IT'S TIME TO RACE!!

April 12, 2009 Volusia sees Plenty of Action on Saturday Night by Jane Smith Barberville, FL (April 11, 2009) The straw was flying at Volusia Speedway Park as the kids had a ball hunting Easter eggs and candy. The Easter Bunny made a special appearance on the eve of his busiest work day to help the kids with Easter fun. Plastic eggs and candy were a hit as the kids worked their way thru the straw for hidden goodies. None were disappointed and a few even won special prizes hidden in the plastic eggs. After the Easter Egg hunt, it was time for the dust to fly as the twenty four car Sportsman field took to the track. Three heats were in order with Todd Ponce, Garret Stewart, and Drew Smith taking the heat wins. Points leader Shaun Daugharty had the pole for the 20 lap feature and quickly took the point over Drew Smith, Todd Ponce, Garret Stewart, and Steve Shead. But by lap 2, Smith passed Daugharty and took over the lead followed by Ponce, Daugharty, Stewart and Shead. The caution came out on lap 4 for Trevor Gamble and Marc Kinley who got together under the flagstand. Both were towed in as Alan Peacock suffered nose damage during the incident and Dan Lane Sr. was also involved. Cars were towed in and the track was cleared for the restart. Smith on the outside, Ponce on the inside as the green flag waved but just as fast as the green was shown, the yellow came out for a bad start. Once again, Smith on the inside, Ponce on the outside as Smith took the point over Ponce, Shead, Stewart and Shane Nichols. One lap later, Nichols spins in turn 2 with everyone avoiding him but Matt McGillivray who hits the stopped car. Nichols goes into the pits for some crew attention as McGillivray is towed into the pits, done for the night. Restart lap 5 once again has a bad start with a second restart in order. On the second restart, Smith takes the point over Ponce, Shead, Stewart, and Aaron Barsness. Suddenly, Alan Peacock is off the pace and takes his ill running machine to the pits. Stewart begins to look on Shead for third but Shead closes the door. On lap 11, while running fifth, Barsness spins on the frontstretch bringing out the caution. Barsness rejoins the field in the rear and the race goes back green. Smith continues to lead the way over Ponce, Stewart, Shead and now Ken Hall, Jr. Ponce wants the point and challenges Smith but Smith shuts the door. It is now Smith, Ponce, Stewart, Shead, Hall, Jr., Levi Cribbs, Sammy Dale, David Foster, Jr., Matt Johnson, Heinz Haas, and Scott Kerr. Lap 16 sees David Foster, Jr. wave his hand out the window and he goes into the pits for the night. Lap 18 sees Ponce take the point as Smith spins on the frontstretch and slightly hits the inside retaining wall. With only two laps to go, Smith rejoins the field in the rear as Ponce takes the point for the green. Just as it looks like Ponce is headed for his first win of the season, the car begins to smoke and Ponce is forced to retire to the pits as Garret Stewart takes over the point. Stewart takes the checkered followed by Steve Shead, Ken Hall, Jr., Aaron Barsness, and Levi Cribbs. Luke Sadler took not only the heat win but the feature win for the Thunder Stocks. Points leader Scott Mooers had nothing but trouble in the heat and it seemed to follow him to the feature. Mooers had the pole for the 10 lap feature but brought out the yellow on lap 1 as he spun in turn 2. On the restart, it was the tire of Doug White who took the point on the green as it flew off the car and was making it's way to Victory Lane. White was fine but you can't race on three tires and he was forced to retire for the night in the pits. Four cars are left for the restart as Luke Sadler leads the way over Mooers, Richard Calmes, and Robert Schrunk. Mooers, who has a bad push, tries but cannot pass Sadler. Schrunk puts the heat on Calmes and takes over third as Calmes goes to fourth. Calmes seems to have a right front tire going down but does not quit. Sadler takes the win and is the first different winner in Thunder Stocks since the season began followed by Scott Mooers, Robert Schrunk, and Richard Calmes. Jamie Carter, Nick Kirkus, and Jimmy Carter took the heat wins for the twenty car field of Modifieds. Points leader Rob Underwood saw his hope of a good night go up in smoke during the heat race and was unable to compete for the feature. Tiny Greene, had a great run at Ocala Speedway on Friday night, had the