Jimmy Rouse- Bubba Raceway Park Media
The Top Gun Sprint Cars, RaceCar Engineering Late Models, Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks, Gladiators, and Florida Mini Sprints kept at least 2 wheels on the track at all times and also put on some of the best action of 2011 while on the clay. Of course, Double Points and Points Races winding down will do that.
The Florida Mini Sprints made their 6th trip to the clay and left with their 6th different official winner. Lap 5 saw the first yellow flag of the night when Nick Snyder slowed significantally in turn 2. After another 2-lap stint, while going into turn 3 Austin Jackson took evasive action to avoid damage and contact, but it cost him the race lead. Jackson’s misfortunes, however, were Chris Pacetti’s fortunes. Austin Jackson caused the 3rd caution as well when he stopped in turn 4 and ended his night. Steve Crabtree and Nick Snyder stopped in turn 2 on lap 13 which bunched ’em up again with Pacetti trying to hold 
off David Pleaugh, Dirk Miller, and Eddie Moss Jr. and Sr. Pacetti never relinquished the lead and did in fact keep it while Eddie Moss, Jr. used every inch of clay to take 2nd. Dirk Miller was 3rd with David Pleaugh, the points leader, in 4th and Eddie Moss, Sr. rounded out the top 5. Pete Smith and John Moss were 6th and 7th, respectively. Rhea Lynne Moss finished 8th after beating Dad, Grandpa, and her Uncle in a Heat race. John Craddock and David Hall rounded out the top 10.
The RaceCar Engineering Late Models put on a show that may not be matched all season. The first half was run caution free, but on lap 12 VP Pipken stopped in turn 2 with what looked like a broken right front. Chris Fontaine’s 84 did the same the very next lap but his was a lot more obvious. On lap 18 Tim Zackery, after an impressive Heat race win, 
had a left rear go down and he was unable to go further as the Z bogged down in turn 1. Under the caution, 2nd place JO Nobles took it to the pit lane for a tire. A 7 lap dash was set up with “The Professor” Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. leading and “The Student” Christian Augspurger in 2nd and with a fast race car. Augspurger did all he could but Lloyd had a little bit more off the corners. On lap 25 Augspurger drove underneath Lloyd down the backstretch but Lloyd even said he drove in harder than usual. Heavy 
contact was made but Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. was able to teach the student a lesson. Augspurger went home in 2nd wondering what could’ve been. Bo Allen’s return was an impressive 3rd with Jeff Mathews in 4th from the back and Dillon Wood salvaged a few points with 5th. Stanton Mills was pleased with 6th while “The De-Railer” Darrell Padgett was 7th, JO Nobles could only drive back up to 8th, Tim Zackery did go home with a top 10, and Rich Pratt finished 10th.
The Top Gun Sprint Cars were battling not only for Top Gun Series points, but also for Double Points in the Bubba Raceway Park fund. The team-mates, Sport Allen and AJ Maddox, had the fastest cars at the beginning but it all went sour on lap 11 when Maddox stopped in turn 3 which resulted in the yellow. Under the caution Sport Allen pulled the 81 in ending both drivers nights within a minute. Danny Martin, Jr. took the gift and ran away with it. The only time the field caught him was on lap 20 when the caution came out for Tim Grubaugh 
after he cut a left front and stopped on track. Martin didn’t allow a pass and held onto another win while Gene Lasker went from Ned Zone spectator to 2nd place finisher in a weeks’ time. Robbie Smith, Matt Kurtz, and Mark Ruel, Jr. rounded out the top 5. Darren Orth was 6th, Stephen Darvalics 7th, Kerry Gilbert in 8th, Terry Witherspoon went home 9th, and Tim George took home 10th.
With 7 men within 54 points before the night started the Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks knew work was to be done. On lap 4 Harold Erickson and championship leader Jason Gamble got hooked together and spun in turn 1. On lap 6, top 5 runner Jonathan Gillette found himself going around and to the back. Jason Tovet spun 1 lap later and Brian Shea took some anger out on the turn 4 tire. The very next lap saw John Thorpe cut his right rear and with it saw championship dreams get a little further away. After Thorpe’s misfortunes they went to lap 13 before Richard Calmes spun after contact with the lapped Jonathan Gillette. Calmes was given his spot back while Gillette made donuts in the infield where he would stay for the night. Time expired setting up a G-W-C but another caution dropped it to a 1 lap dash. Matt Schell led all but half a lap, but it was the most important half lap. Mike Stalnaker went from 25th (after a DQ for an illegal driver change in the Heat race) to 1st while Matt Schell had to wonder what could’ve been. Jon Layerd took 3rd while Vaughn Woodall went home in 4th and with some more points in that tight 7-man battle. Mason Love put the 70 in the top 5 with a smart drive. Brian Shea retook the points lead with a 6th place run and some misfortune by Jason Gamble who found himself spinning around, for the 2nd time, on the final lap. Harold Erickson was 7th, Glenn Baum an impressive 8th, Jimmy Holley in 9th, and Mark Trexler took home another top 10.
