by Scott Lockwood
Doug Moff’s red hot start to the 2015 season continued last weekend with his second consecutive J.D. Byrider 50-lap feature event win at Desoto Speedway on Saturday night.
Moff and Travis Roland spent the first seven laps running side-by-side for the lead, with Roland finally clearing Moff for the top spot at the end of the eighth lap. Roland would lead a five-car freight train of Moff, Hoelzle, Nick Hernandez and Cameron Ray around the three-eighths mile oval for the next several laps.
Moff retook the lead with an outside pass of Roland coming out of turn four on lap 19 and was pulling away from Roland when the caution flew for Bobby Mobley’s spin on lap 29.
Moff withstood a challenge from Roland and Hoelzle on the restart and was pulling away from the field again when the caution flew for Wayne Jefferson’s stopped car with 16 laps to go.
Roland wasn’t ready to go away quietly and stayed directly on Moff’s bumper – event making contact a couple of times – over the final 15 laps. Moff pulled away in the closing laps to close out his second consecutive Desoto feature.
Moff said the win came down to getting the advantage on restarts.
The restarts mean everything when you’ve got someone like Travis racing against you,” Moff said. “He’s always good everywhere he goes. Hats off to those guys because it’s nice to be able to run side-by-side.”
Roland finished second, with Ray rounding out the podium. Hernandez came in fourth after a late-side-by-side battle with Hoelzle.
In the 25-lap Mini Stock feature, Jimmie Best grabbed the early lead and paced the field for nearly half of the 25-lap main event. Ronnie Robinson started deep in the field and worked his way to second 10 laps into the race. Best had a 10 car-length lead, but Robinson wasted no time in getting to the leader’s rear bumper.
Robinson took the lead from Best on lap 16 with Randy Johnson, who was making his first start of the season after winning several races last year, in tow. Best held off Johnson for second, starting a four-way battle for the runner-up spot between Best, Johnson, Johnny Marra and Jessica Ostrovskis. After losing a couple of spots Johnson and Cameron Cruse got together coming out of turn two to bring out the yellow with seven laps to go.
On the restart Robinson and Ostrovskis began pulling away from the field while Best and Marra battled for third. With three laps to go Best and Marra got together in turn two, taking both cars out of contention for the win.
Robinson got the jump on Ostrovskis on the final restart and held off a furious last-lap challenge to win in a near side-by-side finish at the line. Dick Houle finished third.
In other action Saturday night, Tom Zimmerman held off a race-long challenge from Lee Davis and took advantage of lapped traffic on the final lap to take the 25-lap Modified Mini feature; Bobby Mobley led every lap on his way to the victory in the 25-lap Take Aim Gun Range Street Stock feature; and Randy Spicer took the win in the 20-lap bomber feature.
The Brighthouse Late Models return to Desoto Speedway next weekend for a 100-lap feature event. Sportsmen, Pure Stocks, Mini Stocks, Bombers and Pro Figure 8’s will also be in action.
4-04- 2015
DESOTO SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS
Open Wheel Modified
1. 46 Doug Moff Ft. Myers…
2. 55 Travis Roland
3. 9 Camron Ray Homosassa
4. 37 Nick Hernandez Palmetto
5. 8 D.J. Hoelzle Palm Harbor
6. 29 Bobby Mobley Eagle Lake
7. 98 Cody Allen Lehigh Acres
8. 5 Roger Blevins Eagle Lake
9. 45 Greg Krom Sarasota
10. 61 Wayne Jefferson Pinallas Park
11. 99 Cody Stickler Pinallas Park
12. 00 Shawn Harper
Street Stock
1. 29 Bobby Mobley Eagle Lake
2. 45 Mike Karrivan Bradenton
3. 64 Dave Bowman Sarasota
4. 11 Travis Barfield Myakka City
5. 88 Jimmy Castleberry Auburndale
6. 33 Ronnie Brock Jr. D.N.S
7. 19 James Dellea 3rd. D.N.S.
Bomber
1. 22 Randy Spicer New Port Richey
2. 0 Jimmy Castleberry Bartow
3. 10 Tristan Collins North Port
4. 39 Jerry Tetting Nokomis
5. 19 Danny Weigert Port Charlotte
6. 23 Kenny Gibson Venice
Mod. Mini
1. 55 Tom Zimmerman Pinallas Park
2. 77 Lee Davis Lakeland
3. 72 Darrin Ellis Myakka
4. 4 Jerrold Thompson
5. 95 Ronnie Brock Jr. Sebring
6. 67 Bo Davis Lakeland
7. 07 Travis Barfield Myakka
8. 17 Jimmie Wood Bradenton
9. 81 Travis Kirby Myakka City
10. 6 Dave Davis Sarasota D.N.S.
11. 3 Kevin Brock D.N.S.
12. 91c Camron Cruise D.N.S.
Mini Stock
1. 05 Ronnie Robinson Bradenton
2. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete
3. 62 Dick Houle
4. 99 Johnny Marra Cape Coral
5. 15 Jorden Miller Bradenton
6. 67 Jimmie Best Sarasota
7. 3 Sherry Best Myakka
8. 9 Josh Calvert North Port
9. 54 Aaron Yahnke .
10. 91c Camron Cruise D.Q.
11. 73 Randy Johnson D.Q.
