| SARA Modifieds: Another Great Show! | It what might been some of the best open wheel racing all year, Jerry Symons picked up the victory Friday night at Orlando Speedworld. It was a very strong field of cars including the 1999 SARA Open Wheel Modified Series Champion, and Rookie of the Year Driver, Perry Brown, Dwayne Dempsey, Robert Ham, Larry Martin, Joe Boyd and others.
Dwayne Dempsey would set the Jarrett-Bodiford Ford Fast Qualifier Award with a time of 14.000. Lee Collins from Immokalee, FL. would qualify second with a close time of 14.002. Larry Martin, Jamie Burrows and Jerry Symons would round out the top five qualifiers. After pills were drawn for the top ten qualifiers to determine starting positions, Chuck Burkhalter would start on the point with Jerry Symons on the outside, row one.
When the green flag dropped on the 26 car field, Symons immediately took the lead going into turn one and never look back. Jamie Burrows would put the pressure on Jerry Symons all night, while Larry Martin, Jason Boyd and Dewayne Lawhon all battled for third. There was great racing all over the track, with only 4 cautions in the 50 lap event.
Jerry Symons with SARA Announcer Scott Hawkins
In the end, Symons held off Burrows to capture the victory in the second event of the SARA Bearden Oil Open Wheel Modified Series. Larry Martin out of Gainesville followed up his victory last week at St. Augustine Speedway with a third place finish. A fantastic run from the youngster, Jason Boyd, who was very strong all night, finished fourth, and Plant City driver, Dewayne Lawhon would finish fifth.
During post race tech, Symons said, "We qualified on a blown motor. We changed motors and really didn't know what to expect. It was our bigger motor, and the wheels kept spinning off the turns. I just had to feather the accelerator through the turns. It was tough holding off Burrows, but he raced us clean and we have a lot of experience at this track." Rusty Dixon would win the Hard Charger Award, and the Top Rookie Award would go to Dewayne Lawhon.
The next event on the SARA Bearden Oil Open Wheel Modified Series will at Auburndale Speedway on April 8th.
ByScott Hawkins
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