IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 16, 2008 AJ Curreli tops Goodyear Challenge Late Model 100 at New Smyrna Speedway Samsula, FL (March 17, 2008) The Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series held it's opening race for the 2008 season last Satuday at New Smyrna Speedway. With twenty two cars in the field and a nice breeze in the air, fans saw AJ Curreli top the speed chart and draw the 0 pill to set the field for the night. The fans were able to get up close to the drivers during the on-track autograph session but then it was time to race. Curreli lead the way on the start but on lap 6, Chad Akins and Charles Kopach made contact bringing out the first caution of the night. On the restart, Rookie-of-the-Year for 2007 Darren Brown was turned by Daniel Keene collecting George Morales who hit the inside retaining wall. Morales was unable to return to the field as Brown and Keene are sent to the rear for the restart. As all first races go for the year, there are always mechanical problems that come unexpectively. Both Brian Palmiter and Jerry Symons saw that when on lap 24 both drivers were forced out of the with mechanical problems. Lap 29 once again sees the caution come out for Dewayne Barrus who has spun. Joe Winchell heads to pit road as his car is having problems. The green comes back out once again on lap 32 as Curreli leads the way. Chad Akins, one of the new rookies of the 2008 season, has problems on lap 36 and must go to pit road for seven laps. Caution comes out on lap 45 for Dewayne Barrus as he spins. At this time, Jeremy Colangelo goes to pit road and is unable to rejoin the field when the green comes back out on lap 48. Colangleo ends up going five laps down before his return to the field. Charles Kopach makes contact with the backstretch wall on lap 48 and takes his car in for the night. No caution is needed as the field continues on. Joe Winchell also tries to once again join the field on lap 49 but immediately heads back to pit road. Joe gives it one more try but calls it a night on lap 52. Lap 55 brings out the caution once again as Darren Brown and David Gibbs make contact going into turn one. At the same time as Brown and Gibbs make contact, Ray Black, Jr. makes contact with the backstretch wall coming to a halt in turn three. Black retires for the night along with Earl Beckner who has mechanical problems with his car. The race is then red flagged for track cleanup as the EMTs check on Gibbs. Gibbs is fine and racing returns on lap 59. Daniel Keene, who was sent to the rear of the field earlier in the race, has now worked his way back into the top five with Darren Brown also working his way back up the field. Alan Bruns, who has fought all night with his handling problems, now finds himself two laps down as the field goes by him. Lap 79 sees Brad May leave the field with a broken rear end. On lap 90, Barrus brings out his third caution of the night after spinning between turns one and two and is sent in to the pits. Curreli, who has lead all 100 laps, takes the checkered followed by Daniel Keene, Jr., Jessica Murphy, Rich Clouser and Darren Brown. Alexis Fenton, under the coaching of Tim Russell, did a great job for her first time at the track. Jessica Murphy did a good job of racing also after suffering heavy contact on the backstretch wall during the race. Chuck Abell had a great showing starting fourth and maintaining thru the race to finish sixth. Rich Clouser did a great job of sportsmanship as he and Jessica Murphy raced for third. Clouser would get under her but would back out so as not to take her out as they battled for third. Greg Kaouk was unable to make the show due to clutch problems. The next race for the Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series will be at Columbia Motorsports Park on April 5th. Drivers towing to Columbia for the race will receive 50 extra points for Columbia. For more information on the Goodyear Challenge Late Model Series go to www.fascartours.com. OFFICIAL RESULTS NEW SMYRNA SPEEDWAY MARCH 15, 2008 GOODYEAR CHALLENGE LATE MODEL 100 POS Driver Car# 1 AJ Curreli 2 2 Daniel Keene Jr 5 3 Jessica Murphy 26 4 Rich Clouser 9 5 Darren Brown 53 6 Chuck Abel 19 7 Austin Kirpatrick 61 8 Alan Bruns 4b 9 Alexis Fenton 11 10 Jeremy Colangelo 05 11 Dewayne Barrus 33 12 Brad May 10 13 Chad Akins 60 14 Earl Beckner 36 15 Davey Gibbs 47 16 Ray Black Jr 19x 17 Charles Kopach 01 18 Joe Winchell 57 19 Brennan Palmiter 27 20 Jerry Symons 1 21 George Morales 96 22 Greg Kaouk 31 Mini Stock - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Robbie Yoakam 8X 2 Ted Vulpius 71 3 Jefferson Pittsley 20 4 Mark Broat 6 5 Ryan Veraghen 21 6 Jesse Powers 32 7 Andy Giammalvo 24 8 James Dixson 8 9 Ed "Speedo" Jager 42 10 Cody Blair 15 DNS Modified - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Kurt Jett 9X 2 Alan Bruns 4B 3 Arnold "Skip" Honaker 2 4 Gary Fountain, Jr 77 5 Jeff Colburn 3 6 Bruce Packer 15 Sportsman - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Donald Williams 111 2 Michael Soukup 45 3 Dale Howard 63 4 Brett Woodley 99 5 Derrick Wood 33 6 John Nusbaum 70 7 Patrick Mennenga 16 8 Philip Luizzo 27 9 Mike Pletka Inc. 23 10 Ronald Lufcy 07 11 Bruce McGonigal 6 12 Tim Morton 96 13 Adam Soukup 45A 14 Jason Foster 49 Strictly Stock - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 William "Eddie" Rush 71 2 Robert Pence 88 3 Christopher Sclafani 21 4 Harry Armstrong 77 5 Sonny Pond 912 6 Richard Goodrich 86 7 Steve Pierce 54 8 Jody Roberts 13 9 Dustin Higdon 18 10 John Layne 00 11 Brent Bruner 20 12 Eric Douglas Wolf, Jr. 70 13 Roger Mullins 18X 14 Joshua Stilwell 03 15 Maureen Dahm 21M Super Stock - Features Pos Driver Car # 1 Bobby Holley 56 2 Johnny Brown 86 3 Scott Smith 01 4 William Boggs 9 5 Edward Barber 23 6 Michael Amato 2X 7 Andy Wolfe 44 8 Bruce McGonigal 22 9 Tobi Smith 8 10 Ernest Stickle 11X 11 Richard Barrenechea 20X 12 JT Tippins 31 13 Barry Parks 27 14 Michael Wofford 15 15 Todd Allen 11 16 Mike Dahm 21 17 Alvin Morris 68 18 Harold Turner 90 19 Jeff Colburn 3 DNS Have an opinion on this story? 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