By Jimmy Rouse- Bubba Raceway Park Media
October 22, 2011
Steven A. Bagen & Associates and Integra Shocks were the proud sponsors of the action this week-end which included the Top Gun Sprint Cars, UMP Open-Wheel Modifieds, Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks, Mini Stocks, and Gladiators. Integra Shocks would reward a lucky Modified driver a pair of shocks if the race went 25 laps and the Top Gun Sprints had a chance at $3000 worth of Integra shocks if they would give up their front row starting spot and win it from the back.
First up were the UMP Open-Wheel Modifieds. Jeff Mathews has had a grip on the standings, and the clay, for most of 2011 but his driver Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. had pole and a fast race car which he took to the early race lead. On lap 1 a debris caution came out and Buzzie Reutimann retired the 00. Lloyd, Kyle Bronson, and Mathews restarted 1-2-3 and stayed that way until lap 8 when Bronson retired the 40B. Mathews took the chance to find where to attack his driver. Just 2 laps after the yellow flew for David Moheng’s spin. That allowed Jason Davis to collect his thoughts and take up his spot behind Mathews. Larry Mott’s spin brought out a yellow flag on lap 14. Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. was becoming more and more vulnerable with every lap. Lap 17 saw Jeff Bagent spin solo and the yellow flew once more. The restart was choppy and break checking caused Dave Barber to plow into the back of Joe Belkey’s #2. The contact didn’t hurt either car too much but the pile-up that followed Barber’s spin did effect a few cars. The restart gave Mathews a shot at Lloyd and he gladly took it. The final caution of the night came out when Cory Howard’s 4 stopped against the wall. The restart was set-up perfectly for Lloyd. The 333 drove past Mathews on lap 21 and didn’t give it up until after the checkers. Mathews settled for 2nd in the Mathews Motorsports 1-2. Jason Davis impressed with a top 3, “Smokin” Joe Belkey took a quiet 4th, and Dave Barber rounded out the top 5. Dalton Lanick took the OK to 6th, Ronnie Soltis finished 7th, Rich Pratt a quiet 8th, Ronnie Chance a good top 10, and “Crazy” Jim Passino was 10th. The random draw for the Integra shocks was pulled and Larry Mott was the winner
Matt Kurtz, Tim Grubaugh, Gene Lasker, and Danny Martin, Jr. who chose job security all rejected the choice for $3000 of Integra shocks. With his gift he can’t lift but his car could and Gene Lasker rode the wall for quite some time on the backstretch and turn 3 at the start. Lasker climbed from the wreckage but he’ll have some work to do. On the restart for Kurt Taylor’s spin Danny Martin took the lead from Matt Kurtz. On lap 4 Ryan Partin spun bringing out another yellow flag. Another lap was run before Terry Witherspoon, Mark Ruel, Jr. and Travis Bliemeister made contact and Ruel spun. On lap 9 Matt Kurtz did something rare- pass Danny Martin, Jr. Kurtz held the lead through Brandon Grubaugh’s lap 10 spin, Kurt Taylor’s spin just 4 laps later, and Shawn Murray’s spin. Time expired and it became a Green-White-Checkered but Tim George and Mark Ruel, Jr. touched after Danny Martin, Jr. had passed Kurtz and the flagstand. Martin held ’em off for the 1 lap dash while Kurtz went home best of the rest. AJ Maddox’s run was overshadowed a bit by the battle at the end but a clean run in 3rd all night was what the driver needed after last time out. Tim Grubaugh stayed up front and went home 4th while Collin Cabre rounded out the top 5. Mark Ruel, Jr. managed to take 6th with Robbie Smith 7th, Ryan Partin 8th, Jimmy Ballew, Jr. 9th and Travis Bliemeister 10th.
Amsoil V-8 Thunderstock action gets intense and they started beating and banging in hot laps. Of course, 6 drivers came in knowing they could leave with the points lead and that always adds fuel to the fire. At the start Jeff Baer took the 3 to the lead and Jimmy Holley took the 2H around bringing out a caution. On lap 1 Doug Webster found the wall and Jim Bethal, Jr. found the 121W when Jonathan Gillette made incidental contact. On lap 4 Jeff Baer spun fom the lead giving Robert Ray the clean air, with Gordon cade and Brian Shea in tow. The restart saw Jeff Stalnaker, Jr. end up in the wall and Vaughn Woodall lost the right rear ending his night and maybe his championship hopes. On lap 8 Jon Layerd “Ran out of talent” and hit the turn 1 wall. At this point Mike Stalnaker had driven the 8 past Shea after Cade nearly spun the 121 earlier. On lap 14 Jeff Baer spun identical to the spin 10 laps prior. The run to the checkers began and Mike Stalnaker toom win #3 in a row. Brian Shea took 2nd, Jason Gamble kept the bleeding to a minimum with a podium finish, Robert Ray finished 4th, and Gordon cade clawed back to a top 5 spot. Ryan Lasik was quiet all night and finished 6th, Harold Erickson was 7th, Mark Trexler took another top 10 with 8th, Jesse Corbitt finished 9th in his return to the clay, and Chris Watson went home 10th.
