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Chelsea Schillig Gets Win In Legends at Orlando SpeedWorld
By Dave Westerman
After a week off, Orlando Speedworld returned to Saturday night racing action and it was "Girls Night Out" as 17 year old Chelsea Schillig had her way with the Legend Car field.
Dallas Ingram would again earn a transfer into the "A" main as he took the measure of the Legend Car Charger field in their feature. Newcomer Tyler Smith was second as he and Ingram lapped the field. Roger Englund, Ted Ruffo, Daniel Conlin, Sr. and Mike Gleason completed the finishers.
After winning her heat, Schillig drew the pole for the 25 lap feature while second heat winner Alex Kempf would start right behind her in third. Schillig got the jump on outside pole sitter Jimmy Norman and quickly built up a large lead.
The Legends were in good form after a week off as the entire race was run under green. Fifth starting Kory Abbott eventually worked his way around Norman for second but could never mount a challenge on fellow Apopka resident Schillig as she ran off to her first win of 2008.
Abbott crossed the stripe in second ahead of Norman. Tony Sansom did a great job coming from tenth on the grid to fourth at the finish while Kempf took the checker in fifth.
Shaughn McCormick, Gerald Campbell, Mason Ketterman, Dave Gleason and Leonard Hearndon Rounded out the top ten. Charger winner Ingram eventually placed 12th in the "A" main after blowing an engine.
Race winner Schillig will be headed up to North Carolina later this month where she has been selected to run a Southern ASA/NASCAR Whelen Modified for Walker racing.
The Classic Cars finally got some good weather ad ran their first feature of the year. After breaking the rear end on his car coming out of the pit area for the heat race, Derrick Wood started dead last in the feature.
In the feature, heat winner Greg Helton of Orange City was driving the race of his life but was not able to hold off Wood as the youngster grabbed the lead late in the going and started defense of his 2007 point championship in winning form.
Helton held on for second, a career best, while Wood's teammate, Simeon Spagnuolo was third ahead of Ron Gustafson and Brad Norburg. Rounding out the finishers were Danny Dixon, Andrew Gustafson and Wayne Skinner.
In Hearndon Construction Bandolero action it was Shawn Hooven in victory lane for the first time this year in the Bandit division for 8-11 year olds.
Hooven held off a race-long challenge from Critter Saile who settled for second ahead of Jake Perkins, Daniel Conlin. Jr., Justin Bechtold, Cameron White and Coty Bibeau.
The 12-15 year old Young Gun class saw Donovan Ponder lead flag to flag for his second win of the year. Mark Hooven was second trailed by Zach Harris, Carl Haag and Kaleb Hearndon. Both Shawn Hooven and Ponder won their respective heat races as well.
Rob Reynolds led every lap in his Ford Probe to take the ABC Towing Hurricane win over the similar car of Mark Walls. Bill Loomis, testing his new Tyler's Towing Camaro which he will enter in next Friday night's Enduro race, came home third ahead of Brian Cosier and Tim Walters, Jr. Rounding out the top ten were Tom Stewart, Brenda Taylor, Steven Streight, Ricky Solomon and Joey Cason. Reynolds also won the heat.
The Daytona Antique Auto Racing Association was on hand for the second time this year and the fans were treated to some great looking vintage cars in action.
A "vintage" driver also claimed his first DAARA win as 72 year old Dave Jarrett grabbed both the heat and feature in the Sprint cars. Sue Yahnke and Don Bigelow were second and third.
After having trouble with his regular Midget ride in the heat, Jerry Paquin brought out his TQ Midget car and dusted his other competition taking the win over Dale Miller and heat winner Richard Yurewitch. A nice field of Stock Car machines saw Kentucky's Gordy Bird the winner driving a Chevy-powered Modified sporting a 1934 Hudson body. Larry Larrivee was second trailed by new DAARA member Frank Lenhardt, Shirley Morden (down from Canada), Vermont's Joe Farnsworth in his Richie Evans coupe, Gene Vitiello, Keith Grant and Geoff Yoder.
The new Semi-Pro Truck class for 14-18 year olds saw just two trucks on the first night out as Colby Clements won both the heat and feature races over Kyle Schram.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD APRIL 12, 2008
DAARA STOCK 1. #7 Gordy Bird 2. #711 Larry Larrivee 3. #93 Frank Lenhardt 4. #A1 Shirley Morden 5. #61 Geoff Yoder 6. #99 Gene Vitiello 7. #73 Keith Grant 8. #61 Joe Farnsworth
DAARA MIDGET 1. #10 Jerry Paquin 2. #1 Dale Miller 3. #41 Richard Yurewitch
DAARA SPRINT 1. #9 Dave Jarrett 2. #7 Sue Yahnke 3. #14 Don Bigelow
CLASSICS 1. #21x Derrick Wood 2. #3 Greg Helton 3. #21 Simeon Spagnuolo 4. #38 Ron Gustafson 5. #75 Brad Norburg 6. #74 Danny Dixon 7. #7 Andrew Gustafson 8. #03 Wayne Skinner
LEGENDS 1. #75 Chelsea Schillig 2. #5 Kory Abbott 3. #2 Jimmy Norman 4. #56 Tony Sansom 5. #99 Alex Kempf 6. #34 Shaughn McCormick 7. #39 Gerald Campbell 8. #22 Mason Ketterman 9. #07 Dave Gleason 10. #53 Leonard Hearndon 11. #06 Rick Wetmore 12. #33 Dallas Ingram 13. #38 Gerald White, Jr. 14. #31 Rusty Chancey 15. #65 Mark Beebo DNS
HURRICANES
1. #A1 Rob Reynolds 2. #6 Mark Walls 3. #0 Bill Loomis 4. #27 Brian Cosier 5. #29 Tim Walters, Jr. 6. #66 Tom Stewart 7. #24 Brenda Taylor 8. #80 Steven Streight 9. #07 Ricky Solomon, Jr. 10. #21 Joey Cason 11. #76 Gary Thomas