Sprinter, Sport Allen, Wins 15th Annual 'Jimmy Haynes Memorial' | (Inverness, FL; 6/24/2000) Citrus County Speedway hosted the 15th running of the 'Jimmy Haynes Memorial' Sprint Car race, and the fans were treated to a high-speed run they won't soon forget.
Three-time Little Indy 500 winner, Jim Childers kicked things off with a win in the first heat. Bo Hartley smoked the field in the second heat, and Todd Schmidt locked on to the point and the checkered flag in the third heat.
Twenty sleek, 750-HP, asphalt-pounding sprinters took the green flag in the 25-lap main event and Sport Allen (Pinellas Park) locked on to the point and checked out the rest of the field for his first win, since returning to the asphalt from his dirt track championship last year. Allen consistently turned 12.5-second laps on the fast quarter mile. No one in the top five could reel him in. Brad Davis, Dave Pletcher, Wayne Reutimann, and teen-age sprinter, Shaun Farr, in his second year of racing, took the balance of the top five positions.
Point leader, Jim Childers finished sixth followed by Kevin Cahill, Keith Butler, Shane Miller and Shane Butler to round out the top 10. Fred Stoner picked up his second win of the season with a flag-to-flag win in the Southern Pro Engine and Machine Late Models Big Purse Challenge make-up race. He pocketed the $1,300 win purse and picked up 13 points over point leader, Mike Bresnahan in the race for the crown.
Dan Johnson locked on to Stoner's rear bumper with Herb Neumann Jr., Robert Elting, and Dick Anderson riding in the leaders' tire tracks in the 30-lap run to round out the top five. Heat winners for last week were Scotty Crockett and Al Lawrence.
Seventeen cars qualified in time trials for the M. Dominique Mobile Home Restoration Limited Sportsman 40-lap special. Robbie Yoakam took fast time and point leader Mike Veltman was second fast qualifier.
Six laps into the race, the sponsor of the race, Mark Dominique, blew a motor bringing out the first of three caution flags.
Alan Struble took the early lead dropping out of the race after the second restart and turning the lead over to brother, Rex. Rex's motor failed him with ten laps to go. Robbie Yoakam picked up the point and after a few laps, his right front wheel got to smoking badly and he was black flagged for safety purposes.
Mark Gillette came up with his first win of the season when he held off Travis Nichols and John Gann Jr. in the run for the flag. Jim Wilson and David Dollar took the balance of the top five spots.
Hobby Stocks ran double features with Richie Smith taking the make-up first race. Chris Hooker, Jim Hand, Roy Perkins, and Kreg Belcastro took the top five spots.
Chris Hooker came off the pole in the second feature to take his fifth feature win of the year, being chased to the line by a distant Roy Perkins, James Teague, Larry Schreckengost, and Jim Peters. The race was cut to 10 laps due to multiple caution flags and clean-up.
Mark Sowell, Rick Coleman, Billy Smith, George Neumann, and Mike Moore took the top five spots in the first of two Mini-Stock features. Sowell logged his third feature win of the season. In the second run for the night, it was Frank Coleman, Kevin Harrod, Rick Coleman, George Neumann, and Bob Castarella finishing in the top five positions.
Street Stock action saw Victor Stanley lock horns with Harley Wilson in the run for the point with Wilson getting bumped out of contention on turn 1 early in the race.
Stanley took the point and checked out on everyone except Wes Wilson who held on for a second place finish. Ernie Reed, Jr. had his best finish in several weeks running a solo third. Sport Wilson moved from thirteenth to fourth at the checkered flag and Dean Lawyer held out for fifth. Have an opinion on this story? Post a message on our Message Board! or send a letter to the editor!
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