McCreary goes from Rear to Front to Win Super Stock 50 at SpeedWorld
It was a night for both the wily veterans and the up-and-coming youngsters to shine at Orlando Speedworld Friday as the track played host to a special 50 lap event for the Super Stock division.
Ron McCreary set fast time in Super Stock qualifying at 15.71 seconds then lobbied track officials to invert the entire field for the start of the 50 lapper. Officials and the other drivers weren't of the same mindset though and McCreary pulled a six to invert the top half-dozen qualifiers.
McCreary then struck a deal with track GM Rusty Marcus. If he started in the rear and won, he'd get an extra $100.
Roger Benton grabbed the early lead after two false starts only to see caution out at the end of lap one for a multiple car spin in turn four. Benton would continue to hold the point until lap six when Bobby Riley took over. But McCreary was on a mission as he reeled in the leaders and amazingly took over the lead on lap eleven.
From that point, only a rash of minor caution periods would slow the Vero Beach veteran's pace. Benton, winner of the last two 50 lap Super Stock races here, had his car start smoking badly and he was black-flagged just after the half-way mark while running third. McCreary took the win while Riley held on for second. Bobby Simcox was third over James Frisbie and Bob Starr. Completing the top ten were Randy Poole, Gary Cameron, Jack Kennedy, Nathan Haystead and Jeff Parrish. The remaining finishers were Alaine Grogan, Benton, Paul Margolis, Scott Edwards, Mike Poole, John Guinn, Lee Wagner, Billy Belflower and Mike Matarazzo.
Young David Pollen, Jr. took his first career win in the Super Late Models taking the lead from Russ Shaw on lap three after a caution on the opening lap for Doc McKinney who spun into the turn one wall and had to be towed from the track.
Once Pollen took the lead just after the restart he was able to pull away until lapped traffic allowed Patrick Conrad to close in late in the going. Pollen held on to take the checker ahead of Conrad and Jared Allison. Joe Piazza was a distant fourth ahead of Jason Vail. The remainder of the top ten were Shaw, Mark Emberson, Scott McKinley, Jimmy Crowe, Jr., and McKinney. Pollen also took the heat race.
After tasting victory for the first time just two weeks ago at Speedworld's sister track New Smyrna Speedway, Gary Fountain, Sr. blasted off the outside pole and led all the way to win the Modified feature as the 15 laps were run without a caution flag. Following Fountain to his first-ever Speedworld checkered flag were Shain Held, Bobby Joe Woodley, Art Kunzeman, Mark Emberson, Jimmy Wilkins III, Jimmy Wilkins, Jr., Mickey Wright and Terri Bryant. Held won the heat.
Andy Nicholls shook off some recent bad luck to score his first Sportsman feature win of the year in wire to wire fashion. Timmy Todd, Jr. closed late in the going but had to exit in a shower of sparks with two laps to go when the left front ball joint broke on his machine.
Nicholls picked up the checker with Brett Woodley coming home second just ahead of Henry Shepherd. Richard Hight was fourth and Derrick Wood fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Matt Towell, Ron Whaley, Todd, Jason Foster and Jack Lenzen. Nicholls also won the heat race.
Pedie Allison took the lead from heat winner Kenny Padgett on lap three and sped to yet another Mini Stock feature victory. Allison now has seven wins in nine races this year. Padgett held on for second over R.J. Arnone, Richie Laszlo and William Hindman.
The Florida Mini Cup Racing Association made a guest Friday night appearance and put on a heck of a show. Heat winner Ty Larsen led the early going before being passed by Corey White. Devin McLeod was on the charge though and took the lead late in the going to score the win in his Domino's Pizza car. Brady Marshall took second spot from White in a photo finish at the stripe while Randy Burris, Larsen and Don Mays completed the finishers.
The A-1 Shed Transport team cars of Steve Anderson and Rob Reynolds looked like they were going to finish 1-2 in the Action Gator Tire Strictly Stock feature but David Leeper II made a late run and nearly took the win. Anderson held on though for his second victory of the year while Leeper nipped Reynolds at the line for second. Jim Erb also made a wild late race charge to get fourth just in front of Brent Bruner. Nick Todd, who led the early laps, faded to sixth at the finish with Miguel Barrenchea, Jessie Cuddy, Dale Meade and Steven Streight rounding out the top ten. Reynolds and Glen Rhodes were the heat race winners.
Dylan Curtis topped the Palm Tree Computer Systems/BCS Welding/Orlando Graphix Junior Stocks for the second week in a row taking the win over Carl Kwasny, Jr. and Brandon Henault.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD, MAY 26
Jr. Stocks 8-11
1 - 88 Carl Kwasny 2 - 88X Brandon Jenault
Jr. Stocks
1 - 6 Dylan Curtis
Strictly Stock
1 - 27 Steve Anderson 2 - D2 David Leeper Ii 3 - A1 Rob Reynolds 4 - 32 Jim Erb 5 - 20 Brent Bruner 6 - 61 Nick Todd 7 - 22 Miguel Barrenechea 8 - 64 Jessie Cuddy 9 - 22D Dale Meade 10 - 80 Steven Streight 11 - 76 Gary Thomas 12 - 63 Glenn Rhodes 13 - 66 Tom Stewart 14 - 41 George Brown 15 - 145 Chad Knoell 16 - 10C Clinton Lowe 17 - 24 Brenda Taylor
Mini Stock
1 - 92 Pedie Allison 2 - 16 Kenny Padgett 3 - 30 R.j. Arnone 4 - 07 Richie Laszlo Jr. 5 - 89 William Hindman 6 - 02 Bob Miller DNS
Super Stock 50
1 - 24PK Ron Mccreary 2 - 52 Bobby Riley 3 - 92 Bobby Simcox 4 - 3X James Frisbie 5 - 40 Bob Starr 6 - 32R Randy Poole 7 - 69 Gary Cameran 8 - 79 Jack Kennedy 9 - 72 Nathan Haystead 10 - 05X Jeff Parrish 11 - 29 Alaine Grogan 12 - 14 Roger Benton 13 - 32X Paul Margolio 14 - 7I Scot Edwards 15 - 41 Michael Poole 16 - 4 John Guinn 17 - 74 Lee Wagner 18 - 15 Billy Bellflower 19 - 845 Michael Matarazzo
Sportsman
1 - 66 Andy Nicholls 2 - 99 Brett Woodley 3 - 11 Henry Shepherd 4 - 23 Richard Hight 5 - 33 Derrick Wood 6 - 14 Matt Towell 7 - 5W Ron Whaley, Jr. 8 - 25 Timmy Todd Jr. 9 - 49 Jason Foster 10 - 211 Jack Lenzen 11 - 151 Mike Santana DNS
Super Late
1 - 88 David Pollen Jr. 2 - 2 Patrick Conrad 3 - 18 Jared Allison 4 - 15 Joe Piazza 5 - 89X Jimmy Crowe, Jr. 6 - 407 Jason Vail 7 - 68 Russ Shaw 8 - 30 Mark Emberson 9 - 12M Scott Mckinley 10 - 141 Doc Mckinney
Modified
1 - 33 Gary Fountain Sr 2 - 55 Shain Held 3 - 98X Bobby Joe Woodley 4 - 9 Art Kunzeman 5 - 30 Mark Emberson 6 - 11 Jimmy Wilkins, III 7 - 5 James Wilkins, Jr. 8 - 9 Scott Bramlett 9 - 08 Terri Bryant
Mini Cup 1 - 00 Devin McLeod 2 - 20 Brady Marshall 3 - 19 Corey White 4 - 04 Randy Burress 5 - 07 Ty Larsen 6 - 27 Don Mays
