by Dave Westerman
There will once again be action aplenty Saturday night at Auburndale Speedway as the Late Models return for 100 laps and a $3,000 winners check. The Mini Cups will also be in action along with the Modified Mini Stocks, V-8 Bombers, Mini Stocks, Kids Club and Bandoleros.
The Late Model class has enjoyed a huge resurgance in 2010 as the track has stepped up to the plate to attract cars with a bigger purse and rules that allow practically any type of Late Model machine to be competitive. Just under 50 different Late Model race teams have signed in to compete in the last three events. All of those teams, plus those who ran in the FAST Series event earlier in the year will be eligible for the “bonus” purse paying $5,000 to win (and a nice $4,000 for second) in the last Late Model point race of the year on October 16th.
Another field of between 25-30 cars are expected this week led by point leader Jeff Scofield. Scofield has been rock solid so far this year with two wins and a pair of second place finishes and leads Kevin Ingram by 61 points headed into this weeks activity. Veteran hot shoe Perry Lovelady, who has been racing since the invention of the wheel, has been extremely steady all year and sits third in points ahead of Ryan Lisak and Ron Lofquist. All should be in the field this week. Daniel Webster had the car to beat in last month’s
100-lapper as he set quick time and led every lap of the race. Expect Webster in Saturday’s line-up along with the likes of David King (another “old-timer” who has been having a good year), Chris Fontaine, Keith Lilley, Josh Todd, Rusty Ebersole, Jason Vail and host of others which may include a few “surprises.”
The Mini Cup cars never disappoint and expect yet another strong field with plenty of close competition. Harold Crooms leads the point standings but whether he stays there may be in question as his car owner is looking to sell the machine that has already won two features this year. Currently Crooms has just a three point edge on Rick Ragan while young Tyler Scofield is just 14 points in back of Ragan after his first career win last month.
The Modified Mini Stocks also return to action this week and you can throw a blanket over the top three in points. Scotty Sharpe is still on top but by just two markers over Jason Rendell and Mike Sweet who are tied for second. Sweet has come on super strong since purchasing a car from former Orlando SpeedWorld champion Pedie Allison a couple of months ago.
Drivers in the Scrambler class will finally get to dust off their machines this week after being off for over a month. Kim Gullett still heads the point standings and is coming off a win (her first ever) the last time the Scramblers ran in early June. Gullett now has a 32 point advantage over Brian Tyre while Chad Cutting remains third in points.
Chris Spring has been on a roll in the Mini Stocks and has opened up a 32 point edge over arch rival Fred Harrison, Jr. The championship will ulimately be decided between these two but young Gary Brown looks to be knocking on the door for his first win after a strong performance last week. Brown has been looking very good in his new car after his recent move up from the Scramblers.
Even though Josh Borem took the week off last week as he had his car torn apart, he continues to have a solid hold on the V-8 Bomber points, 136 ahead of second place Buddy Phillips, Jr.
Open practice sessions will be held both this Thursday and Friday, July 15 and 16, with pit gates opening at 5PM. Saturday, pit gates open at 2PM, grandstand gates open at 5PM with racing beginning after qualifying at 7PM. There is no increase in admission prices for “big” events, so adult admission is just $12, seniors get in for $10, kids 5-12 are $5 and a family of four pays no more than $25. All kids aged four and under are free. As always, all kids aged 10 and under get an extra ticket as they go through the entrance gate. That ticket makes them eligible for prizes from “Lindsey’s Little Racers.”
NOTES:
Daniel Webster put on his “walking shoes” and ventured north after winning the Late Model race here on June 26th. Webster entered the PASS South Late Model event at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in North Carolina. Although he made the show (32 cars were entered), he finished a disappointing 24th in the Firecracker 125 there. Look for Dan to be right back on top of his game again at Auburndale this week.
The Legend Car racing community has their biggest event in history this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “The Legends Million” has attracted around 200 drivers from all over the world for the biggest race in Legend Car history. Several Auburndale Speedway drivers will try and make the show while others will be there as spectators. Brandon Thomson is running the #57 car. Kory Abbott and Donovan Ponder who ran here in 2009 will also try to qualify for the Million Dollar race. “No Brake” Jake Perkins will be trtying to get into the Semi-Pro/Young Lions race and three Auburndale drivers are entered in the over 40 year old “Masters” division race: Dave Gleason, Lynn Wiles and Rick Wetmore. We wish all these drivers the best of luck in Charlotte.
