Race Results Orlando SpeedWorld Winter Series Race Number One
By Dave Westerman
Orlando Speedworld opened up the Winter Heat series Saturday Afternoon with cars and drivers representing ten different classes taking part. Legends Car action opened up with the Charger feature but both Josh Antley and Don Ketterman were unable to start after problems in hot laps.
On lap four, heat race winner Dalton Bergman, trying to race his way back to the front after an early spin, got tangled up with Tony Bonavia and hit the back stretch wall. Bergman's car then tipped over on its side. Both Bergman and Bonavia were unhurt but their cars were done for the day.
Bryce Walker, all the way from Dallas, TX, grabbed the lead at the drop of the green and was never headed in the Charger feature taking the win over Rusty Chancey, Mason Ketterman, Steve Simile, Bonavia, Bergman, Ted Russo and Roger Englund.
Brandon Thomson started from the pole in the Legends Car main event and drove away from the field to take an apparent victory as the race ran all the way under green. Alex Kempf kept Thomson within sight but settled for what he thought was the runner-up spot but Kempf would earn his first career feature race win when Thomson's car was disqualified in tech.
Rick Wetmore also had a career-best second place finish. Darren Coker was third with Bryan Silas fourth. Mark Bibeau was fifth ahead of Gary Verdier and Charlie O'Melia. Shaughn McCormick was running third when his engine expired on lap 16 sending him to an eighth place finish while veteran Will Cagle dropped out early and was credited with ninth. Dave Gleason was unable to start the feature following a heat race crash.
The Pro Challenge feature went green to checker with heat winner Ryan Rust taking the top spot from J.L. Snowden on lap 12 then opening up a straight-away lead over Snowden by the time the checkered flag fell. Mike Smith crossed the stripe in third trailed by Rowdy Gordon, Paul White, Tim Hart and Gene Dibble.
The Bandolero Young Guns and Bandits raced together in their 12 lap feature with Young Gun Donovan Ponder taking the overall race win over fellow Young Gun driver Carl Haagh. Zach Harris finished third and took the first place Bandits trophy. It was Harris' first ever feature win. James Crow finished second among the bandits trailed by Kevin Muglach, Coty Bibeau and Daniel Conlin. Both Ponder and Harris were also heat race winners.
Bobby Riley jumped to the front from his third starting spot before the field got to turn one and he spede away with the Super Stock main event win which also ran without a caution flag. Lee Wagner stayed close to Riley's Billy Cuddy Painting Chevy but had to settle for second spot ahead of John Hodge, Matt Reynolds and Ray Mullis. Nathan Haystead, Larry Waldis, Vince Keeler, Jr. and Bobby Crites rounded out the finishers. Scott Edwards, Paul Marguglio, and Gerg Froelich all were unable to start the feature race. Riley also won the heat.
The Billy Cuddy Painting race team visited victory lane a second time when Jeff Cuddy guided his Mustang to the win in the Junior Stock feature. Cuddy, who also won the heat, finished well in front of Carl Kwasny, Jr. and Thomas Warnick. Bryan Silas had the only Late Model at the track and he raced with the Sportsman cars. Silas was in a race to himself while Whitney Poole led the way in the Sportsman as she scored her first ever feature win after also winning the heat. Bryan Lynch was second and Jessie Cuddy third while the cars of Ron McCreary and Jeff Wright were unable to start.
The Hurricane feature saw a big field of cars and the usual wild action. Todd McCreary outlasted the slamming and banging to take home the win in his Ford Probe while Greg Bruce, Jr. was second ahead of Robert Patterson, Greg Bruce, Sr. and Richard Barrenechea. Rounding out the finishers were Mike Dresch, Devon Cuddy, Miguel Barrenechea, Glenn Rhodes, Brian Townson, Kenny Lokey, Brenda Taylor, Enrique Romero, Doug Webb, Blaise Fisher, Don Taylor and Mark Walls.
In other action, Kevin O'Brien of Buford, SC topped Emily Cottrell in the Mini Stocks, Austin Stamper out-ran Tim Sozio, Austin Stamper and Zack Donatti to win the Quick Kids feature and Rudy Arnold took the Outlaw Strictly Stock feature over Rick Poffenberger and Scott Mickens.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD WINTER SERIES DECEMBER 1, 2007
PRO CHALLENGE
1. #18 Ryan Rust 2. #1 JL Snowden 3. #33 Mike Smith 4. #24 Rowdy Gordon 5. #25 Paul White 6. #40 Howard Brenner 7. #7j Gene Dibble
BANDOLERO BANDIT
1. #54 Zach Harris 2. #9 James Crow 3. #97 Kevin Muglach 4. #65 Coty Beebo 5. #20 Daniel Conlin
BANDOLERO YOUNG GUN
1. #8 Donovan Ponder 2. #48 Carl Haagh
LEGEND CHARGERS
1. #680 Bryce Walker 2. #31 Rusty Chancey 3. #22 Mason Ketterman 4. #33 Steve Simile 5. #37 Dalton Bergman 6. #33x Tony Bonavia 7. #50 Ted Russo DNS 8. #51 Roger Englund DNS 9. #71 Don Ketterman DNS 10. #59 Josh Antley DNS
LATE MODEL
1. #32 Bryan Silas
SPORTSMAN
1. #00 Whitney Poole 2. #11 Brian Lynch 3. #64 Jessie Cuddy 4. #54 Ron McCreary DNS 5. #50 Jeff Wright DNS
SUPER STOCK
1. #52 Bobby Riley 2. #74 Lee Wagner 3. #00 John Hodge 4. #77 Matt Reynolds 5. #316 Ray Mullis 6. #72 Nathan Haystead 7. #54 Larry Waldis 8. #32 Vince Keeler, Jr. 9. #1x Bobby Crites 10. #1 Greg Froehlich DNS 11. #7I Scott Edwards DNS 12. #32x Paul Marguglio DNS
JR. STOCK
1. #9 Thomas Warnick 2. #88 Carl Kwasky
JR. STOCK 8-11
1. #64 Jeff Cuddy
MINI STOCK
1. #44 Kevin O'Brien 2. #19 Emily Cottrell
LEGENDS
1. #99 Alex Kempf 2. #06 Rick Wetmore 3. #00 Darin Coker 4. #57 Bryan Silas 5. #65 Mark Beebo 6. #44 Gary Verdier 7. #48 Charlie O'Meilla 8. #34 Shaughn McCormick 9. #24 Will Cagle 10. #07 Dave Gleason DNS 11. #54 Brandon Thomson DQ'D
