"Hobo" Outlasts The Rest In Crazy Limited Late 100
"Hobo" Outlasts The Rest In Crazy Limited Late 100
PUNTA GORDA, FLA.- When you put 27 Limited Late Models on a 3/8-mile track for a 100-lap race, crazy things are bound to happen.
Take Saturday nights Fast Late Model 100 at Charlotte County Motorsports Park, which had plenty of twists and turns to keep the big crowd in suspense right up to the checkered.
Surviving the mayhem was Mike "Hobo" Hovis, the veteran driver of the red 29 car out of North Fort Myers. "Hobo" took the lead from Steve Arnold with five laps to go and held off 20-year-old Cory Collum in the 23 car. Hovis collected $3,000 for his victory. Only nine cars finished the marathon.
It appeared Arnold would get his first win of the year in Punta Gorda, as he led from lap 55 to 95. But the 19 ran out of gas, allowing Hovis to take control.
There were six different leaders.
Wildwoods Wayne Anderson started on the pole and led up to lap 20, when things got dicey. Fast qualifier Johnny Kay dipped his 48 car inside of Andersons 84 coming out of four. He led briefly, but Mike Franklin Jr. put his 12 car underneath Kay heading down the front straightaway.
On the back straight, the two wrecked with the 12 plowing over the top of the 48. Collected in the wreck were the 8 of Bobby Shelton and the 4 of Randy Fox.
Following an on-the-track scuffle, both Kay and Franklin were disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The cars of Shelton and Fox could no longer continue.
That left Anderson up front, but not for long. The 84 slowed by lap 30 and Kevin Macy of Bartow was the new leader.
On lap 46, Arnold moved into second with a pass of the 15 of Joe Winchell. On the next lap, Winchell was sent to the rear for spinning out Arnold.
It was the beginning of a long night for Winchell, who has been one of the most successful Limited Late drivers in Punta Gorda through the years.
Arnold then hunted down Macy, passing him on lap 55.
Arnold looked like he would cruise to victory lane until he lost power with five to go.
Placing a distant third behind Hovis and Collum was 14-year-old Drew Brannon of Miami. Jeff Firestine of Venice stayed out of trouble to place fourth. Mark Childress of Lakeland was fifth.
Steve Dorer of Lakeland elected to start in the back in search of bounty money on Franklin, who had dominated by winning the first three 100-lappers this year at CCMP. Dorer worked his way up to fourth but had engine trouble and pulled into the infield on lap 89.
Fastrucks and Fastkids also ran features Saturday night. John Kidwell passed Mike Powers on lap 37 and held on to win the 50-lap Fastruck race. Powers ended up third. J.R. Garcia took second.
In the Fastkids 35-lapper, 14-year-old Ross Chastain kept his 36 truck out front from coast to coast. Patrick Fox, a 16-year-old, was second in the 4 truck.
The Road Warriors only went 19 laps because of time constraints. Shane Leonard recovered from an early flat tire and went on to win in the 18 car. Early leader Jesse Gargus took second in the 1 car. Donnie Ollie Jr. was third.
Terry Price had a rough night, surviving several run-ins with track foes. Dan Benoits 20 was the first to get caught up with Prices 3. Benoit was black flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. Price had a flat but got back on the track and tried to get to the front. Price also got hit two other times before the time limit expired.
The Super Stock and Thunder Truck features were not run because of the curfew. The races will be made up at a later date.
There will be no stock car races this coming Saturday at Charlotte County Motorsports Park as the Extreme Monster Truck Nationals will take over the track.
CHARLOTTE COUNTY MOTORSPORTS PARK Results for 4-28
TQ Midgets 9 Ernie Teed JR 52 2 Brandon Cagle 6 26 Joey McKinney 30 Eric Purcell 3 Teddy Dupree 1 Jack Duffy 33 Kenny Busch
Fastkids
36 Ross Chastain 4 Patrick Fox 1 Maxx Bennett 69 Stephen Nasse 39 Tyler Laing 77 Lance Daubach 33 Casey Caudill 74 Seth Greco 87 Westley Hopper 31 Kevin Blum
Pro Trucks 7 John Kidwell 46 JR Garcia 05 Mike Powers 4 Al Newman 53 James Green jr. 83 Tom North 78 Austin Hopper 50 Danny Anderson 04 Daneil Blevins 11 Graham McCorvey 12 Alex Petrane 48 Vernon Hart 33 Michael Cenzi 18 Dustin Henderson 71 Barry Barlett III 22 Bobby McKnight 3 Dennis Rochenhous
Road Warriors 18 Shane Leonard 1 Jessie Gargus 09 Donnie Ollie JR. (took the challenge) 48 Cory Scott 3 Terry Price 22 Ann Marie Ricardi 19 Greg Amderson 39 Blaine Baer 12 Eddie Lawler 27 Derrick Horton 23 Jeff Runbold 99 Geoff Gulvin 17 5 Donnie Castillo JR. 46 Michael Collins 9 Rick Shelnut DQ 20 Dan Bemoit DQ
Late Models 29 Mike Hovis 23 Cory Collum 08 Drew Brannon 14 yrs old 93 Jeff Firestine 54X Mark Childress 82 Danny Maddox 66 Ray Perry 19 Steve Arnold (led lap 57 thru 94 and ran out of gas) 10 Steve Dorer (the only one to take the challenge and start last-27th) 100 Dean Ferri 11 David Weaver 5 Steve Gill 63 Phil Morrison 15 Joe Winchell 19M Kevin Macy 17 84 Wayne Anderson (led the first 29 laps) 36 Gary Padulla 10X Ron Regula 62 Buzz Martin 4 Randy Fox 8 Bobby Shelton 6 Jason Coldiron 77 Ed Leeke 87 Keith Lelly 12 Mike Franklin DQ 48 Jonny Kay (Fast Time) DQ
Due to our Curfew the 12 Super stocks and 9 Thunder Trucks did not run.
PUNTA GORDA, FLA.- When you put 27 Limited Late Models on a 3/8-mile track for a 100-lap race, crazy things are bound to happen. 
