IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

February 6, 2009 Scot Walters Wires SLM Field at Charlotte County By Dave Sully (Punta Gorda, FLorida) Veteran Scot Walters, from Naples, a former Craftsman Truck Series competitor, rode his pole position start to lead every lap, scoring a narrow victory in the hundred lap Super Late Model feature at Charlotte County Motorsports Park on a chilly Saturday, January 31st. An intrepid group of fans were on hand for the special event and weren’t disappointed in the racing, despite a lower than anticipated car count. Though some twenty-one drivers had made verbal commitments to appear, including Wayne Anderson and son Richie, and Anthony Campi, among others, twelve drivers made the tow to Punta Gorda. Though fewer in numbers, the drivers who appeared were a classy bunch, with defending champion Joe Winchell, runner-up Scott Grossenbacher, former NASCAR driver Bill Bigley Jr., young BJ McLeod, and Mike “Hollywood Franklin among them. At the drop of the green, Walters established control as the battle for second became the flashpoint of the race. Joe Boyd eased past Franklin for second after two laps and for the next sixty-five laps, attempts to root him out of that spot occupied the field as Walters cruised away at the front. Franklin was Boyd’s chief tormenter early, as he tried everything he could to supplant the slower Boyd. On lap seventeen, he made contact with Boyd in turn three, sending him around, with Franklin banished to the rear while Boyd got his spot back. Next it was Winchell’s turn to try to wrest second from Boyd, joined later by Sean Lemaster. The three put on a dazzling display until lap forty-five when Lemaster wedged underneath Winchell to make a move on Boyd, clipping him in the rear in the process and sending him around once again. As before, the aggressor was sent to the rear, while Boyd retained his position. Tuffy Hester took over second to continue the assault on Boyd, and following a spin by Grossenbacher on lap sixty-five, was able to dispatch Boyd on the restart, taking McLeod and Franklin with him. Hester was able to bother Walters few times over the remaining laps, but couldn’t muster a passing move. At the line, it was Walters by about two car lengths, with McLeod, Grossenbacher, and Bigley, who pitted on lap forty-five to adjust his car, rounding out the top five. Walters collected $3,000 for the win. Of his race with Hester, Walters, driving the only Ford in the race, noted, “He did a good job. If you look down there on (his) tires, they’ve got Hoosier on them and we ran Goodyears. A little bit of an edge with the Hoosiers, but this Ford did good.” Hester added, “He was fast. It was a good race. I really would have liked to have gotten him there at the end, but he does a really good job and he’s got a good car. We finished second. I’m happy with that.” In other action, Richard Dupont from Buckingham won the thunder truck feature, Mike Lemaster from Naples won the in pro fours, David Foster, from Wildwood, was the winner in the combined street stock road warrior race, while Todd Blevins took the fab four feature. All of those were twenty-five lap events. NOTES: Grossenbacher set a fast time of 14.957, nearly eclipsing the mark of Dickie Anderson, 14.73, set in 1994……..The tough luck award had to go to LB Skaggs of Ft. Myers, who broke during hot laps, worked hard to get it fixed and then lost an oil line in a special warm-up session. The crew worked right up until race time and they were able to answer the green, but he only made a few laps before he had to retire……….It was family night for the popular Bigley, as his two sons raced in the pro four division. Fourteen year old Dylan won the heat and finished third in the feature, while his seventeen year old brother Corey finished seventh. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!