DAVID POLLEN, JR. GETS THIRD SLM WIN - TODD MCCREARY LAST TO FIRST IN STRICTLY STOCK 25
By Dave Westerman
Great weather and great racing were the ticket both Friday and Saturday night as Orlando Speedworld kicked off the month of September. Friday night was "Fan Wanna Be A Promoter Night" and the fans responded with the third largest crowd of the season on hand.
Ricky Carmichael had won 15 AMA Titles and over 150 races in his career on motorcycles, but had yet to win a stock car race since switching to the full size machines, until Friday night.
Carmichael made it look easy in the Super Late Model heat, putting his Monster Energy Drink special out front at the drop of the green ahead of a big crash that saw Patrick Conrad, Ricky Wood and Ronnie Roach all have to take their machines to the pits for repairs. Carmichael took his first-ever stock car checkered flag much to the appreciation of the big crowd and looked to be the favorite in the 25 lap feature as he started from the outside pole.
Conrad, Wood and Roach were able to return for the feature race as Carmichael set sail from his outside pole slot and appeared to have things in control, but when you're a rookie things can happen and Carmichael got a bad restart following a lap seven caution allowing Jared Allison to blast by and into the lead. Before he knew it, Carmichael had been shuffled all the way back to fourth.
Allison, the point leader, had to contend with young David Pollen, Jr. who is a close second in the point chase. After a lap 13 caution for a tangle between Wood and Chris Staggs, Pollen really began to put the pressure on and he was able to slip by Allison for the lead on lap 19. From there, Pollen cruised to his third win of the year and cut a bit into Allison's point lead as Allison came home second.
Conrad, missing most of his cars' front body work, battled an ill-handling machine to third spot while Carmichael held Roach off for fourth. Joe Piazza, Wood, Staggs and Joey Pletka completed the finishers. The Action Gator Tire Strictly Stocks got their chance to have a bit of a run in the spotlight as their feature event was extended to 25 laps.
A nice purse was collected from a number of "fan sponsors" including M.L. Buckley & Son Marine Construction, Hart Express Transport, Ron's Tree Works, Southeastern Surveying, Lindsay's Off-Road Racing, Pay Pros, Inc., Cajun Cycles, D&K Home Repair and Improvement, A-1 Shed Transport, Santa Claus, Big Daddy's Clean-up & Removal, D2 Racing, Campus Crusade for Christ, Wings of Eagles Martial Arts, Coastal Cafe of Melbourne, Darrell's Door Service, Initial 6 Moto X Freestyle, Laszlo Racing, Glenwood Trailer Park, BCS Welding & Fabrication, Billy Cuddy Painting and Russell Electric.
Glen Rhodes led the opening lap but Gary Thomas quickly took over the point as the action was wild and crazy behind him. Todd McCreary had started dead last in the field but was methodically working his way to the front along with both Jim Erb and William Hindman. McCreary made the pass on Thomas during lap 17 and led the rest of the way to take the victory over Erb, Hindman, Thomas and David Leeper II. Brent Bruner, Rob Reynolds, Neal Kirby, Miguel Barrenechea and Jimmy Scripter rounded out the top ten as 21 cars took the initial green.
Randy Froelich looked like he might celebrate his birthday with a win in the Modifieds as he led the first eight laps, but Mark Emberson had other ideas as he took over on lap nine and led the rest of the way for his second win of 2007. Hoot Flynn crossed the stripe in second trail by Gary Fountain, Sr. and Terri Bryant. Froelich recovered for fifth after spinning with five laps to go. Point leader Shain Held was unable to start the feature after his transmission locked up in practice and he backed into the turn one wall. Fountain, Sr. won the heat race
As usual, Pedie Allison looked to have everything under control in the Mini Stocks. After winning the heat, Allison built up a quick lead in the feature only to have his engine go sour with a handful of laps remaining. That allowed R.J. Arnone to move out front and claim his fourth win of the year ahead of David Russell. Richie Laszlo just squeaked by Allison's slowing car on the final lap to take third. John Cook was fifth.