The Gladiators put on the cleanest show of the night with just 1 caution during the whole night. Reid Christensen drove to the lead and led lap 1 with Steve Johnson in 2nd. Christensen pulled away and the only time Johnson caught him was on lap 10 when Robert Graham’s 126 stopped in turn 2. Steve Cox lined up 3rd for the restart and Matt Kramer lined it up 4th with Billy Homes behind him. Christensen had a tougher job with Steve Cox on his bumper but he held him off again. Christensen took win #4 while Steve Cox had to deal with 2nd. Johnson was 3rd, Matt Kramer 4th, and Billy Holmes 5th. Robert Graham was 6th with a DNF and Brandon Haseleu was 7th, 10 laps down.
Next week-end it’s Double Points and $1500 to win for the UMP Open-Wheel Modifieds, Sportsman, Gladiators, and Florida Mini Sprints. For more information you can check out www.bubbaracewaypark.com or call the Speedway hotline!
Bubba Raceway Park Results (9/24)
Top Gun Sprint Car Series (Round 3)
1- 24 Danny Martin, Jr.
2- 02 Gene Lasker
3- 6S Robbie Smith
4- 92 Matt Kurtz
5- 83 Mark Ruel, Jr.
6- 34 Darren Orth
7- 41 Stephen Darvalics
8- 55 Kerry Gilbert
9- 43 Terry Witherspoon
10- 1* Tim George
11- 42 Tim Grubaugh
12- 38 Tony Agin
13- 0 Jimmy Ballew, Jr.
14- 3A AJ Maddox
15- 81 Sport Allen
16- 59 Danny Statter
17- 15JR Geoff Styner
RaceCar Engineering Late Models
1- 21 Ivedent Lloyd, Jr.
2- 35 Christian Augspurger
3- 71 Bo Allen
4- 33 Jeff Mathews
5- 1W Dillon Wood
6- 14M Stanton Mills
7- 46P Darrell Padgett
8- 18JO JO Nobles
9- Z Tim Zackery
10- 0 Rich Pratt
11- 07 David Clegg
12- 311 Kenny Monahan
13- 58 Mark Whitener
14- 84 Chris Fontaine
15- 23VP VP Pipken
Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks
1- 8 Mike Stalnaker
2- 57 Matt Schell
3- 02 Jon Layerd
4- 3W Vaughn Woodall
5- 70 Mason Love
6- 19 Brian Shea
7- 66 Harold Erickson
8- 54 Glenn Baum
9- 2H Jimmy Holley
10- 34 Mark Trexler
11- 18 Chris Watson
12- 21 Jason Gamble
13- 4C Richard Calmes
14- 121 Gordon Cade
15- 121W Doug Webster
16- 114 John Thorpe
17- 64 Jonathan Gillette
18- 60 Jonathan Appleby
19- 49 DJ Horiski
20- 0 Jason Tovet
21- 2W Jim Bethal, Jr.
22- 96 Donnie Stroshal, Jr.
23- 5W Danny Fletcher
DNS- 73 Brandon Tillander
DQ- 14 Tim Mathieu
Gladiators
1- 30 Reid Christensen
2- 48 Steve Cox
3- 81 Steve Johnson
4- 77 Matt Kramer
5- 54 Billy Holmes
6- 126 Robert Graham
7- 3 Brandon Haseleu
DNS- 23 Tiffany Shaw
DNS- P38 Harold Lewis
Florida Mini Sprints Association
1- 16 Chris Pacetti
2- 8 Eddie Moss, Jr.
3- 68 Dirk Miller
4- 711 David Pleaugh
5- 1M Eddie Moss, Sr.
6- 34 Pete Smith
7- 44 John Moss
8- 88 Rhea Lynne Moss
9- 71 John Craddock
10- 67 David Hall
11- 23D Dylan Colding
12- 76 Danny Stather
13- 69 Rudy Nonnemacher
14- 22 Andrew Kurjack
15- 5 Steve Crabtree
16- 14S Nick Snyder
17- 4 Terry Taylor
18- 10 Sean Clark
19- V59 Austin Jackson
20- 14 Brian Penrose