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Doug Hopper Wins the Outlaw Modified Feature race at ASA Sanctioned Desoto Super Speedway
By Tom Blakeley
(August 22,2009) Bradenton Florida It rained in the afternoon and looked like it would be another rain out, but Mother Nature smiled down at Desoto Super Speedway and it was Racing Time. Not a bad crowd considering the weather and lots of competition from NASCAR, the Buccaneers, and the Rays on TV. The Outlaw Modified traveling series came to town breathing fire and they really put on a show.
The 25 lap feature race of the Outlaw Modified’s was won by four time champion Doug Hopper in the orange and black #15 car. Billy Campbell in the #11 car took second place while Tommy Meyer in the #04 car won third place. It was a battle all the way with Hopper in the #15 and Campbell in the #11 going at it from the green flag. The two were side by side from lap 21 to the finish. It was a great race with a lot of clean driving and hard driving.
The Outlaw Modified class is the fastest of the 4 cylinder classes. The 6 lap heat race was won by Roy Campbell in the #91 car. The Outlaws will be back to Desoto on October 3. The Outlaws are the oldest continuously running traveling series in the state of Florida.
Originally conceived in the early 1970’s as the first Modified Mini stocks at Hialeah Speedway it progressed to a modified body style and were called the Pro-4s of Florida. A change in management from Craig Sherar to Paul Petri of Ocala Racetrack fame saw the roofs come off and the name changed to the Outlaw Modifieds. Richard Huston picked up the reins in 1996 and car count began to climb.
In 2000 Steve Brigham took over the series and incorporated it as the Outlaw Modified Racing Series. Car count continued to climb and the Outlaws are now a major touring series with 20 races scheduled at 4 different tracks.
American Mini Cup. The American Mini Cup traveling series ran two 6 lap heat races with Cinda Rae Irish in the #05 car winning the first heat race and Ric Cline Jr. in the #37 car winning the second heat race. The feature 25 lap race was won by Ric Cline Jr. in the #37 car with Cinda Rae Irish in the #05 car taking second place. Third place was won by Tony Martin in the #44 car. The drivers seemed to really enjoy the experience of racing at Desoto Super Speedway and Cinda Rae Irish did a very nice thing and thanked the track for having the mini cups out to race.
Flyin 4’s. The flyin 4’s first ran a 6 lap heat race that was won by former Pure Stock Champion Randy Johnson in the #01 Silver Bullet car. The feature 20 lap race was won by the Viper Alex Patten in the #13 car. Rob Boos in the #21 car won second place and Randy Johnson in the #01 car took third place. Alex Patten took the lead on lap #1 and lead all the way to Victory Circle. Rob Boos was either side by side with Patten or on his bumper, but the young Mr. Patten took charge and won the race. In Victory Circle Alex Patten thanked his dad who had worked on the car until 1 AM the last night and until race time today. The flyin 4’s week in and week out provide some of the most exciting racing around.
Magic 4’s. The Magic 4 kids ran a great 6 lap heat race that was won by Austin Cavey in the #20 car. Brittany Barr in the #81 car took second while Dallas Troyer in the #01 car won third place. The feature race started off to be a repeat of the heat race but Austin Cavey spun out on lap 4 and brought out the yellow flag. He then had to go to the rear but when the checkered flag dropped he had battled all the way back to third. The 20 lap event was won by Brittany Barr in the #81 car and Dallas Troyer in the #01 car won second place. The Magic 4 kids did a great job of driving and put on the show everybody looks forward to each week.
Modified Mini’s The Modified Mini’s ran a 6 lap heat race that was won by Dennis Colletti in the #4 car. Mike Birk Jr. in the #10 car won second place with Mitchell Webb in the #6 car taking third place. The 25 lap feature race was won by Mitchell Webb in the #6 car. Second place belonged to Chad Rose in the #0 car and Andy Fischer in the #21 car won third. The last eight laps were side by side racing for the #6 and #0 cars. The father –son Colletti’s in the #4 and #1 cars got into each other on the front stretch and had to spend the rest of the race in the pits. It makes you wonder what they talked about over dinner on Sunday!
