IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

June 2, 2008 Michael Williams tops Super Late Models at Orlando SpeedWorld by Dave Westerman Michael Williams has been spending most of his time recently building race cars for other drivers and lending his knowledge to them at race tracks all over Florida, but Friday night at Orlando Speedworld Williams was back behind the wheel of his familiar #32 and brought home the Super Late Model victory. Williams got out to a quick lead and was able to hold defending Speedworld champion and heat winner Jared Allison at bay the entire distance to claim the win. Allison was second followed by Derrick Wood, Bobby Orr, Vince Keeler, Mark Emberson and Phillip Myburgh. The Sportsman cars opened the show with a make-up feature that was called off when torrential rains hit the speedway the week before. Like Michael Williams, it had been some time since Rick Johns had visited victory lane at Speedworld, but he held off a hard charging group the entire distance to take his first win in over two years and the first ever for car owner and regular driver Mike Santana. A tangle on the final lap between point leader Andy Nicholls and Timmy Todd, Jr. allowed Jessie Cuddy to move up to the runner-up spot, her best career finish. Ryan Rust, Nicholls and Todd completed the finishers. The regularly scheduled main event saw Nicholls involved in a grinding crash that severely damaged his car. Meanwhile, Derrick Wood, who was not at the track the previous week and not eligible to run the first feature, took off and set the pace for his first win of 2008. Rapid Ron Dicandio took the checker in second trailed by Santana, who drove the car himself in the regular feature and scored his best ever finish, Cuddy, Steve Farris, Nicholls and Todd. Ryan Rust did not start the second feature. Nicholls won the heat race. Alan Bruns is getting back on track in the Modifieds as the former champion grabbed his second win of the year. Gary Fountain, Sr. made his first start of the year here and came in second ahead of Chris Smyth, Ken McCracken, Terri Bryant, Ted Head, Mark Emberson, heat winner Art Kunzeman and Shain Held. Super Stock action saw John Hodge snare his first win of the year as he held off the advances of Bobby Simcox and Jason Pick to the checker. Matt Jarrett was fourth with Dennis Snyder, Bobby Riley, Ray Mullis, Austin Carr and Scotty Edwards rounding out the finishers. The Pro Challenge cars and trucks were on hand for Friday night action with a pair of 25 lap features as part of "Adopt a Marine" night at the Speedway. J.L. Snowden had his way with things topping both feature races in his NAPA special. Heat winner Ryan Rust took second in both races as well and J.L.'s son Jarrett Snowden was third in both runs. Paul White, Sam White, Rowdy Gordon, Howard Brennan and Gene Dibble completed the finishers in the first feature while fourth in race two went to Sam White over Gordon, Paul White, Dibble and Brennan. The Mini Stocks were again dominated by defending champion Pedie Allison as he sailed to the win over R.J. Arnone, Randy Blakeslee, John Cook and Bob Kelchner. The Action Gator Tire Strictly Stocks also made up their rain-out race from the week before with Neal Kirby taking the win in his Mazda over Gary Thomas, Mike Dresch, Tim Walters, Jr., Joey Cason and Ricky Solomon, Jr. Solomon came back to win the regularly scheduled feature, his first ever at the track. Dresch was second followed by Thomas, Walters, Joey Woliver, Mark Bordeau, Daniel Roach, Alex Fortune, Cason, Kirby, Shane Smith, Tom Rose and William Hindman. OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD MAY 30, 2008 SPORTSMAN (RAINOUT FEATURE FROM 5/23) 1. #151 Rick Johns 2. #64 Jessie Cuddy 3. #18 Ryan Rust 4. #66 Andy Nicholls 5. #25 Timmy Todd STRICTLY STOCK (RAINOUT FEATUER FROM 5/23) 1. #8 Neil Kirby 2. #76 Gary Thomas 3. #54 Michel Dresch 4. #29 Tim Walters, Jr. 5. #12 Joey Cason 6. #19 Rick Solomon, Jr. SUPER LATE MODEL 1. #32 Michael Williams 2. #18 Jared Allison 3. #33 Derrick Wood 4. #30x Bobby Orr 5. #7 Vince Keeler 6. #30 Mark Emberson 7. #24 Phillip Meyburg MODIFIED 1. #4b Alan Bruns 2. #88 Gary Fountain, Sr. 3. #07 Christopher Smyth 4. #56 Ken McCracken 5. #08 Terri Bryant 6. #92 Ted Head 7. #30 Mark Emberson 8. #9 Art Kunzeman 9. #55 Shain Held SPORTSMAN 1. #33 Derrick Wood 2. #20 Ron Dicandio 3. #151 Mike Santana 4. #64 Jessie Cuddy 5. #7 Steve Farris 6. #66 Andy Nicholls 7. #25 Timmy Todd, Jr. SUPER STOCK 1. #00 John Hodge 2. #61 Bobby Simcox 3. #44 Jason Pick 4. #98 Matt Jarrett 5. #11 Dennis Snyder 6. #52 Bobby Riley 7. #316 Ray Mullis 8. #8 Austin Carr 9. #7i Scotty Edwards MINI STOCK 1. #92 Pedie Allison 2. #30 R.J. Arnone 3. #77 Randy Blakeslee 4. #24 John Cook 5. #09 Bob Kelchner PRO CHALLENGE FEATURE 1 1. #40 JL Snowden 2. #18 Ryan Rust 3. #4 Jarrett Snowden 4. #25 Paul White 5. #1 Sam White 6. #24 Rowdy Gordon 7. #05 Howard Brenen 8. #7 Gene Dibble PRO CHALLENGE FEATURE 2 1. #40 JL Snowden 2. #18 Ryan Rust 3. #4 Jarrett Snowden 4. #1 Sam White 5. #24 Rowdy Gordon 6. #25 Paul White 7. #7 Gene Dibble 8. #05 Howard Brenen STRICTLY STOCK 1. #19 Ricky Solomon, Jr. 2. #54 Michel Dresch 3. #76 Gary Thomas 4. #29 Tim Walters, Jr. 5. #88 Joey Woliver 6. #33 Mark Bordeau 7. #07 Daniel Roach 8. #29x Alex Fortune 9. #12 Joey Cason 10. #8 Neil Kirby 11. #86 Shane Smith 12. #61 Tom Rose 17. #4 William Hindman DQ'D Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!