With a $500 prize and Double Points there were 2 mind-sets: win and points race. A major headline was the fact that Ray Folwell, the points leader, didn’t show up. That in itself gave Brittany Ytes the points lead. However, there was a feature to be run and on lap 3 Nick Hebrank found the wall and came to a stop just before the pit entry. Roberto Morfin, Jr. led until he pulled the 48M off handing the lead to Timmy Bronson. On lap 5 Eric Knight stopped in turn 2 bringing another caution out. A debris caution flew on lap 10 with Bronson, Chris Zimmermann, and Buddy Pope at the front. Just 1 lap later Kyle Kruse climbed the frontstretch wall and came to a stop when Eric Knight made contact at full speed. Neither driver was seriously injured in the accident. Bronson pulled away on the 4 lap run to the checkers while Buddy Pope again finished 2nd. Zimmermann was 3rd, Stephen Hahlbaugh 4th, and Jamie Burrows rounded out the top 5. Brittany Yates took 6th and a huge points lead. Kody Kinsey was rookie of the race in 7th, Ryan Babcock was 8th after a piece of the engine failed. Kruse and Knight rounded out the top 10.
The Gladiators went caution free but the race didn’t end at the flag. On lap 4 Reid Christensen took the lead from Ray Hunter and never looked back. The battle for 3rd was intense and Casey Feaster took the “Sexy Pink” Focus to 3rd. Steve Cox maintained some points with 4th and Robert Graham rounded out the top 5. Steve Johnson was 6th, Billy Holmes 7th, Matt Kramer in 8th, John Johnson 9th, and George Christensen finished 10th. However, in tech, the 30 car of Reid Christensen was deemed illegal which makes him ineligible for any points scored on the night. The disqualification gave Ray Hunter the win, Feaster the runner-up spot, and Cox takes a massive points lead after being bumped up to 3rd.
Next week-end is the return of the RaceCar Engineering Late Models, Barrett’s Race Cars Hobby Stocks, Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks in a make-or-break $500 to win Double Points race, Mini Stocks, and Gladiators. The kids will also take part in the action when they go trick-or-treating on the frontstretch.For more information you can check out www.bubbaracewaypark.com or call the Speedway hotline at 352-622-9400.
Bubba Raceway Park Results (10/22)
Top Gun Sprint Cars (Round 5-Wingless)
1- 24 Danny Martin, Jr.
2- 92 Matt Kurtz
3- 3A AJ Maddox
4- 42 Tim Grubaugh
5- 12 Collin Cabre
6- 83 Mark Ruel, Jr.
7- 6S Robbie Smith
8- 14 Ryan Partin
9- 0 Jimmy Ballew, Jr.
10- 3 Travis Bliemeister
11- 9 Brandon Grubaugh
12- 38 Tony Agin
13- 1* Tim George
14- 98 Shawn Murray
15- 3K Kurt Taylor
16- 19 Brandon Lineberger
17- 43 Terry Witherspoon
18- 92T Tim Ysbrand
19- 30 Mitchell Webb
20- 8 Rich Alexander
21- 02 Gene Lasker
UMP Open-Wheel Modifieds
1- 333 Ivedent Lloyd, Jr.
2- 33 Jeff Mathews
3- 145 Jason Davis
4- 2 Joe Belkey
5- 56 Dave Barber
6- OK Dalton Lanich
7- 61 Ronald Soltis
8- 78 Rich Pratt
9- 7S Ronnie Chance
10- 34 Jim Passino
11- 67 Garret Stewart
12- 10 Scott Mooers
13- 01 Pete Timbie
14- 8 Rick Scott
15- 11 Alan Reynolds
16- 4 Cory Howard
17- 94 Jeff Bagent
18- Z06 Larry Mott
19- 94T Joey Brinson
20- 40B Kyle Bronson
21- 12 David Moheng
22- 33F Michael Flick
23- 00 Buzzie Reutimann
24- 90 Mark Buie
Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks
1- 8 Mike Stalnaker
2- 19 Brian Shea
3- 21 Jason Gamble
4- 9 Robert Ray
5- 121 Gordon Cade
6- 17L Ryan Lasik
7- 66 Harold Erickson
8- 34 Mark Trexler
9- 3D Jesse Corbitt
10- 18 Chris Watson
11- 114 John Thorpe
12- 72 Terry Dunbar
13- 3 Jeff Baer
14- 15 Shane Nichols
15- 64 Jonathan Gillette
16- 1D Marlon Durbin
17- 02 Jon Layerd
18- 2H Jimmy Holley
19- 77 Jeff Stalnaker, Jr.
20- 32 James Shaw
21- 3W Vaughn Woodall
22- 121W Doug Webster
23- 2W Jim Bethal, Jr.
24- 0 Jason Tovet
Mini Stocks
1- 22 Timmy Bronson
2- 81 Buddy Pope
3- 01 Chris Zimmermann
4- 75H Stephen Hahlbaugh
5- 41 Jamie Burrows
6- 53 Brittany Yates
7- 11 Kody Kinsey
8- 9 Ryan Babcock
9- 1K Kyle Kruse
10- 10 Eric Knight
11- 21 Ray Ethridge
12- 74 William Killinger
13- 48 Roberto Morfin, Jr.
14- 9H Nick Hebrank
Gladiators
1- 79 Ray Hunter
2- 20 Casey Feaster
3- P38 Steve Cox
4- 126 Robert Graham
5- 81 Steve Johnson
6- 26 Billy Holmes
7- 77 Matt Kramer
8- 87 John Johnson
9- 3B George Christensen
DNS- 23 Tiffany Shaw
DNS- 8B Ryan Brinson
DQ (tech)- 30 Reid Christensen