The night started out with the Rookie Truck feature that saw Chad Chastain from Alva dominate the race from start to finish. Young Chastain is called “Melon Jr” because of the Melon One sponsor he sports on the thirty six truck that mirrors the truck his older brother Ross drives in the Camping World Truck Series. The real battle was going on for second place as James Dellea III of Port Charlotte stayed out in front of Corey Bigley to finish 2nd in the James Dellea Tire and Auto Repair sponsored Truck. Coery Bigley would bring the Whitney Poole Motorsports truck home in third.
T.Q. Midgets were up next for their twenty five lap feature that saw Chris Gimmler jump out to the lead while battling with Port Charlotte’s David Patterson who was running in second. Gimmler held on and led all the laps for the win while Rob Kohler was second and Jamie Barnum third and Patterson fourth.
Legends cars were lined up and ready to go with the 48 of Carl Haag on the pole and Seth Adams outside, while fast qualifier Chase Fitzgerald started in the rear. Adams of Mulberry jumped out to take the lead while Beca Monopoli of Lakeland was a close second. With no cautions in this 40 lap feature, it was Monopoli chasing Adams while Devon McCleod was closing in fast. Five laps to go, Monopoli saw a chance to squeeze on the inside of Adams between turns three and four and it was Monopoli that made the pass clean to take over the lead. When the checkers flew it was Becca Monopoli that was the winner, Seth Adams came in second and Devin McCleod was third while fast qualifier Chase Fitzgerald was fourth.
Fan Participation was next and it was big trucks and little trucks and as track announcer ‘Racin Jason” says “grocery getters” to compete for one lap around the oval. Two vehicles pull out onto the track side by side for one lap and the winner goes back around and and the looser goes home. Last two standing was the big truck of Richard Nelson and the Jetta of Jeff Pacheco, who had just got the car last week.
Chico and Nelson take off for two laps around the oval for the win and it was Chico who claimed the trophy.
Street Stock cane out for fifty laps and it was Richard Nelson of Port Charlotte that sat on the pole while fast qualifier Ryan Pancoast started dead last. The green flag dropped and Nelson was out to a big lead and two laps in the first caution came out for the seven of Blaine Baer spinning the ninty seven of Chris Scott. Cars lined back up, Nelson way out in front and the caution out again on lap six as the seven of Baer had the hood up over the windshield and Pancoast had made it up to fourth. Nelson still in the lead while Pancoast was chasing him down and a caution on lap twenty five that Nelson didn’t want to see and they were lined up with Nelson on the inside and Pancoast on the outside. It was Pancoast then Nelson side by side then Nelson and Pancoast till Pancoast got the lead and edged out Nelson for the win. Pancoast missed the last race of the first half were he had won six in a row out of the eight races and missed the first race of this second season letting his dad Tom give it a try but was back to pick up were he left off, in the winners circle. Richard Nelson came in second with Dave Bowman third while points leader for the second half Jeff Dufresne and over all points leader Bobby Fischer both broke.
The last race of the night was the Pro Trucks that saw Michael Burns of Port Charlotte also fast qualifier, make it two wins in a row and ran start to finish as the leader. There was only one caution in the race for a spin in turn four as burns was racing through the field lapping trucks as the fight was going on behind him for position. The twenty five of Darin McCurdy of Port Charlotte was running a strong second till the lapped trucks started to play into the mix sending some to go high and others low to advance there position. With ten laps to go it was Travis Gossard of Naples that made his way into second and trying to run down Burns while sister Kelli Burns had made the pass on McCurdy to take over third. With no cautions to tighten up the field it was a chase to the end and it was Michael Burns that finished first, Travis Gossard second and Kelli Burns third while Darin McCurdy fourth and Whitney Poole fifth.
Next week NOVEMBER 10 –at the Punta Gorda Speedway
SUPER LATE MODEL ELITE SERIES 100 RACE #8, LATE MODEL SORTSMAN -50 LAPS, STREET STOCK, COWBOY CADILLAC, ROAD WARRIORS, PERFECT PEST CONTOL PRO-4-40 LAPS AND DWARF CARS
For more information you can visit our website at www.puntagordaspeedway.com, or find us on face book at Punta Gorda Speedway. 941-575-RACE (7223)
PUNTA GORDA SPEEDWAY RESULTS
11/03/2012
Street Stock
1. 47 Ryan Pancoast N. Ft. Myers Fast Time
2. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
3. 57 Dave Bowman Bradenton
4. 1 Matt Dunn North Port
5. 33 Jim Middendorf Naples
6. 97 Chris Scott Nokomis
7. 2 Bobby Fischer Naples
8. 3 Jeff Dufresne Bradenton
9. 7 Blaine Baer Port Charlotte
Pro Trucks
1. 14B Michael Burns Port Charlotte Fast Time
2. 47 Travis Gossard Naples
3. 4 Kelli Burns Port Charlotte
4. 25 Darin McCurdy Port Charlotte
5. 00 Whitney Poole Vero Beach
6. 32 Dylan Bigley Naples
7. 14 Sam Scott Naples
8. 36 Chad Chastain Alva
9. 54 Brian Lynch Sebastain
10. 36m Ralph Chastain Alva
11. 45 Eric Elsea Cape Coral
Legends
1. 59 Becca Monopoli Lakeland
2. 5 Seth Adams Mulberry
3. 5x Devin McLoed Zepherhills
4. 96 Chase Fitzgerald Lutz (Fast Time)
5. 00 Darin Coker West Palm Beach
6. 48 Carl Haag Port St. Lucie
7. 7 Mike Verhuagh Fort Myers
8. 55 Conrad Molter Naples
9. 27 Bob Wilson
T. Q. Midgets
1. 51 Chris Gimmler Palm Beach Gardens
2. 30 Rob Kohler Naples
3. 7 James Barnum Brooksville
4. 5 David Patterson Port Charlotte
5. 17 Ray Smith Port Charlotte
6. 63 Mike Belusar Punta Gorda
Rookie Trucks
1. 36R Chad Chastain Alva
2. 77 James Dellea III Port Charlotte
3. 00 Corey Bigley Naples
4. 36m Travis Miller N. Ft. Myers
5.32 Justin Bond Vero Beach
Fan Participation winner Jeff Pacheco