IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

May 31, 2008 Christian tops Race #3 Pepsi Six Pack Hobby Stock at Ocala Speedway by BJ Cavin Sometimes the best way to make someone want something is to deny them access to it, and that might have been the case after last week's rainout at Ocala Speedway. As the gates opened this Friday night, the grandstand and pits quickly filled for a night of racing action that might not have always gone as planned, but provided plenty of entertainment. The Pepsi Six Pack Hobby Stock Challenge Series hit it's midway point as race 3 was put into the books, and halfway through the six races it seems that no driver has been able to take charge of the competition thus far. Three races have yielded three different winners, and while a few have managed to finish well in all of the races so far, it is totally up in the air as to who will be named the best of the drivers at the end of the series. Grady Christian has emerged as the hot driver in the Hobby Stock division at a few tracks recently, so it was no surprise when he ended up on the pole for the $1000 to win Pepsi Six Pack race. But as the race unfolded it became evident that others were unimpressed with Christian's credentials as of late. Shane Williams and David Miller Jr proved that they could hang with Mr Christian and even pass him if given the chance, but neither managed to hold onto the lead for long. In the end it was Grady Christian who would cross the line first, followed by David Miller Jr and Kevin Durden for second and third place. Micheal Tovett and Alan McCafferty rounded out the top five. The one division where one driver has won more than one race this season is the Mini Stocks, and that driver is Keith Briggs. Briggs overcame a collision with a lapped car and another with Cole Ridenhour to win the Mini Stock feature race from the pole and take control of the division points race so far in 2008. Ridenhour was attempting to pass Briggs for the lead in turn one when the two came together and both spun. Race officials agreed that Ridenhour was at fault and he was relegated to the rear on the restart, but the rear was only four cars deep since the rest of the field had been lapped, so Ridenhour continued to plague Briggs until the end of the race. Briggs would hold on for the win, followed closely by Ridenhour for the second spot and Paul Combast for third place. Johnny Zachary and William Stalnaker finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The Open Wheel Modifieds had their share of problems getting their race started as two multi car pile ups before the first lap could be completed made for plenty of excitement. The 33 of Jeff Matthews had seemed very strong since the heat races and that didn't change later on in the feature. By lap 3 he had stolen the lead and as the race progressed he drove away from the second and third place cars Matthews would register a win by almost half a lap over second place finisher, John Bradley. Dave Barber would come home in third place followed by Ronald Soltis and Bruce Harvey. The V8 Thunder Stocks saw Jerrid Bennett race his way to the front once again as several other drivers attempted to pass him by. Donald Winne would make a valiant effort to get past Bennett late in the race, but a collision between the two sent Winne to the pits with a missing rear wheel and left Bennett out in front. Terry Dunbar, James Erickson, and James Sealey, would also have their chance at Bennett but would be unable to get past him. Erickson would wind up backed hard into the front stretch wall on lap 8, bringing out a red flag while the medical staff checked him out. He would later continue racing and finish the event, all be it some laps down to the leaders. Bennewtt would get the win, followed by Doc Batson and Michael Stalnaker for second and third place. Terry Dunbar would overcome an early mishap to finish fourth, and Luke Sadler would managed a fifth place finish. Brian Brogan would like to have the start of the Gladiator race over again so maybe the hood on his car would not fly up as it did just as he took the green flag to begin the race. As Brogan slowed and tried to see around his hood, Derrick Smith blasted into the lead and never looked back. Guy Bacelo Jr would finish second followed by Paul Hahn for third place. Roy Taylor would hang on the finish in the fourth spot. Friday June 6th is the much anticipated Powell Memorial Super Late Model Race at Ocala Speedway, featuring the United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series. An over capacity crowd is expected for the event so fans are urged to come early for the best seats. Also appearing with the Late Models will be the Florida Mini Sprints and the Hobby Stocks. Ocala Speedway Results for 5/30/08 Pepsi Six Pack Hobby Stock Challenge Series, Race 3 1- 36 Grady Christian 2- 21 David Miller Jr. 3- 56 Kevin Durden 4- 4B Michael Tovett 5- 1 Alan McCafferty 6- 23 Glenn Baum 7- 83 Joe Boyd 8- 58 David Kinsey 9- 10 Robert Ray 10- 08 William Edwards 11- 2JR Shelton Kinser 12- XXX1 Shane Williams 13- 55 Joey Durbin 14- 2S Michael Kulak 15- 12 Justin Durbin 16- 57 Wally Schneider 17- 99T Shawn Taylor 18- 81 Donald Woosley 19- 15 Donald Paugh DNS- 72 Marlon Durbin DNS- A2Z Charles McHome Mini Stock 1- 19T Keith Briggs 2- 25 Cole Ridenhour 3- 19C Daniel "Paul" Combast 4- 119Z Johnny Zackery 5- 59 William Stalnaker 6- 40M David Miller 7- 22 Shirlene Hammond 8- 55 Larry Reynolds 9- 21 Ray Ethridge DNS- 14 Frank Prouty Open Wheel Modified 1- 33 Jeff Matthews 2- 27 John Bradley 3- 56 Dave Barber Jr. 4- 61 Ronald Soltis 5- 27B Bruce Harvey 6- 88 Robbie Barris 7- 99 Charles MacNichols 8- 8 Rick Scott 9- 41 Gary Sexton 10- Z Tim Zackery 11- 0 Richard Dickinson 12- 8A Alan Reynolds 13- 75C Charles O'Neill 14- 11 Chuck Stalnaker 15- 11N Ronnie Newsome 16- 32 Roger Crouse 17- 31 Brian Hollifield 18- 79 Dakota Stephens DNS- 54 Carl Greene V8 Thunder Stock 1- 12 Jerrid Bennett 2- 10 Doc Batson 3- 19 Michael Stalnaker 4- 72 Terry Dunbar 5- 15 Luke Sadler 6- 14 James Sullivan III 7- 66 James Sealey 8- 40 Homer Bryant 9- 59 Scott Clearwater 10- 81 Courtney Eubanks 11- 17 Mariah Berry 12- 3D Jessie Corbitt 13- 3X Donald Winne 14- 66E James Erickson 15- 5W Zachary Perry 16- 04 John Layerd 17- 1 Jeff Barrett 18- 44 Todd Roberts 19- 58B Augie Burtram 20- 04J Danny James III 21- 69A Jonathan Appleby 22- 1MD Marlon Durbin 23- 4E Harold Erickson Gladiator 1- 92 Derrick Smith 2- 2B Guy Bacelo Jr. 3- 78 Paul Hahn 4- 19 Roy Taylor 5- 63 Brian Brogan Next Week: The 13th Annual Powell Memorial Florida Mini Sprints Hobby Stocks Have an opinion on this story? 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