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McCormick and McLeod winners at Orlando SpeedWorld
by Dave Westerman
Orlando Speedworld was back in action with a full race program Saturday evening that, for once, saw no rain fall at any time during the day.
In Legends Car action, the ever-growing field in the Charger class for less experienced drivers saw one of the best races of the year and a surprise winner.
Tim Walters, Jr., who has plenty of laps around Speedworld in a Strictly Stock/Hurricane type car, had never sat in a Legend before Saturday afternoon.
Behind the wheel of a rental car owned by Legends Cars of Florida, Walters "felt out" the car in the heat race which was won by the ever-improving Mike Gleason.
Gleason led the first 13 laps before Walters zipped by for the lead. Gleason wasn't about to be outdone and he re-passed Walters for the top spot on lap 23 but it was Walters making the move again to lead the final two circuits in a crowd-pleasing event that saw Walters take the win in his first-ever Legends Car effort. Gleason held on for a strong second ahead of Ted Ruffo, Daniel Conlin, Sr., Tim McCormick, Tim Harris, Riley Bergman, Roger Englund and Zach Harris.
Fifteen cars lined up for the Legends Car "A" Main and this would be a barn-burner as well. Tony Sansom led the first pair of laps before giving way to Jimmy Norman. Norman, looking to make it back-to-back wins, held the point until lap nine when Shaughn McCormick sped past. Only two cautions for minor spins slowed the pace during the 25 lap distance as McCormick had his car dialed in to claim win number three of 2008. Norman came home second followed by Gerald White, Jr., Dave Gleason and Sansom. Completing the top ten were Rick Wetmore, James Rodriguez, Devin McLeod, Tyler Smith and Alex Kempf. McCormick and Kempf were the heat race winners.
Devin McLeod topped both ends of the Florida Mini Cup Racing action taking the win in the opening feature handily over Brady Marshall, Rick Fiore, Jacob Calloway, Don Mays, Bobby Rogers, Steve Celli, J.T. Dunn, Corey White and Ezra Stevenfield.
McLeod then fended off the challenges of White to take the nightcap. Marshall finished third trailed by Fiore, Rogers, Celli, Calloway, Mays, Dunn and Stevenfield.
In Hearndon Construction Bandolero action, Critter Saile topped the Bandit field by a good margin over Jake Perkins, Coty Bibeau, Gerald White, Jr., Noah Cornman and Daniel Conlin, Jr. while it was Zach Harris leading all the way to cop the Young Guns feature over Carl Haag and Donovan Ponder.
Brian Cosier had been close many times before but he finally came out on top in the ABC Towing Hurricane feature. Rob Reynolds chased Cosier's Camaro to the checker followed by Tim Walters, Jr., Brandon Kincaid, Brenda Taylor and Mark Walls.
Daytona Antique Auto Racing Association winners were Hank Baker (Stock Cars), Sue Yahnke (Sprints) and Bill Rynd (Midgets) while the special exhibition run for the Kissimme Kart Club was won by Sam Bowman.
OFFICIAL RESULTS ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD JULY 19, 2008
BANDOLERO BANDIT
1. #12 Critter Saile 2. #4 Jake Perkins 3. #65 Coty Beebo 4. #38 Cameron White 5. #30 Noah Carnman 6. #20 Daniel Conlin DNS
1. #4Rent Tim Walters, Jr. 2. #17 Mike Gleason 3. #50 Ted Ruffo 4. #11 Daniel Conlin, Sr. 5. #34 Tim McCormick 6. #77 Tim Harris 7. #37 Riley Bergman 8. #51 Roger Englund 9. #54 Zach Harris
LEGENDS
1. #34 Shaughn McCormick 2. #2 Jimmy Norman 3. #38 Gerald White, Jr. 4. #07 Dave Gleason 5. #56 Tony Sansom 6. #06 Rick Wetmore 7. #19 Jimmy Rodrigues 8. #21 Devon McLeod 9. #4 Tyler Smith 10. #99 Alex Kempf 11. #44 Gary Verdier 12. #48 Charlie O'Meillia 13. #4Rent Brandon Thomson 14. #22 Mason Ketterman 15. #65 Mark Beebo
DAARA MIDGET
1. #56 Bill Rynd 2. #6 Jerry Paquin 3. #41 Dick Yearowitch 4. #71 Bill Wendt
DAARA SPRINT
1. #7w Sue Yanke 2. #7b Jay Yanke 3. #9 Matt Jarrett
DAARA STOCK
1. #99 Hank Baker 2. #711 Larry Larivee 3. #61 Jeff Yoder 4 #8b E#ddie Grant
MINI CUP RACE #1
1. #00 Devin McLeod 2. #20 Brady Marshall 3. #60 Rick Fiore 4. #7 Jacob Calloway 5. #27 Don Mays 6. #12 Bobby Rogers 7. #96 Steve Celli 8. #33 JT Dunn 9. #77 Corey White 10. #69 Ezra Stevenfield DNS
MINI CUP RACE #2
1. #00 Devin McLeod 2. #77 Corey White 3. #20 Brady Marshall 4. #60 Rick Fiore 5. #12 Bobby Rogers 6. #96 Steve Celli 7. #7 Jacob Calloway 8. #27 Don Mays 9. #33 JT Dunn 10. #69 Ezra Stvenfield DNS
KISSIMMEE CARTS
1. #69 Sam Bowman 2. #12 Toby Wetzel 3. #4 Brett Dominguez 4. #1 Dan Bowman
HURRICANE
1. #27 Brian Cosier 2. #A1 Rob Reynolds 3. #29 Tim Walters, Jr. 4. #53 Brandon Kincaid 5. #24 Brenda Taylor 6. #6 Mark Walls 7. #76 Gary Thomas DNS 8. #22 Miguel Barrenechea DNS