Jim Rouse (Ocala, FL) – The third week of racing at Bubba Raceway Park will feature yet another 4-division card. After 7 of our first 9 features have seen 8 different winners, including 7 first-timers in their respective divisions, we put it all on the line again with the debut of our Bubba Army 360 Sprint Cars, Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds, Hobby Stocks, and 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks.
The Bubba Army 360 Sprint Cars will fight for the first time and many of the drivers who ran in the Eagle Jet International Top Gun Sprints Series will return with a new slate. Our former champions- Danny Martin, Jr. and Matt Kurtz- have been rumored to go at it on the 3/8 mile as well as Martin’s team-mate AJ Maddox, “The Peruvian Outlaw” Mark Ruel, Jr., and 2009 Top Gun champion Ryan “Jenson” Partin. Of course, the Sprint Car world went through a massive silly season so to get all the information and make your own opinions about the future check out www.floridasprintcarfans.com.
The Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds will duel on the track for the first time in 2013 and take the fight to “The Killer” Kyle Bronson. Bronson won 13 features last season, was runner-up 3 times, and had 3 mechanical DNFs in 20 features last year in a season that will likely never be matched. Of course, he won the championship and ended Jeff Mathews’ 4-year reign in the division and “The Repo Man” looks to get back on top of his former playground. Rich Pratt and Dalton Lanich stand on the outside looking in but both will give it their all and try to end both driver’s reign on Bubba Raceway Park.
After 2 features we have 2 first-timers in the Hobby Stocks with 2 completely different career paths- Donnie Ashford, the points leader for the Friend’s Racing Team, won Race 1 in a long career that features mostly Mini Stock wins; the other driver is Hunter Gustafson, the 15-year old who broke through for the family and put Team Gustafson in Coors Light Winner’s Circle for the first time. Gustafson sits just 4 points behind Ashford in the standings but he’s in 3rd- “The Mayo Missile” Devin Walker sits 2nd just 2 points behind Ashford as he has finished 2nd in both races. Walker knows how to win and is tired of 2nd-place while his father, who hasn’t raced at Bubba Raceway Park since his engine shut off while leading in the 2010 Track Finals, will return and try to show his son who the real boss is. A tight points battle and the most competitive division in Florida- what else do you need?
Finally, our 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks will return and maybe they can produce a new winner too! Of course, the favorites will do their best to prevent that as Jonathan Appleby and Jason Gamble, former champions, continue to fight up front as well as our current points leader Bubba Durbin, Jeff Stalnaker, Jr., and Brandon Elwood. Plenty of drivers will be able to take the fight to the front but Elwood looks to be the first-timer and avenge what could’ve been last season. Plenty of other characters such as Melvin Fockler, Taylor Gant, William Gillam, and Brandon Tillander will take the fight to the front-runners and try to become the first-timer!
Racing starts at 7 with pits opening at 4 and grandstands at 5. For more information you may visit www.bubbaracewaypark.com or call us at 352-622-9400!