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Dylan Presnell tops Young Lions on Day 4 at Orlando's Winternationals
ABBOTT WINS AGAIN IN RECEIVER LEGEND PRO DIVISION AT SPEEDWORLD WINTERNATIONALS ROUND FOUR
by Dave Westerman
Round number four of the 2008 INEX/600 Series Winternationals at Orlando Speedworld again treated fans to not only great racing but unseasonably warm weather as well. The biggest field of RaceCeiver Legend Car Semi-Pros saw three heat races and a B Main needed to set the starting field for their 20 lap feature. A huge wreck took place in the first heat though as the leaders hit oil on the track out of turn four. Seven of the twelve starters were involved in the crash including Thursday winner Shaughn McCormick, Cullen Camasta, Justin Boston, Tanner Berryhill, R.S. Senter, Bryan Silas and Phillip Bell. Only Bell, Berryhill and Senter could continue as Michael Brown took the win. The other pair of Semi-Pro heats was taken by Dustin Davis and Cody Blackburn. Brown and Davis brought the field down for the start with Brown grabbing the early advantage which he held gamely onto until caution flew on lap seven for Jimmy Norman whose engine exploded in flames heading into turn one. Norman emerged from the car in OK shape but he was done for the day. Brown continued to hold the point despite constant pressure from Justin Swilling. Swilling was attempting a pass when caution flew a second time of lap 12 for Davis who hit the turn four wall after being tapped by Alex Kempf. Two more laps were completed before Ryan Truex was sent for a spin on the front stretch collecting the cars of Zach Zimmerly and Tyler Kivett. All three were finished for the day and it set up a one lap dash to the finish as the time limit on the race had expired. On the restart, Brown, who had been already warned once about maintaining pace car speed, did not follow the proper procedure and bunched up the field. Brown was then set back a spot by the Race Director putting Swilling on the point and he was able to hold Brown off for the win making it four different winner in four races in the class. Brown held on for second followed by Gene Kirila, Kara Clarke and Kevin Eskew. Rounding out the top ten were Ryan Moore, Tanner Berryhill, Cody Blackburn, Mike Alcaro and Chris Weddle. Legend Masters heats were won by Scotty Edwards and Dennis Knox placing them on the front row for the feature. Edwards took the early advantage but it was Tim Brockhouse moving to the front on lap three and he led through a pair of cautions for minor spins by Rick Wetmore and Gary Bursey. Brockhouse set the pace until he was passed for the lead by Dennis Knox on lap 12. One lap later, Brockhouse had the engine blow going into turn three and he hit the wall hard bringing out the red flag. Brockhouse was not hurt but it took several minutes for track crews to clean up the mess. Knox drove away from the field to take the win, again the fourth different winner in as many Winternationals races. Canadian Cy Harvey had his best finish ever in the Winternationals coming home second trailed by Larry Friddle, Hoyt Dennis and Clay Hair with Roger Austin, Edwards, Will Cagle, Mark Esposito and Wendell Napper completing the top ten. Heat winners Nick Pistone and Kory Abbott made up row one for the Legend Car Pro main event with Pistone grabbing the early lead only to see third-running Jordan Anderson spin out of third spot in turn three during the second lap to bring out the race’s only caution flag. Abbott began to put pressure of Pistone after the restart and took the point on lap five. The race ran under green the remaining distance but the finish was exciting as Pistone got a run at Abbott coming off turn four and the two rubbed and bumped to the finish with Abbott taking the win by a fender over Pistone for his second straight victory for the Speedworld track champion and his Kendirk Performance team. John Gottsacker took the show spot with Chelsea Schillig fourth and Daniel Hemrick fifth. The remainder of the top ten were Nick Johnson, Matt Stover, Rette Causey, Kyle Beattie and Ryan Johnson. Dylan Presnell may have started dead last in the Legend Car Young Lions feature but the results ended up being the same as he passed Nick Stroupe late in the race and held Stroupe off in a wild finish to remain unbeaten in the class. Ronnie Bassett, Jr. had another good run taking third followed by Austin Leitner and Devin Jones. Bryce Walker came home sixth trailed by Travis Braden, Kristen Keys, Justin Grimes and Scott Hensley. Stroup won the heat. Ryan Schleusner also made it four for four in the Legend Car Charger class as he led every lap en route to the victory slowed just once by a hard crash into the turn four wall by Daniel Conlin, Sr. Conlin was OK but his car had serious right front damage. Trailing Schleusner to the checker were Paul Blenkenhorn, heat winner Mike Fuchswanz, Bailey Freeman, Joe Goaf, Johnny Love, Tony Bonavia, Edgar Coleman and Marc Fuchswanz. Dillon Bassett broke the win streak of Kyle Benjamin in the Bandolero Bandit feature but a late caution gave Benjamin a shot at Bassett. Benjamin got around Bassett with three laps to go but Bassett passed Benjamin back a lap later and took the win over Benjamin, Layne Clifton, Mason Massey, Blake Jones, T.J. Michael, Critter Saile, Brady Boswell, Riley Halverson, Clayton Weatherman and Jacob Wallace. Bassett and Clifton won the heats. Chad Finchum again dominated the Bandolero Young Guns taking his fourth consecutive win over Sean Shalvoy, Donovan Ponder and Meghan Dillner. Finchum also took the heat race. Kendall Sellers topped Jarod Hicks in the Bandolero Outlaws while Tom Clarke was the Thunder Roadster winner.
