By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Desoto Speedway
Steve Darvalics and Travis Barfield won the headline events in Saturday
night’s racing action at Desoto Speedway.
Brooke Storer got the jump on the start of the 40-lap Sportsman feature and
needed just a handful of laps to build a big lead. Steve Darvalics got to
second place on the fifth lap and five laps later caught Storer. A caution
for an accident involving Joey Sims and Rick Reed on lap 10.
Darvalics grabbed the lead from Storer on the restart. The rest of the race
became a battle of attrition as Storer, Bobby Mobley and James DuBose all
dropped out with mechanical failure. Darvalics cruised to the win, with
Aaron Williamson and David Williamson the only other cars finishing on the
lead lap.
Jimmy Castleberry paced the early laps of the 30-lap street stock feature.
The race for the lead turned into a seven-car freight train, with Keith
Neff taking the lead as the field completed the eighth lap.
Right after Neff took the top spot, the field closed on the lapped car of
Johnny Casady entering turn one. Casady, Kneff and Castleberry went
three-wide in the turn, but ran out of real estate as the cars entered the
backstretch. Casady and Kneff got together coming out of the corner and
their cars locked together as a result of the contact. Neff suffered enough
damage that had had to go back to the pits for quick repairs.
Castleberry led Jeff Firestine and James Nanney on the restart. James
Nanney went from third to first by the time the field hit the backstretch
and brought Bobby Mobley and Mike Kerrivan with him into second and third.
The trio set sail from the rest of the pack before another caution came out
for a spin on lap 16.
Nanney survived a challenge from Mobley on the restart and drove away for
the victory. Mobley dropped out with a mechanical failure on the last lap,
allowing Kneff and Kerrivan to finish second and third.
About an hour after the race, Nanney, Kneff and Kerrivan were all
disqualified in post-race technical inspection. That handed the win to
Travis Barfield, who initially crossed the line in fourth. Firestine was
credited with second place and Jim Brenner third.
In the 25-lap Mini Stock feature, Ren Wright Jr. led the first half of the
race before a caution flag bunched the field and allowed Todd Morey and
Ronnie Robinson to set up a battle for the lead.
With about six laps to go Wright slipped high going out of turn two,
allowing Robinson to take the lead. Morey also got by Wright and closed to
Robinson’s bumper in the closing laps, but Robinson held on for his fifth
win of the year.
In other action Saturday night, Randy Spicer was awarded the victory in the
Bomber feature after initial winner Kenny Gibson was disqualified in
post-race technical inspection; Mike Endee won the 25-lap Outlaw Modified
feature; and Duane Best won the 25-lap LKQ Pick-Your-Part Pure Stock
feature.
Next week Desoto Speedway will host the Florida School Bus Figure 8
Championships, Halloween Madness Demolition Derby, and the Enduro series
with puck racing, flagpole race, road course race and reverse race. There
will also be a Halloween costume contest for kids and a Trick-or-Treat
session with the drivers.
10-24- 2015
DESOTO SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS
Sportsman
1. 79x Steve Darvalics Venice
2. 13 Aaron Williamson Lakeland
3. 12 David Williamson Lakeland
4. 4 Rick Reed Punta Gorda
5. 67 James Dubose Arcadia
6. 29 Bobby Mobley Eagle Lake
7. 9 Brooke Storer Zephyerhills
8. 172 Joey Sims Ft. Myers
9. 98 Roger Welch St. Pete
Street Stock
1. 11 Travis Barfield Myakka City
2. 93 Jeff Firestine Venice
3. 57 Jim Brenner Sarasota
4. 40 Scott Finch Bradenton
5. 88 Jimmy Castleberry Auburndale
6. 29 Bobby Mobley Eagle Lake
7. 10 Johnny Casady Arcadia
8. 20 Claudio Reyes Sarasota
9. 6 James Nanney Bradenton D.Q.
10. 69 Keith Neff Bradenton D.Q.
11. 45 Mike Karrivan Bradenton D.Q.
Outlaw Modified
1. 26 Mike Endee North Port
2. 22 Ric Mills Arcadia
3. 14 Dan Akard Ft. Myers
4. 12 Gene Capps Ft. Myers
5. 5 Kevin Endee North Port
6. 11 Robert Campbell Tarpon Springs D.N.S.
Pure Stock
1. 3 Duane Best Sarasota
2. 67 Jimmie Best Sr Myakka
3. 44 Rick Hess
4. 2 Lance Sober Punta Gorda
5. 72 Roger Dufrense Bradenton
6. 63 Kyle Best Myakka City
7.18 Troy Theim Bradenton D.Q.
Bombers
1. 22 Randy Spicer New Port Richey
2. 88 Jimmy Castleberry Bartow
3. 23 Kenny Gibson Venice D.Q.
4. 7 Colleen Whitesell Bradenton D.Q.
MinStock
1. 05 Ronnie Robinson Bradenton
2. 91 Todd Morey Wachula
3. 008 Ren Wright Jr. St. Pete
4. 99 Johnny Marra Cape Coral
5. 67 Jimmie Best Myakka
6. 77 Laura Mammima North Port
7. 3 Sherry Best Myakka
8. 10 Kristen Milthaler North Port
9. 37 Jerrett Reynolds Punta Gorda
10. 42 Anne Osborne Bradenton
11. 01 Christopher Milthaler North Port