Jane Smith, Florida Dirt Track News – Samsula, FL. (November 17, 2012) A new moon hung over the night skies at New Smyrna Speedway as the 47th Annual Governor’s Cup 200 presented by Bright House Networks took place. Tonight would see a 200 lap Super Late Model race and a 100 lap Modified race along with a 25 lap Super Stock race.

Open Wheel Modifieds qualified first with 37 cars in their field. It was #66H of Dewayne Dempsey who set the time to beat of 18.530. Rich Clouser, who also ran the night before in the Pro Late Model race and finished second and will run the 200 Lap Governor’s Cup race tonight, set second fast time with a 18.599 in the #15C Modified. Brian Nester had third best time with a 18.626 in the #11 Mod. Kevin Terry’s #13 Mod had fourth fastest time with a 18.668. Completing the top five was John Sappraicone, Jr. in the #86 with a 18.678.  Wayne Anderson, Tank Tucker, Jerry Symons, Jason Garver and Kurt Jett completed the top ten for the modified race.

Up next were the Super Late Models with 30 cars set to take time but only 29 would start as the #18 of Casey Caudill spun on the backstretch as he was bringing his car up to speed. Caudill was fine but the car was obviously done for the night. He never even got one lap down for his qualifying run.

Johnny VanDoom #81 set fast time for the Super Lates with 17.454. Augie Grill, well known in the racing world especially for the Snowball Derby at Five Flags Speedway, set second fastest time with 17.499. Stephen Nasse’s #51 got third fastest time wtih 17.570 followed by Scott Heckert in the #72 fourth fastest with a 17.591. Rounding out the top five was Matt Tifft in the #72 with a 17.592. Completing the top ten was Tim Russell #36 with 17.623; Kenzie Ruston, the only girl driver in the group, in the #39 with a 17.637; Travis Cope’s #26 with a 17.638; Preston Peltier with a 17.639 in the #26 and Rich Clouser in the #9 with a 17.685.

Since this is a 200 lap race, the field will start straight up for the 47th Annual Governor’s Cup 200 presented by Bright House Networks. Fans are now coming in with blankets, hats, gloves, and coats as there is definitely a chill in the air. Plenty of coffee and hot chocolate will help keep them warm tonight.

After the prayer and presentation of the flags, it was time for Grand Marshall Geoff Bodine to say those most famous words in racing, “Gentlemen and lady, start your engines”. Bodine will then climb the flagstand to throw the first green flag of the 200 lap race.

Pole sitter Johnny Van Doom quickly jumps to the lead over Augie Grill, Stephen Nasse, Scott Heckert, and Matt Tifft but it is a short green as the yellow comes out on lap 8 as Robert Glover spins in turn 2 as he tangles with some lead lap cars including Ray Black, Jr. who gets the worst of the incident. Glover goes in on the dreaded hook and 14 year old Jake Griffin makes a quick trip on pit road.

Caution laps do count so it is lap 11 when the green flag comes back out as Augie Grill quickly jumps to the point over Van Doom, Nasse, Tifft, and Heckert. Clouser is now on the move as he passes Russell for sixth as Russell settles into seventh. Caution comes out again on lap 19 as Van Doom has gone to pit road with an apparent left rear tire down. Van Doom will rejoin the field at the rear of the lead lap cars.

Once again Grill gets the point and takes the outside for the restart on lap 23 followed by Nasse, Tifft, Heckert, and Clouser. Bobby Good is now showing his muscle as he challenges Russell for sixth but Russell quickly shuts the door. It is still Grill, Nasse, Tifft, Heckert, Clouser, Russell, and Good. Grill, Nasse, and Tifft have pulled away from the fourth place ar of Heckert and have a good 10 car length lead over the field.

Bobby Good tries once again to take sixth from Russell but Russell won’t budge. Grill continues to build his lead over the field and puts a good ten car length lead over second place. Austin Theriault shows his muscle as he passes Good and goes for Russell. Theriault and Russell give the fans what they love, side by side racing.

