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| Classic Cars Set to Begin 2004 Run at SpeedWorld Saturday | by Dave Westerman
The Daniel Webster for U.S. Senate Classic Auto Racing Series kicks off the 2004 season Saturday night at Orlando Speedworld.
2003 Series Champion Ben Booth of Deland is set to defend his title, but will have to contend with a number of seasoned veterans and a number of talented new drivers.
The big change in the CARS Series this year is that it will no longer be owned and operated by Randall Grief. Grief, a former FASCAR Limited Late Model champion, thought these cars had a good chance of catching on here in the State of Florida and set up the Series in 1996. Nine years later, the Series is still going strong but Grief wants to turn his attention back to actually racing rather than running the Series itself.
"I want to get out there and have some fun before I get too old, plus I felt it was time for a change and the time was appropriate to make that change," says Grief.
Grief's cousin, T.K. Grief, who has been technical advisor for the group since its inception, will now own and operate the Series as well as continuing to be technical advisor. He plans no big changes.
"Our guys run this Series as a hobby. all they want to do is come to the track and have a good time and we'll see that this philosophy continues," says T.K. Grief.
Dave Westerman will continue as PR Director and announcer for the Series and hopes to travel to as many shows as possibly when there is no conflict with his duties at Orlando Speedworld.
Plenty of CARS veterans are set and ready for another big year including Florida State Senator Bill Posey who is coming off a very bad Winternationals which saw him fracture his lower back in a bad crash.
Undaunted, Posey has his dirt track car converted back to asphalt and will zip down from the legislative session in Tallahassee this weekend in search of his first Series win.
Other drivers expected include Jim Rahman, Joey Strehle, Patrick "Bam Bam" Sanders, Ed Yates, Wayne Ashton, Ray Frazee, Bud Spencer and the father/son team of George Hall, Jr. and George Hall III.
The rookie crop for 2004 is quite interesting and is led by young Corey Freed who was Orlando Speedworld's Super Stock champion in 2003.
Freed will be driving a car owned by Kevin and Kyle McGill with his dad Duane Freed turning the wrenches.
Beaver Daughtrey, who raced several years ago at Speedworld in the Four Cylinder Bombers quite successfully and also has run some in the Super Stocks, plans to challenge for the rookie title in his purple "Getaway Car."
Tim Ousley, who ran a handful of races last year in his patriotic painted #88 admits many of his challengers have a little more experience than he does, but says his confidence build with every race and practice session.
Norm Agostinho is a late entry to the rookie race. Agostinho has some experience racing up in New England and will be driving a car for Ray Pelletier. Pelletier recently purchased the car from Al Hagan. It's the same machine Rodney Eary used to win back to back CARS championships in 1999-2000.
Ft. Pierce's Chip Green is also eligible for Rookie of the Year although he has not indicated if he'll go for it. Green has a car that was formerly owned and driven by Orlando's David Nunes to a number of wins.
Action gets under way for the Classics as well as the Legends cars, Bandeleros, and Hurricanes Saturday night at 7PM. For more information on the Daniel Webster for U.S. Senate Classic Auto Racing Series, log on to www.classicautoracing.com.
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