Speaking of the “Legends Million,” Scrambler racer Chad Cutting’s grandfather, the legendary “Tampa Terror” Will Cagle will be the oldest driver attempting to qualify. Cagle is 72 years young and will be racing against some drivers who are 60 years his junior!
In going through the finishing order of the Firecracker 125 at Greenville-Pickens Speedway where Dan Webster raced a couple of weeks ago, there were at least ten drivers in the starting line-up who had Legend Car experience. Russ Thomson, who heads up Legend Cars of Florida, insists that racing a Legend Car will teach a young driver more about driving and race set-ups than any other “feeder” class.
If you have your rain check from this past Saturday night, Orlando SpeedWorld is offering five dollars off the general admission ticket if you present the rain check at the ticket booth for this Friday’s show. Hopefully a large number of Auburndale fans will show up and support OSW General Manager Rick Bristol in his efforts to fill the stands at one of the premiere short tracks in the south.
There could be as many as four father-son teams in action this week. Rob Partelo is expected to be out for the first time in his Late Model this year while son Cole is now racing in the Mini Cup class. Jeff and Tyler Scofield also form a Late Model-Mini Cup “family” and if Raymond Lovelady has his car fixed, both he and dad Perry should be in action in the Late Models. Edward Howell has shaken off the “cobwebs” and has been racing again recently in the V-8 Bombers and is toying with the idea of building a Street Stock. He and son Jason (Late Model) could be another pair to watch this week.
Everyone is still abuzz concerning the great show the Southeast Champ Karts put on last week. With three and four-wide racing going on for 25 laps, the SECKS drivers left everyone gasping for breath as the lead duo finished in a virtual dead heat at the checker.
ARCA Racing Series driver Bryan Silas and wife Misty became parents of a healthy baby boy, Landon Paul Silas, Tuesday, July 13 at 4:45 p.m. Landon weighed in at nine pounds, five ounces upon birth. Mother and son (and father too) are resting and doing well at a hospital down in Bryan’s hometown of Stuart. Silas drives the #11 Rockingham Speedway/Palm Beach Grading Ford for owner Andy Hillenburg and is 12th in the ARCA Racing Series standings with three top-10 finishes so far this year. Bryan also runs from time to time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and on the USAR Pro Cup Series circuit. When he isn’t doing all of that, you’ll find Bryan right here at Auburndale having fun in his #57 Legend Car. Bryan is sure to have a few “sleepless” nights ahead of him!
POINTS AS OF July 10, 2010:
LATE MODELS:
1-#07 Jeff Scofield 399
2-#21 Kevin Ingram 338
3-#50 Perry Lovelady 309
4-#17 Ryan Lisak 276
5-#49 Ron Lofquist 270
6-#407 Jason Vail 260
7-#22 David King 225
8-#47 Chris Fontaine 202
#33 Daniel Webster 202
10-#36 Tim Russell 198
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OPEN WHEEL MODIFIEDS:
1-#98 Wayne Morris 715
2-#56 James Wright III 703
3-#75 Bobby Blake 640
4-#19 Kevin Macy 598
5-#01 Von Pope 548
6-#87 Keith Lilley 542
7-#00 Shawn Harper 526
8-#03 Kyle Bookmiller 499
9-#35 Ron Abney, Jr. 406
10-#10 Travis Roland 397
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SPORTSMAN:
