Derrick Wood gets First Florida Cracker Classics Win at SpeedWorld
by Dave Westerman
The Florida Cracker Classics wrapped up their 2006 season Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld with the youngest driver in the field coming home a winner for the very first time.
There was plenty of wild action in the heat race that saw John Smith expertly work his way to the front to take the win.
Feature race action got started on the pace lap when pole sitters Tommy Kirk and Bill Posey locked horns in turn two causing Kirk to have to go to the pits to replace a flat tire. With the inside row moving up a position, that put young Derrick Wood on the pole and he immediately took charge with Posey settling into second. Kirk returned to the race but he was two laps down.
Caution flew on lap three as Jeff Wright looped his mount in turn four. Meanwhile, heat winner Smith took his car to the pits with mechanical troubles. He would return several laps later but would not be a factor.
Meanwhile, Posey, Norm Agostinho and a resurgent Wright were beginning to put the pressure on Wood until Tommy Kirk spun on lap 12. The trio, expecting a caution flag to come out, all backed off. However, no yellow flew and Wood was long gone before his challengers could get back up to speed.
Wood, who raced here in both the Bandeleros and Legends Cars, took his first ever "big car" win in style and was joined in victory lane by his dad, many time Speedworld champion Ricky Wood.
Posey was happy to come home second after a tough day. "I probably had the worst handling car I ever brought to a race track," said Posey. "My crew changed everything but the body between the heat and feature and it finally hooked up, so I'm happy with second," he said. Agostinho crossed the stripe in third followed by Wright and Ron Gustafson. Rounding out the top ten were Andrew Gustafson, Brad Newburg, Kirk, Doug Johnson and Smith.
