Fontiane Sets Fast Time, Earns Fourth Place ASA Finish
By John Barker
Rob Partelo led the 28-car field from lap 1-100 to win Saturday night’s ASA Late Model Southern Division Boggy Creek 100 at Bronson Motor Speedway presented by Pennzoil and 16 cars finished on the lead lap in the $3,000 to win race.
It was another cold night for ASA drivers with temperatures hovering around 41 degrees. Like the winner, Chris Fontaine of Lakeland, FL also had a hot car posting fast time in his FLF Race Cars Chevrolet. Temperatures were also 41 degrees in San Antonio, TX for the opening ASA Challenge series race two weekends ago.
Fontaine took the top qualifying spot by besting 39 cars in time trials turning the .333 mile high–banked Bronson speed plant in 13.223 seconds for an ASA Southern Division Series track record. This was also the ASA Southern series second outing at Bronson. Fontaine drew the number nine pill for inversion awarding Partelo the pole after the winning race driver qualified ninth.
“We unloaded and were pretty fast and we ran well in practice, but I didn’t expect to take the pole,” said Fontaine.
“I don’t think we were the fastest car tonight,” said Partelo. “But it’s great to have won and held off a tough group of drivers.”
Bo Miller put the heat on Partelo all night, but settled for second. Just behind Miller was Sean Murphy. The top three drivers drove three-wide to the finishing stripe. Fast time qualifier Fontaine finished fourth Jimmy Lang rounded out the top five.
Fontaine followed Murphy for 50 circuits, but was unable to find the right combination for a clean pass. "Yeah, we finished okay, but I wish we could have had a better draw at the start,” Fontaine said.