Street Stocks. It was a low car count but very competitive race for this class. The 6 lap heat race was won by Dennis Wilson in the #42 car. The 15 lap feature race was won also won by Dennis Wilson in the #42 car. Second place was won by Derek Lucas in the #88 car while Will Elliott in the #9 car took third.
Pure Stocks. The Pure Stock class always puts on a great show and they did tonight as well. Rockin Robert Crisp in the #2 car won the 6 lap race while Troy Meredith in the #00 car blew something up on the first lap of the heat race. Tyler Lau was back on the track after a couple months away from racing so he could earn his way through college. The feature race was also won by Robert Crisp in the #2 car but right on his bumper were Austin Craig in the #10 car and Tyler Lau in the #1 car. Tyler Lau was driving that #1 car as hard as possible and it was very close as he went across the finish line sideways.
It was a great night of racing and please come and join us next week as ASA sanctioned Desoto Super Speedway presents the greatest show in racing period…The TBARA Sprints. Also running will be the School Bus Figure 8’s, Pure Stocks, Street Stocks, Bombers, Magic 4’s, and Flyin 4’s. Look us up on the internet at www.desotosuperspeedway.com or call us at 941 -748 3171. We are located 9 short miles East from I-75 on State Road 64. The entire staff of Desoto Super Speedway will do everything possible to make your night of racing fun.
FLYIN 4s - FEATURE Pos Driver Car # 1 ALEX PATTEN 13 2 ROB BOOS 21B 3 RANDY JOHNSON 01 4 ARTHUR DANIELSON 38 5 CRAIG JACKSON 53
FLYIN 4s - HEAT Pos Driver Car # 1 RANDY JOHNSON 01 2 ARTHUR DANIELSON 38 3 ALEX PATTEN 13 4 CRAIG JACKSON 53 5 ROB BOOS 21B 6 BOBBY BALDWIN 4
MODIFIED MINIS - HEAT Pos Driver Car # 1 DENNIS COLLETTI 4 2 MIKE BIRK JR 10 3 MITCHELL WEBB 6 4 DENNIS COLLETTI SR. 1 5 ANDY FISCHER 21 6 CHAD ROSE 0 7 MATTHEW PERKINS 99
MODIFIED MINIS - MM FIFTY LAP Pos Driver Car # 1 MITCHELL WEBB 6 2 CHAD ROSE 0 3 ANDY FISCHER 21 4 DENNIS COLLETTI SR. 1 5 MIKE BIRK JR 10 6 DENNIS COLLETTI 4 7 MATTHEW PERKINS 99
OUTLAW MOD - OUTLAW MODS25 Pos Driver Car # 1 . OUTLAW MODIFIED RACING SERIES 0
PURE STOCKS - HEAT Pos Driver Car # 1 ROBERT CRISP 2 2 AUSTIN CRAIG 10 3 DARRIN ELLIS 71 4 TYLER LAU 1 5 ALLEN BRAGG 89 6 TROY MEREDITH 00 7 ANDREW MOON 31 8 GEORGE BARTIMAC 21X
PURE STOCKS - PS 20L 19 OR LESS Pos Driver Car # 1 ROBERT CRISP 2 2 AUSTIN CRAIG 10 3 TYLER LAU 1 4 TROY MEREDITH 00 5 ANDREW MOON 31 6 GEORGE BARTIMAC 21X 7 DARRIN ELLIS 71 8 ALLEN BRAGG 89
STREET STOCKS - HEAT Pos Driver Car # 1 DENNIS WILSON 42 2 DEREK LUCAS 88 3 WILL ELLIOTT 9
STREET STOCKS - SS 20L 20 OR MORE Pos Driver Car # 1 DENNIS WILSON 42 2 DEREK LUCAS 88 3 WILL ELLIOTT 9
