Fourteen year old Drew Brannon proved he is the real deal by scoring a checkered flag against sixteen tough competitors in the New Smyrna Speedway late models Saturday night.
Brannon has been racing in the FASCAR Goodyear Challenge Series this year. For more on this young late model star visit www.drewbrannon.com
Another young race car driver that hit victory lane on Saturday night at the state's fastest half-mile track was Jessica Murphy. Jessica was able to outrun Dalton Zehr to claim the win in the New Smyrna Speedway Truck division. Jessica leads the points race in her division.
by Jane Smith
Samsula, Fla. (June 16, 2007) It was Fathers Night Out presented by Home Depot at New Smyrna Speedway Saturday night as all dads were honored for Father's Day. Home Depot came with a big supply of orange aprons for the kids which was a great hit especially when all the kids went down to the frontstretch to have a picture made proudly showing off their aprons. It truly was a great night.
The main event for the night was the Super Stock 50 where local driver Bobby Holley qualified fastest. But after the pill draw it was James Frisbie on the pole for the 50 lap event. As Frisbie and Roger Benton fought for the point position sneaking up from the rear of the field was Ron McCreary. McCreary qualified second fastest but chose to go to the rear for the start since he says it makes the race more fun for him. Frisbie continues to lead followed by Holley and Benton who find McCreary knocking on their back door.
By lap 10 McCreary is second followed by Holley, Benton and Boggs. McCreary now sets his eyes on Frisbie and begins his march closing in on the leader. By lap 16, McCreary holds the point followed by Frisbie, Holley, Benton and Boggs. By the halfway point on lap 25, McCreary has built up quite a space between him and second place Frisbie and looks like he has clear sailing to the checkered when the caution comes out on lap 30 for Mike Dahm who has spun in turn 2.
McCreary holds the point on the restart followed by Frisbie, Holley, Benton and Boggs. Lap 27 Boggs puts the heat on Benton and takes over fourth as Benton goes to fifth. Boggs ever-so-slightly kisses the turn 4 wall coming off 4 but is fine and is able to continue on.
Suddenly the second place car of Frisbie slows and is off the pace. Frisbie, after having a very good run and too much bad luck, sees his luck once again go away as he limps his car into the pits for the night. Holley takes over second with Frisbie off the track followed by Benton, Boggs, and Mike Wofford now in fifth.
As the laps are dwindling down, Wofford challenges Benton for fourth and takes it although on the last lap, Benton retakes fourth right before the checkered. McCreary takes the checkered followed by Bobby Holley, Billy Boggs, Roger Benton and Mike Wofford.
In tech McCreary was disqualified giving the win to Bobby Holley. The new finish was Bobby Holley, Billy Bogs, Roger Benton, Mike Wofford and Steve Green.
Wayne Wells had the pole for the Mini Stock feature but it was Mark Broat who took the point on the green followed by Jamie Dixson, Ted Vulpius, Wells, and Kenny Padgett.
But it does not take points leader Ted Vulpius long to put the heat on both Broat and Dixson and s over the point as Dixson follows Vulpius for second. Wells brings out the caution as he spins in turn 4 but is fine. Wells restarts in the rear as Vulpius leads the way. Vulpius takes the checkered followed by James Dixson, Kenny Padgett, Wayne Wells, and Jeff Pittsley. Jamie Dixson won the heat race.
The Modified field was alittle short after last week's 50 lapper but it was Gary Fountain, Sr. driving Alan Bruns's modified who lead from green to checkered followed by Art Kunzeman, Matt Wheeler and Russ Antonucci. Gary Fountain, Sr. won the heat race.
It took two restarts before the Late Model field saw the green. The first start saw Matt Bowers and Sam Watts side-by-side for the point when they got together right before turn 1 in a wild crash. Both cars were severely damaged and done for the night.
On the second restart, the yellow came out for a bad start which caused four cars to spin in turns 1 and 2 with Tommy Elliott not being able to continue out of the four.
they say, the third time is the charm as the race went green with Richard Douglas on the point followed by David Gibbs, Drew Brannon, Darren Brown, and Alan Bruns.
It did not take young Brannon long to take the point followed by his fellow competitor in the Goodyear Challenge Series Darren Brown, David Gibbs, Alan Bruns and Chad Akins. With no cautions Brannon takes the checkered followed by Darren Brown, David Gibbs, Alan Bruns (dirivng Gary Fountain, Sr.'s Late Model), and Jason Boyd. Matt Bowers and Sam Watts won the heat races.
John Nusbaum had the pole for the Sportsman feature but it was Dale Howard who jumped to the lead followed by Nusbaum, Phil Luizzo, Paul Kitner, and Donny Williams. Luizzo passes Nusbaum for second as Williams takes third, Earl Beckner fourth and Nusbaum fifth. It is a battle for the lead when the caution comes out for Kitner who has spun in turn 4.
