Joe Boyd Picks up 1st Win of the 2000 Racing Series
The BMD Title Loan Late Model Sportsman Series started off the 2000 racing series with some surprises. Forty-One teams would qualify for the 50-Lap event at the USA International Speedway in Lakeland, FL. Favorites to win the race included the 1999 Series Champion, Dwayne Dempsey, Mike McCreary, Jr., who won twice in Lakeland last year, and veteran Florida driver from Mulberry, FL., Wayne Morris. But none of these drivers would figure into the finish of the race.
Brad May won the "Fast Qualifier Award" with a time of 21.756 and an average speed of 117.40. Bobby Beauchemin would qualify second and Mike McCreary, Jr. third. After pills were drawn for the top ten drivers, it would be Dwayne Dempsey who would start on the pole with Beauchemin on the outside row one. Chip Shell and Joe Boyd would make up the second row, and McCreary, Jr. and Jason Boyd would start on the third row. Larry O'Steen, Wayne Morris, Brad May and Chris Lawrence rounded out the top ten. But halfway through the race, most of the top ten would be either out of competition, or out of the race altogether. Dempsey would go out after a caution, Morris and Shell would get together to end their hopes for a victory, and McCreary would battle an overheating problem all night, finally causing him to take the Richards Motorsports Chevy behind the pit wall.
Jason Boyd would make contact with Beauchemin, bringing out a caution and sending Jason to the rear of the field.
Now, Beauchemin, Joe Boyd, Brad May, Jeff Scofield, Jimmy Castleberry, Michael Faulk, and Marlon Lynn would battle for the top five positions.
Boyd would finally get around Beauchemin and check out on the rest of the field. Jeff Scofield would cross the stripe in second place after a tough battle with Beauchemin, who would finish third. Jimmy Castleberry would take fourth and Marlon Lynn, who started in 26th position, would finish fifth.
"I knew I had a good car during practice, but the track changed so much by race time, we weren't sure. There was some heavy-duty competition out there and we worked hard for this win" Boyd said.
Jack E Smith

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