<span style=”font-size: x-small;”><strong>By:Melanie Beckner</strong>
Punta Gorda, FL…It was another night full of action at the jewel of the South, the Charlotte County Motorsports Park this past Saturday night. Eight divisions took on the 3/8th mile track with the Pro 4 and Road Warriors running special 35 lap features. TQ Midgets were the first feature event of the evening with Geoff Styner leading the field to the start of the 25 lap feature. Styner immediately took his car the the front and led until lap 6.
At that point Ted Durfee took over the top spot with the oldest person in the field Jack Duffy, coming throught the field fast. With 2 laps remaining Duffy was on Durfee’s tire tracks. On the final lap Jack Duffy seen a hole open up and jumped to the inside of Ted Durfee going into turn 3 and passed him at the line. Jack Duffy took the win with Ted Durfee finishing as close second and Geoff Styner was third.
Mike Belusar sat on the pole for the 25 lap feature for the Dwarf cars. Belusar took the lead at the wave of the green flag and held the position for the first 7 laps. Andy Pryor made a run for the lead on lap 6 and successfully made the pass the following lap.
The only caution to wave came out on lap 19 for Ray Gonzalez III, when he spun his car around in turn 4. On the restart Bo Bass was all over the back of Andy Pryor’s car. As the fianl 6 laps went on Pryor was able to make some breathing roon between him and Bass. Andy Pryor went on to clain the victory with Bo Bass finishing in second and Rick Lundee was third.
The Pro4’s were next out for there special 35 lap race with Corey Bigley sitting on the pole. On the start Kyle Rice hit the backstretch wall,resulting in a complete restart. On the restart Phillip Ellis spun his car around in turn two. Before the second restart the driver’s were warned that if they could not get it together that they would sent to the pits until the end of the night, luckily that did not happen.
On the second restart Corey Bigley missed a shift and Stuart Vandevender took full advantage and took the lead. John Pummell Jr., brought out the caution on lap 3 afer spinning in turn 3.Vandevender, still held the lead on the restart with Ryan Collver running him down. Lap 5 saw another caution after John Pummell Jr. spun in turn 4.
On the restart Collver had a good run and took over the lead from Vandevender, however the following lap Stuart Vandevender took back the lead with the final caution coming out again for John Pummel Jr. Since it was Pummel’s third caution he was sent to the pits for the rest of the evening.
The remainder of th race ran cautionless with Stuart Vandevender battling it out for the top spot for the remainder of the race. With 5 laps remaining Dylan Bigley, had caught up to second and first place making it the 3 car battle until the end. On the last lap lap traffic got into the way of the leaders.
Going into turn 4 Ryan Collver went low and Stuart Vandevnder got cautght behind the lap car of Billy Benoit which aloud Collver to take over the lead. Ryan Collver went on to win the feature with Stuart Vandevender having to settle for second and Dylan Bigley took home the third place throphy.
The Checkered Flag Sprint Series were back for another exciting 30 lap feature with Ric Voisey on the pole. On the start Frankie Hurst grabbed the lead and kept his car out front until lap 2. Rookie Channing Conolly passed Hurst on lap three to gain the lead. The entire feature ran catuin free and the race lasted less then 10 minutes. Even though the race ran caution free there were alot of side by side action from the second position on back. Channing Conolly took the win with Jimmy Alves in second place and Gary Gimmler was third.
The Fastrucks took to the track for their 50 lap feature with Sean Bass leading the field to the start and took the lead. The first caution waved on lap 8 for Cody Allen, whose muffler was dragging. On the restart Bass continued where he left off and gained a healthy lead over the rest of the field. The next caution whould not come out until lap 31 for the spin on the frontstretch by Jerry Maxson.
Whitney Poole started smoking heavily and on lap 36 the caution was brought out to check to see if she was leaking any fluids. Sean Bass captured the victory with Ricky Moxley coming in second with Mike Burns completing the top three positions.
Jim Meiser was the polsitter for the 35 lap, Florida Suncoast Outlaw Street Stock and Outlaw Thunder Trucks. On the start Larry Braswell got into the side of Robert Crisp in turn four, spinning Robert Crisp and came to a stop on the frontstretch all cars beside Robert Benning came out of it unharmed. Robert Benning had hit the wall as he went high to avaoid hitting Crisp’s spinning car.
On the restart Jim Meiser was able to take the lead with the caution coming out again after lap 1 was complete. Donna Biggar’s motor expired and slicked up the track in turn four and half of the frontstretch, she pulled her car into the infield before she could lay down any more oil. Jim Meiser still held the lead when the race resumed with Bobby Fischer and Robert Crisp all over the back of Meiser’s car. Meiser was able to hold off Crisp until lap sixteen, when Robert Crisp was able to take over the lead. Robert Crisp never looked back and took home the win with Danny Daniels Jr and JIm Meiser completing the top three spots.
Junior’s Trim Shop Road Warriors ran a special 35 lap feature with Billy Benoit sitting on the pole.
On the start Hank Ferguson got into Clint Snyder going into turn one, both went up the track and collected James Dellea. On the restart Billy Benoit put his car to the front and held the lead for
6 laps. Logan Leonard who has been dominating in the Road Warrior’s this year, took over the position from Benoit on lap seven. Jason Miller spun his car around in turn 1 on lap nine collecting Jeremy Daring. Leoanrd held the lead on the restart with the next caution coming out just 5 laps later with Dave Licking spinning in turn 2.
On lap 21, Billy Benoit drove into the side of Blaine Baer, bring out the caution. The final caution came out on lap 31. Hank Ferguson and Dave Licking had got into one another in turn 2 with both spinning. Logan Leonard went on to claim his 4th win in a row for the Juniors Trim Shop Road Warrior’s. Jeff Firestine finsihed in second with Derrick Horton taking third place.
The fianl race of the evening was the 20 lap Fab 4 feature with Mark Milthaler on the pole for his first race. On the start Milthaler jumped to the early lead. The first caution came out for Joe Lemier and Shane Moore Jr after contact with one another in turn one. On the restart Kerrington McFadden had a good run going into turn 1 and took the lead from Milthaler. Lap seven had the next caution when second place car Kim Mabbit spun in turn two.
On the restart McFadden, missed a shift which aloud Phillip Ellis to take the lead. Phillip Ellis went on to take his third win of the year and now has to move up to the Pro 4 division. Kerrington McFadden was second and Nick Callin was third.
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