1-#71 Dave Dunkin 404
2-#13 Mark Medeiros 386
3-#22 Austin Carr 276
4-#1 Bart Weatherford 236
5-#8 Brandon Duchscherer 224
6-#89X Brett Jenkins 170
7-#19 Chris Lewellen 166
8-#92 Ted Head 152
9-#51 Kyle Alford 146
10-#60 Richard Fiore, Jr. 114
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MODIFIED MINI STOCKS:
1-#89 Scott Sharpe 294
2-#15 Jason Rendell 292
#55 Mike Sweet 292
4-#45 Dennis Jones 210
5-#07 Bruce Anderson 190
6-#38 Burt Morse 170
7-#26 Jimmy Pugh 162
8-#37 Brandon McSwain 156
9-#85 Drew Carter 90
10-#09 Jessica Robbins 82
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TRUCKS:
1-#16 Tim Sozio 150
2-#1 Tommy King 148
3-#2 Jim Cowhey, Jr. 134
4-#15 Roger Blevins 130
5-#37 Nick Hernandez 118
6-#99 Brent Tyler 110
7-#72 Keith Lilley 100
8-#54 Zach Harris 98
9-#18 Cheyne Hammond 80
10-#13 J.R. Garcia 60
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LEGEND CARS:
1-#38 Gerald White, Jr. 612
2-#59 Jake Perkins 604
3-#8 Justin Brown 512
#71 Mason Ketterman 512
5-#07 Dave Gleason 504
6-#31 Lynn Wiles 402
7-#4R Zach Napoleon 356
8-#7 Dakota Baggette 314
9-#21 Devin McLeod 264
10-#4 Tyler Smith 236
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STREET STOCKS:
1-#5 Matt McCrary 582
2-#42 Jeff Waterman 580
3-#4 Dave Colpritt 520
4-#56 James Wright III 436
5-#17 Kyle Hall 362
6-#29 Bobby Mobley 318
7-#53 Kyle Peters 276
8-#48 Eddie Hartin 234
9-#65 Ken Lawrence 226
10-#52 Mike Rowland 224
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MINI STOCKS:
1-#42 Chris Spring 780
2-#21 Fred Harrison, Jr. 748
3-#3 Chris Narramore, Sr. 532
4-#33 Donnie Guy 470
5-#40 Jason Swilley 432
6-#4 Marilyn McCrary 346
7-#88 Kevin Steadman 326
8-#46 Randy King 302
9-#551 Mark Wells 276
10-#2 Dwight Ryals, Jr. 182
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V-8 BOMBERS:
1-#111 Josh Borem 670
2-#05 Buddy Phillips, Jr. 534
3-#56 James Wright, Jr. 428
4-#0 Paul Bookmiller 352
5-#89 Preston Davis 308
6-#88 Gene Harrison 258
7-#96 Larry Chumney II 248
8-#96 Larry Chumney, Sr. 204
9-#42 Brandon Duchscherer 178
#105 Jeff Lacy 178
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SCRAMBLERS:
1-#28 Kimberly Gullett 428
2-#66 Brian Tyre 396
3-#00 Chad Cutting 364
4-#62 Richard Brown 338
5-#71 Dave Canfield 242
6-#4 Scott Russ 220
7-#51 Matt Johns 216
8-#42 Mike Bauer 198
9-#9 Ashton Hunt 194
10-#8 Richie Acres 160
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MINI CUPS:
1-#7 Harold Crooms 155
2-#21 Rick Ragan 152
3-#07 Tyler Scofield 138
4-#74 John Beach 118
5-#14 Sam Scott 112
6-27X Dale Pulst 106
7-#2 Skip Baird 82
8-#22 Rick Cline, Sr. 78
9-#9 Cole Partelo 72
#05 Cindarae Irish 72
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BANDOLEROS:
BANDITS:
1-#38 Cameron White 664
2-#5 Derek Sobel 148
3-#11 Coty Bibeau 94
4-#30 Noah Cornman 42
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OUTLAWS:
1-#96 Teddy Lively 376
2-#48 Andy Metz 340
3-#1 Mark Bibeau 174
4-#11 Daniel Conlin, Jr. 156
5-#13 Ryan Shattuck 146
6-#16 Nick Baluch 34
6-#65 Daniel Conlin, Sr. 32
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FIGURE EIGHTS:
1-#0 Jimmy Thompson 40
2-#14 Wayne Calkins 38
3-#89 Rodney Davis 36
4-#31 Wayne Whitehead 34
5-#34 James Crawford 32
6-#891 Ricky Todd 30
7-#35 James Newton 28
8-#A6 Justin Meyer 26
9-#89X Josh Hall 24
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