Surprises Abound At Ocala Speedway Opener

 

Much of the attention on the night went to the Sunoco United Dirt Late Models as the new and improved version of the racing series debuted.  The Ocala race officially was part of the new Southern division of the UDLMCS, but racers from the north also participated.  Also garnering plenty of attention was the newly formed team included Ocala’s own Ivedent Lloyd and Darrell Padgett.  That attention to this Roush-Yates powered team would last well into the early morning hours after Ivedent Lloyd wasted no time in setting the bar high, as he set fast time in qualifying with a blistering 16.275 on his second solo lap.

As the Sunoco United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series got their feature event underway, Keith Nosbisch headed to the point and took control, while all others gave chase.  Trouble came on lap 6 as Jeff Mathews and Philip Cobb tangled, creating the first caution of the race.  That incident was only the beginning of what proved to be a very frustrating night for Mathews, who found himself mired in heavy traffic.  It also sent the 26 of Dillon Wood to the pits for a quick fix and put him on the rear of the field for the restart.

Another fracas would erupt on lap 19 in turn 1, leading to a five car mess between turns 1 and 2 and another caution.  That incident would end the night for Jeff Mathews, and also send Darrell Padgett to the pits for the evening as well.  That caution seemed to be a signal for the front runners to make bold moves, and those moves began as soon as the green waved again.

By lap 30 it became evident that Ivedent was again on the move, as he pulled up on Keith Nosbisch and cranked up the heat on the race leader.  Lloyd took advantage on lap 32 and jumped out front, then began to pull away to lead the field to the checkers.  Nosbisch followed Lloyd at the finish, as Dillon Wood managed to climb into the top three followed by Brandon Cameron and Tyler Ivey, who also had to make quick work of the remaining racers to power back to the front.

The order to disassemble the power plant in the 101 of Keith Nosbisch signaled that there would be a different winner than the one that took the checkers first, as the 21 crew dejectedly pushed their car back to their hauler.  The 101 was inspected and declared the winner, which moved Dillon Wood to second place and Brandon Cameron to third.

Ocala Speedway’s most competitive division also was in action on the night as the Amsoil V8 Thunder Stocks  hit the clay for the first time in 2010.  Austin Gamble had moved up from the ranks of the Gladiators after last season, and he wasted no time in jumping out front as things got underway.  Gamble would remain there as trouble would erupt for another former Gladiator racer, Eddie Lentz, causing the first caution.

Meanwhile Michael Stalnaker was back at Ocala and out to prove that he is tough whether it is on clay or asphalt.  Stalnaker battled his way to the front and took control, while Harold Erickson followed in the second spot.  Austin Gamble slipped to third and was under attack from the Amsoil sponsored 12 of Jarrod Bennett.

The Amsoil V8 Thunder Stock machines are tough, and the racers are not afraid to go all out even if it means contact with other cars or the wall.  And while that makes it an exciting division to watch, it also means that sometimes too many cautions cause too many delays.  Time expired on the race during a caution on lap 16, so the racers battled to a green/white/checkered finish.

Michael Stalnaker took a convincing win to earn a visit to Victory Lane, while Harold Erickson held on to second place.  Jarrod Bennett placed third followed by Brian Shea and Mike Tyre.

Mini Stock racers wrapped up the feature races with an exciting event that saw all sorts of unexpected surprises in the final laps.  Keith Briggs was behind the wheel of the 19T despite a recent hospitalization thanks to back problems, and despite being in pain he battled Nick and Dan Kerr almost to the end.  Also in the mix was 2009 division champion, Paul Combast, who tangled with Briggs on lap 4 and banged hard into the front stretch wall at the exit of turn 4.

Combast would battle back from that misfortune to earn a third place finish as more drama played out in front of him.  Keith Briggs had fought hard with both Dan and Nick Kerr who were running first and second, with Briggs finally passing the 75 of Nick Kerr for second.  Briggs was about to make a move in turn four in the final laps when the 73 machine suddenly spun in front of him, bringing out a caution and putting Briggs in front.

As the green flag waved the crowd looked on in shock as Keith Briggs waved out of his window and pulled aside, allowing the field to pass as he headed off to the pits.  Although it was unclear if a mechanical issue happened or if Briggs’ pain proved too much, Nick Kerr held off the rest of the field for the win while Dan Kerr followed in second place.  Paul Combast settled for third while Mike Oglesby and Buddy Pope rounded out the top five.

Racing returns to Ocala Speedway next Friday night as the Open Wheel Modifieds go at it for the first time in 2010.  Also on the card is the debut of the Sportsman cars as a regular division at Ocala.  For more information, visit www.OcalaSpeedway.com.

Ocala Speedway Official Results for 3/5/10

Amsoil V8 Thunder Stock

Mini Stock