(Okeechobee, FL; 7/29/2000) John Choquette of West Palm Beach, Florida took advantage of being in the right place at the right time, for the second time, and parlayed the opportunity into another Southeast Motorsports Dirt Racing series victory, Saturday night at Thunder Cross Motorsports Park in Okeechobee, FL.

Choquette, pilot of the the C&C Loader Service/Progressive Engines/Masterbilt #97 Monte Carlo captured the $4,0000 winner's check after leading wire-to-wire from the pole position. Choquette was followed across the line by Pete Broughton from Wimauma, FL driving his yellow #98 Clements powered Stinger.

Broughton started on the outside of the front row and fell in behind Choquette for the entire 40-lap sprint. Broughton tried relentlessly to get by the leader but had virtually no luck due to battling slick track conditions and fending off the close competition behind him.

Riverview, Florida's Jack Nosbisch dialed his Racket Chassis/ZRE Engines/Adam's Auto Parts entry to post a third place finish after starting fifth. David Augspurger of West Palm Beach was fourth in a GRT sponsored by Total Engine Concepts with Jason Fitzgerald of Jacksonville, Florida drove a Browning Chassis to a fifth place finish.

Sixth position went to Hollywood, Florida's Joe Kump with seventh going to Valrico, Florida's Keith Nosbisch. Eighth at the stripe was Doc McKinney of Ft. Pierce, Florida, Eric Platt of Jacksonville, Florida was ninth after starting seventeenth and Brett Davis, out of Bloomington, Indiana, rounded out the top ten finishers.

The evening began with qualifying, presented by GRT Race Cars, where Keith Nosbisch twisted up the south Florida bull ring on his first lap in 16.202 seconds. The Tampa area veteran never got a chance to better his time. As he entered turn one for his second lap, the black and white familiar #02 Rocket Chassis slipped out of the groove, immediately drifted high and proceeded to broadside the wall between turn one and two. The damage was extensive and repairs were needed just to get the mount across the scales to retain the GRT Race Cars Fast Qualifier Award.

The Nosbisch Racing crew members worked feverishly to restore the wounded ride and were able to make the grid for the first heat race. Pete Broughton dialed in the second fastest time with a lap at 16.233 to pace the second heat race and Thomas Conrad was third fastest with a 16.371-second lap.

The three heat races proved to be the key for the night as track conditions were less than favorable with a 'dry slick, dusty condition' plaguing the drivers as they not only battled each other but the track as well.

In the Bombardier 'Traxter' ATV first heat, the anticipation proved to be too much to hold back as attempts to start the event resulted in penalties for the first two of the eventual three pole sitters. On the initial start, fast qualifier Keith Nosbisch was a bit quick to get things started and fired before the stipulated point, and the result moved him back one position for a restart.

David Augspurger was next in line. David was moved to the point and did virtually the same thing, and fired the field deep in turn four versus at the specified point on the front stretch. Another caution was thrown and another penalty posed upon the pole sitter and eventual race winner, John Choquette was moved to the point. The third attempt was a charm as Choquette paced the field slowly into turn four and nosed past the designated starting cone to get the heat race under way.

Choquette would not be denied the opportunity and captured the ten-lap affair followed by Jason Fitzgerald, David Augpurger, Vince Muzzin and Keith Nosbisch. The top five from each heat race transferred to the feature.

The Jerry Hamm Chevrolet second heat saw Pete Broughton take command of the race and lead wire-to-wire for the win. The other transferees were Jack Nosbisch, Richard Wheelihan, Danny Cox and Doc McKinney.

Thomas Conrad led the field to the green in the All Pro Trailers third heat but it was Perry Crowe who emerged victorious. Conrad settled for second with Joe Kump third, Shane Kreidler fourth and Marshall Austin, Jr. finished fifth.

Brett Davis, Eric Platt, Mike Bechelli, Buddy Geiger and Chad Carver completed the starting field for the feature by transferring from the 12-lap Racing Communications Consolation Race.

From the drop of the green flag on the 40 lap affair, John Choquette took command and never gave anyone a reason to believe he would be denied. Choquette held on to the top spot the entire race with Pete Broughton taking a peak inside and outside every now and again, but not a real challenge for the top spot.

