"I'm
noticing a turn of the tide on racing Web sites like Florida's
Karnac.com, the gathering place for the most dedicated race
fans in the state." -Orlando Sentinel
Monster Truck show at the Charlotte County Motorsports Park. Bearfoot, Undertaker,American Thunder, Rock Solid and California Quake were the trucks that came and put on a great show for the fans for the entire weekend. We also had racing all three days with the Fab 4, Pro 4 and Florida Suncoast Outlaw Street Stocks running Friday night. Mini Stocks, Cars of Yesterday and the Open Wheel Modifieds ran on Saturday night with Sportsman and Road Warriors and Thunder Trucks ran together for a Hatfields and McCoys race on Sunday.
The Fab 4's started off the racing evening on Friday night with their twenty five lap feature. Tony Shore started on the pole, but on the start of the race Brandon Scott jumped to the lead. By lap seven Johnny Balzarano challenged Brandon Scott for the lead and took it from Scott the following lap. Barbara Hooper brought out the first caution on lap ten when her car came to a stop against the turn four wall. Five laps later Janine Ellwell spun out in turn three, which brought out the second and final caution for the Fab 4's. Johnny Balzarano won his third feature race for the season and will have to move to the Pro 4 division. Jason Perkins finished second and Brandon Scott was third.
Gene McClough brought the Pro 4's around to the green flag for their thirty five lap race. Brandon Reichert took the lead by the first lap from McClough. Codey Benoit took over the lead from Brandon Reichert took over the lead by the eleveneth lap. The only caution to wave was on lap twenty five when Derrick Horton and Bruce Gertes got together on the front stretch which resulted in Horton hitting the wall hard under the flagstand. Horton was ok, but the collision did end his evening.
With four laps remaining, Codey Benoit's car became under power coming out of turn two. Blaine Baer who was running behind Benoit at the time took advantage of the situation and grab the lead from Benoit. By the time Benoit got to turn three his car came back to power and went to chase down Blaine Baer. On the last lap Baer and Benoit were neck to neck for the win with Codey Benoit barely edging out Blaine Baer for the win. Blaine Baer had to settle for second with Brandon Reichert finishing third.
The last race of the evening for Friday was the Florida Suncoast Outlaw Street Stocks. There were six cars that led at some point of the fifty lap race. Austin Craig led them to the start of the race and led the first two laps before Jim Meiser took over the lead. Meiser would lead until lap five when Danny Daniels Jr passed Meiser for the top spot. On lap eighteen Stuart Vandevender who was running in the second position got into the back of Daniels, who was still leading.
he contact resulted in Daniels spinning out in the back stretch and bringing out the first caution. Danny Daniels Jr was given back the lead with VanDevender being sent to the rear of the field on the restart. Danny Daniels Jr spun out by himself on lap twenty while he was still leading the race. Daniels was sent to the rear for the caution and this handed the lead over to Shane Leonard. Leonard led until lap twenty seven when something broke on his car and fell off the pace and into the pits.
By this time Stuart VanDevender marched his way back through the field and took the lead from Leonard. The same fate would happen for VanDevender five laps later and he had to pull his car to the infield. This then gave the lead to Roger Blevins, who would go on to win the race. Danny Daniels Jr rebounded from his spin to finish second and Richard McClough came in third.
For the Saturday night show the Cars of Yesterday started off the racing with two, eight lap heat races. On the first heat race John Paridise started on the pole. Jerry Mullens took the lead from Paridise at the start of the race. Mullens led until the last lap when Chuck Mixon took over the lead and won the first heat race. Jerry Mullens and Dennis Copenhaver completed the top three. For the second, eight lap heat race for the Cars of Yesterday, Bill Sandage led them to the green flag. Tim Bush took the lead fron Sandage on the start and went on to win the second heat race. Steve Teasdale was second and Tom Bingham came in third.
Mini Stocks were the first feature race for the evening with Emory Murrah on the pole. Ricky Bullard Jr jumped to the early lead with the first caution coming out on lap six. Robert Carter was battling Joe Rice for the third position when Carter got into the side of Rice's car, with Rice spinning out in turn four. On the restart Jesse Dutilly battled for the lead with Ricky Bullard .
