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| JOHN CHOQUETTE HOLDS ON FOR SOUTHEAST VICTORY AT THUNDER CROSS | 
AS THE SAYING GOES ... TO FINISH FIRST.....YOU FIRST MUST FINISH
The Southeast Motorsports Dirt Racing Series made its way to Thunder Cross Motorsports Park in Okeechobee, Florida Saturday night. The stands were packed at the crisp new facility as the enthusiastic crowd witnessed one of the best Super Late Model programs of the 2000 racing season.
John Choquette of West Palm, Florida proved that you first must finish in order to finish first as he took the top spot and the winners share of the $16,000 purse in the 50 lap event on the inaugural Dirt Late Model Tour 2000.
Choquette, piloted the C&C Loader Service / MasterSbilt / #97 to the winners circle after Hilliard, Floridas Buddy Geiger, driving the Harolds Meat Market / C. J. Rayburn / Monte Carlo, relinquished the lead to Choquette with a solo spin in turn one.
Geiger, who began the evenings event on the outside of the second row worked his way past the front runners by lap 12 opening up a sizable lead and basically checked out on the field. On a lap 30 restart Geiger got the jump and shot down the front stretch and simply drove it a bit too hard. Entering the mile bullrings tight turn one Geiger did all he could do to save the car but ended up facing the infield as he ultimately backed the car to a halt in turn two handing the lead back to Choquette.
From there Choquette was able to hold off heavy challenges from 1999 Thunder Cross Late Model Champion Danny Cox in the Donald Beach Services / Rayburn entry for the final twenty circuits to capture his first Southeast Motorsports Dirt Racing Series victory.
Jacksonville, Floridas Eric Platt drove his GRT / Custom Racing Engines / Monte Carlo to a third place finish after starting the event in the eighth position and closing fiercely in the final 10 laps. Platt made many aggressive moves to advance from sixth to third to excessively pressure the second place runner making it an extremely tight race for the top three in the closing laps.
Jack Nosbisch remained in the top ten all night to move to a fourth place finish with Buddy Geiger working his way back from the tail of the field to finish in the fifth position. Sixth through tenth were Keith Nosbisch, Jeremy Morgan, Ken Murphy, Marshall Austin, Jr. and Thomas Conrad.
The evening began with Late Model qualifying as Danny Cox of Indiantown, Florida mashed the gas to twist up a 16.996 lap around the mile clay oval. Cox was the only car in the 16 second bracket to take the GRT Fast Qualifier Award for the night.
Cox also drove to a commanding win in the Bombardier Traxter ATV heat race #1 placing him on the pole position for the feature event. Buddy Geiger of Hilliard, Florida captured the second spot and Pete Broughton of Wimauma, Florida came home third in the Wimauma Auto Parts entry.
In the Like New Discount Appliance heat race #2, John Choquette sailed to the 10 lap victory followed by Jeremy Morgan of Okeechobee driving the Morgan Furniture / Rayburn #92. Eric Platt of Jacksonville completed the top three.
Heat race #3 sponsored by Wherrell Auto Parts of Okeechobee saw Riverview, Floridas Jack Nosbisch driving the Rocket Chassis / ZRE Racing Engines entry take the win with David Augspurger holding on to take the runner up spot and Thunder Cross Late Model Rookie Challenger Craig Montesi, Jr. of Okeechobee followed the top two for a third place finish in his #39 AA Race Cars / Koury Engines / MasterSbilt mount.
For further information surrounding the Southeast Motorsports Dirt Racing Series Dirt Late Model Tour 2000 or for sponsorship information contact Southeast Motorsports at 904-879-4226 or visit the series official web site at http:// www. thespeedzone.com/southeast.
Official Finishing Order Southeast Motorsports Dirt Racing Series Event 3 of 12 - Saturday April 29, 2000 Thunder Cross Motorsports Park Okeechobee,FL
1) 97 - John Choquette West Palm, FL - MasterSbilt 2) 67 - Danny Cox Indiantown, FL - Rayburn 3) 44 - Eric Platt Jacksonville, FL GRT 4) 12 - Jack Nosbisch Riverview, FL Rocket 5) M5 - Buddy Geiger Hilliard FL Rayburn 6) 02 - Keith Nosbisch Valiro, FL Rocket 7) 92 - Jeremy Morgan Okeechobee, FL Rayburn 8) 42 Marshall Austin, Jr. Dover, FL - Rayburn 9) 15 - Ken Murphy Okeechobee, FL Rayburn 10) 69 Thomas Conrad Fort Pierce, FL Warrior 11) 1 David Farmer - Okeechobee, FL Bullett 12) M4 Wayne Joyner Jacksonville, FL MasterSbilt 13) 39 - Craig Montesi, Jr. Okeechobee, FL MasterSbilt 14) 98 Pete Broughton Wimauma, FL Stinger 15) 50 Jim Groff Fort Pierce, FL Howe 16) 89 Perry Crowe Lox, FL Barry Wright 17) 48 Doc McKinney - Fort Pierce, FL Larry Shaw 18) 7 Richard Wheelihan West Palm Beach, FL Larry Shaw 19) 35 David Augspurger Palm Beach Gardens, FL GRT 20) 79 Vince Muzzin Jensen Beach, FL Larry Shaw
By Donnie Helmly
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