IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

March 22, 2009 Butler Two for Two in Sprints at Charlotte County By Dave Sully (Punta Gorda, Florida) The characters were the same and the result was the same. Only the script was slightly different, as Keith Butler won his second 30 lap Checkered Flag Sprint series race at Charlotte County Motorsports Park on Saturday, March 21. The veteran Butler, from Riverview, made another late race pass to snatch the victory from Gary Gimmler in a replay of the February 21st opener, but unlike the previous win, it was lapped cars that spelled the difference, not a convenient late race caution that set up the winning move. Gimmler took the lead from Amanda Ferguson on an early restart with brother Mark and Butler following, to set up a three car chase through the early stages. Butler quickly moved to second and began hounding Gimmler, who doggedly clung to the bottom of the race track as Butler tried everything to unnerve him. On lap eighteen the first of two key moments in the race occurred when Gimmler caught a lapped car in turn three, allowing Butler a chance down low. As he tried to wedge underneath, there was contact, with Gimmler getting sideways in turn four. Butler backed off, while Gimmler collected his sprinter and retained the lead. Butler took up the chase once more, but couldn’t marshal a passing move until lap twenty- seven when the lap eighteen scenario presented itself again. This time the lapped car was on the front chute and Butler was able to sneak under Gimmler to take the lead and the win. Gimmler ended up second, while Scott Adema , who passed Mark Gimmler earlier finished third. Mark Gimmler and Dustin Henderson completed the top five. Butler explained the incidents with the lapped cars, saying, “I kept trying to diamond him, but when he came off a little lower than I thought he was going to, got into the back of him a little bit. I thought I was under him, but when he started coming down a little bit, I tried to get through the infield, but unfortunately we banged wheels. Fortunately, we both kept going, and it (the same move) worked later in the race.” Gimmler, a bridesmaid once again, noted, “We started off pretty good, but after the car got a few laps on it, it started to push in the middle of the corners. When it does that, you gotta wait on it, and when you gotta wait on it, people catch you in the middle of the corner and set you up coming off. Eventually Keith got me, but we’ll work on it some more and get it better.” In other racing, Billy Campbell, running second, avoided a wreck that took out front runner Cliff Stenimann and third place Doug Hopper, to capture the Outlaw Modified feature; Aaron Williamson cruised to an easy win in the 50 lap Sportsman feature when his close pursuer, LJ Grimm, retired with mechanical problems; Derrick Horton took the Pro Four Feature; Johnny Balzarando prevailed in a spirited battle with Josh Flesher to win the Fab Fours feature; Dave Davis took the Outlaw Street Stock event, and Tom Bingham came from far back to overhaul Tim Brush on the final lap to win the Race Cars of Yesterday event. NOTE: A good crowd was on hand for the action, which included an appearance by the Green Mamba Jet Car, with its unique demonstration of mayhem, and a rousing figure eight boat race��..A special visit was made by the Blue Angels, the NavNavy precision flying team that performed their aerobatic skills earlier in the day at an air show at the Punts Gorda Airport, a cross the street from the track. They were greeted warmly by the crowd and posed for pictures with interested fans. Checkered Flag Sprint Result: (30 laps) Keith Butler, Gary Gimmler, Scott Adema, Mark Gimmler, Dustin Henderson, Amanda Ferguson, Randy Woodall, Rocky LoPresto, Billy Boyd Jr., Jason Bradford. DNS- Geoff Styner. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!