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It was a return to victory lane for Darren Gould in the Super Stocks as he passed Nathan Haystead for the lead on lap three then held off a hard-charging Lee Wagner for the win, his first in several years. Driving his brother David's car, Gould was a surprised as anyone since he was running a gear the team uses at the much bigger New Smyrna Speedway.
Wagner came home a very close second trailed by Roger Benton and John Hodge who was making his debut in the class for 2007 after purchasing a car from the Watford race team. James Frisbie grabbed fifth spot while Haystead, Ray Mullis, Mike Mattarazo, Jeff Parrish and Denny Johns rounded out the top ten. Johns was making his first-ever start in a Super Stock after moving up from the Strictly Stock class. Heat race wins went to Gould and Frisbie.
Andy Nicholls took the lead on the second lap from Derrick Wood and dominated the Sportsman feature. Nicholls crossed the checker well in front of Justin Reynolds, Brett Woodley, Wood, Barbara Pierce, Ted Head and Whitney Poole. Nicholls also won the heat race.
The Palm Tree Computers/BCS Welding/Orlando Graphix Junior Stocks saw Thomas Warnick take the win in a Dodge Neon. Dyan Curtis trailed in second followed by Joseph Daniels, Derek Binda and Jason Rosarius. Carl Kwasny, Jr. took the 8-11 year old first place trophy.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD SEPTEMBER 7, 2007
Jr. Stocks 8-11
1 - 88 Carl Kwasny 2 - 51 Wes Railing
Jr. Stocks
1 - 9 Thomas Warnick 2 - 6 Dylan Curtis 3 - 24 Joseph Daniel 4 - 18 Jason Rosarius 5 - 27 Derek Binda 6 - 63 Zachary Curtis
More Results
Strictly Stock
1 - 77 Todd McCreary 2 - 32 Jim Erb 3 - 69 William Hindman 4 - 76 Gary Thomas 5 - D2 David Leeper II 6 - 20 Brent Bruner 7 - A1 Rob Reynolds 8 - 8N Neal Kirby 9 - 22 Miguel Barrenechea 10 - 7 Jimmy Scripter 11 - 202 Ezeguias Joao 12 - 36 Ian Rhodes 13 - 41 Amanda Carr 14 - 63 Glenn Rhodes 15 - 18 Billy Rouse 16 - 20X Richard Barraechea 17 - 80 Steven Streight 18 - 41 George Brown 19 - 54 Michel Joao 20 - 24 Brenda Taylor 21 - 12 Gomez Alvarez
Mini Stock
1 - 30 Raymond Arnone 2 - 31 Michael Russell 3 - 07 Richie Laszlo Jr. 4 - 92 Pedie Allison 5 - 24 Jonathan Cook 6 - 19 Emily Cottrell 7 - 42 Justin Curtis
Super Stock
1 - 16 Darren Gould 2 - 74 Lee Wagner 3 - 14 Roger Benton 4 - 00 John Hodge 5 - 3X James Frisbie 6 - 72 Nathan Haystead 7 - 316 Ray Mullis 8 - 845 Michael Matarazzo 9 - 05 Jeffrey Parrish 10 - 55 Denny Johns 11 - 25C Robert Carr 12 - 721 John Bennett II 13 - 07 Daniel Laszlo 14 - 7I Scott Edwards 15 - 29 Alaine Grogan 16 - 4 John Guinn
Sportsman
1 - 66 Andrew Nicholls 2 - 20 Justin Reynolds 3 - 99 Brett Woodley 4 - 33 Derrick Wood 5 - 57 Barbara Pierce 6 - 92 Ted Head 7 - 00 Whitney Poole
Super Late
1 - P1 David Pollen, Jr. 2 - 18 Jared Allison 3 - 2 Patrick Conrad 4 - 4C Ricky Carmichael 5 - 14 Ronnie Roach 6 - 15 Joe Piazza 7 - 33 Ricky Wood 8 - 56 Chris Staggs 9 - 23 Joey Platka
Modified
1 - 30 Mark Emberson 2 - 57 Jim "Hoot" Flynn 3 - 33 Gary Fountain, Sr. 4 - 08 Terri Bryant 5 - 8 Randy Froehlich 6 - 55 Shain Held
