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| Street Stocks go 50 and Classic Cars set for Friday run at Ocala | by Dave Westerman
The popular K-Country 93.7FM Street Stocks take center stage Friday night at Ocala Speedway as they'll go for 50 laps of competition, while fans of the "good old days" of racing will be treated to action from the Classic Auto Racing Series with cars similar to those that ran here years ago when Ocala Speedway was a quarter-mile dirt track.
Ocala's Doug Webster continues to prove consistency is king among the large field of K-Country Street Stocks as he is still on top of the point chase. despite not winning a race, so far this year Webster has finished third in four of six races and in the top ten each week. That has him up by nine points over Mark Mitchell, another driver with several top tens but no wins as yet. Tommy Roberts is just a point behind Mitchell while back to back wins have propelled Kyle Maynard into fourth, just two markers in back of Roberts.
Another good finish last week has moved David Chastain into the top five. Webster is hoping he can "wear down the competition" in the 50 lap contest and get his first win of the year.
The visiting Classic Auto Racing Series will be led by Ben Booth of Deland. Booth is a veteran of short track racing, but a rookie in the CARS machines. He leads the current CARS point standings by four markers over Palm Harbor's Bud Spencer while Greg Helton of Orange City and E.B. Carr of Okeechobee are tied for third.
Archer's Patrick Williams used his win last week to move into the Steven A. Bagen Super Late Model points lead. The "Doughboy" is just two points in front of Ocala used car dealer E.J. Wise, but Wise has a 19 point advantage over third place Gig Smith with Lou Beldock just a point behind Smith going into this week's action. Tim Shull and Mark Emberson are tied for fifth in SLM points. Former point leader Wayne Anderson was at Lakeland for the Sunbelt Series race last week and fell to 12th in points.
A win last week for Patrick "Sweet Pea" Mennenga keeps him on top of the Diamond H Air & Heat Sportsman point standings by four over Bronson's Robbie Cooper. Steady Tom Posavec has moved to third in points followed by Frank Buchanan and rookie Kathy Ray.
Several new cars swelled the Sportsman field to over twenty last week and for the first time in recent memory, three heats were run.
Driver Big John Smith took two hard hits in the Sportsman feature last week but was released from the hospital thankfully just bruised and sore but his car is in pretty bad shape.
Larry Goolsby of Williston extended his Mini Stock point lead to 13 over Wayne Wells with another solid run last week. Goolsby was seen testing a Super Late Model at the track on Tuesday, but it's not yet known when he'll give that car a try on a Friday night.
Marlon Durbin, Jake Garver and A.J. Schreier round out the top five in Mini Stock points while two consecutive wins have moved Rick Sirmans into sixth spot. Tom Ellis of Bellview has opened up a 17 point lead in the Four Cylinder Stocks, quite a feat in this highly competitive class this early in the season.
Rick Kuhn of Ocala not only got his first career feature win last week, but moved into second in the point standings as well, some 22 points ahead of Harold Barup and Joel Byall who are tied for third. Firefighter Randy Futch is fifth in points.
The WIND-FM Modifieds have the week off.
Pit gates open at 4PM, Grandstands at 6PM. Super Late Model qualifying is at 7:30 with the first race going to the line at 8PM.
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