Lap 27 Jeff Scofield is off the pace and goes to pit road. After some crew attention, Scofield and his crew sadly push his car to the pits, done for the night. The top five are now pretty well separated as Theriault takes over sixth from Russell. It is more follow the leader racing as Theriault goes for fifth and gets it as Clouser slides back to sixth.

By lap 48 it is Grill, Tifft, Nasse, Heckert, Clouser, Theriault, Good, Russell and Travis Cope leading the way. Lap 54 sees Travis Cope off the track and onto pit road as Grill continues to lead the pack. Cope does not return to the track and done for the night as now Ben Kennedy in the #96 is also off the track and in the pits. Lap 73 sees Grill leading over Tifft, Heckert, Theriault, Good, Kenzie Ruston, Russell, Clouser, and Preston Peltier.

Grill continues to pull away from the pack and put plenty of space between himself and second. David Rogers, a New Smyrna Speedway track favorite, seems to be going backwards now and something is very wrong with the #11 machine. Lap 89 sees the yellow for David Rogers and Terry Senneker, Jr. Rogers was just about to be put down a lap by Grill when the caution came out.

Only a few laps are left before the mandatory 100 lap pit stop where the drivers will get 10 minutes to change tires, add fuel, and drink some water if needed. Spencer Davis is the lucky dog from this caution and will go back on the lead lap when the green comes out again.

Restart lap 97 with Grill getting a very good jump out front followed by Theriault, Good, Tifft, Heckert, Ruston, Russell, Clouser, and Peltier. Lap 100 mandatory pit stop. There are now only 12 cars left on the lead lap as Grill has done an excellent job moving around this track that he has never raced on before.

As the car realign for the restart, Bobby Good has to take a quick turn onto pit road again for some crew attention. Good gave up his third place run and will restart 12th, the last car on the lead lap. With one to go, Good is forced back on pit road and this time he must go to the rear of the whole field for the restart.

Grill once again gets a great restart and takes the point over Theriault, Tifft, Heckert, and Russell. Good is given the black flag for not going to the rear of the field and will get two more chances to do so or he is out. Good, not liking what he is told, pulls off the track and parks his car for the night.

Caution comes out again on lap 106 as Kenzie Ruston goes for a spin in turn 1 with a little help from Scott Heckert. Ruston is given back her spot and Heckert goes to the rear of the lead lap cars. Rogers pulls in the #11 TM Ranch machine as Mario Maresca takes his #14 in for a quick pit and back out again. Hunter Robbins finds himself the lucky dog and will go to the rear of the lead lap cars for the restart.

With Grill on the outside and Tifft on the inside, Grill pulls out once again to the point followed by Tifft, Russell, Clouser, and Davis. Grill pulls away from the field once again but sees the yellow again on lap 120 as Senneker spins as he has contact with Heckert. Anthony Sergi spins to avoid the other two cars and poor Dusty Cornelius has no place to go and also agets involved. Senneker is pushed on to pit road. Also on pit road is Heckert and Cornelius and young Jake Griffin. Johnny Van Doom is the lucky dog for the restart and will go back on the lead lap.

Grill on the outisde, Tifft inside lap 126 goes back green. Once again Grill gets a great restart and takes the point followed by Clouser, Tifft, Peltier, and Russell. There are 18 of the 29 cars that started left on the racing surface now. Grill once again sails away from the field. Russell finds his mirror full of Peltier who wants fifth but Russell shuts the door on him. Russell is having a great run but it ends on lap 138 as he hits the turn 4 wall hard after being tapped by Johnny Van Doom. Russell is fine and climbs from his car but is not a happy camper and lets Van Doom know this as the cars go around the track under caution.

