"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
Travis Hanson takes victory in the Fastruck Pro Touring feature
By:Melanie Beckner
Punta Gorda, FL...It was a hot and humid day at the Charlotte County Motorsports Park this past Saturday night. Fans in the grandstands kept looking for that full moon with all the action that was occring on the track.
Six diffrent classes took on the 3/8ths mile oval with the Bandoleros running first feature race of the evening. Mark Hooven led the Bandoleros to the green flag and led the first lap before Ryan Shattuck passed Hooven the following lap to take the lead. Even though the entire race ran caution free, there were plenty of action. Shattuck led for the next few laps before Shawn Hooven would relinqish the lead by lap four and held on to take the win. Mark Hooven was second followed by Tanner Cornwell.
Junior's Trim Shop Road Warriors ran earlier than usual with Chris Scott sitting on the pole for the twenty five lap feature. As the green flag waved Chris Scott put his car out front. Lap three saw the first caution with Chris Loney and Larry Ballard Jr getting tangled up together coming out of turn four. Loney had given Ballard a bump coming out of the corner and the tow got bumper locked on the front stretch and with nowhere to go Jason Carr plowed the side of Loney's car.
Chris Loney got out of his car and was not happy. Due to his conduct after the accident on the frontstretch Chris Loney was disqualified for unsportsmam like conduct.
Chris Scott held the lead when the race got back underway, however by lap five Jeff Firestine was challenging Scott for the lead and made the pass the following lap. However Firestine had someone else on his back bumper wanting to take over the spot.
Jeff Firestine and Clete Trimmer battled side by side for the lead for several laps and on lap thirteen lap traffic played a role in the action. Going into turn two, Firestine and Trimmer were still battling hard and Richard Dupont who was being lapped by the two had tried to get out of the way of the leaders, but contact was made and Jeff Firestine was sent spinning.
Since lapped traffic had gotten in the way of the leaders both cars were given back there positions with Clete Trimmer as the new leader. The final caution came out two laps later with Larry Ballard Jr getting a piece of Stuart Vandevender's car in turn four, that sent Vandevender spinning. Clete Trimmer was able to hold on and take the win with Jeff Firestine in second and Dan Scott finished in third.
Josh WIlliams had set fast time in qualifying for the Legends with the lap time of 17.167 which gave Williams the pole for the twenty five lap feature. Josh Williams took the lead at the start and it appeared that the entire race was going to run caution free, but with two laps remaining the caution was drawn. Mark Hooven had gotten lose coming out of turn four and spun out on the frontstretch and collected Mike Fazio. Josh WIlliams held on to his lead and took home another victory with Zack Harris in second and Tony Sansom coming in third.
Geoff Styner was the polesitter for the twenty five lap TQ Midget feature. Ted Durfee took the lead was the green flag came out. On lap five Ray Smith and Jack DUffy got together in turn one and both went spinning and drew the first caution.
On the restart Ray Smith slid sideways across the frontstretch and came to a stop. The next caution would not come out again until lap twenty one when Jamie Barnum spun out coming out of turn two. On the restart they cars went three wide for the lead going into turn one. Ted Durfee and Mike Belusar made contact with one another going into turn three and the contact sent Belusar violently flipping and then his car slammed into the wall inbetween turns three and four.
Thankfully Belusar escaped unhurt from his wrecked car. Jack DUffy was given the lead and hed on to it until the last lap when Ted Durfee took back over the lead on the final lap of the race. Ted Durfee took the victory with Jack DUffy in second and Jamie Barnum coming in third place.
It has been a long time since the Fastruck Pro Touring Series ran a seventy five lap feature. After the race was completed alot of the drivers were exhausted and just rolled out of there trucks. TJ Duke set the fast time in qualifying with a time of 16.264. A total of twenty sevens truck were at CCMP for the race, but twenty four took the start of the race with Travis Hanson sitting on the pole.
THe first caution came out for the spinning truck of Mike Burns on the backstretch. On the restart TJ DUke and Charlie Montgomery got together going into turn one. The contact sent Duke spinning into the corner and collected a handful of trucks. Lap thirty one started the freight train effect with cautions with Jessica Green spinning out in turn four with help from Mike Smith. Four laps later Michael Wear and Ricky Partridge got together and spun out on the frontstretch and Partridge ended up hitting the frontstretch wall as well.
Lap Fourty Four saw Jim Reppi and Cindarae Irish both spinning out in turn three. With fifteen laps remaining Todd Bontringer spun out in turn three with some help from Ross Chastain. On the restart Todd Bontringer and TJ Duke got together on the backstretch and Bontringer went spinning again into turn three.
Travis Hanson held on to lead the entire race and took the win with Brent Huber and Chris Huntoon completing the top three spots. After the race was completed the top ten trucks were sent to tech. Chris Huntoon was disqualifed for his compression, so that gave third place to Charlie Montgomery. TJ Duke was also disqualified for being to light after the race.
The final race of the evening was for the Mini Cups, who were running a twenty five lap feature with Nick Calloway on the pole. On the start Jerry Bruce spun his car around coming out of turn three.
On the restart David Pollen took the lead with the last caution coming out on lap four. Polesitter Nick Calloway spun out in turn four. As the race went on David Pollen who was still leading had an half a lap leader over the field. David Pollen took the win with Nick Calloway making way back through the field to finish in second and Sam Scott finished in third.
