IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

July 13, 2008 Citrus Restarts Mid Season with Four New Winners BY Larry MacMillan (Inverness, Fl. 7/12/08) Despite questionable weather at 3:30 Citrus County Speedway had the Figure 8 School Bus races, R.V. and Boat Trailer race and 6 divisions on the race card. Fortunately they came in great numbers in all divisions and the fans definitely went away happy with a rain free show loaded with plenty of action. Four divisions saw new winners in Victory Lane. Mother Nature was looking out for us. Thirty minutes after the completion of the show the rains returned. After three weeks off the Late Models came back ready to race with a 19 car field. Unfortunately it turned out to be more like a demolition derby from the get go in their 35 lap main event with a first lap crash going into turn one scattering six cars throughout the turn. Four of the six were towed or limped to the pits leaving a much shorter field for the complete restart. Daniel Webster looked like he was going to be the man to beat from the outside pole and managed to hold off the field for most of the race before he spun. When the checkers flew, 12 damaged cars were still running and point leader Herb Neumann Jr. logged his 3rd win of the season, being chased by Scott Millar, Richie Smith, Troy Robinson and new comer Travis Towell to round out the top five. Heat winners were Richie Smith, Daniel Webster and John Gerstner. Mini Stocks got off to a rough start when Michael Lawhorn’s racer died in the first lap of the first heat. On the restart one car hit the front straight wall bouncing into Kevin Harrod and Clint Foley. Harrod and Foley lost all the front end body parts and went on the hook to the pits but were able to make it for the feature after repairs. Only two of eight starters in the heat finished the race with Richie Powers taking the win over Steven Smith. Seven cars took the green in the second heat with all cars finishing, chasing Peter Nelson to the finish line who took his first heat win of his Mini Stock rookie year. The 20 lap feature was no less exciting with several crashes keeping the drivers on their toes. Five time champion George Neumann got caught up in the most vicious crash of the night when he took a head on hit at full bore into the turn one wall. George just stayed in his car while the tow truck took him back to the pits with the entire front end crushed back to the windshield. Richie Powers managed to make a run to the front from his sixth starting spot making the pass on rookie Steven Smith in lap 6 for the lead and his first win of the season. Smith managed to lock onto Richie right to the checkers for his best finish of the season in second. Rounding out the top five were point leader Clint Foley, Mark Powers and Michael Lawhorn. Sixteen Street Stocks took the green flag for their 20 lap main event and another first time winner rode from 7th to the winner’s circle after winning his 3rd heat of the year in the way of Tommy Smith. He was untouchable even by his two team mates who are running first and third in the points standing and finished second and third in the feature. Jason Murphree outran point leader Tim Quick in the run for second for another Above It All Roofing top three. Frank Stromquist continues to run well in a match race for fourth with outside pole sitter Jason VanOchten. Tim Quick added his 6th heat win to his resume. It took 4 heats to qualify the 31 car Pure Stock field. The heavy traffic took its toll on the finishing order with numerous caution flags slowing the race and shortened it to 15 laps. It was a green, white, checker finish that saw the final caution as the racers made their final run for the checkers and rearranging the finishing order. When all was said and done outside pole sitter Rick Shahid logged his first win of the season over Chad Markland, point leader John Drye, Rick Henick and Richard Dinkins. Heat winners were Tommy Smith, Rick Shahid, John Drye and Patrick Connor. V8 Thunder Stocks wrapped up the regular division races with another 1st time winner in the rookie division in his second run at Citrus County Speedway. Derek Gray wasted no time running from 8th to first and leaving the rest of the field in his dust for the