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| FASTRUCKS Take Spotlight at Citrus Saturday | by Larry MacMillan
(Inverness, Fl. 2/19/03) Citrus County Speedway fans will get another new series to get acquainted with this week with the FASTRUCK “Star Wars” Pro Tour. This will be their second race of the season and the first of three scheduled races at the 3/8th mile oval. This will be the first time the trucks have run as a series since the demise of the Southern Pro Trucks five years ago.
The FASTRUCK Pro Tour will bring in some new names, second and third generation drivers and some of the old timers that have converted to the truck series. Thirty-four drivers have registered in the first week of the season with thirty-one making the show for their opener at New Smyrna and earning points. Sitting at the top after taking the first win of the season is John Mitchell, followed by Chris Gannon, Wendell Bristol, Tommy King, Graham McCorey, Charlie Worth, Jeff Firstine, Tim Shaffnier, Brian Luloff, and Marty Wolf to round out the top ten. The FASTRUCKs should be extra quick on the new 3/8ths mile and run very close to Late Models times. They will be qualifying in time trials at 5:30 for their 50-lap feature.
Johnny Sanders moved into second place in the points race after his 1st feature win in his nine year career. Defending three-time champion Mike Veltman still holds the top spot by 25 points but as the field builds up he is going to find the competition getting tougher. Bill Oestreicher is tied with Johnny Gann for third after two weeks of action and rookie Mike Bell has a three-point edge on newcomer Bill Ryan in the early going.
Joe Viverito put the hammer down and took himself right to the top of the Street Stock point ladder after his win last week. Ernie Reed is just one point behind Jo Jo after taking the first win of the season in a breeze. Mickey Burns has a two-point edge on Danny Cretty in the race for third. Owen Leigh has an eight-point lock on fifth over the other twelve drivers that have earned points in the early going.
Chris Hooker led the final lap of the Mini Stock feature and a second place finish in the heat race put him seven points up on runner up Chris Thornton. Rob Wheatley is out gunning Tom Giddings by ten points and Phillip Joyner by eleven in the race for third. This is one of the largest fields in the point’s race with 20 racers already earning points after the second week of the season.
Twenty-Three Hobby Stocks have taken the green flag and earned points in the first two weeks of the 36-week season. Two-time champion Richie Smith has jumped up to the top of the ladder with a 30-point lead on the merits of two wins in a row. Curtis Neumann has a 17 point lead on Dean Lawyer in the early going and is showing some competitive ability that could put him in contention for a run for the crown in his second year of racing. Alvin Williamson and Curtis Youmans are in the battle for second with Tim Whitehead and Dustin Aaron within striking distance.
Roy Blotz is showing a lot of muscle with his new Camaro and heads up the Thunder Stock points race with a first and a third place finish in the first two races of the season. Newcomer Louie Cioe is chasing Blotz with Pat Quick right on his rear bumper on the track as well as in the point’s race. Lee Keller has a 25-point lead on Shawn Conner in the race for fourth. James Crossley, Larry Triana and John Donahue are also contenders to move up into the top five before the County Fair break.
Next Saturday the Late Models will join the regulars to get their point season underway. The Sunbelt Series 125 will reopen the 48th racing season on March 29th after the three-week layoff.
Citrus County Speedway is located 2 miles south of Inverness on U.S. 41 at the Citrus County Fairgrounds. Grandstand gates open at 3 and qualifying time trials for the FASTRUCKS will be at 5:30. The first heat is scheduled to take the green flag at 6 P.M.
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