IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

February 15, 2009 Champions Crowned on Day 5 at Orlando SpeedWorld The weather was once again picture perfect as Orlando Speedworld wrapped up the fifth annual Winternationals in style as champions were crowned in all divisions. In fact, two of the championships had to be decided by tie-breakers. Blake Jones finished the Winternationals just the way he started, with a win in the Legends Car Charger class. Jones, who hails from Seiverville, TN, won his second race of the Series after also coming home first on Tuesday. Evan Finley, who also scored a pair of wins on the week, led the first four laps until the only caution of the race took place for a turn two tangle between Andy Yoder and Chris Young. On the restart, Jones moved past Finley and built up a comfortable lead as the remainder of the race ran under green. Josh Morris slipped by Finley for second late in the going while Matt Wallace and Tyler Mullins took the checker in fourth and fifth. Rounding out the top ten were Tony Bonavia, Taylor McKeever, Ted Filides, Yoder and Dean Kretsmas. Despite his third place finish on the final day, Finley, from Hudson, OH, claimed the 2009 Winternationals championship for the Charger class. Tyler Kivett of Prince Frederick, MD took home the first place trophy on the final day of racing in the Legends Car Semi-Pro division. It was Kivett's third win of the week which also earned him the points title over local driver Alex Kempf who had the other two wins on the week. Kempf was put at a disadvantage early on. After setting quick time, a tire issue in tech disallowed his time trial and he had to start scratch on the field. Kivett started fifth but grabbed the lead from Michael Lester on lap three and that was all she wrote as Kivett sped to an easy win in the all green flag race. Kempf worked his way to second by lap 12 but Kivett was too far in front by that time and Kempf never got a needed caution flag. Lester had a great run for third ahead of Hunter Bledsoe and Zach Weaver. Brandon Huff, Zach Alspach, Cullen Camasta, George Cushman and Drew Higginson completed the top ten. Clay Hair got off to an unaccustomed slow start in the Legend Car Masters division but had it all together by the end of the week in claiming yet another Winternationals title. But it was one Ira Laughey stealing Hair's thunder on the final day. John Sossoman led the first five laps which included a caution for a spin by Chris Weddle on lap four. Weddle was running fourth at the time. Following the restart, Minnesota's Tim Brockhose slipped by Sossoman for the lead but the two remained close, in fact too close on lap ten as they tangled in turn three sending both to the rear for the restart. One lap later, Brockhouse had something let go on his car and he pounded the turn four wall. Brockhouse was unhurt but his car was done for the day. Hair was the benefactor of the leaders getting together but he led just one lap before Laughey zipped by into a lead he would never relinquish. Laughey, competing in his first Winternationals, was steady all week and the driver all the way from Calgary, Alberta sped to a big win. Laughey was running out of the big stable of Nick Pistone race cars. Hair took the checker in the runner-up slot followed by Bob Merino, Cy Harvey and local Speedworld hot shoe Dave Gleason. The remainder of the top ten were Weddle, Darrell Vance, Marty Griffin, Carlos "Mercury" Moore and Joe Graf. Hair actually ended up tied in points with Sossoman, but his two wins to Sossoman's one gave Hair the title. It also came down to a tie-breaker in the Legend Car Young Lions division as Evan Swilling of Cohutta, GA took the win on the final day which allowed him to take the Young Lions title over steady Harrison Rhodes. The two were tied at the end of Saturday's activity, but Swilling scored two wins to none for Rhodes which earned Swilling the championship. In Saturday's Young Lions feature, it was Dale Dodge, Jr. moving out to an early lead from the pole but he got together with Justin Grimes during the second lap sending both to the back for the restart. That gave the lead to Swilling and he took charge from that point slowed only by a lap seven spin by Scott Hensley. Chase Elliott, in a back-up car after a huge crash on Friday, had his best run of the week coming home a close second in front of Travis Braden, Cody Humphreys and Trevor Alspach. Rounding out the top ten were Hensley, Tyler Lester, Rhodes, Grimes and Austin Leitner. The Legend Car Pro division saw some awesome racing among some of the best in the business all week and Saturday was no different. Daniel Hemric jumped out