Jim Rouse, BRP Media Ocala, FL- This week we’ll try it again after most tracks cancelled racing plans due to the uncomfortable cold. Bubba Raceway Park will now open 2013 up with the Late Models, Hobby Stocks, all-new E-Mods, Thunder Stocks, and Gladiators.
The Late Models 2012 season was the most competitive in recent history and this race will be the 75th points-paying event since the reconversion back to dirt in 2008! Mark Whitener will go to work defending his 2012 title while home-town hero Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. will look for yet another win at his playground. Christian Augspurger took home a big-money race last season and knows there’s more to reach- in fact, there’s a chance to be crowned the youngest champion of the division by a few years. Bo Allen and Bryan Bernhardt will try to break the curse and visit Coors Light Winner’s Circle but Jeff Mathews and Richard Ferry will try to put a few more checkmarks in the “W” column. The main question is yet to be answered, however: Can anyone stop Whitener and Lloyd?
Many people are saying that the most competitive division in the Southeast United States right now is the Florida Street Stocks and when you have 10- yes, 10- drivers that can win on any given night and finish, well, 10th the next night it’s tough to argue. Drivers like Brian Hansford and Scotty Kay, Jr. made names for themselves last year as did “Ragin” Rodney Wright. You can never count out the last 2 Bubba Raceway Park champions in Tim Powers and Trevor Gamble or hired guns Kevin Durden, Mike Tovet, Grady Christian, and 16-year old Devin Walker. Add Tim Gay, Brian Morgan, and Mike Stalnaker to the mix and you have 12 of the best drivers in the business right now!
The E-Mods will throw the eraser into a statistician’s book because there are no numbers to look at! Going off of rumors, Facebook posts, and everything that means very little it seems as if former Thunder Stock champion Jason Gamble and some of his fellow competitors, John Thorpe and JD Gillette, will be the favorites. Exactly what I meant by a statistician’s nightmare! We’ll let the on-track action speak for itself and see what stats these drivers can put in the books.
The 2012 Thunder Stocks ran 37 features with 14 different winners. Jonathan Appleby took the title with 6 wins but may become the 5th consecutive champion to leave his crown on the table as he pursues a Late Model career. With “Jonny’s” absence it leaves young driver Brandon Elwood as a favorite as well as Bubba Durbin, “Hothead” Brian Mullins, and “Sweetfeet” Shane Nichols. The James’s from Citra- James Erickson and James Sullivan- will be up front as well as Brandon Tillander. Don’t forget, however, that nobody expected some of the former champions to win the title because, in the Thunder Stocks, it’s anybody’s game!
With 2012 champion Steve Johnson backing out of points racing some young guns like Brandon Haseleu, Devan Pegel (who will be racing for a special reason this week), and Jordan McMillon seem the favorites for a title. Casey Feaster seems ready to attack the championship once more and could finally break his curse at the 3/8 mile in Ocala. And, as we saw in 2010 with Matt Shea, a young driver could come from nowhere and take home the title- even with a Rear Wheel Drive machine!
Racing is scheduled for 7:00 while grandstands open at 5:00 and the pits at 4:00. You won’t want to miss this racing and for more information you can visit www.bubbaracewaypark.com or call us at 352-622-9400!