Kevin Henry is the lucky dog for this restart and gets his lap back as the green is out again on lap 142. Grill once again takes the point over Tifft, Van Doom and Clouser. Grill sails away as he leaves the field far behind him. By lap 147 is it Grill, Van Doom, Tifft, Peltier, Hunter Robbins, Clouser, Nasse, Theriault, and Ruston. Ruston and Nasse give the crowd some great side by side racing but never touching but in the end, Ruston gets her way and takes the spot.

By lap 165, only 35 laps left to go, it is Grill, Van Doom, Tifft, Peltier, Davis, Robbins, Clouser, Ruston, Nasse, and Heckert. It is mostly single file racing at this point with only alittle passing back in the field going on. Only 9 cars are left on the lead lap with Nasse being the last car on the lead lap and Grill is coming up fast on him which will put him a lap down.

Tifft, Peltier, and Theriault do some close running but most of the field is spread out now. On lap 190, Grill is right on the tail end of Nasse who is the last car on the lead lap and although he fought hard, he could not keep Grill from putting him a lap down. Clouser then was the last car on the lead lap but had a fairly decent lead from Grill.

With no more yellows, Grill sails to his first win at New Smyrna Speedway and the Governor’s Cup 200. Grill is one of five drivers who have won the Governor’s Cup 200 and the Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Florida at Five Flags Speedway. The other four drivers who have managed to do this are Gary Balough, Freddy Fryer, Bobby Gill, and Wayne Anderson.

OFFICIAL RESULTS, 47TH ANNUAL GOVERNOR’S CUP 200, NOVEMBER 17, 2012

1. #112 Augie Grill

2. #81 Johnny Van Doom

3. #29T Austin Theriault

4. #89 Matt Tifft

5. #39 Kenzie Ruston (The only girl in the field)

6. #18 Hunter Robbins

7. #9 Rich Clouser

8. #51 Stephen Nasse

9. #9K Kevin Henry

10. #29 Spencer Davis

11. #72 Scott Heckert

12. #20 Anthony Sergi

13. #00 C.J. Castetter

14. #14 Mario Maresca

15. #71 Jimmy Doyle

16. #37 Tim Russell

17. #22 Dusty Cornelius

18. #08 Jake Griffin

19. #31 Terry Senneker, Jr.

20. #27 Bobby Good

21. #11 David Rogers

22. #30 Bobby Knox, Jr.

23. #96 Ben Kennedy

24. #19 Ray Black, Jr.

25. #26 Travis Cope

26. #07 Jeff Scofield

27. #97 Patrick Staropoli

28. #38 Robert Glover

29. #26 Preston Peltier DQ’d

NOTE: Peltier actually came across the finish line third but was dq’d in tech for having too much left side weight.

OFFICIAL RESULTS, OPEN WHEEL MODIFIED 100, NOVEMBER 17, 2012

1. #66 Jerry Symons
2. #15 Tank Tucker
3. #11 Brian Nester
4. #25 LJ Grimm
5. #4 Jarrett Snowden
6. #11 Josh Todd
7. #21 Devin McLeod
8. #98 Robbie Cooper
9. #97 Matthew Bosowski
10. #11B Earl Beckner
11. #35 Rick Kase
12. #21 Shawn Monaghan
13. #9 Kurt Jett
14. #86 John Sarppricone Jr
15. #3 Wayne Anderson
16. #27 Jason Garver
17. #96 Matthew Wheeler
18. #36 Austin Stamper
19. #10 Travis Roland
20. #42 Joe Axsom
21. #4B Alan Bruns
22. #10 Mike Burk
23. #21 Mike Dahm
24. #38 Ricky Moxley
25. #1 Roger Blevins
26. #03 Kyle Bookmiller
27. #56 James Wright III
28. #55 Richard Elkins
29. #22 Brandon Duscherer
30. #12 John Zidek
31. #75 Bobby Blake
32. #24 Matt Anderson
33. #76 Jim Higginbotham
34. #66x Dwayne Dempsey
35. #15c Rich Clouser
36. #13 Kevyn Terry
37. #4 Dalton Baldwin
38. 14 Roger Benton