win. Jamie Shahid held out in the top five for the entire race and locked down a second place finish ahead of Randy Werstein who caused an earlier caution flag and busted his way back through the field for a third place finish. Josh Long in the MOO car motored from 11th to fourth outrunning Alex Wilder to round out the top five. The Florida Pro Challenge series brought a field of 8 cars to kick off the night of excitement. Brandon Williamson towed in from Powder Springs, Ga. and made it payoff with a win in their 35 lap main event. Rounding out the top five were Rowdy Gordon, J.L. Snowden, Jarrett Snowden and Bruce Gibson all from Salt Springs, Fl. Gene Dibble took the win in the heat. The final three events of the night were what the crowd was really waiting for with 17 Pro Figure 8 School Bus drivers and 19 Rookie drivers in their two races. The intersection looked like a bus parking lot at the half way point during both races so the drivers were dirt tracking and weaving in and out of buses that were stopped on the track. This caused numerous changes in the lead as some drivers had to take the long way around and others found some short cuts. In the Pros top driver was Jay Seykora who started 14th and picked up the lead late in the race. He was followed across the start finish line by Dwayne Fults, Brent Fults, Dustin Aaron and Travis Nichols. The crowd caught their breath during the driver changes and it was another green flag for a 15 lap, 19 bus Rookie race that had buses scattered all over the track and in the infield. End result was a late entry, Richard Dinkins, who started 19th , working his way around all that traffic for the win ahead of Kenny Darby, Ryan O’Neal, Wes Wilson and John Drye. Six Boat/R.V. Trailer racers went at it to wrap up the evening of action with perennial winner Larry Welter Sr. coming up top shoe followed Don Welter and rounding out the top three was the Suitcase Race Queen Larry Triana. Next Saturday night will see the return of the Open Wheel Modifieds, Figure 8’s, Sportsman, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, 4 Cylinder Bombers, V8 Thunder Stocks Rookies and the Mini Cup Cars. Citrus County Speedway Results 7/12/08 Super Late Model Feature – 35 Laps – 19 Cars 1. #98 Herb Neumann Jr. – Inverness – 3rd Season Win 2. #20 Scott Millar – Ocala 3. #33 Richie Smith – Hernando 4. #91 Troy Robinson – Ocala 5. #14 Travis Towell – Winter Park 1st Heat Winner - #33 Richie Smith 2nd Heat Winner - # 3 Daniel Webster – Brooksville 3rd Heat Winner - # 62 John Gerstner – Eustis Street Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 16 Cars 1. # 1 Tommy Smith – Hernando – 1st Season Win 2. #95 Jason Murphree – Homosassa 3. #97 Tim Quick – Lecanto 4. #57 Frank Stromquist – Lecanto 5. #99 Jason VanOchten – Hudson 1st Heat Winner - #93 Tommy Smith 2nd Heat Winner - #97 Tim Quick Mini Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 14 Cars 1. #29 Richie Powers – Hernando – 1st Season Win 2. #32 Steven Smith – Inverness 3. # 7 Clint Foley – Dunnellon 4. # 9 Mark Powers – Hernando 5. #44 Mike Lawhorn – Claremont 1st Heat Winner - #29 Richie Powers 2nd Heat Winner - #18 Peter Nelson – Crystal River Pure Stock Feature – 15 Laps -31 Cars (Race Short 5 Laps) 1. # 3 Rick Shahid – Floral City – 1st Season Win 2. #34 Chad Markland – Inverness 3. #39 John Drye – Inverness 4. #60 Rick Henick – Inverness 5. #69 Richard Dinkins – Bushnell 1st Heat Winner - #93 Tim Wilson – Floral City 2nd Heat Winner - #3 Rick Shahid 3rd. Heat Winner - #39 John Drye 4th Heat Winner - #8 Patric Conner – Dunnellon V8 Thunder Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 1. #89 Derek Grey – Lakeland – 1st Season Win 2. # 3 Jamie Shahid – Floral City 3. # 9 Randy Werstein - Belleview 4. #00 Josh Long – Inverness 5. #14 Alex Wilder – Floral City Pro Figure 8 School Bus Race – 20 Laps – 17 Buses 1. #85 Jay Seykora 2. #00 Dwayne Fults 3. #01 Brent Fults 4. #98 Dustin Aaron 5. # 6 Travis Nichols Rookie Figure 8 School Bus Race – 15 Laps – 19 Buses 1. #98 Richard Dinkins 2. # 5 Kenny Darby 3. #01 Ryan O’Neal 4. #26 Wes Wilson 5. # 6 John Drye Camper/Boat Trailer Race – 15 Laps – 6 Cars 1. #85 Larry Welter Sr. 2. #23 Don Welter 3. # 1 Larry Triana Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!