Abbott tops PBG Legend Tour 35 at Orlando SpeedWorld
BY Dave Westerman
Orlando Speedworld wrapped up the 2007 regular season Saturday night with a full program that also included the final race of the season for the PBG Florida Legends Car Tour.
Twenty-seven Legends Cars signed in to do battle but it was two-time PBG tour champion Kory Abbott setting quick time at 15.740 seconds with Chelsea Schillig not far behind at 15.762. Jimmy Norman, Brandon Thomson and current point leader Josh Williams rounded out the top five qualifiers.
The 35 lap feature got off to a rocky start when several cars got jumbled up in turn one. When the dust cleared the cars of Tony Sansom, Dave Gleason and Dallas Ingram were all in the wall. None were able to restart.
The second start was much better as Abbott assumed the point at the drop of the green with Brandon Thomson in tow. They pulled well ahead of the field before Chelsea Schillig spun in turn one on lap 12 to bring out the yellow flag.
After the restart, Thomson began to really put the pressure on Abbott and he dove underneath for the top spot on lap 14. Two laps later the red flag was displayed for a three car tangle in turn two that saw Mike Fazio's machine end up on top of the mount of Eric Eichelberger. Shaughn McCormick then ran into the two stalled cars.
All the drivers were OK but only Fazio could continue. As the race resumed, Abbott regrouped and went back by Thomson for the lead on lap 18. The rest of the race was run under green and Abbott pulled away to take his fourth PBG Tour win of the year. Thomson came home in second with Jimmy Norman third. Josh Williams crossed the stripe in fourth and that was good enough to earn the Port Charlotte youngster the 2007 PBG Legend Car Tour championship. Mike Verhaagh took fifth and was the top finisher among the Masters Division drivers while Schillig came back from her earlier spin to place sixth. Leonard Hearndon, Andy Logan and Gerald White, Jr. rounded out the top ten.
Completing the finishing field were Mark Bibeau, Rick Wetmore, Bryan Silas, Fazio, Gary Verdier, Mason Ketterman, Tim Osterlund, Charlie O'Melia, Gerald Campbell, McCormick, Doug Hall, Wild Willie Wilson, Alex Kempf, Sansom, Ingram and Gleason. Eichelberger was disqualified for unsportsmanlike conduct by a team member while Rusty Chancey was unable to start.
PBG Tour Bandoleros were also in action and it was Critter Saile taking the measure of the Bandits field as he also claimed the 2007 PBG Tour Bandits championship. Shawn Hooven took second spot in the feature followed by Zach Harris, Daniel Conlin, Coty Bibeau, James Crow and Kevin Muglach. Saile was also the heat race winner.
After leaders Mark Hooven and Donovan Ponder tangled during the final lap of the Young Guns feature, Caleb Hearndon took over the top spot for a final one lap dash to the checker and made no mistakes in taking his first ever feature win. Ponder came back to finish second ahead of Carl Haag and Hooven, who still earned enough points to take the 2007 PBG Tour Young Guns championship. Hooven also won the heat race.
Derrick Wood grabbed the lead at the outset of the Classic Car feature then survived to early caution flag periods to lead all the way for his fourth win of the year. The victory also wrapped up the 2007 track championship for Wood in the Classics.
Derrick's dad Ricky wood came home a close second followed by Ron Gustafson, David Nunes, Wayne Skinner, Jim Rahman, Andrew Gustafson and Danny Dixon. Derrick wood also won the heat.
The Florida Mini Cup Racing Association ran two feature events on the night. In the first, a 25 lap affair, it was all green flag racing as Brady Marshall grabbed the lead on the opening lap and never looked back in taking the win. Heat race winner Corey White was second trailed by Carlos Nando, Devin McLeod, Ty Larsen, Brenton Franklin, Don Mays, Mike Holt and Doug Marshall.
