By- Jim Rouse, Bubba Raceway Park Media
As the Top Gun Sprints, Hobby Stocks, 1-800-ASK GARY Thunderstocks, Barfield Law Group Mini Stocks, Rent-N-Roll Gladiators battled for points and put on breath taking events the Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds had a special privilege. Ten year old Justin Fairbanks had the time of his life as he was Grand Marshall, Trophy Man, VIP, and every driver’s biggest fan as his favorite Modifieds, as well as 5 other divisions, raced on the toughest 3/8 mile in the country!
The night’s action started with the Hobby Stocks. Kyle Morse spun on lap 3 to bring out caution #1 with Howard O’Steen, Darran Jackson, and Rodney Wright up front. Just 2 laps later O’Steen broke and caught Grady Christian with him; the accident ended Christian’s night and ruined O’Steen’s. The wreck left Jackson and Wright 1-2 with Trevor Gamble in hot pursuit. Under yellow, however, the 08 of Jackson had troubles leaving the lead to Wright. Wright and Gamble began to battle but traffic helped Wright open up a gap but the lead was erased on lap 16 when Hunter Gustafson’s 15 began to break apart. A 4 lap battle was set up between Wright, Gamble, and Tom Pratt for a feature win. Rodney Wright finally finished it and took the win. Gamble, Pratt, Mike Stalnaker, and proud father-in-law Mark Maresca completed the top 5.
Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds went 2nd and the wrecks started on lap 1 when Shaun Daugharty spun and collected Matt McGillivray, Gene Dipple, Garret Stewart, David Moheng, and Ronnie Chance. The restart of the 25-lap event saw Wayne Hammond and Tyler Clem sharing the front row. On lap 3 Garret Stewart slowed causing a bottleneck down the front straight which resulted in Scott Mooers spinning in turn 1. Hammond still held the lead while Dalton Lanich joined him on the front row as Jason Davis and Jeff Mathews sat in row 2. As the field took lap 10 Ronnie Chance slowed putting the Hammond Motorsports cars 1-2 with age over points leader on the restart. Dalton Lanich and Jeff Mathews made up the 2nd row as they hoped for a miracle. The yellow waved just a lap later after Jeff Bagent blew the 10C up and Tyler Clem spun to avoid the slowing car. As they crossed the line on lap 13 Kyle Bronson’s race leading 40B unraveled leaving Hammond and Jeff Mathews to battle. Just 1 lap later Lanich spun after contact with Ronald Soltis leaving Hammond, Mathews, and Buzzie Reutimann to battle for the race win. Lap 17 saw Mathews steal the lead from Hammond but 4 turns later he spun in front of Hammond and Reutimann; however he was put back to 2nd as Reutimann had made contact with the backstretch wall and caused wall tires to scatter. Scott Mooers, Mike McGauley, Tyler Clem, and Larry Mott were involved in a wreck on the restart which left all but Mott with terminal damage. Under caution an incident between carless Mike McGauley and Barry Sheffield put them both to the garage. A green-white-checkered followed and Wayne Hammond took the win. Mathews, Reutimann, Davis, and Rich Pratt completed the top 5. Hammond gladly took pictures with young Justin Fairbanks and gave him the trophy and a signed checkered flag putting a smile brighter than the moon on young Justin’s face.
Top Gun Sprints went 3rd and they allowed young Fairbanks to ride in the push truck. Just 1 lap into the event Andrew Griffin spun from the top 5 leaving the battle for the lead to Gene Lasker, Matt Kurtz, and AJ Maddox. On lap 3 the first flip of the night occurred when Danny Martin, Jr., the man with 8 consecutive top 2 finishes in the Bubba Clem Era, flipped his #82 and collected Terry Witherspoon. Both were okay and Witherspoon actually continued on. Colin Cabre’s #12 broke just a lap later bringing out a 3rd caution. On lap 12 as Lasker and Kurtz hit traffic AJ Maddox shot past Kurtz and clipped the wall as he tried to get by Lasker which injured the right front of
the 3A and ended his night. Just 2 laps after the restart Terry Witherspoon spun out of turn 4 and the spin rule ended his night. Lasker was given the task of holding off Mark Ruel, Jr. and Matt Kurtz and he had built up a lead but it was erased when Andrew Griffin spun on lap 19. Lasker would have to do it again and had taken the white flag as Mark Ruel, Jr. put his 83 in the wall gunning for the leader. The 1 lap dash would be between Lasker, Kurtz, and Tim Grubaugh. Kurtz stole the lead from Lasker on the restart and held on to it with Lasker, Tim Grubaugh, Brandon Grubaugh, and Ryan Partin completing the top 5. However, the Grubaugh family was disqualified moving Partin to 3rd and Tony Agin and David Salwiak into the top 5.
Barfield Law Group Mini Stock action was intense. On lap 3 Kyle Worden spun to bring out caution #1 leaving Kyle Kruse, Charlie Staats, and Reid Christensen to battle up front. Staats passed Kruse on the restart and held on until the lap 7 caution for Reid Christensen’s turn 2 spin. The restart gave Shirlene Hammond the shot at the lead and she took it leaving the boys in the dust. Kyle Worden spun out of turn 4 setting up a 1 lap shootout between Hammond, Travis Staats, Kruse, and Christensen. Staats tried but Hammond was too fast and she joined her husband as a winner on the week-end as Staats, Kruse, Worden, and Christensen completed the top 5. Shirlene, in her victory lane celebration, explained that all of Hammond Motorsports winnings ($1,350 between the 3 cars) would go to Justin Fairbanks and his family.
