IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

October 19, 2008 Herb Neumann Jr. Closer to 2008 L.M. Championship by Larry MacMillan (Inverness, Fl. 10/18/08) With only three weeks left in the Citrus County Speedway Racing season and the final race to wind up the Super Late Model Season just two weeks away Herb Neumann came to work Saturday night with one thought in mind. That was to put some more cushion on his road to another Late Model Championship at his home race track. With a 14 car field going in heats and a 35 lap feature race he managed a 3rd place finish in his heat race and then came back to launch the #98 out of 6th to motor to his 5th feature win of the season. In doing so he all but locked up the 2008 championship gaining 6 points on Richie Smith who now is 24 points out of the top spot in the point’s race. Richie is being chased by former Late Model Champion Scott Grossenbacher by just 8 points after a third place finish Saturday night. Daniel Webster came off the outside pole and led most of the race until Neumann put the hammer down in the final laps to make the pass leaving Daniel to hold off the charges of Scott Grossenbacher, Dustin DesChamp and Richie Smith rounding out the top five. Webster also won the 2nd heat and Perry Lovelady took the win in the first heat. The Sportsman division is also providing another tight race for the 2008 championship with only two more races before it’s all over. Saturday night only saw 12 cars in the running and 7 of the top ten were in their 20 lap main, chasing Tom Posavec for the crown. Clint Foley earned the pole position and wasted no time setting the pace from the get go despite an early crash that took out point runner up Bobby Ervien in the first lap that caused one of three restarts before the race really got on course. Ervien was unable to get back into the race and gave Tom Posavec a 22 point lead for the 2008 crown. Foley got the lead on each restart and never gave it up while Ernie Reed locked down a solid second place finish. Rounding out the top five were Posavec, T.J. Chambers and David White. Heat Winner’s were Foley and Reed. In the Street Stock 25 lap main it was all Tommy Smith despite two runs at him from point leader Tim Quick. Tommy was untouchable from the green flag from his pole starting position. Quick moved through traffic and rode his teammates’ bumper into turn two when both cars got spun. After admitting causing the caution flag spin Quick went to the rear of the field for the restart and wasted no time turning up the RPM’s and driving through traffic to put the pressure on Smith right to the checkered flag. Frank Stromquist started and finished third ahead of Tom Potts who survived an earlier spin while Kyle Peters came back from the back of the pack to salvage a fifth place finish. With only 14 cars there were no heat races. Young 14 year old Brandon Watson continues to be the man to beat in the 4 Cylinder Bomber Division locking down his 2nd win in a row and 6th of the season. It only took Brandon three laps to move from 8th to first and it was all over but the Kodak moment in Victory Lane over the 22 car field. Shawn Evans motored from 11th to second but just couldn’t reel in Watson in the final laps and spent the final five keeping Richard Kuhn off his rear bumper. Kuhn has locked down the 2008 championship with only 1 feature win but consistently staying in the top five throughout the season. Rounding out the top five were defending champion Jeff Eberly and Tim Scalise. Brandon also took the win in the first heat while Chris Snow won the second heat. With 91 racers registered in the Pure Stock division this has become the most contested and closest run for the championship. It comes down to a two driver run between John Drye and Bill Ryan as they came into the night with just 3 points separating them. After the heat races Bill Ryan picked up 1 point on Drye. Then came the 25 car feature with Drye starting 14th and Ryan starting 16th. On two different occasions Ryan got taken out and almost damaged the car to a point it was questionable as to whether he would be able to continue. Despite the problem he was able to stay in the race. Curtis Flanagan managed to miss the early contact