IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

September 22, 2008 Vail, Sanson, and Johns First Time Winners during Busy SpeedWorld Weekend by Dave Westerman There was racing aplenty both Friday and Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld with several drivers getting their first taste of victory lane in their respective classes. After over a month off, the Super Late Models were back in action Friday and the night belonged to young Clermont driver Jason Vail. After finishing a close second in the heat to Earl Beckner, Vail led every lap of the 25 lap feature for his first ever Super Late Model win. Bobby Orr tried to stay close but that was all he could do as he settled for the runner-up spot. Beckner made the change from Goodyear to Hoosier rubber between the heat and feature and his car just wouldn't hook up and he settled for third. Scott Millar made a rare start here and checkered fourth ahead of Mark Emberson, Tom Root, Cory Kaiser, Scott McKinley and Bob Green. After a bit of a hiatus, Rick Johns returned to victory lane but for the first time ever in a Modified. Johns, who admitted he was "out to lunch" in the heat race, made the right adjustments for the feature and led Art Kunzeman, Mark Emberson, Chris Smyth and Earl Beckner to the checker. Two years of frustration were finally erased by driver Tony Sansom as he copped his first career Legends Car feature race. Sansom won out in a duel with Tyler Smith, the young driver who scored his first win last week. Taking third was Shaughn McCormick with Alex Kempf and Jimmy Rodriguez fourth and fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Gerald White, Jr., Dave Gleason, Mason Ketterman, Zach Harris and Mark Bibeau. Earlier Harris had won the Legend Charger feature, his second of the year, and decided to try the "A" Main for the first time where he made a good showing. Finishing behind Harris in the Chargers were Danny Conlin, Sr. (who was celebrating his birthday), Roger Englund, Ted Ruffo and Tim Walters, Jr. Andy Nicholls solidified his point lead with a wire to wire win in the Sportsman class. Jeff Wright could get no closer than shouting distance to Nicholls with Rapid Ron DiCandio, Patrick Thomas and Ron McCreary completing the top five. As usual there was great racing in the Super Stocks and 17 year old Matt Jarrett grabbed his fourth win of the year as the point battle tightened even more. Point leader John Hodge was tenth in the feature run while the other three contenders for the title, Jarrett, Jason Pick and Bobby Riley finished 1-2-3. Fourth and fifth went to Justin Reynolds and Denny Johns while Billy Belflower, Dennis Snyder, John Guinn, William Hindman and Hodge rounded out the top ten. It had been awhile since Kelly Jarrett had raced anything spending most of his time working on son Matt's Super Stock or his dad Dave's DAARA Sprint Car. Jarrett, a former Mini Stock champion, dusted off one of the two cars he has and took his first feature win in over two years. Dylan Curtis won out in a hard fought battle with R.J. Arnone for second ahead of Randy Blakeslee and David Russell. The Bandoleros were in action as well Friday night and the results were the same as Critter Saile took the measure of the Bandits topping Jake Perkins, Coty Bibeau, Cameron Withe, James Crow and Daniel Conlin, Jr. Zach Harris took the Young Gun main event by DQ over Donovan Ponder who was set down a spot by track officials for "blocking." Despite just two cars in the race, the crowd went nuts as the two youngsters put on quite a show receiving the biggest round of applause of the evening. It was win number four in the Action Gator Tire Strictly Stocks for Neal Kirby as he drove his College Park Pavers Ford Probe to the win over Ricky Solomon, Jr., Glenn Rhodes, Don Dangler, Devon Cuddy, Ralph Cannarasana and Tim Walters, Jr. They say once you get your first win, the second comes much easier and Tony Sansom lived up to that saying as action switched to Saturday night. After scoring the Legends Car win Friday night, Sansom repeated the feat on Saturday leading every lap. Only Alex Kemph could come anywhere close to Sansom as the race ran green to checker. Gerald White, Jr. was third ahead of Dave Gleason and Jimmy Rodriguez with Mason Ketterman, Mark Bibeau, Mike Verhaagh, Gary Verdier and Mitch Verhaagh completing the top ten. White and Gleason won the heats. In the Legend Charger feature Tim Walters, Jr. was hooked up and ran away from the field in the Legend Cars of Florida "4-rent house car." Walters lapped all but second place finisher Taylor McKeever in taking his second win of the year. Mike Gleason was third ahead of Zach Harris, Ted Ruffo, Daniel Conlin, Sr., Roger Englund and Tim Harris. McKeever won the heat. The Outlaw Modifieds made their second and final appearance of the year and put on their typical great show. Unfortunately, front row starters Colin Cabre (who had won the first heat) and Ric Voisey tangled going into turn one at the drop of the green and smashed into the wall. Both drivers were unhurt but their cars both needed assistance from Doug Webb's ABC Towing roll-back. Once the race got going it was no contest as Cliff Steinmann set a blistering pace all 30 laps and took the win over second heat winner Doug Hopper, the only other car on the lead lap. Third spot went to Robert Campbell over Zack Rudd, Tom Meyer, Ric Mills, John Parrish, Cabre and Voisey. The Pro Challenge cars and trucks ran a pair of 25 lap features with both going to young Salt Springs driver Jarrett Snowden. After Bruce Gibson won the heat, it took Snowden 23 of the 25 laps to track down and pass leader Paul White. White had to settle for second trailed by Gibson, Rowdy Gordon, Ron Stanley, youngster Daniel Miller, who spun coming to the checker while in fourth spot, and Harvey Johnson. Miller tried to atone for his first race miscue by grabbing a big lead in the second feature. He led for eleven laps before the high-flying Snowden zipped by never to be headed. Miller's good run ended just three laps later with mechanical issues. White, Gibson, Gordon, Stanley, Johnson, Miller and David Hall rounded out the finishers. Critter Saile has taken a liking to Zach Harris' back-up car. Critter drove his "borrowed" mount to his fourth straight Bandolero Bandit win while Jake Perkins and Coty Bibeau were third and fourth, also for the fourth straight time. Daniel Conlin, Jr. and Cameron White were fourth and fifth. Zach Harris grabbed a relatively easy win in the Bandelero Young Guns out-distancing Donovan Ponder, Carl Haag and Danielle Stratton. The ABC Towing Hurricane feature turned out to be the best of the night as there were six lead changes among four different drivers. Mark Walls came back from blowing a radiator hose in the heat race to take the win over fellow Camaro driver and heat winner Brian Cosier. Rick Solomon, Jr. was a close third over John McMannen and Tim Walters, Jr. while Joey Silva, Tyler Smith, Ronald Chancey, Peter Coneau and Kenny Lokey rounded out the top ten. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!