Citrus County Speedway Wraps up 62nd Racing Season with 5 New Champions
by Larry MacMillan
Citrus County Speedway closed out their 52nd racing season with the TBARA Winged Sprints, six local divisions and a 21 car Ladies Powder Puff race that ended the season with a bang. Five division champions celebrated with burn outs and donuts in the infield. One hundred seventy seven male and female drivers were on hand for the 2007 grand finale.
Only 23 Sprint cars were able to start their final race of the season due to damage in the heats, mechanical problems, and 2 disqualifications prior to race time. It took 2 complete restarts to get the race running and several more cautions before eventual winner Larry J. Brazil moved from 7th to the point in lap 14 of their 30 lap feature. When Brazil took the lead he maintained a heavy lead all the way to the checkers while the rest of the field battled for position well behind.
Wendy Mathis held on to 2nd from the get go until the 30th lap when Dude Teate put the hammer down off turn four to cross the line half a car length ahead of Wendy. Johnny Gilbertson had the early lead and stayed in the top five throughout the race settling in for a fourth place finish over Brian Gingras, Tommy Nichols, Mark Gimmler, Stan Butler, Erik MacMillan and Richard Kissinger rounding out the top ten and the only cars to finish the race. Heat Winners were Ray Bragg, Larry Brazil Jr and David Slawiak. The 2007 Point Champion, Troy DeCaire, was D.Q.’d before the race.
No one was able to shake Fred Tuski from his Sportsman point lead despite his 4th place finish in their final race of the season. Twenty cars took the green flag and Mike Veltman scored his 9th heat and 9th Feature win of the year and wound in a tie for 2nd in the points’ race with Tom Posavec who followed J.T. Renau across the line in the race for third place in their 20 lap finale feature. Rusty Bremer took the checkers for second place but was D.Q.’d. Daniel Webster took over the wheel in Richie Smith’s Sportsman for a 5th place finish. Johnny Zuidema III took the win in the first heat. Tuski celebrated his 2007 Championship in grand style on the front straight.
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The Street Stock feature was the barn burner of the evening with Richie Smith 1 point up on Curtis Flanagan going for the championship in this final race of the season. Flanagan lost 4 points to Richie in the heat race when a flat tire gave him a poor finish. And when it came to feature time Smith went at the green from 19th while Flanagan started 12th. Richie motored around the 25 car field and went on to win his 16th feature of the year nosing out Curtis by 1 car length at the line. Richie wound up the season 7 points ahead of Curtis for the 2007 Street Stock Championship and says he will park the car next season. Rounding out the top five were Doc James Batson who started 25th snatching the spot away from Todd Downs on the final run off turn four for the flag. Pole sitter John Zuidema III held out for 5th. Tim Wilson, Dr. Mark Fallows and Todd Downs took the heat wins.
Despite going up in smoke in the run for the checkers last week Steve Griffin made up for it and capped off his Mini Stock Championship run, setting the pace for all but two laps of their 20 lap feature before Clint Foley made the pass to lock down his 10th win of the season and his fourth in a row. Griffin celebrated his championship with a burn out under the flag stand. George Neumann finished 3rd in the race and 2nd in the points run 7 points ahead of Clint Foley. Chris Allen and Kevin Harrod rounded out the top five in the race. Foley and Don Faunce took the heat wins.
Bill Ryan came into the Pure Stock 27 car feature with the 2007 Championship won two weeks ago but he came to race. He started 20th and worked his way through traffic to take his 8th win of the season and capped it off with a heat win finishing the season 199 points ahead of runner up Steve Stinedurf. Bobby Taylor started 15th but just didn’t have enough for Ryan when the checkers flew, settling for a 2nd place finish in their 20 lap main. Stinedurf ran second for most of the race but had to settle for third at the finish line followed by Mike Walsh and Rick Shahid. Heat winners were Stinedurf, Ryan and Taylor.
Just to prove that winning isn’t everything the Figure 8 Championship was won by a driver that never saw Victory Lane in 14 races this season. It was no different Saturday night as Paul Grynewicz showed that experience does make a difference locking down his third win of the year over the 15 car field that ended their 2007 season. Darryl Hage gave him a run for his money but had to settle for 2nd followed by Wayne Calkins, rookie Danny Hage and Robbie Hage. There were 11 different winners in the 40 car division and Clifford Rousseau proved that staying out of trouble and finishing in the top five consistently can put you at the top of the ladder when it’s all over. He finished 7th in Saturday’s finale.