It took several tries to get the 40 lap finale under way. A red flag was needed when early leader Brenton Franklin spun in turn two and was hit hard by Devin Mcleod. Both drivers were unhurt but out of this one early. Brady Marshall again took command early but was run down and passed by Corey White who appeared to have the win in hand until the final lap when he got caught behind lapped traffic allowing Ty Larsen to slip by and take the win. White was second over Brady Marshall, Don Mays, Carlos Nando, Doug Marshall, Franklin, McLeod and Holt.
The ABC Towing Hurricane feature saw Ron McCreary drive his pink Camaro from the back of the starting grid to a hard-fought win over Rob Reynolds' Ford Probe. Doug Webb and Bomber Bill Loomis were third and fourth in a pair of Chevy Monte Carlos while Gary Thomas' Ford probe was fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Brian Cosier, Bruce Gayton, Richard Barrenechea and Greg Bruce. The remaining finishers were Brenda Taylor, Chris Mogle, Steve Walls, Josh Antley, Miguel Barrenechea, Brian Townson and Mark Walls. Heat races were won by Thomas and McCreary.
Joe Arnold out ran Rick Poffenberger and Scott Mickens to win the Outlaw Strictly Stock feature.
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OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD NOVEMBER 11, 2007
BAND0LERO BANDIT 1 12 Critter Saile 2 27 Shawn Hooven 3 54 Zach Harris 4 20 Daniel Conlin 5 65 Coty Beebo 6 9 James Crow 7 97 Kevin Muglach
BANDOLERO YOUNG GUN 1 53 Kaleb Hearndon 2 8 Donavan Ponder 3 48 Carl Haagh 4 17 Mark Hooven
CLASSICS 1 21x Derrick Wood 2 21 Ricky Wood 3 38 Ron Gustfson 4 20 David Nunes 5 03 Wayne Skinner 6 55 Jim Radman 7 9 Andrew Gustafson 8 74 Danny Dixon
MINI CUP 25 LAPS 1 20 Brady Marshall 2 19 Corey White 3 16 Carlos Nando 4 00 Devin McLeod 5 07 Ty Larsen 6 11 Brenton Franklin 7 27 Don Mays 8 24 Mike Holt 9 11x Doug Marshall
OUTLAW STRICTLY STOCK 1 3 Joe Arnold 2 43 Rick Poffenberger 3 9 Scott Mickens 4 7 Matt Covington DNS
PBG LEGEND TOUR 1 5 Kory Abbott 2 54 Brandon Thomson 3 2 Jimmy Norman 4 6 Josh Williams 5 7 Mike Verhaagh 6 75 Chelsea Schillig 7 53 Leonard Herndon 8 1 Andy Logan 9 38w Gerald White JR 10 65 Mark Beebo 11 06 Rick Wetmore 12 57 Brian Silas 13 38 Mike Fazio 14 44 Gary Verdier 15 22 Mason Ketterman 16 49 Tim Osterlund 17 48 Charlie Omeilia 18 88 Gerald Campbell 19 34 Shaughn McCormick 20 55 Doug Hall 21 23W Bob Wilson 22 99 Alex Kempf 23 56 Tony Sansom 24 33 Dallas Ingram 25 07 Dave Gleason 26 31 Russell Chancey DNS 27 47 Eric Eichelberger DQ'D
HURRICANES 1 1.3 Ron McCreary 2 A1 Rob Reynolds 3 104.1 Doug Webb 4 16 Bill Loomis 5 76 Gary Thomas 6 35 Brian Cosier 7 71 Bruce Gayton 8 20X Richard Barrenchea 9 8b Greg Bruce 10 24 Brenda Taylor 11 53 Chris Mogel 12 17 Steve Walls 13 33 Josh Antley 14 89 Miguel Barrenechea 15 22 Brian Townsend 16 6 Mark Walls
MINI CUP 40 LAP 1 07 Ty Larsen 2 19 Corey White 3 20 Brady Marshall 4 27 Don Mays 5 17 Carlos Nando 6 11x Doug Marshall 7 11 Brenton Franklin 8 00 Devin McLeod
