After three weeks off of racing, it took a while to get the fans parked and settled into the Punta Gorda Speedway that was packed from one end to the other. After qualifying and heat races, the first feature took to the track, it was the Rookie Trucks for fifteen laps. Thirteen year old Chad Chastain from Alva sat on the pole and ran start to finish as the leader but had a hard charging Corey Bigley on his bumper till the end. Bigley usually runs the pro 4 class but got to run the 00 truck of Whitney Poole and really gave Chastain a battle to the end. It was Chastain that got to celebrate in the winners circle with Bigley coming in a hard fought second place and Kyle Case third.

Perfect Pest Control Pro 4 were up next and Cory Bigley jumped out of the truck and into his 28 machine and started the race on the pole. Ryan Collver took two laps to take over the lead with hard charging Paul Richards Jr. on his bumper fighting for the spot. Richards made the pass on Collver on lap eleven and held him off till the end with only one caution in the race. Some new drivers joined the class and when the checkers flew it was Richards crossing the stripe first with Ryan Collver second , brother Dan Collver third and Jessica Ostrovskis in her new painted Blink Magic fourth.

They are called the “Thunder Heard” Road Warriors and this race lived up to it as Jeremy Daring out of Lehigh sat on the pole but had Phil the Thrill Morrison outside. Daring jumped out to the lead but Morrison got by on lap three, lap six Bobby Mobley from Auburndale had a score to settle with Jason Miller from the last race which ended with Mobley being DQed for the night. After speedway owner Kevin Williams took control of the out of control drivers it was back to green. Daring was back in the lead and stayed on the gas till the checkers came out and found himself with his first trip to the winners circle with a crowd of family and friends joining him for the celebration. Richard Nelson of Port Charlotte battled to finish second and Derrick Horton from N. Ft. Myers third.

Pro Trucks came out for a twenty five lap feature that took some time with the nine cautions that came out. Young driver Cody Martell from Arcadia led the first five laps while trying to hold off Pretty in Pink Whitney Poole who got by Martell on lap seven bringing Kelli Burns in another Pink truck with her for second. Sam Scott out of Naples got by Burns and was working on passing Poole when Poole spun and Scott got sent to the rear. A few more cautions and a few laps later it was Mark Hooven in the mix that took the lead from Poole on lap fifteen but Poole got called for spinning Hooven and sent to the rear. Lap seventeen saw the young guys fighting it out as Sam Scott made it back to the front to battle with Hooven back and forth, side by side it was Hooven then Scott then Hooven while Burns was watching from the third spot. Five laps to go, Hooven inside Scott outside, coming out of four, Scott washes up the track and spins and back to the rear he is sent for bring out the last caution of the race. Four laps to go Hooven on the front and Burns outside the green dropsand Burns tucks in behind Hooven, white flag is out then turn four they see the checker and Burns bumps Hooven sends him high drops down low and crosses the line as the winner. Young Kelli Burns makes a veteran move on Hooven to take her first win in the Pro Trucks as Hooven hung on for second and Jim Cowhey Jr third.

Introductions were done on the front stretch and drivers were getting buckled in to start race number two of the Goodyear Challenge 12 pack series. Speedway Owner Kevin Williams on the track making sure he got a thumbs up from all the drivers was ask by track announcer Racin Jason Beckner to say those famous words in racing. Williams took that opportunity to thank all the fans for their loyal support and that it reminded him when he raced back in the days when the speedway first opened, and then Ladies and Gentlemen start your engines. Steve Gill out of Bradenton started on the pole with fast qualifier Mike Smith from Auburndale outside one to go and the fans on their feet to waving then the green flag was dropped. You cant win the race on the first lap, coming out of four Smith hard on the

gas, still outside of Gill, looses control and smashes into the side of Gill before they get one lap in the books. Smith turns Gills all in front of the field, on the front stretch, cars go everywhere to avoid them and it was Gill and Smith the could not continue and the 22 of David King was stopped in the infield who also was out for the night. That turned the pole over to Daryl Shelnut and Eddie King Sr outside for the restart but Wayne Anderson was behind Shelnut and would he have anything for him. This almost caution free race saw Wayne Anderson chasing Shelnut with Richie Anderson and King racing for third and fourth. Billy Bigley Jr pitted at the start of the race when the wreck happened and was battling his way through the field and seemed to be the only one that trys the outside groove. Lap sixty eight Eddie King Jr giving it all he had to keep the third spot from Richie Anderson spun and had to take up the rear. Wayne Anderson running in second, something went on the car and coasted into the pits turning that spot over to Richie Anderson of N. Ft. Myers. Billy Bigley Jr had made his was up to third and was challenging Anderson for second, took over that spot on lap eighty eight but didn’t have enough to challenge Shelnut who cruised into the winners circle. Daryl Shelnut won race number two with Billy Bigley Jr getting a hard fought second while Richie Anderson third, Randy Anderson fourth and Eddie King Jr rounded out the top five.