pole for their 20 lap feature but it was Jimmy Carter who quickly took the point on the green followed by Greene, Jamie Carter, Nick Kirkus, and Jason Davis. Davis wastes no time passing Kirkus for fourth as he does not seem to know how to drive on more than three wheels and flies around Volusia Speedway Park. Lap 2 sees the yellow for Jeff Sweeney who has spun on the backstretch. Once again Jimmy Carter takes the point on the green followed by Greene, Jamie Carter, and Davis but the caution comes out fast as there is a big pile-up in turn 3 involving Dale Murray, Nick Kirkus, Randy Hecker, Zach Permann, and Larry Burkins. Hecker is unable to return as Murray and Kirkus quickly pit for crew attention. And this is only lap 3. Murray and Kirkus rejoin the field in the rear as Jimmy Carter takes the point on the restart. But it is a short start as the caution comes out again on lap 4 for Rick Scott who has spun on the frontstretch and hit the inside retaining wall. Scott is fine and the race goes back green as nephew Jamie Carter is on the inside and uncle Jimmy Carter is on the outside. This time it is Jamie Carter who grabs the point over uncle Jimmy Carter, Davis, Greene and Kent Corbin. Kirkus, who was sent to the rear for a caution, is quickly making his way back up as he runs seventh. But just as it is getting really interesting, the caution comes out again on lap 7 for Zach Permann who has hit the retaining wall in turns 3 and 4. Restart lap 8 sees Jamie Carter once again on the point followed by Jimmy Carter, Davis, Greene and Corbin. Corbin puts the heat on Greene and takes over fourth as Greene settles into fifth. Suddenly, the leader has disappeared and is off the track with a broken machine giving the lead back to his uncle Jimmy Carter followed by Davis, Corbin, Greene and Cody Blair. Blair, who is running his second dirt modified race and had never raced on dirt before in his life, has taken to dirt like a duck takes to water. Blair is well known in the asphalt world for his talent behind the wheel of a Mini Stock and Pro Truck but his car owner traded Charlie Macnichol a truck for one of his dirt modifieds. Blair jumped behind the wheel for the first time April 4th and almost won his heat race tonight. According to Blair's car owner, they have not touched the car at all since getting it from Macnichol and have no idea of how to set up a dirt car but hope to buy new shocks for it soon. Lap 12 sees Greene put the heat on Corbin, who normally drives a Late Model, and takes over third. Greene, who will have major back surgery in two weeks, has done very well since returning on April 4th to Volusia in his modified. Zach Permann brings out the caution on lap 13 as he spins off turn 2. With the race half way completed, it is a single file restart as Carter leads the way over Davis, Greene, Corbin, and Blair. Davis really puts the heat on and is flying around the speedway but cannot pass Carter. Jimmy Carter holds on and takes the checkered for his first feature win of the season followed by Jason Davis, Tiny Greene, Kent Corbin, and Cody Blair. Up next are the 4 Cyl Challengers with a small field for them of sixteen cars. Mark Comitale has the pole for the 15 lap feature but it is RJ Glaser who takes the point on the green followed by Comitale, Danny Lunn, Tony Laporta, and Jamie Anderson. Laporta puts the heat on and takes over second just as Anderson brings out the caution on lap 2 for a spin in turns 3 and 4. Lap 3 sees the green but it is very short as Comitale spins in turn 1 and goes in for the night. Laporta on the inside, Glaser on the outside for the restart as Laporta quickly takes the point over Glaser, Lunn, Espy, and Casey Feaster. Lunn puts the heat on Glaser and takes over second as Glaser slides to third. David Ladrie does a great job of saving his machine as he gets very, very squirelly on the frontstretch but catches it and holds on to his ride. Espy puts the heat on Glaser for fourth but Glaser is having nothing to do with it and holds on to his position. The caution comes out briefly on lap 8 for a spin in turn 2. Single file restart sees Laporta lead the way over Lunn, Glaser, Espy, and Feaster. Gilford Williams takes a quick spin in turn 2 but quickly corrects his machine without bringing out the yellow and continues racing. Greg Bryson has problems and slows taking his machine into the pits. Laporta holds on and takes the checkered for yet another