by Jimmy Rouse- Ocala Speedway Media
It was the final night of action in 2010 at Ocala Speedway and the races didn’t disappoint. The Late Models headlined the night while the Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stocks and Gladiators battled for points. The Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks had their night where no winners from 2010 were allowed to run and the fans saw some great racing all around.
Up first were the Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks and everyone in the field wanted to prove that they could win. On lap 2, Eddie Lake took his 96 for a spin while Gordon Cade and Michael Carr made contact that neither needed. When the race got back under way, Lake started charging to the front.
Just 2 laps from the finish, Brian Shea and heat race winner Kenny Asbell, Jr. made contact sending Asbell spinning into the infield. Mickey Jackson stopped in turn 4 and set up a 1 lap dash. To add to the excitement, race leader Ronnie Harrell had an overheating engine. Harrell held off a hard-charging Jesse Corbitt for the win while Eddie Lake climbed all the way up to 3rd, Sean Babcock went home in 4th, and Jonathan Appleby rounded out the top 5.
The Gladiators were out one last time, trying to make up all the points they could. On lap 1, Chase Gustafson looped the 10G under the scoreboard, and was able to continue. The yellow came out again on lap 5 when Hunter Gustafson and Rebecca Paugh made contact in turn 2, while Larry Nelson and Reid Christensen touched, Christensen getting the worst of it. Steve Cox, Jr. passed Kyle Morse for the lead and was sailing away when Devin Walker got loose in turn 2 and Casey Feaster, with nowhere to go, tapped Walker’s left rear and sent Walker into a spin.
That set up a 4 lap dash to the checkers. Cox made a great restart and pulled away from Morse and didn’t slow down until after he took the checkered flag. Kyle Morse started and finished 2nd, Art Souther finished 3rd, Matt Shea took a very quiet 4th, and Robert Graham was 5th.
The Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stocks had 3 mathematical contenders for the title- Dean Jarvis, Heath Walker, and Danny Miller, Jr.- and no one was going to lose the title without a fight. On lap 7, though, Danny Miller and Jeff Miller made contact, ending Danny Miller’s night and championship hopes. The race up front got tighter when Jody Wells had to slow because his engine wasn’t going 100%. Heath Walker and Steve Mooers were catching him when Walker slowed in turn 3.
The yellow came out while the white was displayed and as Wells and Mooers made game plans for the restart, Walker was pushed to the pits. As upsetting as it was for Walker, the car was fine and actually refired while in the pits. Walker did not return to the track, but Jody Wells returned to somewhere he loves- victory lane. Wells beat Steve Mooers in a great 1 lap battle as Brian Jerrels muscled his way around Dean Jarvis for 3rd and a trophy. The asphalt-turned-dirt driver, Tommy Ausburn, finished in a respectable 5th.
As the Late Models lined up, Mark Whitener’s 58 went straight to the infield. There was no Whitener in it because he was borrowing Joe Kump’s J17 for the night. On lap 5, Mark Whitener got caught in traffic and had to make an evasive move which sent the J17 around and almost into the turn 1 wall. Whitener was allowed to restart 2nd because the yellow was out before he spun. Whitener moved past David Clegg on the restart and on lap 6 the yellow came out for debris in turn 1. The season had 9 laps to go when Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. passed Whitener for the lead. Len Parrish slipped up the track and stopped, bringing out the yellow with 8 laps to go. On the restart, Whitener could do nothing with Lloyd, and Lloyd ran away with another win. Whitener finished 2nd, David Clegg 3rd, Keith Nosbisch 4th, and Christian Augspurger 5th.
Ocala Speedway rests very little, but brings some of the best racing around. For more information about next season and all winter events you may call the Speedway or visit www.ocalaspeedway.com.
Late Models
1- 46P Ivedent Lloyd, Jr.
2- J17 Mark Whitener
3- 07 David Clegg
4- 101 Keith Nosbisch
5- 35 Christian Augspurger
6- 24 Dennis Williams
7- 18JO J.O. Nobles
8- 1* John Koller
9- 51 Doodle Pipken
10- 23VP V.P. Pipken
11- 72P Len Parish
12- 158 Augie Burtram
DNS- 49 Justin Tilton
DNS- 30 Larry Anderson
Tee Pee Tire Hobby Stocks
1- 11W Jody Wells
2- 95 Steve Mooers
3- 26 Brian Jerrels
4- 37J Dean Jarvis
5- 69 Tommy Ausburn
6- 28 Jeff Miller
7- 74 Chuck Adkins
8- 55 Heath Walker
9- 7E James Erickson
10- 81 Donald Woosley
11- 99 Danny Miller, Jr.
DNS- 93 Steve Berry
DNS- 98 Mike Graham
DNS- 08E William Edwards
DNS- 9 Sean Babcock
Gladiators
1- 88 Steven Cox, Jr.
2- 82 Kyle Morse
3- 21 Art Souther
4- 96 Matt Shea
5- 7 5/8 Robert Graham
6- 10 Larry Nelson
7- 55JR Devin Walker
8- 20 Casey Feaster
9- 10G Chase Gustafson
10- 15 Hunter Gustafson
11- 31 Jerry Taylor
12- 20P Wade Parker
13- 3H Brandon Haseleu
14- 29 Reid Christensen
15- 23 Rebecca Paugh
DNS- 76 Ken McCloud
DNS- 41 Bobby Super
Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks
1- 4 Ronnie Harrell
2- 3D Jesse Corbitt
3- 96 Eddie Lake
4- 5W Sean Babcock
5- 56A Jonathan Appleby
6- 64 Jonathan Gillette
7- 18W Chris Watson
8- 19 Brian Shea
9- 23 Chris Rowe
10- 121 Gordon Cade
11- 86 Mickey Jackson
12- 89 Kenny Asbell, Jr.
13- 17K Eddie Kilbury, Jr.
14- 4C Richard Calmes, Jr.
15- 3W Jeff Barrett
16- 96L Eddie Lentz
17- 44 Todd Roberts
18- 69C Michael Carr
DNS- 22 Dean Moore