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| Twin Late Model 50's, Figure 8, and Double Mini Features at Citrus Saturday | by Larry MacMillan
(Inverness, Fl. 8/3/04) With a partial rain out last week and a total rainout the week before Citrus County Speedway will be adding make up races to an already busy race card Saturday night. Despite the threatening weather over the past several weeks the car count and fan count has been up. It is expected to really peak out this weekend with a pair of double features, the Sportsman returning for a 40 lap feature, the Figure 8’s, in their first outing in two months. Hobby Stocks, Thunder Stocks and 4 Cylinder Bombers continue their point battle in week 17 of the 2004 season. This week’s program will be dedicated to the kids with a “Back to School Bash” as they celebrate their last weekend of summer vacation and “Scout Night” admitting all Scouts in uniform, free in the Grandstands for the big show.
Kicking off the night of action will be the Late Model time trials to qualify for the first of two 50 lap feature races. Nineteen race cars showed up two weeks ago for the originally scheduled Twin 50’s. Sixteen drivers showed up for the rained out Florida Pro 100 last week and eleven of those were not in the line up for the Twin 50’s so a total of 30 different Late Model drivers have been to Citrus over the past two weeks. The field could grow barring any other Late Model action in Central Florida. Hopefully the weather person will be a little kinder this week.
The Mini Stocks will make up their rained out feature from last week and then come back to run a second feature for the regular program. Seventeen cars made up the field last week and it will be a good opportunity for this quality group of racers to test and tune for the upcoming Mini Stock Challenge race scheduled for August 21st. Rookie Jim Curry still holds the point lead followed by George Neumann, Chris Hooker, Jason Reynolds and Richard Stroup.
The Figure 8’s have had a rather short season and the man to beat is former Champion Ron Schreifels who has won all three of the races that have been run in 2004. Robert Aaron trails in the race for another championship by 49 points followed by rookie Neil Herne. Another rookie Cody Moore is just 9 points off the pace in the race for third. Curtis Youmans rounds out the top five. Figure 8’s are scheduled to run on the first weekend of each month thru November.
Richie Smith continues to hold the top spot in Sportsman action as they return for their fifth race of the year. Johnny Sanders is the only other winner in the division and trails Smith by 39 points. Dwight Pinner and David White are in a tight fight for third followed by Phillip Rook, John Smith, James Henick, Stephen Anderson, J.D. Goff and Steven King. Several of these drivers have been running in the Super Stock division to get more track time. They will time trial for their 40 lap feature Saturday night.
Tommy Smith continues to hold a slim lead over Bobby Taylor in the race for the Hobby Stock Crown. Neil Herne has a 47 point lead over Bill Ryan in the race for third. Alvin Williamson comes off his win last week which moves him to within 3 points of fourth. Twenty six of the 62 registered Hobby Stocks took the green flag for their 20 lap feature last week and after it was over is when the rain shut the action down for the night.
Thunder Stock point leader Jerry Hoover was looking for his sixth win of the season last week but had to settle for a 7th place finish starting from the back of the 23 car field. Rick Badessa closed to within 16 points of the leader with his fifth place finish. Steven Stinedurf logged his third win of the season to and trails Badessa by 30 points. Louie Cioe lost ground with a DNF but has a solid hold on fourth followed by Victor Shahid who scored his best finish of the year with a second place finish and picked up 54 points on Cioe.
Justin Durbin returned to his winning ways scoring his 6th win after two weeks off and is closing on Rusty Adams in the race for second. Clark Pittsley has a 1364 point lead that just about assures him of the championship just over half way in the season. Rick Fort holds out in fourth followed by John DeGeorge who isn’t racing anymore.
All seven division turn up the RPM’s this Saturday night at Citrus County Speedway, located 2 miles south of Inverness on U.S. 41 at the Fairgrounds. “Scout Night” and the “Back to School Bash” will give the kids an opportunity to get up close and personal with the drivers and get autographs. The grandstand gates open at 3:30 and the time trials will start at 5:30 for the Late Models and the Sportsman. The balance of the program will be all feature races due to time restrictions and the 11 o’clock curfew.
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