IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 28, 2008 Gorham tops Advance Auto Parts Pro Truck 50 at Orlando SpeedWorld by Dave Westerman Friday night Orlando Speedworld played host to the second round of the Advance Auto Parts Pro Truck Series and a great field of 24 machines were on hand for what would turn out to be a marathon of a 50 lap race. George Gorham, Jr. of Lakeland had taken the season opener for the Pro Trucks at USA International Speedway in his home town and he wasn't resting on his laurels as Gorham set quick time at 15.065 seconds in his Bedrock Cafe sponsored Chevy Silverado. Gorham's luck wasn't with him at the pill draw though as the top nine from qualifying were inverted for the start of the main event placing Michael Smith and Logan Bordeau on the front row. But it was inside second row starter Barry Bartlett III who took the early lead as a rash of early caution flags for just minor incidents kept slowing the pace. After a pair of cautions that both involved SC driver Todd Bishop on laps 12 and 14, Gorham had already worked himself up to third position. Lap 18 saw Kevin Henry loop his truck on the back stretch for yet another caution flag. Two laps later, Smith spun his mount then Michael Key spun on the restart to keep the caution flag out. At this point, race officials decided enough was enough and began counting caution laps so the trucks would have enough fuel to get to the finish. Bartlett's truck began getting loose after the restart and Austin Howell sped his unsponsored machine around and into the lead with Gorham following. The race went green with Gorham shadowing Howell's every move until lap 43 when the lapped machine of Jessica Green spun in turn three just in front of the leaders. As the field checked up, Bartlett's truck was hit hard by Keith Lilley's machine. Lilley was forced to retire but Bartlett continued with an ill-handling racer. The final seven laps saw several more caution flags allowing Howell to keep Gorham at bay. After a restart with two laps to go, Gorham really turned up the wick and took the lead just after the white flag flew. Gorham would lead only one lap, but it was the one worth the most money and points as he remained unbeaten on the season in the Pro Trucks. A disappointed Howell settled for the runner-up spot with 2007 Advance Auto Parts Pro Truck champion Scott Reeves coming home third in a truck that had most of the right side body work torn off of it on the first lap of the race. Eddie Hartin was steady throughout and took home fourth while Kevin Henry put on a fantastic show in the late laps coming back from his earlier spin to nab fifth spot. Rounding out the top ten were Ricky Moxley, Mark Evans, T.J. Chambers, Clinton Clark and Michael Kay. Early leader Bartlett gamely held on to his damaged truck and checkered 11th. The Sportsman feature took, five, that's right, five tries to get going. By the time the field took the green flag, five of the 12 starters were already out including opening night winner Justin Reynolds who was sent hard into the back stretch wall. On lap three, Derrick Wood and Henry Shepherd collided in turn four sending both to the pits. From there the race was left for five cars to decide who would win and it would be Andy Nicholls leading all the way for the victory trailed by Rapid Ron DiCandio, Ryan Rust, Whitney Poole and Bryan Lynch. Shepherd, Wood, Reynolds, Brad Stevens and Bill Hall were credited with sixth through tenth, all while sitting idle in the pit area. Nicholls also won the heat race, which was a much tamer affair. For the second week in a row, Jared Allison scored an easy win in the Mini Stocks taking the lead from R.J. Arnone on lap three and pulling away for the victory. Arnone took second followed by Rex "Boneman" Hollinger, David Russell, Randy Blakeslee, John Cook and Rob Reynolds. Allison also won the heat. A great field of Super Stocks required three heat races to set the feature line-up. After John Hodge, Austin Carr and Ray Mullis won the preliminaries it was Hodge setting the early feature pace as the field diced behind him for position. Young Matt Jarrett would prove that his first win last week was no fluke as he pulled off a few veteran moves before swiping the lead from Hodge on lap nine. Jarrett drove away to his second straight win ahead of Hodge, David Gould, Mullis and Jason Pick. Completing the top ten were Bob Starr, William Hindman, Bobby Simcox, Dennis Snyder and Vince Keeler, Jr. Glen Rhodes passed heat winner and early leader Neal Kirby and took his Camaro to victory lane in the Action Gator Tire Strictly Stock feature. Kirby came home second trailed by Michael Dresch, Billy Rouse and Gary Thomas with Michel Joao, Devon Cuddy, Tim Walters, Jr., Tom Stewart and Miguel Barrenechea filling the remainder of the top ten. ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD OFFICIAL RESULTS MARCH 28, 2008 STRICLTY STOCK 1. #63 Glenn Rhodes 2. #8N Neil Kirby 3. #54 Mike Dresch 4. #18 Billy Rouse 5. #76 Gary Thomas 6. #48 Mano Ezequias 7. #4 Devon Cuddy 8. #29 Tim Walters, Jr. 9. #66 Tom Stewart 10. #22 Miguel Barrenechea 11. #24 Brenda Taylor 12. #64 SUPER STOCK 1. #98 Matt Jarrett 2. #00 John Hodge 3. #16 David Gould 4. #316 Ray Mullis 5. #44 Jason Pick 6. #40 Bob Starr 7. #89 William Hindman 8. #61 Bobby Simcox 9. #11 Dennis Snyder 10. #7 Vince Keeler, Jr. 11. #45 Delana Fifield 12. #99 Brent Tyler 13. #8 Austin Carr 14. #54 Todd McCreary 15. #1 Randy Froehlich 16. #37 Jim Erb 17. #55 Denny Johns 18. #15 Billy Bellflower 19. #52 Bobby Riley 20. #32X Paul Marguglio DNS MINI STOCK 1. #92 Jared Allison 2. #30 R.J. Arnone 3. #85 Rex "Boneman" Hollinger 4. #31 David Russell 5. #77 Randy Blakeslee 6. #24 John Cook 7. #A1 Rob Reynolds SPORTSMAN 1. #66 Andy Nicholls 2. #20S Ron Dicandio 3. #18 Ryan Rust 4. #00 Whitney Poole 5. #54 Bryan Lynch 6. #11 Henry Shepherd 7. #33 Derrick Wood 8. #20 Justin Reynolds 9. #50 Jeff Wright 10. #64 Jessie Cuddy 11. #16 Bill Hall 12. #00x Brad Stevens DQ'D ADVANCE AUTO PARTS PRO TRUCK 50 1. #10 George Gorham, Jr. 2. #21 Scott Reeves 3. #25 David Hardin 4. #99 Kevin Henry 5. #38 Ricky Moxley 6. #50 Mark Evans 7. #57 T.J. Chambers 8. #97 Clinton Clark 9. #14 Michael Kay 10. #71 Barry Bartlett 11. #63 Austin Pickens 12. #33b Logan Bordeau 13. #40 Jessica Green 14. #87 Keith Lilley 15. #407 Jason Vail 16. #00 Whitney Poole 17. #28 T.J. Duke 18. #17 Colby Clements 19. #23 Michael Smith 20. #39 Tyler Laing 21. #22 Scott Bishop 22. #2 Randy Koon 23. #21x Derrick Reeves 24. #96 Austin Howell DQ'D Have an opinion on this story? 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