Ocala, FL- The Bubba Army Late Models will race in the Third Annual Mike Peters Open at the track Peters saved in the mid-2000’s with a $5000 prize up for grabs. For the second consecutive week, it will be a United Dirt Late Model Challenge Series race. Our very own Scorpion Racing Products UMP DirtCar Open-Wheel Modifieds will run for $3000, the Hobby Stocks and 1-800-ASK GARY Thunder Stocks will fight it out for a $500 reward, and the Rent-N-Roll Gladiators will return as well.
Mike Peters, a U.S. Army veteran, is credited with the revival of Bubba Raceway Park in the mid-2000’s, and rightfully so. After putting a piloting career to the side, Peters worked tirelessly to save the oldest race track in Florida. In 2008, he did the unthinkable by throwing dirt on top of the asphalt that had been put down in the early 1990’s. Needless to say, the decision was the right one as the 3/8 mile track became the place to be for Friday night racing. In early 2011, Peters negotiated a deal with Bubba The Love Sponge and completed his role in the revival of the oldest race track in Florida. Bubba opened his reign on May 13, 2011- yes, a Friday the 13th!- with the First Annual Mike Peters Open which was won by Tyler Ivey of Talahassee, Florida. Last season, Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. won the race that had been rescheduled for April. The rain-out earlier this season forced the race to be moved, and why not give it a new month to be raced in? Peters will be laughing it up as he watches a fantastic event at the track he saved so that we can all still enjoy the oldest track in Florida- Bubba Raceway Park!
Anthony, Florida’s Rich Pratt was able to escape with the points lead, but has some work to do to his car after a rough week-end in turn one. Middleburg’s Mark Whitener never did get a fair chance to attack eventual winner Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. last Saturday, and that leaves us with four different winners in four races this season, including “The Magic Man” who also leads the UDLMCS points. Tyler Clem sits third in the points after a solid top-ten run went sour with just a few laps to go for the St. Petersburg driver. Clem comtinues to impress, but more importantly, he continues to learn from some of the best in the business. Jeff Mathews, the Dover, Florida native, is in the top ten as he has been consistent but he has yet to crack into Coors Light Winner’s Circle. Mathews will shoot for that $5000 prize, as will fifth-placed Darrell Padgett of Jacksonville. “The Derailer” has a win to his credit in 2013 and he’s coming off of a solid top five night. Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. will shoot for two wins-in-a-row, Kyle Bronson looks to take his Crate-powered machine to the top, and all of the big names will be working hard to claim the $5000 prize and the coveted trophy for the Mike Peters Open.
Belleview’s Charlie O’Neill has a slim lead over Jeff Mathews as Mathews chases a fifth title in six seasons at Bubba Raceway Park. Scott Kurtzner is just nineteen points behind O’Neill, and Versailes, Indiana’s Bryan Bernhardt is just seven points behind Kurtzner! Zephyrhills’ Buzzie Reutimann sits only thirty-three markers behind the leaders, so this championship looks set to go down to the wire. This week-end will throw a wrench in everything as Mathews and Bernhardt may have to split their focus, and the big names will try their hands at the 3/8 mile as well. Rich Pratt will drive the Macaloso-owned #78, “The Wellsville Wheelman” Paul Snyder looks set to return after a trip to Kansas, and plenty more will be fighting it out for the $3000 prize.
“The Mayo Missile” Devin Walker now has a one-race advantage over Ocala’s Brian Shea, even after a dismal week-end for driver #55. The Walker team hopes to recover and make-up for the struggles with a $500 win. Shea was unable to make the Friday night part, so he started in an early hole that he was never able to dig himself out of, but he recovered quite well. Howey-In-The-Hills’ Hunter Gustafson also missed Friday night, but had contact early in the feature that eliminated him and pushed him deeper in the points standings. Ocala’s Sean Monoghan sits well back in fourth, but made a spectacular run towards the end of the feature last Saturday. Dennis Williams of Zephyrhills had a solid top five run all night and hopes to build upon it and visit Coors Light Winner’s Circle.
Anthony, Florida’s Brandon Elwood stole the points lead back and sits three up on Summerfield’s William Gillam. A strong week-end for Elwood, paired with Gillam’s struggles the past two week-ends allowed driver #28 to take over the top spot, but a fire has been lit under Gillam, much like the one that led to his first career victory. After a month of struggles, Mt. Dora’s Tony Campbell was finally able to get over the hump and had a decent week-end, but the standings don’t show his progress. Melvin Fockler had a great Friday and a decent Saturday as the Belleview driver gained a few points and opened up a gap over fifth placed Brandon Tillander of Ocala. Tillander had a terribleFriday, but looks to make up for it with a solid run throughout the rest of the summer and a trip to Coors Light Winner’s Circle would be perfect.
Barnsley- North Yorkshire, England’s Stephen Frankland has opened up a one-hundred point gap over Ocala’s Bill Southard, easily the largest lead of all divisions. Tom Sheehan was a happy car owner over the past week-end as his Thunder Stock driver won Fast Qualifier and finished on the podium in the feature, but still looks to better his career-best third place finish that he matched a few weeks ago. Josh Fincher and Jerry Taylor round out the top five, but they sit well behind Frankland in the points table.
Gates open at 5 on Friday, grandstands open at 6, and Late Model and UMP Modified Qualifying and Heat Races will begin at 8. For more information, including a look at the schedule through January of 2014, check out www.bubbaracewaypark.com! You can like our page on Facebook, and you can also call us at 352-622-9400! Don’t miss the Mike Peters Open at Bubba Raceway Park!