to an early lead but had a freight train of foes right on his tail. Hemric looked to have things in hand but the only caution flag of the race for Darren Sherwood and Cameron Patrick on lap 17 proved to be his undoing. Legend Car veteran Jimmy Heavlow got his chance at that point and didn't waste his opportunity as he pounced into the lead on lap 19 and set the pace the rest of the way for the victory. Hemric came home in second but the Kannapolis, NC driver was consoled by the fact he'd earned enough points to win the 2009 Winternational Pro division title. Third through fifth were Kyle Beattie, Dylan Ames and Kory Abbott with the second five consisting of Mike Alcaro, Currie Pierce, Ronnie Bassett, Jr., Patrick and Sherwood. The Pro Challenge cars & trucks wrapped up their two days of racing with yet another 50 lap race run green to checker. All total, the class ran 100 laps over two days without one yellow flag being thrown. Kyle Benjamin set fast time but it was Georgia's Brandon Williamson who set the early pace after winning on Friday. Benjamin was having a fantastic pair of race days despite crashing his primary car in practice on Thursday. Williamson led the first 40 laps and looked to be on his way to back-to-back wins but Benjamin had other ideas as he chased down the leader and took over the remaining ten laps for the victory. Williamson was second, and, coupled with his win on Friday while Benjamin finished third, earned him the Winternationals Pro Challenge title. Brady Boswell, just eleven years of age, crossed the stripe in third ahead of Jarrett Snowden and Kyle Wilson while Tim Forbes, Ken Nicholson, Malcom McMaster, Jacob Wallace and Brad Samders rounded out the top ten. Boswell was doing double duty also running in the Bandolero Bandits. Not only did he win on Saturday, but he had three wins total on the week and took the Bandits points title as well. On Saturday, Boswell had a pretty easy time of it taking the win over the Weatherman brothers Kyle and Clayton while Tanner Rumberg was fourth. Brandon Bassett took his third straight win and the point championship in the Beginner Bandits taking Saturday's win over Joseph Graf and Macey Causey. Brandon's older brother, "Spark Plug" Dillon Bassett came home with his fourth consecutive win in the Bandolero Young Guns and claimed a second title for the Bassett family. Jesse Little actually crossed the line second but did not have a working transponder and was disqualified moving track champion Donovan Ponder up to second ahead of Wes Railing, Jr., Justin Thomas and Luke Demis. Thunder Car honors on Saturday went to Adam Welch over Hunter Bledsoe, Jim Fluharty and Dave Sondles with Fluharty taking the championship. OFFICIAL RESULTS DAY 5 - ORLANDO SPEEDWORLD WINTER NATIONALS - FEB. 14, 2009 Thunder Car 1 - 54 Adam Welch 2 - 8 Hunter Bledsoe 3 - 5 Jim Fluharty 4 - 4 Dave Sondles Pro Challenge 1 - 71 Kyle Benjamin 2 - 20 Brandon Williamson 3 - 2 Brady Boswell 4 - 4 Jarrett Snowden 5 - 05 Kyle Wilson 6 - 04 Tim Forbes 7 - 34 Ken Nicholson 8 - 3 Malcolm Mcmaster 9 - 32 Tracy Wallace 10 - 12 Brad Sanders Masters 1 - 17 Ira Laughy 2 - 29 Clay Hair 3 - 42 Robert Merino 4 - 81 Cy Harvey 5 - 8 Larry Friddle 6 - 07 Dave Gleason 7 - 00 Chris Weddle 8 - 87 Darrell Vance 9 - 15 Marty Griffin 10 - 9 Carlos Moore 11 - 16 Joe Graf 12 - 13 Jackie Ryan 13 - 65 Gary Bursey 14 - 20 Doug Dugger 15 - 1 Hoyt Demis 16 - 14 John Sossoman 17 - 00X Tim Brockhouse 18 - 55 Kevin Foisy Bandolero Young Guns 1 - 44 Dillon Bassett 2 - 8 Donovan Ponder 3 - 51 Wes Railing 4 - 99 Justin Thomas 5 - 03X Luke Demis 6 - 03 Jesse Little Pro 1 - 48 Jimmy Heavlow 2 - 21 Daniel Hemric 3 - 84 Kyle Beattie 4 - 77 Dylan Ames 5 - 5 Kory Abbott 6 - 39 Mike Alcaro 7 - 16 Currie Pierce 8 - 04 Ronnie Bassett Jr. 9 - 20 Cameron Patrick 10 - 111 Darren Sherwood 11 - 05 Bayley Currey 12 - 33 Rette Causey 13 - 66 Dusty Davis 14 - 62 Andrew Smith Bandolero Bandits 1 - 2X Brady Boswell 2 - 6 Kyle Weatherman 3 - 18 Clayton Weatherman 4 - 15 Tanner Rumburg 5 - 44 Brandon Bassett 6 - 33 Macy Causey 7 - 12 Joseph Graf Semi-Pro 1 - 66 Tyler Kivett 2 - 99 Alex Kempf 3 - 13 Michael Lester 4 - 8 Hunter Bledsoe 5 - 166 Zach Weaver 6 - 21 Brandon Huff 7 - 67 Zachary Alspach 8 - 20C Cullen Camasta 9 - 31 George Cushman 10 - 02 Drew Higginson Young Lions 1 - 1 Evan Swilling 2 - 9 Chase Elliott 3 - A1 Travis Braden 4 - 43 Cody Humphreys 5 - 76 Trevor Alspach 6 - 5 Scott "the Hensley 7 - 01 Tyler Lester 8 - 36 Harrison Rhodes 9 - 63 Justin Grimes 10 - 05 Austin Leitner 11 - 19 Chad Finchum 12 - 99 Jake Morris 13 - 8 Dale Dodge, Jr. Have an opinion on this story? 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