Jim Rouse, BRP Media (11-23-12) Ocala, FL – The points season has wound down and tomorrow is our final night of action before we confirm all but one champion. The RaceCar Engineering Late Models, in conjunction with the penultimate round of the Sunoco/Buddy’s Home Furnishings United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series, and Twisted Tea Top Gun Sprint Cars ended their seasons while the Scorpion Racing Products Modifieds, 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks, and Rent-N-Roll Gladiators put points on the board before they wrap it all up.
Scorpion Racing Products Modifieds opened the show for us. Kyle Bronson led from outside pole as he chased history but had “4-Time” Jeff Mathews behind him. “The Killer” was struggling with lapped traffic while Mathews chased him down and this all on a 10-lap green run. The green run didn’t end until lap 15 when Rich Pratt’s #78 broke and slowed right in front of a group of 4 cars. Pratt never stopped but, in the name of safety, a caution was thrown. The caution allowed Mathews and Buzzie Reutimann to take another shot at Bronson. Dalton Lanich would bring out the second caution as he tried to avoid the broken-down car of Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. As the field approached the 2-to-go sign Jeff Mathews’ #33 broke leaving Bronson to take home his 13th win of 2012. Buzzie Reutimann finished 2nd while Garret Stewart bettered teammate Dalton Lanich for 3rd. Paul Snyder finished 5th in his debut.
The Twisted Tea Top Gun Sprint Cars knew that only 2 could win the title and that Matt Kurtz, barring a disaster, would clinch by starting (as you earn well over 60 points, base for the series). Tony Agin would use pole position to take the early lead while Matt Kurtz felt comfortable as he had 7 spots over Ruel. Lap 7 saw caution 1 as “THE Human Highlight Reel” Shane Kreidler spun out of turn 4; Agin, Kurtz, and AJ Maddox were the top 3. Agin would begin to struggle in the last 8 laps and Kurtz seized the moment. “The Jacksonville Jet” knew what the scenarios were and he did just enough as he took home the win and, with Mark Ruel, Jr. only 4th, the title! Agin finished a strong 2nd with Shawn Murray, Ruel, and AJ Maddox the top 5.
The middle race was our very own 2012 RaceCar Engineering Late Models with some UDLMCS drivers in the mix as well. With the UDLMCS championship closer than ever before we would see Mark Whitener go all out to catch Keith Nosbisch as Christian Augspurger prayed for a miracle mistake from the veterans. Augspurger did what he must- jump to the lead, as Keith Nosbisch and Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. fought for 2nd. Tyler Clem spun out on lap 7 to bring out the first caution- the top 3 was Augspurger, Lloyd, and Nosbisch with 43 left. On lap 16 Ivedent broke the right front as Nosbisch overtook Augspurger for the lead. Nosbisch would take it to the house while Whitener clinched his Bubba Raceway Park championship and put the gap at 70 for tomorrow. Augspurger is now over 100 out after a 3rd place finish with Bo Allen and Richard Ferry the top 5.
The 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks had a race marred by cautions including a lap 2 incident when Curtis Clark spun in turn 2 and Mike Stalnaker climbed over the hood of Clark’s #0. Both were okay but their nights were over. Robert Ray had been leading the race but the restart allowed Jeff Stalnaker, Jr. to steal the lead from him. Just a little past halfway a wild crash happened when Bubba Durbin and Jason Gamble tapped each other in turn 4. Gamble snapped sideways then spun and clipped John Thorpe’s #114. Thorpe went for a wild ride that tested the suspension and the roll cage. All involved were okay but Thorpe was disgusted. In the end Chad Scranton took the win after he led half the race. Stalnaker finished 2nd with Jonathan Appleby right behind him. James Sullivan, III and Bubba Durbin rounded out the top 5.
The Rent-N-Roll Gladiators had a wild race that started with Stephen Frankland, the British Bulldog, leading. A lap 5 caution for Devan Pegal gave Steve Johnson the chance he needed to take the lead. Johnson ended up taking the win with Frankland behind him. David Pate was 3rd with Todd Roberts and Pegal the top 5.
Tomorrow we wrap up 4 more championships. Bubba’s Pit Stop opens at 1 with some college football on! Pits open at 4, grandstands at 5, and racing is scheduled to start at 7. The Scorpion Racing Products Modifieds, 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks, and Rent-N-Roll Gladiators return with the Barfield Law Group Mini Stocks and Buddy’s Home Furnishings Limited Late Models. For more info check out Twitter (@BubbaRacewayPrk), Facebook, www.bubbaracewaypark.com, or call us at 352-622-9400! See ya at the track!
Bubba Raceway Park Results (11/23)
Twisted Tea Top Gun Sprint Car Series
1- 92 Matt Kurtz
2- 38 Tony Agin
3- 22 Shawn Murray
4- 83 Mark Ruel, Jr.
5- 3A AJ Maddox
6- 52 Shane Kreidler
7- 3 Dennis Miseraca
8- 34 Darren Orth
9- 43 Rex Howe
10- 8 Rich Alexander (DNF- engine)
11- 21 Shawn Cornell (DNF- pulled off)
RaceCar Engineering Late Models (Sunoco/Buddy’s Home Furnishings UDLMCS event)
1- 02 Keith Nosbisch
2- 58 Mark Whitener
3- 35 Christian Augspurger
4- 71 Bo Allen
5- 17 Richard Ferry
6- J17Joe Kump
7- 33 Jeff Mathews
8- 6 Kyle Bridges
9- 311 Kenny Monohan
10- 33S Carter Stokes
11- 14 Tyler Clem
12- 40B Kyle Bronson (DNF- pulled off)
13- 54 David Hite (DNF- pulled off)
14- B69 Bryan Bernhardt (DNF- pulled off)
15- 99 Shan Smith (DNF- pulled off)
16- 21 Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. (DNF- broken right front)
17- 1A Jim Cryer (DNF- pulled off)
Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Modifieds
1- 40B Kyle Bronson
2- 00 Buzzie Reutimann
3- 2S Garret Stewart
4- 2L Dalton Lanich
5- 54S Paul Snyder
6- 7 Kent Corbin
7- 34 Chuck Gustafson, Jr.
8- 18 Chris Rutherford
9- Z06 Larry Mott
10- 14 Tyler Clem
11- 33 Jeff Mathews (DNF- mechanical)
12- 33L Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. (DNF- mechanical)
13- 78 Rich Pratt (DNF- mechanical)
1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks
1- 27 Chad Scranton
2- 9 Jeff Stalnaker, Jr.
3- 69A Jonathan Appleby
4- 14 James Sullivan, III
5- 12 Bubba Durbin
6- 28 Brian Mullins
7- 9 Robert Ray
8- 28E Brandon Elwood
9- 58 Shane Nichols
10- 3 Jeff Baer
11- 44 Todd Roberts
12- 83 Matt McKinnon
13- 21 Jason Gamble
14- 13 William Gillam
15- 29L Daniel Laird
16- 114 John Thorpe
17- 73 Brandon Tillander
18- 49 DJ Horiski
19- 39 Jason Blackmer
20- 71 Rick Kilbury
21- 0 Curtis Clark
22- 33 Mike Stalnaker
23- 15 Luke Sadler
24- 34 Mark Trexler
Rent-N-Roll Gladiators
1- 81 Steve Johnson
2- 7UK Stephen Frankland
3- 69 David Pate
4- 18 Todd Roberts
5- 44 Devan Pegel
DNS- 3 Brandon Haseleu