win followed by Danny Lunn, Gilbert Espy, RJ Glaser, and Casey Feaster. Danny Lunn and Tony Laporta took the heat wins. Phil Brown and Grady Christian took the heat wins for the Street Stocks as the 51 of Steve Oldaker had the pole for their feature race. It was three wide racing as the green waved as Oldaker had the point for a second but it was points leader Grady Christian who got the main spot followed by Kevin Durden, Ocala's winner on Friday night, Phil Brown, Charlie Macnichol, and Oldaker. The caution comes out on lap 3 for D.J. Nobles who spun in turn 2. With Christian on the inside and Durden on the outside, the green flag waves for the restart. Christian quickly takes the point but on lap 3, Christian spins in turn 2 bringing out the yellow. Christian must now rejoin the field in the rear for the restart as Durden takes the inside and Bubba Christian takes the outside. Durden quickly takes the point over Bubba Christian, Macnichol, Brown, and Steve Mooers. Mooers and Brown go side-by-side for fourth as Mooers wins the race and Brown settles into fifth. By lap 5, Bubba Christian has the point as Durden goes to second followed by Macnichol, Mooers, and Oldaker. Coming up fast and furious is Grady Christian who is now running seventh. Macnichol challenges Durden in lap 12 and takes over third as Christian is coming. Macnichol takes over first as Bubba Christian brings out the caution on lap 13 as he spins on his own down the frontstretch. Christian is fine but must go to the rear for the single file restart. Macnichol takes the point on the green followed by Durden, Mooers and Oldaker who has his hands full of Grady Christian who wants fourth. Christian wins the battle and takes over fourth as he looks on Mooers for third. Christian makes no bones about it and it heading for the front as he passes Durden on lap 15 for second. It is "watch out" Charlie Macnichol as Christian barrels by him and resumes the point. Pat Buckley retires his machine to the pits. Durden does a last minute charge on Macnichol for second but Macnichol holds on as Grady Christian takes the win followed by Charlie Macnichol, Kevin Durden, Steve Oldaker, and Steve Mooers. Next Saturday, April 18, the newly formed Top Gun Sprint Car Series, Florida Mini Sprints, Mini Stocks racing for a $500.00 purse and the Aerotec Aluminum 4-Cyl Challengers take center stage. Students will get a special break as they will be admitted for only $7.00 with school i.d. OFFICIAL RESULTS VOLUSIA SPEEDWAY PARK APRIL 11, 2009 MODIFIED 1. #75 Jimmy Carter 2. #145 Jason Davis 3. #54 Tiny Greene 4. #OK Kent Corbin 5. #81 Cody Blair 6. #66 Dale Murray 7. #54B Larry Burkins 8. #410 Nick Kirkus 9. #8 Rick Scott 10. #11 Charlie Macnichol 11. #41D Darron Smith 12. #21 Randy Hecker 13. #34A Jim Passino 14. #88 Don Rollison, Jr. 15. #92 Charlie Phillips 16. #57P Zach Permann 17. #15X Jamie Carter 18..#51 Jeff Sweeney 19. #41B Barry Sheffield DNS 20. #77 Rob Underwood DNS SPORTSMAN 1. #67 Garret Stewart 2. #10 Steve Shead 3. #03 Ken Hall, Jr. 4. #11 Aaron Barsness 5. #3C Levi Cribbs 6. #88 Sammy Dale 7. #29 Drew Smith 8. #96 Matt Johnson 9. #57 Karl Heinz Haas 10. #007 Todd Ponce 11. #8 Scott Kerr 12. #4 David Foster, Jr. 13. #5 Alan Peacock 14. #38 Collin Wright 15. #11c Corey Holley 16. #00 Shaun Daugharty 17. #65 Shane Nichols 18. #17 Marc Kinley 19. #64 Trevor Gamble 20. #05 Dan Lane, Sr. 21. #17H Blaise Hetznecker 22. #95 Matt McGillivray 23. #3 Ken Hall, Sr. DNS 24. #42M Timothy Miller DNS STREET STOCK 1. #36 Grady Christian 2. #12M Charlie Macnichol 3. #56 Kevin Durden 4. #51 Steve Oldaker 5. #95 Steve Mooers 6. #36S Kenny Sowers 7. #04 Bubba Christian 8. #11S James Smith 9. #20 D.J. Nobles 10. #77M Mark Maresca 11. #00 Rodney Wright 12. #41 Ron Frank 13. #34 Pat Buckley 14. #2S Mick Kulak 15. #13 Phillip Brown 16. #76 Italo Deblasi 4 CLY CHALLENGERS 1. #3T Tony Laporta 2. #39.5 Danny Lunn 3. #6E Gilbert Espy 4. #004 RJ Glaser 5. #20 Casey Feaster 6. #71 Ed Richards 7. #29L Daniel Laird 8. #11 David Ladrie 9. #01 Davey Wolf 10. #57A Jamie Anderson 11. #75 Gilford Williams 12. #20B Greg Bryson 13. #48 Mark Comitale 14. #35S Kevin Dugan 15. #42 Dalton Strehle DNS 16. #15 wILLIAM bUELL DNS THUNDER STOCK 1. #15 Luke Sadler 2. #10 Scott Mooers 3. #03 Robert Schrunk 4. #07 Richard Calmes 5. #14 James Sullivan, III 6. #17 Doug White DNS Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or Email KARNACto send a letter to the editor!