The 1-800-ASK GARY V8 Thunderstocks once more put on a brilliant show but it started slow with a spin from Donnie Dobbins. As the night progressed cautions became fewer and the final 10 were green. “Sweet Feet” Shane Nichols picked up the win as Justin Durbin couldn’t catch him. Jonathan Appleby, Jason Gamble, and Brian Mullins completed the top 5 as they fought from the back.
A 5 car accident on lap 1 may have included Terrible Tony but it didn’t stop him. The final 8 were run under green as Billy Holmes, Brandon Haseleu, LaPorta, and Reid Christensen battled for supremacy. Holmes led until the white flag where LaPorta passed him and he held on to beat Christensen, Holmes, Haseleu, and Steve Johnson.
Next week-end the RaceCar Engineering Late Models return as they start the chase to the Powell Memorial. Buddy’s Home Furnishings Limited Late Models, 1-800- ASK GARY Thunderstocks, and the Barfield Law Group Mini Stocks join them and the Fans can join in on the Fan Participation race. For more information you can go to www.bubbaracewaypark.com or call the Speedway at 352-622-9400!
Bubba Raceway Park Results (5/5)
Top Gun Sprint Cars (Round 3)
1- 92 Matt Kurtz
2- 02 Gene Lasker
3- 14 Ryan Partin
4- 38 Tony Agin
5- 79 David Salwiak
6- 8 Rich Alexander
7- 43X Shawn Murray
8- 83 Mark Ruel, Jr.
9- 88 Andrew Griffin
10- 99 Terry Witherspoon
11- 0L Brandon Lineberger
12- 3A AJ Maddox
13- 12 Colin Cabre
14- 82 Danny Martin, Jr.
DNS- 19 Keith Butler
DQ- 5 Tim Grubaugh
DQ- G6 Brandon Grubaugh
Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds
1- 40 Wayne Hammond
2- 33 Jeff Mathews
3- 00 Buzzie Reutimann
4- 145 Jason Davis
5- 78 Rich Pratt
6- 34 Jim Passino
7- 61 Ronald Soltis
8- Z06 Larry Mott
9- 14 Tyler Clem
10- 10 Scott Mooers
11- 12M David Moheng
12- 77 Dalton Lanich
13- 40B Kyle Bronson
14- 58 Mark Whitener
15- 10C Jeff Bagent
16- 7S Ronnie Chance
17- 2 Garret Stewart
18- 00D Shaun Daugharty
19- 95 Matt McGillivray
20- 7J Gene Dipple
DNS- 88 David Pollen
DQ- 41 Barry Sheffield
DQ- 7M Mike McGauley
Hobby Stocks
1- 99 Rodney Wright
2- 12 Trevor Gamble
3- 81P Tom Pratt
4- 9 Mike Stalnaker
5- 77M Mark Maresca
6- 88H Howard O’Steen
7- 94 Robert Sirmons
8- 388 Walt Kahrs
9- 54 Alvin Adkison
10- 81 Don Woosley
11- 15 Hunter Gustafson
12- 08 Darran Jackson
13- 19 Brian Shea
14- 36 Grady Christian
15- 82 Kyle Morse
16- 77 Matt Kramer
DNS- 80J John Clark
1-800-ASK GARY Thunderstocks
1- 65 Shane Nichols
2- 12 Justin Durbin
3- 69A Jonathan Appleby
4- 21 Jason Gamble
5- 28 Brian Mullins
6- 114 John Thorpe
7- 34 Mark Trexler
8- 83 Joe Boyd
9- 21M David Miller, Jr.
10- 72 Terry Dunbar
11- 73 Brandon Tillander
12- 49 DJ Horiski
13- 15 Mike Valdez
14- 29L Daniel Laird
15- 3 Jeff Baer
16- 33 Donnie Dobbins
17- 36 Grady Christian
18- 9 Mike Stalnaker
19- 44 Billy Baldwin
20- 28E Brandon Elwood
21- 14S James Sullivan III
22- 23 Glenn Baum
23- 3W Vaughn Woodall
DNS- 30 Mike Tovet
Barfield Law Group Mini Stocks
1- 22 Shirlene Hammond
2- 1AR Travis Staats
3- 1K Kyle Kruse
4- 51 Kyle Worden
5- 30 Reid Christensen
6- 9AR Charlie Staats
7- 75H Stephen Hahlbaugh
8- 11 Buddy Pope
DNS- 20 Zach Amundsen
Rent-N-Roll Gladiators
1- 3T Tony LaPorta
2- 17D Reid Christensen
3- 26 Billy Holmes
4- 3H Brandon Haseleu
5- 81 Steve Johnson
6- 8 Joey Brinson
7- 12 Randy Harless
8- 78 Blake Trawick
9- 83 Kody Fisher
10- 68 Jordan McMillon
11- 34 Shane Guessford
12- 23 Tiffany Shaw
13- 35 Dalton Strehle
14- 18 Nathan Rhoades
15- 126 Robert Graham
16- 43 Billy Newberg
17- 7 Jim Shaw
18- 8B Robert Brinson