Orlando SpeedWorld returns to regular NASCAR Whelan All-American Series racing action Friday night with a six division program headed by the Super Late Models. Deland’s Rich Clouser led a strong 14-car field to the checker in the SLM feature two weeks ago and hopes to cash in again this week in his Sanford Auto Dealer’s Exchange Special wrenched by Bobby and Danny Sears. Expect Clouser to have a big group of challengers including young Anthony Sergi of Geneva and Cocoa’s Dusty Cornelius among others. Joining the Super Late Models will be the E-Modifieds, Pro Trucks, Super Stocks, Strictly Stocks and Bandoleros. Pit gates open at 4 pm, grandstands at 6 pm and racing starts promptly at 8 pm. General admission is $12 with all kids 12 and under admitted free of charge.
NEWS & NOTES:
Over 55 different drivers entered action in last week’s Crash-A-Rama event at SpeedWorld. The E&H Car Crushing team scored a win in the Roller Derby race while E&H drivers William “Huggy Bear” Hindman and Jim “Crusher” Erb scored respective victories in the Chain Race and Flag Pole Race. The Gayton family started and ended the evening on a winning note with Bruce Gayton taking the checker first in the Enduro race while Brian Gayton outlasted a big field in the FWD Demo Derby that took over a half-hour to complete. Popular Crash-A-Rama veteran “Raybo” took an upset victory in the School Bus Figure Eight race while other winners were Scotty Roland (Scooter Demo Derby), Jason Clendinin (Skid Car race) and Mike Gamache in the Boat-Camper/Trailer race. Stunt men Chris Morena and Tim Chitwood entertained the crowd and “Benny the Bomb” blew himself up yet again and lived to tell about it.
The Crash-A-Rama crowd was a bit down from its usual SRO but there were still plenty of people on hand to watch. Track officials blamed the lower count on a “gloom and doom” forecast by local TV weathermen, but the event ran off in absolutely gorgeous weather. The Fall Crash-A-Rama will run on its traditional day after Thanksgiving date, this year on November 29. Several new events are being added to this one, so make plans to attend.
Everything is set for the return of Sprint Cars to Orlando SpeedWorld on Saturday, June 1. The Tampa Bay Area Racing Association (TBARA) will be sanctioning the event for the winged outlaw-style machines. The TBARA opened their 2013 season as part of the re-birth of DeSoto Speedway in Bradenton, now known as Full Throttle Speedway, last Saturday night with a strong 23-car field. Tampa racing veteran Dave Steele won the race with a last lap pass and will be one of the favorites here on June 1.
There is a move afoot to run the Three-Quarter Midget cars of the Florida Midget Auto Racing Association (FMARA) at each scheduled TBARA Sprint Car event. On June 1 however, the Midgets are already scheduled at Full Throttle Speedway while the Sprint Cars will be running at SpeedWorld. There may be plans to move the TQ Midgets to a different date and allow them to run at OSW but that remains to be seen. TQ Midgets have not raced at SpeedWorld in many years although they were a regular monthly class back in the early-1990s. Many of the current Florida Sprint Car stars ran the TQ’s at SpeedWorld before moving into the more powerful machines including Dave Steele, Keith Butler, Gary Gimmler and current FMARA President Mark Gimmler.
In the early-1990s, a young 18-year-old phenom from Indiana won the “Florida State TQ Midget Championship” race at Speedworld over a big 35-car field from all over the country. His name – Tony Stewart.