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| Citrus Ready to Turn it On Saturday Night | by Larry MacMillan
Weather permitting, Citrus County Speedway will be going full bore with a full 6 division race card Saturday night. A practice session is scheduled for Thursday night in preparation for the Florida Mini Stock Challenge competitors who are expected to bring a full compliment of Florida’s best Mini Stock pilots.
Defending Champion Robbie Yoakam has grown up at this 3/8ths mile race track and knows his way around the oval no matter what kind of race car he has under him. He definitely likes his home track and joins other locals who will be joining the regular contenders for the 2004 Challenge Crown. George Neumann, Chris Hooker, Steve Griffin, Dustin DesChamp, Lee Davis, Chad Johnson and local point leader, rookie Jim Curry are expected to participate. Frequent visitors such as Rick Sirmans, Richard Kelly Jr., Darren Jackson, Chris Thornton, Clint Foley and Brian Dorer among others are also expected to join the big lineup for their 50 lap feature race. Qualifying time trials will kick off the racing action at 5:30 Saturday night.
After getting washed out by Hurricane Charlie last week the Mod Squad will be back again in heats and a 30 lap feature. Billy Bechtelheimer holds a pretty solid 132 point lead over three time winner Harold Cannon. John Grimm is right on Cannons exhaust in the points chase followed by Mike Wilson, and Mickey Kempgens. Twenty six different open wheel modified pilots have raced at Citrus during the 2004 season with six different winners. Bechtelheimer, Cannon, Grimm, Wilson, Wayne Jefferson and Robert Ray have all made the trip to Victory Lane. Word is several local racers in other divisions are seriously considering joining the Mod Squad.
Super Stocks try to get their July 31st rained out feature race made up again and will be the first race of the night before getting set up for their heats and 20 lap feature race on the regular schedule. Rookie Jo Jo Viverito continues to hold a pretty comfortable lead over the 38 registered Super Stocks that have earned points at Citrus. The field continues to grow every week. Rounding out the top five are Stephen Anderson, Richie Smith, Ernie Reed and James Hendrickson. Ernie Reed is at the top of the win column with three. Stephen Anderson, Steve Olone and Mike Bell each have a pair and John Makula comes into the fray with one win.
Tommy Smith comes in with a slim 3 point lead over Bobby Taylor who won his first feature of the year two weeks ago. Taylor has stayed at the top of the heap with 12 top five, 3 top tens finishes and 4 heat wins while Smith has had 5 feature wins, 9 top fives and 1 top ten plus 4 heat wins. This race becomes more interesting every week. There is a four way battle for third with Neil Herne, Bill Ryan, Alvin Williamson and Dean Lawyer balancing out the top six. Sixty Three racers have picked up points in the Hobby Stock division for the season.
Jerry Hoover heads up the close Thunder Stock point lead with a slim 21 point edge over Rick Badessa. Steven Steindurf, Louie Cioe and Victor Shahid are locked in a duel for third. Fifty six racers are after the 2004 Point Championship in this division and they are beginning to avoid the early season caution flags they experienced that brought on the chicane controversy and waiting for the opportunity to make the clean passes necessary to put them up front without confrontation.
Wrapping up the night of racing action will be the 4 Cylinder Bombers. Clark Pittsley is being chased by six time winner Justin Durbin. Rusty Adams is just two points behind Durbin but is still looking for his first feature win. Rick Fort is just 13 points behind Adams in this tight race for second. Holding out in fifth place is John DeGeorge who apparently has sold his racer and is no longer in the running. Harold Barup will possibly move into fifth after this week’s race if he shows up.
Citrus County Speedway is located 2 miles south of Inverness on U.S. 41 at the Citrus County Fairgrounds. Grandstand gates open at 4 and time trials for the Mini Stock Challenge 50 lap feature start at 5:30. The first of two Super Stock features will take the green flag at 6 p.m. with heat races to follow for the balance of the race card.
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