Two of the top drivers in the V8 Thunder Stock Rookie division battled it out over a 25 car field to close out their season. Richard Dinkins out drove Eddie Rosasco in the run for the checkered flag capturing his 3rd win of the season and both drivers will probably move up to the Pure Stock division next season with 3 wins apiece. Tim Eisenhower, Dustin Swearingen and Dan Bennett rounded out the top five.
Twenty one ladies registered for the final race of the season and they put on quite a show. Fortunately most of them stayed out of trouble and salvaged their significant others race cars for another season. The ladies drove everything from a Sportsman to Figure 8 cars and it was a Figure 8 car with Nikki Hage at the wheel taking the win on a green/white checkered finish followed by Candy Lawson in the Street Stock #57. The matriarch of the Hage family Nancy in another Figure 8 car was third in the running.
Rumors have it that pending approval from the Citrus County Fair Board there will be a Spectacular VI race featuring a 75 lap Modified feature on Saturday December 8th. The Annual Speedway Awards Banquet will be held at the Citrus County Fairgrounds Auditorium on Friday, December 14th. Tickets are on sale until November 30th at the Speedway Pit Office for $25.00 per person or $40.00 per couple. Get your tickets early by calling 352-726-9339.
1. #21B Larry J. Brazil Jr. – Tampa – 1st Feature Win 2. # 0 Dude Teate – Leesburg 3. #80 Wendy Mathis – Riverview 4. #21T Johnny Gilbertson – Dover 5. #99 Brian Gingras – 6. #55 Tommy Nichols – Tampa 7. #51 Mark Gimmler – Palm Beach Gardens 8. #18 Stan Butler – Bushnell 9. #11 Erik MacMillan – Odessa 10.#57 Richard Kissinger –
1st Heat Winner - #66 Ray Bragg
2nd Heat Winner - #21B Larry J. Brazil Jr.
3rd Heat Winner - #79D David Slawiak
Sportsman Feature – 20 Laps - 20 Cars
1. #94 Mike Veltman – Crystal River 2. #29 J.T. Reneau – Floral City 3. #01 Tom Posavec – Dunnellon 4. #71 Fred Tuski – Crystal River – 2007 Champion 5. #42 Daniel Webster – Brooksville
1st Heat Winner - #147 Johnny Zuidema III – Homosassa
2nd Heat Winner - #94 Mike Veltman
Street Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 25 Cars
1. #142 Richie Smith – Hernando – 16th Win – 2007 Champion 2. # 3 Curtis Flanagan – Floral City 3. # 7 Doc James Batson – Inverness 4. #00 Todd Downs – Homosassa 5. #47 John Zuidema III – Homosassa
1st Heat Winner - #93 Tim Wilson – Floral City
2nd Heat Winner - # 7 Doc James Batson
3rd Heat Winner - #00 Todd Downs
Mini Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 11 Cars
1. # 7 Clint Foley – Dunnellon – 10th Season Win 2. # 3 Steve Griffin – Inverness – 2007 Champion 3. # 1 George Neumann – Inverness 4. #33 Chris Allen – Bushnell 5. #34 Kevin Harrod – Floral City
1st Heat Winner - #7 Clint Foley
2nd Heat Winner - # 2 Don Faunce
Pure Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 25 Cars
1. #33 Bill Ryan – Bushnell – 8th Season Win – 2007 Champion 2. #127 Bobby Taylor – Crystal River 3. # 0 Steve Stinedurf – Brooksville 4. #43 Mike Walsh – New Port Richey 5. # 3 Rick Shahid – Floral City
1st Heat Winner - # 0 Steve Stinedurf
2nd Heat Winner - #33 Bill Ryan
3rd Heat Winner - #127 Bobby Taylor
Figure 8 Feature – 20 Laps – 15 Cars
1. #40 Paul Grynewicz – Hudson – 3rd Season Win 2. # 8 Darryl Hage – St. Petersburg 3. #14 Wayne Calkins – St. Petersburg 4. #11 Danny Hage – St. Petersburg 5. #74 Robbie Hage – St. Petersburg
2007 Champion # 3 Clifford Rousseau – St. Petersburg
V8 Thunder Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 25 Cars
1. #34 Richard Dinkins – Bushnell – 3rd Season Win
Powder Puff Feature – 20 Laps – 21 Cars 2. #10 Eddie Rosasco – Spring Hill 1. # 8 Nikki Hage 3. #123 Tim Eisenhower – Ingles 2. #57 Candy Lawson 4. # 0 Dustin Swearingen - ? 3. #83 Nancy Hage 5. # 2 Dan Bennett - Inverness
