IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

November 26, 2008 Lonny Miller wins the Limited Late Model Feature at Desoto Super Speedway By: Tom Blakeley (November 22, 2008, Bradenton, Florida) It was a cold night to be racing but there was a hot time on the old Desoto Super Speedway asphalt oval tonight. Not a big crowd, not big car counts but there were big hearts behind the wheels of those racecars. The fans got treated to a great show and the drivers drove their hearts out. In the famous words of the Frankie Valle hit record “Oh What a Night”! The night got off to a quick start with the Street Stock Class taking to the track first. From the drop of the green flag by flagman Donald Smith the race was on. Casey Hall in the red #11 Camaro, wasted no time jumping into the lead at the green flag and he held it throughout the entire race. It was Casey’s first win of the year and he was thrilled. This season has been a struggle for the #11 car and Casey, but he finally got to take the checkered flag. There was plenty of action in this feature race. James Nanney in the #6 car hit the wall on the 10th lap and had to be towed to the pit. On lap 18 Alex Abbott in the good looking green #17 car hit the wall on the front stretch as he lost his steering and control arm. At the end of the race finishing in second place was Dale “Rock” Reigle in the #86 car. Right behind “Rock was Derek Lucas in the #88 car for a very respectable 3rd place. Now it was Rockem-Sockem time. The Bomber Class invaded the track and the hearts of the fans. Spreading peace, joy and paint these drivers drove a very intense and exciting but clean race. With very few yellow flags the race seemed to just fly by and going to Victory Circle at the checkered flag was the crowd favorite Steve “The Hammer” Elder in the black and blue #42 car. Steve also is second in the Bomber points race at Desoto Super Speedway. John “The Mayor” Stewart in the Hot Rod Racing #02 took second place and “The Mayor” is third in the Bomber points race. Taking a third place finish was Randy “Megan’s Dad” Spicer in the 83X car. Megan is in boot camp for her stint in the Air Force, so pops took the wheel for a race or two while she is gone. The Bombers, as usual, put on a great show. It was now time for the “thrill a minute” Pure Stock Class. This class is so evenly matched and so competitive that you look forward to see what happens from week to week. There was a lot of action tonight with Allen Bragg topping the action list when he lost a wheel on the 11th lap and hit the front stretch wall very hard. He was not hurt but had to have that great looking #89 car towed to the pit. Running a great race and winning another feature race at Desoto Super Speedway was “Rockin” Robert Crisp in the #2 tribute to Pops Thorbin car. Driving to an incredible 2nd place was points leader Randy Johnson in the Silver Bullet #73 car. Mark Pickelsimer in the black #07 car took third place. It was a great race, but we have come to expect that from this Class. Now it was Magic time, Magic 4’s time that is! Well, with the last race of the season for this Class and it being a double points night, you can imagine the hard driving. There was some dirt that had accumulated on the track and with the colder temperatures it made for a “sliding good time”. There were at least 10 yellow flags with spin outs galore. Overall these kids did what they always do…made their parents proud. There was some bumping and grinding but they handled themselves very well and drove the full 25 laps. Alex Patton was sent to the rear and still finished 2nd . With Alex’s finish he won the years championship for the Magic 4 Class. Winning the race was Jessica Ostrovskis in the pink #91 Hot Rod Racing car. Austin Cavey in the #20 car came in 3rd and drove a great race after starting in the rear. After the race Jessica Ostrovskis presented an early birthday present to Joann Danielson by giving her Jessica’s back up car, the #38 car, for her to have a car to drive next year. It brought tears to Joann’s eyes and the crowd went into a frenzy. What a class act that Ostrovskis family is. This was Jessica’s last race as a Magic 4 driver as she turned 17 years old and has decided to retire!!! To college that is. After a well needed intermission the ever popular Powder Puff race was on. This race even included a yellow flag on lap 9 for a flat tire on the #07 car that was in first place at the time. The ladies drove a race that they should be proud of and the winner was none other than a Magic 4 mom. Yes, Austin Cavey’s mom, Sherry Cavey won it in the #02 Hot Rod Racing Car. Taking second place was Sue Bass in the #88 car. Daphnie Wilson in the 4X car took third place. There was a lot of adrenaline flowing by race end and a good time was had by all the ladies that participated in the Powder Puff race. A very kind and good thing came about by having this Powder Puff race. The driver of the #5 car won the drive at a raffle to benefit United Way of Manatee County. The driver was Tara Boyer and the real hero’s behind her driving opportunity are Bill Manfull the car owner, who donated the drive to United Way. Also, the man who coordinated the raffle Mark Fransen. Mr. Fransen works for the Manatee County Public Works and this division has raised over $20,000 for fundraising events this year. Thank you Mr. Manfull and Mr. Fransen for caring, giving and helping, you did us all proud. They are our hero’s, folks. It was now Modified Mini Class time. What started out as the largest field of the night quickly shrunk as cars developed problems and had to pit early. Winning the race was Robbie Storer in his quick #3 car. Brian Dorer in the #97 car took second place. Mike Birk in the #10 car came from way back in the field to place third. The Modified Mini’s always run great races and they came through like champions tonight. The last event of the evening was the Limited Late Model feature race. The 30 lap race was won by Lonny Miller. It was his first win of the year and he was so thrilled he climbed the front-stretch fence in celebration. It had been a tough year for Lonny and his team, but he continued to work hard on his car. Several weeks ago he blew the motor in the car and had just put this new motor in to run this last Limited Late Model race of the season. Steve Gill in the #5 car took second place and Scott Holly in the #1 car was third. The #7 car of the Limited Late Model Class Champion Dustin Chisholm got tangled with the #5 car of Steve Gill early in the race and had to pit early. There was a report after the race that the driver of the #5 car went after the driver of the #7 car and they had to be separated by security personnel. Looks like even on a cold night tempers can still get warm, that is too bad. It was a good night for Hot Rod Racing as the team took two first place events and one second place event. Sherry Cavey took first place in the Hot Rod 02 car in the Powder Puff, Jessica Ostrovskis took first place in the pink #91 car in Magic 4’s which is a Hot Rod Racing car, and John “The Mayor” Stewart took second place in the Bomber class. Congratulations to Hot Rod Racing. Next Saturday November 29th will be the final race of the season at Desoto Super Speedway. Join us as we will have the Bombers, Street Stocks, Champ Karts, Desoto Pro trucks 50 lap feature, Pure Stocks, Open Wheel Modified, and the School Bus Figure 8’s. Bring the family for an evening of racing action. We are located just 9 miles East of I-75 on State Route 64. If you have questions please call us at 941-748-3171 or check us out at www.desotosuperspeedway.com Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!