By Dave Westerman
Veteran Legend car driver Korry Abbot, the only Florida driver to qualify for last years Legends Million race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, drove to victory in the final Winter Warm-up feature race for the Legend cars Saturday afternoon at Auburndale Speedway.
Apopka’s Abbott out-gunned Lakeland driver Dakota Baggette, who had won the previous two races in January here as the local drivers prepare for an invasion of drivers from all over the U.S., Canada and elsewhere for the running of the Winternationals beginning on February 15th.
Abbott, a former Pro Division Winternationals champion, declared he and his team ready to take on all comers next month, while Baggette, who will probably run in the Young Lions division, continues to impress as he enters his second full season behind the wheel of a Legends car.
North Florida driver Austin Blankenship, who hails from High Springs, won the first heat and finished third in the feature trailed by Lynn Wiles and Zach Napoleon.
Thirteen cars were entered including Moncton, NB’s Gary Bursey and Torstein Larson out of Narvick, Norway, who competed in all three January events. Rodney Pucak make the long tow from Wasilla, AK to take part this week as well. All three will be competing in the Winternationals that kick off on Tuesday, February 15th and continue through the following Saturday.
Bandoleros also took part this week with Michael Held of Orlando taking both the heat and feature races.
RACE RESULTS – 1/29/11:
LEGEND CARS - HEAT RACE #1: 1. #87 AUSTIN BLANKENSHIP 2. #59x BECCA MONOPOLI 3. #07 DAVE GLEASON 4. #31 LYNN WILES 5. #52 TORSTEIN LARSEN 6. #99 ROD PUCAK 7. #9 CAMERON RAY LEGENDS HEAT - RACE #2: 1. #5R KORY ABBOTT 2. #7 DAKOTA BAGGETTE 3. #6 ZACH NAPOLEON 4. #00 ANTHONY CATALDI 5. #65x GARY BURSEY 6. #48 ANDY METZ LEGENDS FEATURE RACE: 1.#5R KORY ABBOTT, APOPKA 2.#7 DAKOTA BAGGETTE, LAKELAND 3.#87 AUSTIN BLANKENSHIP, HIGH SPRINGS 4.#31 LYNN WILES, PLANT CITY 5.#6 ZACH NAPOLEON, WESLEY CHAPEL 6.#07 DAVE GLEASON, ORLANDO 7.#00 ANTHONY CATALDI, UMATILLA 8.#9 CAMERON RAY, LAKELAND 9.#65x GARY BURSEY, MONCTON, NB 10.#52 TORSTEIN LARSEN, NARVICK, NORWAY 11.#59x BECCA MONOPOLI, TAMPA 12.#99 ROD PUCAK, WASILLA, AK 13.#48 ANDY METZ, LAKELAND BANDOLEROS - HEAT RACE 1.#55 MICHAEL HELD 2.#11 DANIEL COLIN, JR. 3.#24 TREY LIVELY DNS #11x DANIEL COLIN, SR. BANDOLEROS - FEATURE RACE 1.#55 MICHAEL HELD, ORLANDO 2.#24 TREY LIVELY, RUSKIN 3.#11 DANIEL CONLIN, JR., ST. CLOUD DNS #11x DANIEL CONLIN, SR., ST. CLOUD