super Late Model feature but felt more like the proverbial football during the event as he was "punted" out of the lead not once, but three times before finally taking the checker.
The Orlando veteran grabbed the lead at the outset only to be turned by second running Chad Pierce on lap four. Two attempts to restart the race saw the same driver jump each of the starts, earning a black flag for consultation. Instead of simply going to the infield to confer with track officials, both he and his teammate, upset over the call, began doing "doughnuts" on the back stretch. The whole thing looked nearly choreographed as stunned fans watched the wacky display before both machines were driven to the pits.
Once the tire smoke settled, Roach re-assumed the point only to be spun out again on lap six, this time by Dusty Cornelius. Cornelius was sent to the back of the field while Roach again was placed back up front.
At this point the race settled into some good green flag racing. Roach built up a pretty sizeable lead but his car just wasn't getting off the corners that well. Cornelius began to work his way back through the field, eventually getting back into second where he caught Roach with just seven laps to go.
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Cornelius tried a low move going into turn one on lap 25 and the two cars touched again with Roach again going for a loop. Track officials again ruled Cornelius at fault and he went to the back of the pack a second time sporting obvious damage to the right front corner of his car.
Roach was again shown as the leader and he easily led the last five laps despite one more caution for Cornelius as he spun again in turn one after the hood flew up on his car.
Roach came home with the win while Pierce came back to finish second. Gary Bierlein drove another steady race and took third ahead of South Florida visitor Joe Piazza, Cornelius, Russ Shaw and Richard Douglas.
Alan Bruns' attempt to win four consecutive Modified features was thwarted on the open lap as the car of Randy Froelich got loose in turn two. Bruns' machine bounced off Froelich's car and went hard into the turn two wall ending his night early.
Rookie Blake Lehr had it all together on this night though as he snatched the lead at the outset following the restart and was untouchable the remaining distance. Two cautions for monor spins allowed the field to close but Lehr had 'em covered and sped to his first-ever win at Speedworld.
Shain Held came home second with Dave Debelius holding off Corey Freed for third with Mark Emberson fifth. After Ocala Speedway rained out, teammates Kevyn Terry and Shane Nichols made the long tow to OSW with their HTI sponsored cars and finished a respectable sixth and seventh with Gary Fountain, Sr., Froelich and Bruns rounding out the top ten.
There was yet another first time winner in the Mini Stocks. Cody Blair, who normally runs sister FASCAR track New Smyrna Speedway on Saturdays, made his first Speedworld appearance a winning one as he drove past Dick Laszlo on lap 14 and led the rest of the way in the all green flag race.
Laszlo settled for the runner-up spot ahead of Kelly Jarrett, R.J. Arnone and Rex "Boneman" Hollinger. Completing the top finishers were Randy Blakeslee, Bob Kelchner, John Cook and Michael Seay.
The Sportsman feature also ran green to checker without a caution and Travis Towell was in a different area code as he litterally destroyed the field in this one to take his second consecutive win.
Towell was a half lap ahead of second place john Hodge at the finish with Andy Nicholls, Timmy Todd, Jr. and Glen Castro the rest of the top five. Richard Hight, Rex Carr, Billy Belflower, Alex Dicandio, Bryan Silas and Mike Soukup rounded out the finishers.
After several weeks of hard luck, Racin' Jason Foster finally found victory lane again in the Super Stocks as he led all the way despite a few slow-downs.
Most of the incidents were minor except for an opening lap crash that saw outside pole sitter Scott Smith spin in turn four where his car was hit head-on by the machine of Jay Mullins. Both drivers were OK but their cars were done for the night.
Foster was never headed as he took the victory over Johnny Brown and Bomber Bill Loomis. Ron Whaley came back from a mid-race spin to finish fourth while Tobi Smith ran his best race to date coming home fifth. Completing the top ten were Vince Keeler, Lee Wagner, Dennis Snyder, Rob Watford and James Frisbie.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD - AUGUST 18
SUPER LATE MODEL
1. #14 Ronnie Roach 2. #57 Chad Pierce 3. #11 Gary Bierlein 4. #15 Joe Piazza 5. #22 Dusty Cornelius 6. #68 Russ Shaw 7. #60 Richard Douglas 8. #56 Chris Staggs DQ'D 9. #56T M&M DQ'D
OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED
1. #4 Blake Lehr 2. #55 Shain Held 3. #38 Dave Debelius 4. #12 Corey Freed 5. #30 Mark Emberson 6. #13 Kevyn Terry 7. #13x Shane Nichols 8. #33 Gary Fountain Sr. 9. #8 Randy Froehlich 10. #4b Alan Bruns
SPORTSMAN
1. #4 Travis Towell 2. #00 John Hodge 3. #66 Andy Nicholls 4. #25 Timmy Todd Jr. 5. #13 Glen Castro 6. #23 Richard Hight 7. #87 Mike Blankenship 8. #15 Billy Bellflower 9. #68 Alex Dicandio 10. #57 Bryan Silas 11. #45 Mike Soukup DNS
MINI STOCK
1. #81 Cody Blair 2. #07 Dick Laszlo 3. #97 Kelly Jarrett 4. #30 R.J. Arnone 5. #85 Rex Hollinger 6. #77 Randy Blakeslee 7. #09 Bob Kelchner 8. #24 John Cook 9. #10 Michael Seay
SUPER STOCK
1. #49 Jason Foster 2. #86 Johnny Brown 3. #26 Bill Loomis 4. #2 Ron Whaley 5. #8 Tobi Smith 6. #7 Vince Keeler 7. #74 Lee Wagner 8. #11 Dennis Snyder 9. #17 Rob Watford 10. #3 James Frisbie 11. #97 Scott Keena 12. #01 Scott Smith 13. #17x Jay Mullins 14. #25 Robert Ward DNS 15> #9 Matthew Jarrett DNS
ALL AUTO SALVAGE STRICTLY STOCK 50
1. #21 William Hindman 2. #16x Bob Snyder 3. #D2 David Leeper II 4. #54 Brian Lynch Jr. 5. #76 Gary Thomas 6. #80 Steven Streight 7. #16 Robert Remus 8. #6 Joey Wills 9. #77 David Lasky 10. #84 Bobby Crites 11. #22 Miguel Barrenechea 12. #20x Richard Barrenechea 13. #41x Amanda Carr 14. #63 Matt Sprenkel 15. #95 John Hall 16. #41 George Brown 17. #55 Denny Johns 18. #T13 Pappy Thomas 19. #T13x Tom Stewart 20. #7x Scott Edwards 21. #0 Steve Houseman 22. #4 Kyle Peters 23. #B1 Bobby Crites 24. #27 Joey White 25. #44 Dave Cywinski 26. #75 ??? 27. #43 Joseph St. Clair 28. #1 Bobby Crites Jr.
It was a great evening for racing at Orlando Speedworld as the Action Gator Tire Strictly Stock class got their moment in the spotlight going for 50 laps with a $500 purse put up by All Auto Salvage in Titusville. 