at the tail end of the starting field and made his way through traffic to find Victory Lane for the first time this season followed by 18th starter Richie Smith. James Peters survived a spin at mid race and got his spot back at the caution to salvage a third place finish. Richard Henick moved from 9th to finish fourth just ahead of early leader Steven Stinedurf. Then came the two drivers who were battling for the point lead with John Drye picking up 2 points with a sixth place finish followed by Bill Ryan and they will go into the final two races in November just 4 points apart. They are the only two drivers in the running for the crown and it will probably go right down to the final night on November 8th. Closing out the night were the V8 Thunder Stock Rookies and they came in 18 cars strong. Cory Swanston started 6th looking like he would be the man to beat when he took the point and checking out on the field to the checkered flag. Tech took care of that problem with a D.Q. Another driver Levi Roberts in his first race was driving like he had been there before got second place taken away from him in Tech for weighing in too light. Levi weighs 35 to 40 pounds less than Curtis Flanagan who won in the Pure Stock feature in the same car and they didn’t add fuel so that’s why the car made it through tech earlier and not in the final race of the night. Alex Wilder inherited the win with his third place finish followed by Tom McKay, Drew Matissek, Jamie Shahid and Austin Roberts. The second Suitcase Race of the year was a big hit with the fans. Twenty four drivers signed up for the two races that saw Tim Scalise take the win in race 1 and Daniel Webster the winner in race 2. The best dressed and Miss Citrus County Speedway went to Kyle Peters with some rather suggestive dance moves to show off his ladies outfit. Next Saturday night is “Trick or Treat Night” with the Open Wheel Modified, Mini Cup Drivers, Sportsman, Mini Stocks, Street Stocks, 4 Cylinder Bombers and Figure 8 drivers racing and bringing tons of candy for the kids which will be distributed during intermission on the speedway in honor of Halloween. So bring the kids with a big bag because they will make out like bandits from the drivers. Citrus County Speedway Results – 10/18/08 Super Late Model Feature – 35 Laps – 14 Cars 1. #98 Herb Neumann Jr. – Inverness – 5th Season Win 2. # 3 Daniel Webster – Brooksville 3. #09 Scott Grossenbacher – San Antonio 4. #51 Dustin DesChamp – Brooksville 5. #33 Richie Smith – Hernando 1st Heat Winner - #9 Perry Lovelady – Lakeland 2nd Heat Winner - # 3 Daniel Webster Sportsman Feature – 20 Laps – 12 Cars 1. # 7 Clint Foley – Dunnellon – 6th Season Win 2. #55 Ernie Reed – Lecanto 3. #01 Tom Posavec – Dunnellon 4. #57 T.J. Chambers - ? 5. # 6 David White – Brooksville 1st Heat Winner - # 7 Clint Foley 2nd Heat Winner - #55 Ernie Reed Street Stock Feature – 25 Laps – 14 Cars 1. #93 Tommy Smith – Hernando – 4th Season Win 2. #97 Tim Quick – Lecanto 3. #57 Frank Stromquist – Lecanto 4. # 3 Tom Potts - ? 5. #33% Kyle Peters - ? No Heat Races Run 4 Cylinder Bomber Feature – 20 Laps – 22 Cars 1. #66 Brandon Watson – Dunnellon – 6th Season Win 2. #46 Shawn Evans – Williston 3. #47 Richard Kuhn – Ocala 4. #01 Jeff Eberly – Spring Hill 5. #48 Tim Scalise – Lutz 1st Heat Winner - #66 Brandon Watson 2nd Heat Winner - #29 Chris Snow – Dunnellon Pure Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 25 Cars 1. #35 Curtis Flanagan – Floral City 2. #142 Richie Smith – Hernando 3. # 5 James Peters – Monteverde 4. #60 Richard Henick – Inverness 5. #0 Steven Stinedurf – Brooksville 1st Heat Winner - #35 Curtis Flanagan 2nd Heat Winner – #142 Richie Smith 3rd Heat Winner – #33 Bill Ryan – Bushnell V8 Thunder Stock Feature – 20 Laps – 18 Cars 1. #14 Alexander Wilder – Floral City – 2nd Season Win 2. #30 Tom McKay - ? 3. #68 Drew Matissek – New Port Richey 4. # 3 Jamie Shahid – Floral City 5. #31 Austin Roberts – Inverness Suitcase Race #1 – 5 Laps – 12 Cars 1. #48 Tim Scalise 2. #46 Rick Kuhn 3. #98 D.J. Macklin Suitcase Race #2 – 5 Laps – 12 Cars 1. #3 Daniel Webster 2. #11 ???? 3. #26 Nathan Florian Miss err Mr. CCS Queen for a Night – Kyle Peters Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!