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| Entires Pouring in for SpeedWorld 2006 Winternationals | by Dave Westerman
Orlando Speedworld track management has been busy sorting through the huge number of pre-entries for the 2006 Winternationals. Only INEX/600 Series drivers are required to register, and that number is quickly approaching 100 with 17 states, Canada and England being represented.
The 2006 Speedworld Winternationals officially begin on Wednesday, February 8th with Practice for all divisions racing the first three nights. The Open Wheel Lite, Mod Lite, Mini-Cups, Pro Challenge, Daytona Antiques, Formula Indy Cars and Flatheads take to the track starting Thursday, February 9th and race through Saturday the 11th. The USAC Ford Focus Midgets will also race on Friday night, the 10th, after their three-race stint at East Bay Raceway earlier this week.
Practice for INEX/600 Series drivers racing Legends, Bandeleros and Thunder Roadsters will take place on Monday, February 13th with five consecutive nights of racing Tuesday through Saturday. FASCAR Super Stocks will also race Wednesday through Saturday.
Florida and North Carolina will be well represented during the INEX/600 Series portion of the Winternationals. 2005 Speedworld Legends Car champion Kory Abbott will be in action along with many other tack regulars including Gerald White, Jr., Jeremy Colangelo, Brandon Thomson, Kara Clarke, Wesley McLeod, Chelsea Schillig, Mike and Mitch Verhaagh, Bryan Silas, Stuart Dutton, Maxx Bennett, Jeff Deggeller, Matt Bowers, Doug Hall, Ryan Rust, Kristina and Nick Baluch, Jimmy Norman, Donovan Ponder, Paddy Rodenbeck, Chris McDonald, Wild Willie Wilson, Mark Hooven, Dean Moslow, and Josh Williams. Veteran racer Andy Logan will also be returning to the Legends Cars at the Winternationals.
Nearly 20 drivers from North Carolina have already entered including many racing veterans like Clay Hair, Cotton Spry, Craig Goess, G.E. Chapman, Josh Waring and Ben Stancill. Also coming in from the Tar Heel State will be Jake "The Snake" Crum, Cody Blackburn, Mitchell Coble, Trevor Cauble, Jesse Bunnell, Ryan Jernigan, Dillon and Ronnie Bassett, Darrell Wallace, Jr., Dan Snyder, Brandon Dunn, and Trevor Farbo.
Texas will send quite a contingent led by Bob Merino of Plano who will be running his third Winternationals. Also coming from the Lone Star State will be Gene Conley, Brent Seeley, Chris Buescher, Brennan Poole, Dennis Knox, Hoyt Richter, Michael Harper and Kirby Yates.
Five drivers from Arizona are already entered including Matt Williams, Cassie Gannis, Wes Fry, Derek Froelich, and Romano Cionni.
Coming from Tennessee are three names familiar to the Winternationals. Craig Haack of Lewisburg will be back for his third Winter series and will bring fellow "Volunteers" Chris Wilson and Beau Browning with him.
Veteran "Masters" division drivers Larry Friddle and Tommy Jordan will represent South Carolina, New Jersey will send Tommy Hartenveld, Dennis Macri, Jr. and the family act of Duane and Bruce Roslin.
Also heading to Florida to carry the banner of their respective States are Scott "The Rocket" Hensley (Mississippi), Richard Losh Senior and Junior (Maryland), Grayson York (Georgia), Collier Jones (Kentucky), Sloan Henderson (Ohio), Rodney Pucak (Alaska), Danny Jackson (Michigan), Mark Sullivan (Indiana), Jim Mayrand, Jr. (Massachusetts) and Keaton Feller (Oklahoma).
Coming from the Great White North will be Steve Navratil of Ontario and Gary Bursey of New Brunswick while Derek Hales who "hails" from England will make his second trip to the Winternationals.
Entries continue to come in every day with well over 200 drivers expected to participate over the two week period. For more information and photos from the 2005 version of the Winternationals, go to www.orlandospeedworld.org.
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