The following lap Dutilly successfully passed Bullard for the lead. There was debris on the track on lap eighteen bringing out the caution. On the restart of lap eighteen John Bailey and Emory Murrah got together on the frontstretch with Murrah spinning out. Jesse Dutilly went on to win the thirty five lap feature. Ricky Bullard Jr finished in the second spot and John Bailey was third.
The Cars of Yesterday came back out for their fifteen lap feature event with Dennis Copenhaver leading the group to the start of the race. Once the green flag waved Jerry Mullen took the lead for the first two laps. Dennis Copenhaver passed Mullen on lap three to take over front spot, hoewever he would only lead till lap six when Steve Teasdale came from the back of the pack to take over the lead from Copenhaver. The only caution to come out was on lap eleven, that is when Mark Simpson spun out out in turn four. On the restart Eric Hill challenged Steve Teasdale for the lead and took it over for only one lap and Teasdale regained the lead again and went on to capture the victory. Eric Hill had to settle for second while Tom Bingham came in the third position.
The last race for Saturday night was the fifty lap Q Auto Injury Attorneys Open Wheel Modified feature. Wayne Jefferson set the fast time in qualifying and started in ninth spot with Vernon Hart Jr on the pole. Johnny Allen went to the lead once the race was under way. On the second lap Eric Rudd battled with Allen for the lead and brought out the first caution. Johnny Allen had turned down into Eric Rudd's car in turn one, but it was Allen who went spinning and sent to the rear of the field for the restart of the race and handed the lead over to Eric Rudd.
The next caution to wave was on lap twelve. Doug Miller got into the rear of Doug Moff's car spinning Moff around in turn one. Moff was involved in the next caution on lap ninteen, this time Jeremy Gerstner had ran into the back of Moff in turn two, sending Moff spinning again. The last caution to come out was on lap thirty two when polesitter Vernon Hart Jr looped his car around in turn two. Eric Rudd was awarded the offical victory with LB Skaggs and Doug Moff completing the top three.
Sunday afternoon was the last day for the Monster Truck show and racing. Road Warriors ran two heat races for eight laps each with Blaine Baer on the pole for the first heat race. Baer led the entire caution free heat race to capture the win. Dean Butrum came in the second spot while Chris Scott finished in third. On the second heat race Jerry Tetting started his new car on the pole postion. On the start of the heat race Kenny Gibson jumped to the lead for the first three laps. Jeff Firestine got around Gibson on lap four to take over the lead and went on to win the second heat race. Terry Price was second and Kenny Gibson was third.
Sportsman were the first feature race of the afternoon. Brian Richardson started on the pole position and took the lead on the first lap, however on lap two Wayne Morris took over the lead from Richardson. Donnie Ollie Jr brought out the first caution when his car went spinning in the back stretch with help from Jason Stifle. Timmy Lowe brought out the next caution on lap eighteen when his car came to a stop on the top on turn one after contact with Roger Welch.
Wayne Morris was still leading on lap twenty nine, when he was trying to put Steve Gainey down another lap going into turn one. Gainey who was several laps down drove into the side of Morris car and tore up the right side of Morris car and Gainey went straight into the tires in turn one bringing out the final caution. Gainey was disqualfied for unsportman like conduct.
Even thought it did not look pretty after the collision Wayne Morris was able to continue and was able to go on to win the Sportsman feature. Aaron Williamson finished in the close second while Ron Heard Jr came in the third spot.
The final race of the weekend was the Hatfields and McCoys fifty lap feature. The field featured both the Road Warriors and the Thunder Truck divisions. Dustin Strott sat on the pole when the green flag waved to only have the caution to come out immediately when a couple of cars got together on the start of the race. Strott led the first couple of laps before the caution would come out again when Clint Snyder hit the front stretch wall.
On the restart of lap two Jeff Pacheco got into Blaine Baer, sending Baer spinning into the top of turn two. On the second restart of the race Terry Price spun his car out in turn one. After a couple of laps Dean Burtum caught up to the leader and passed him to take over the lead. After the halfway mark, David Moor put his Thunder Truck out in the lead and never looked back to take the win.
Dean Butrum finished second in the race, but was declared the Road Warrior winner. Jeff Firestine was second for the Road Warriors and Logan Leonard finished in third for the Road Warriors. Lance Sober came in second for the Thunder Trucks while Jay Justice was third.