Champ Karts saw the 15 of Chris Ellis as the winner, Trevor Wilson second and the 31 of Rusty Chancey third.

The last race of the night were the Cowboy Cadillacs that saw Stuart Vandevender celebrate his victory on his birthday in the winners circle. Jeff Deeble from Port Charlotte would come in second, John Pummell Jr from Arcadia was third.

Next week March 10th the Open Wheel Modifieds return to action for a 50 lap feature along with

Perfect Pest Control Pro 4, Street Stock, Cowboy Cadillacs,T.Q. Midgets and Dwarf Cars  

Tickets are only $10.00 for adults, $8.00 for seniors with 12 and under free.
Grandstand gates open at 4:00PM with racing around 6:00PM.

Stay tuned for upcoming events such as

March 24th for the First annual ROCKIN COUNTRY BASH at the speedway

March 31st race #3 of the Goodyear Late Models for 100 laps

April 7th RACIN TO END HUNGAR

Please visit puntagordaspeedway.com for more info or we are on Facebook under Punta Gorda Speedway.  

PUNTA GORDA SPEEDWAY RESULTS

3/03/12

Super Late Models

1. 7 Daryl Shelnut Lake city

2. 28 Billy Bigley Jr. Naples

3. 51 Richie Anderson N. Ft. Myers

4. 4 Randy Anderson Wildwood

5. 17 Eddie King Sr. Bartow

6. 5 Joe Boyd Riverview

7. 28B Dylan Bigley Naples

8. 7AAmanda Fergusen Claremont

9. 13 Mike Knotek LaBelle

10. 02 Mike Finn Jupiter

11. 84 Wayne Anderson Wildwood

12. 5 Steve Gill Bradenton

13. 22 David King Bartow

14. 23 Mike Smith Aburndale

?

Pro Trucks

1. 4 Kelli Burns Port Charlotte

2. 17 Mark Hooven Orlando

3. 2 Jim Cowhey Jr. Valrico

4. 75 Glen Walker Arcadia

5. 99 Cody Martell Arcadia

6. 14s Sam Scott Naples

7. 00 Whitney Poole Vero Beach

8. 99X Rick Penton W. Palm Beach

9. 32 Jimmy Crowe Fort Pierce

10. 47 Travis Gossard Naples

11. 111 Josh Bowen Lakeland

Road Warriors

1. 5 Jeremy Daring Lehigh Acres

2. 80 Richard Nelson Bradenton

3. 27 Derrick Horton N. Ft. Myers

4. 8 Shane Leonard Cape Coral

5. 33 Chris Loney Naples

6. 97 Chris Scott Nokomis

7. 89 Phil Morrison Punta Gorda

8. 1 Rick Reed Arcadia

9. 10 Jason Miller Lehigh Acres

10.29 Bobby Mobley DQ

Pro 4

1. 61 Paul Richards Jr. Naples

2. 04 Ryan Collver Ft. Myers

3. 00 Dan Collver N. Ft. Myers

4. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete

5. 77 James Dellea III Port Charlotte

6. 7 Blain Baer Port Charlotte

7. 87 Styler Null Fort Myers

8. 9 Mark Skinner Punta Gorda

9. 28 Corey Bigley Naples

10. 30 Stephen Babcock Punta Gorda

11. 3 Chuck Null N. Ft. Myers

12. 13 Justin Teston Lehigh

13. 21 Jason Perkins N. Ft. Myers

14. 9x James Daring Lehigh

Cowboy Cadillac

1.36 Stuart Vandevender Cape Coral

2. 8 Jeff Deeble Port Charlotte

3. 86 John Pummel Jr. Arcadia

4. 33 Les Couch Punta Gorda

5. 88 Brad Wegert Port Charlotte

?
Rookie Trucks

1. 36 Chad Chastain Alva

2. 00 Cory Bigley Naples

3. 32 Kyle Case Venice

Champ Karts

1. 15 Chris Ellis

2. 38 Trevor Wilson

3. 31 Rusty Chancey

4. 63 Ed Brilhante

5. 25 Pierce Aiken

6. 33 Tim Simmons

7. 77 Phil Harp

8. 90 Tylor Weir

9. 49 Mike Mantano