Howard holds the point on the restart followed by Luizzo, Williams, Beckner, and Jack Lenzen. Timmy Todd, Jr. puts the heat on Lenzen and passes for fifth as Luizzo takes over first from Howard. Luizzo takes the checkered followed by Earl Beckner, Donny Williams, Dale Howard, and Timmy Todd, Jr. Mike Pletka and Earl Beckner took the heat wins.
Steve Thomson had the point for the Pro Trucks but it was Jessica Murphy who lead from green to checkered. Dalton Zehr gave it his best but could not pass Murphy. With only one caution during the feature for Jim Campbell, Murphy sailed to the checkered followed by Dalton Zehr, Logan Bordeau, Tim Gertsch, and Mark Mesito. Tim Gertsch won the heat race.
Strictly Stocks were out in numbers for their feature with Dustin Higdon on the pole. Three wide racing was the norm as they fought for position But it was Todd McCreary who held the point and crossed the checkered first followed by Doug Wolf, Eddie Rush, Jody Roberts, and Kenneth Walker. Eric Wolf and Eddie Rush took the heat wins.
Next week at New Smyrna Speedway, the ASA Late Model 100 with the Southern Sportsman and Florida Mini Stock Challenge will headline the Saturday night show.
OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY JUNE 16, 2007
Late Model
1 - 08 Drew Brannon 2 - 53 Darren Brown 3 - 47 David Gibbs 4 - 33 Alan Bruns 5 - 62 Jason Boyd 6 - 6 Richard Douglas 7 - 27 Brennan Palmiter 8 - 407 Jason Vail 9 - 18 Amanda Tonchuk 10 - 4 Ray Black 11 - 38 Randy Cook 12 - 60 Chad Akins 13 - 111 Donny Williams 14 - 73 Sam Watts 15 - 84 Matt Bowers 16 - 72 Tommie Elliott 17 - 00 John Ripley
Modified
1 - 4B Gary Fountain 2 - 9 Art Kunzeman 3 - 97 Matthew Wheeler 4 - 21X Russell Antonucci
Sportsman
1 - 27 Philip Luizzo 2 - 3 Earl Beckner 3 - 111 Donny Williams 4 - 63 Dale Howard 5 - 25 Timmy Todd Jr. 6 - 211 Jack Lenzen 7 - 23 Mike Pletka 8 - 911 Paul Kitner 9 - 45 Michael Soukup 10 - 51 Ed Kennedy 11 - 70 John Nusbaum 12 - 48X Grant Mcalister
Trucks
1 - 62 Jessica Murphy 2 - 119 Dalton Zehr 3 - 33B Logan Bordeau 4 - 29 Tim Gertsch 5 - 84 Mark Mesito 6 - 22 Jesse Buchanan 7 - 4 Ray Black Jr 8 - 97 Scott Hendrix 9 - 20 Steve Thompson 10 - 73 Jim Campbell 11 - 7 Sonny Buchanan
Super Stock 50
1 - 56 Bobby Holley 2 - 67X Billy Boggs 3 - 14 Roger Benton 4 - 15 Michael Wofford 5 - 32 Steve Green 6 - 72 Nathan Haystead 7 - 8 Tobi Smith 8 - 32P Randy Poole 9 - 41 Michael Poole 10 - 3X James Frisbie 11 - 43 Andy Wolfe 12 - 21 Mike Dahm 13 - 22 Bruce Mcgonigal 14 - 01 Scott Smith 15 - 5 David Rowe 16 - 24 Ron Mccreary DQ'D
Mini Stock
1 - 71 Ted Vulpius 2 - 6X James Dixson 3 - 16 Kenny Padgett 4 - 23 Wayne Wells 5 - 20 Jeff Pittsley 6 - 6 Mark Broat 7 - 10 Benjamin Zell 8 - 11 Ray Puglisi
Strictly Stock
1 - 77 Todd McCreary 2 - 70 Doug Wolf 3 - 71 Eddie Rush 4 - 13 Jody Roberts 5 - 61 Kenneth Walker 6 - D2 David Leeper 7 - 4 Dustin Higdon 8 - 86 Richard Goodrich 9 - 00 John Layne 10 - 39 April Mcgowan 11 - 554 Leandro Tubelli 12 - 69 Eric Wolf 13 - 20 Brent Bruner 14 - 11 Sonny Pond 15 - 43 Wiiliam Skip Wager
Fourteen year old Drew Brannon proved he is the real deal by scoring a checkered flag against sixteen tough competitors in the New Smyrna Speedway late models Saturday night.