The real mover in the pack was Eric Platt. Transferred into the feature event from the consi, Eric was determined to finish in the money. After starting seventeenth on the grid and working his way to the ninth position by the drop of the checkers, Eric Platt gained the most positions and earned the nights Hard Charger Award. Other movers were Keith Nosbisch who gained six positions, Doc McKinney who gained six spots, Brett Davis who gained six as did Thomas Conrad and Buddy Geiger.

Eighteen of the original twenty starters finished the event with only Shane Kreidler and Richard Wheelihan retiring early.

Official Finishing Order for Southeast Motorsports Dirt Racing Series Event No. 4 Thunder Cross Motorsports Park, July, 29, 2000 - 40 Laps

1. 97 - John Choquette, West Palm Beach, FL
2. 98 - Pete Broughton, Wimauma, FL
3. 12 - Jack Nosbisch, Riverview, FL
4. 35 - David Augpurger, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
5. 03 - Jason Fitzgerald, Jacksonville, FL
6. 17 - Joe Kump, Hollywood, FL
7. 02 - Keith Nosbisch, Valrico, FL
8. 5x - Doc McKinney, Fort Pierce, FL
9. 44 - Eric Platt, Jacksonville, FL
10. 1 - Brett Davis, Bloomington, IN
11. 79 - Vince Muzzin, Jensen Beach, FL
12. 69 - Thomas Conrad, Fort Pierce, FL
13. M5 - Buddy Geiger, Hilliard, FL
14. 42 - Marshall Austin, Jr., Dover, FL
15. 89 - Perry Crowe, Loxahatchee, FL
16. 67 - Danny Cox, Indiantown, FL
17. 00 - Bobby Alexander, Riverview, FL
18. 97x - Mike Bechelli, Elizibethtown, IN
19. 52 - Shane Kreidler, Toquesta, FL
20. 7 - Richard Wheelihan, West Palm, FL

GRT Race Cars Qualifying Results - Thunder Cross Motorsports Park (Time-Driver-Car Number-Hometown)
1. 16.202 - Keith Nosbisch - 02 - Valrico, FL
2. 16.233 - Pete Broughton - 98 - Wimauma, FL
3. 16371 - Thomas Conrad - 69 - Fort Pierce, FL
4. 16.425 - Jason Fitzgerald - 03 - Jacksonville, FL
5. 16.431 - Jack Nosbisch - 12 - Riverview, FL
6. 16.563 - Perry Crowe - 89 - Loxahatchee, FL
7. 16.564 - David Augpurger - 35 - Palm Beach Gardens, FL
8. 16.583 - Danny Cox - 67 - Indiantown, FL
9. 16.605 - Joe Kump - j17 - Hollywood, FL
10. 16.624 - Vince Muzzin - 79 - Jensen Beach, FL
11. 16.708 - Mike Bechelli - 97x - Elizibethtown, IN
12. 16.714 - Marshall Austin, Jr. - 42 - Dover, FL
13. 16.823 - John Choquette - 97 - West Palm, FL
14. 16.878 - Richard Wheelihan - 7 - West Palm, FL
15. 16.903 - Shane Kreidler - 52 - Toquesta, FL
16. 16.948 - Victor Jones - 48 - Okeechobee, FL
17. 17.000 - Chris Eldridge - 88 - West Palm. FL
18. 17.032 - Brett Davis - 1 - Bloomington, IN
19. 17.115 - Jeremy Morgan - 92 - Okeechobee, FL
20. 17.210 - Gary Champion - 94 - Jupiter, FL
21. 17.250 - David Farmer - 1 - Okeechobee, FL
22. 17.274 - Bobby Shearer - 92 - Clewiston, FL
23. 17.330 - Eric Platt - 44b - Jacksonville, FL
24. 17.364 - Chad Carver - 00 - Clewiston, FL
25. 17.365 - Buddy Geiger - M5 - Hilliard, FL
26. 17.495 - Wayne Joyner - M4 - Jacksonville, FL
27. 17.505 - Bobby Alexander - 0 - Riverview, FL
28. 17.753 - David Simpson - 25 - Valrico, FL
29. NT-NT - Doc McKinney - 5 - Fort Pierce, FL

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