THOMPSON AND MITCHELL SHARE PRO CHALLENGE WINS AS SPEEDWORLD WINTERNATIONALS OPEN
By Dave Westerman
Orlando Speedworld's 4th Annual Winternationals are off to a roaring start as the track played host to the Pro Challenge cars, Open Wheel Lites, and Florida Mini Cup Racing Association Friday and Saturday night.
The Pro Challenge group came to race with 26 machines signed in on Friday although there wouldn't be that many left to compete on Saturday after a wild 50 lap event on opening night.
Two young drivers set the pace in Pro Challenge qualifying Friday as Zach Stroupe, the national points runner-up for 2006 zipped around the track at 14.916 seconds with former Speedworld Bandelero Young Gun champion Ryan Rust second quick at 14.935 as they were the only two drivers under 15 seconds.
Stroupe immediately took the lead at the drop of the green with Rust in tow only to see the caution out almost immediately as Ken Nicholson's car slowed suddenly causing Same White, Dean McIntyre and Logan Ruffin to tangle trying to avoid him. All but Nicholson continued.
Stroupe and Rust continued to set the pace until caution number two waved on lap seven as Florida drivers White and Ken Ellefson crashed hard coming off turn four eliminating both.
Two laps after the restart a turn one tangle between Jason Burchard and Trevor Cauble slowed the field once again. Then on the restart, something broke on Rust's car and he dropped out while running a strong second.
Two more yellow flag periods for minor incidents slowed the pace before half-way, but it was the 25th lap that saw the complexion of the race change dramatically.
Coming off turn two on the 25th circuit, Florida racing veteran Doug Moff (making his first start at Speedworld in a Pro Challenge machine) locked horns with Jason Treschl with Moff's car taking a solid shot drivers-side first into the back stretch wall. Moff, who had been running in the top five, was OK but the damage to his car would force the tea, to load up and head home.
Then, on the restart, Stroupe's car broke just after taking the green and he guided his car into the infield. It was almost like deja vu from the previous year when he was leading two races only to have mechanical failure put him out as well.
2006 National Pro Challenge champion Terry Mathis was the beneficiary of Stroupe's misfortune as he took over the front spot. A quick caution on lap 28 bunched the field together and Canadian Dennis Thompson began to show his muscle as he pulled right on Mathis' bumper.
Two laps later though all heck broke loose in turn four with a massive pile-up involving at least seven cars although most were able to continue. On the restart it was Joe Chafin getting into trouble on the back stretch knocking his machine from the race.
The race continued to move well past the one hour mark with two more cautions on laps 33 and 34 before the remainder of the field settled into what would be 15 green flag laps to the checker.
Mathis appeared on his way to yet another win, but his drive shaft broke on lap 42 and he too was forced to the sidelines as Thompson inherited the lead and sped to his first ever win in Florida.
Eighth starter Kyle Mitchell dodged several bullets early in the race and his car got much faster in the final half of the race allowing him to drive up to second at the checker with Rusty McLain coming back from an earlier altercation to finish third. Terry Horak was the hard charger of the race coming from 24th on the grid to fourth while Jamie Blanton had a steady run for fifth. J.L. Snowden was the top finisher among the Florida contingent coming home sixth while Jason Burchard, Jason Treschl, Steve Standlund and Duke Furr rounded out the top ten. Malcom McCallister was 11th and the only other car out of 25 starters still running at the finish.
Completing the finishing field (all DNF's) were Mathis, Dean McIntyre, Scott Hitchens, Trevor Farbo, Stroupe, Moff, Rust, Trevor Cauble, Sam White, Kenn Ellefson, Lance Rubink, Ken Nicholson, Logan Ruffin and Joe Chafin.
Saturday qualifying was led by Friday night winner Thompson as five drivers broke the 15 second barrier. Thompson's lap of 14.784 seconds was just a tick of the watch better than Kyle Mitchell's 14.788 while Rust, Blanton and Cauble also were in the 14 second bracket. Stroupe, the Friday quick-timer could only muster the sixth quick time at 15.014 while champion Mathis had his car stall while heading out to qualify relegating him to the scratch starting spot in Saturday's half-century run.
This race would be totally different than Friday's as there would only be two slow downs, both requiring red flags, and the dominate car would actually stay together and take the win. Plus, the carnage from Friday would leave just 19 cars to start the race.
That dominate car would be Mitchell's as he sped from the outside pole and was never seriously challenged.
The two incidents were the only thing that slowed Mitchell down. The first cam on lap 11 when Terry Horak's Pro Truck burst into flames coming down the front stretch. Horak guided his machine into the infield in turn two where the flames were quickly extinguished.
The second red flag came on lap 38 as Blanton and Stroupe were running in the top five and trying to lap a slower car that would not get out of the way. Stroupe tried to dive under Blanton and the lapped car but they tangled. Rust slid high to avoid them and tagged the wall. Jason Burchard, Logan Ruffin, Terry Mathis and Trevor Cauble then crashed trying to avoid the mess with all four being eliminated. The cars of Blanton and Stroupe continued as did Rust although the young driver's race ended shortly thereafter with a broken shock as a result of tapping the wall.
The remaining 12 laps belonged again to Mitchell who drove away from the field. Thompson came home second, reversing the finishing order of the previous night. Blanton and Stroupe, who were not penalized in the lap 38 incident due to the problem with the lapped car, took third and fourth while Scott Hitchens had a good steady run for 5th.
Rounding out the top ten were Dean McIntyre, Ken Nicholson, J.L. Snowden, Duke Furr and Malcom McAllister. The remaining finishers were Steve Strandlund, Mathis, Rust, Burchard, Cauble, Jason Treschl, Ruffin, Horak and Thomas Hartensveld.
In Florida Open Wheel Lite action, Mike Belusar grabbed the Friday night win over Rick Lundeen, Phil Krauthoff, Dennis Diehl and Roger Richmond.
The roles were reversed on Saturday evening as Lundeen held on for the win over Belusar while Krauthoff was again third over Diehl and Richmond.
Brandon Beach won the Florida Mini Cup Racing Association Pro Division feature on Friday night in dominating fashion over Stephen Hershey while Devin McLeaod, Zach Hoyt and Jerry Parker rounded out the top five.
Beach and Hershey were no-shows on Saturday night and that worked to McLeod's advantage as he drove his Domino's machine to a convincing victory over Rick Blair, Randy Burris, Don Mays and Chris Witte.
Brady Marshall was running away with the FMCRA Junior Division race on Friday when his car quit on the last lap allowing Cindarae Irish to grab the win in her very first Mini Cup race! Corey White was second with Marshall credited with third.
Marshall had no mechanical troubles on Saturday as he was well ahead at the finish over White and Irish.
The Modified TQ exhibition races were topped by Jen Crossman both nights while the Classic car race on Friday went to Jeff Wright over John Smith.
Winternationals racing action now shifts to the afternoons this Tuesday through Saturday. The Legends Cars, Bandeleros and Thunder Roadsters will be in action each day starting at 1:30PM.