The Punta Gorda speedway owner Kevin Williams took a chance and opened up the 2012 race season early and has put three great race nights in the books to kick off the new season. If the first three weeks are what’s instore for the new season, you need to make plans now to come out, because Punta Gorda Speedway has “Rocked the House” with great racing action you can not find anywhere else that is affordable for the entire family.
The night started off with the T.Q. Midget class for twenty five laps of hard racing action that saw the 2 of Geoff Styner of Cape Coral jump out to an early lead. Lap eleven the 7 of Jamie Barnum was able to make the pass for the lead, while “Cowboy” Rob Kholer of Naples was in hot pursuit. Barnum held off Kholer for the win, Kholer second and Styner held on for third.
Cowboy Cadillacs are still waiting for some of the trucks from last year and new ones to be finished up and join the action. Stuart Vandevender in the 36 truck made it two in a row as he passed Jeff Deeble to bring home another win, Deeble was second and Brad Weigret brought it home in third.
Road Warriors were back at it this week, they picked up were they left off last week with side by side, bumper to bumper, paint swapping racing that’s like no other. Derrick Horton was the man after two weeks of bad luck, he started on the pole and the car made it to the checkers for his first trip to victory lane. All the action was going on behind the leader as the Thundering Heard was putting on one heck of a show for the fans. Richard Nelson of Port Charlotte was in second while Phil “The Thrill” Morrison had started in the rear and made it through the field ever so “gently” to fourth and was challenging Codey Benoit for that third spot. Benoit was putting pressure on the 80 of Nelson while Morrison was trying to take third from Benoit, Benoit and Nelson bring out the caution and it was Nelson that got sent to the rear. Still lap fifteen, Benoit and Morrison side by side, neither one would lift or give up and the end result was both cars locked together flying down the backstretch and off they went through the infield and came to stop at the pile of tires around the light poles. Benoit takes off down the front stretch and tires that he had collected rolled off one by one, both cars were sent to the rear and the field lined back up. Horton trying to hold on to the lead and finally finish a race, had the 2 of Bobby Mobley who came from the back to second and was putting the pressure on Horton. Side by side, two and three wide, the last lap passes, it was Horton then Jason Miller who was roughed up a little, came back up for the last lap pass to come in second, Shane Leonard went with Miller to finish third and Mobley held on for fourth.
The new Late Model Sportsman class made their first appearance and saw some new cars and old ones, what a show they put on for the fans. After drivers introductions on the front stretch, and seeing the nice looking 51 car that had twelve year old Michael Atwell of Naples joining the class this year,
had some wonder if the kid would be able to hang with these guys. The green flagged dropped it was Gary McFall from Venice that jumped out to an early lead with his new car and was challenged by the 56 of Brandon Morris from Mulberry who got by Mcfall by lap six. Hard side by side racing saw Morris in the lead with pressure form the 13 of Aaron Williamson and father David Williamson right behind him while young Atwell was impressing the crowd with his driving skills. Young Atwell put the pressure on James Dubose to take over the fourth spot and was cruising through the field like a veteran. After a restart on lap twenty nine, and the field tightened up the green dropped and Atwell was on the outside, wanted the third spot and the car just got away from him and into the backstretch wall, ended his run for the night but he will be one to watch next time out. Morris sailed on to take the win with Aaron Williamson second, father David Wiliamson third, Johnny Casady battled for fourth and Donnie Ollie Jr rounded out the top five.
The Perfect Pest Control Pro 4 class was the last feature of the night and usually run caution free laps but not tonight, must have been something in the air. The green flagged dropped and James Dellea III from Port Charlotte had the car on a rail and jumped out to the lead and was holding off the 04 of Ryan Collver. Dellea and the Collver brothers Dan and Ryan and Paul Richards jr and then throw Jessica Ostrovskis into the mix, four wide racing. What was going on with the class, three and four wide, all fighting the leader till the Collver Brothers got together and Dan went up over Ryan and one went sailing straight to the turn one wall and stopped just in time. Cars lined back up and back as the 61 of Paul Richards Jr makes the pass on Dellea to take over first and the cars behind him are again three and four wide and we know from the last caution this doesn’t work. Five laps to go and it was the 04 of Ryan Collver that came out on the bad end as four wide racing into the turn doesn’t work and after running second ended his night with a beat up race car. Five laps to go and were did Corey Bigley come from, after starting in the rear and picking them off one by one, Corey found himself in the mix being scored in second place. Paul Richards Jr finally got the first place win and Dan Collver found himself in the second spot while Corey Bigley had a podium finish bringing home the 28 car in the well deserved third place finish.
Next week the Punta Gorda Speedway will be closed to honor the 2011 race Champions at their Banquet and then closed for speed weeks Feb 18th & 25.
The speedway will open back up with a bang as the Super Late Models return for race number 2 of twelve for 100 laps. If you missed the first race you do not want to miss this one, front gates open at 4:00pm so come out early and come hungry. Check the speedway website for any new updates at www.puntagordaspeedway.com
Results for 02-04-12 Punta Gorda Speedway
T.Q. Midgets
1. 7 Jamie Barnum Brooksville
2. 30 Rob Kohler Naples
3. 2 Geoff Styner Cape Coral
4. 6 Jay Stutz Riverview
5. 14 John Ciolino Cape Coral
6. 5 David Patterson Port Charlotte
7. 51 Chris Gimmler Palm Beach Gardens
8. 23 Steve Maier Port St. Lucy
9. 4 Ted Durfee Sarasota
10. 1 Jack Duffy Sarasota
Cowboy Cadillac’s
1. 36 Stuart Vandevender Cape Coral
2. 8 Jeff Deeble Port Charlotte
3. 88 Brad Wegert Port Charlotte
4. 86 John Pummell Jr. Arcadia DNS
Road Warrior
1. 27 Derrick Horton N. Ft. Myers
2. 10 Jason Miller Lehigh Acres
3. 8 Shane Leonard Cape Coral
4. 2 Bobby Mobley Auburndale
5. 89 Phil Morrison Punta Gorda
6. 1 Rick Reed Arcadia
7. 33 Chris Loney Naples
8. A1 Jessie Gargus Naples
9. 5 Jeremy Daring Lehigh Acres
10. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
11. B1 Cody Benoit Buckingham
12. 22 Jeremy Perkins N. Ft. Myers
Sportsman
1. 56 Brandon Morris Mulbury
2. 13 Aaron Williams Lakeland
3. 12 David Williamson Mulbury
4. 7C Johnny Cassidy Arcadia
5. 09 Donnie Ollie Jr. Lehigh
6. 68 Gary McFall Venice
7. 67 James Dubose Arcadia
8. 18 Craig Amboyant Port Charlotte
9. 7 Kyle Rice La Belle
10. 51 Michael Atwell Naples
11. 98 Roger Welch Pinellas park
12. 93 Shawn Wade Lehigh
13. 77 James Dellea Port Charlotte DNS
14. 17 David Morr Arcadia DNS
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Pro 4
1. 61 Paul Richards Jr. Naples
2. 00 Dan Collver N. Ft. Myers
3. 28 Corey Bigley Naples
4. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete
5. 87 Skyler Null Fort Myers
6. 13 Justin Teston Lehigh
7. 77 James Dellea III Port Charlotte
8. 32 John Balzarano Naples
9. 04 Ryan Collver Ft. Myers
10. Jamie Cassidy Arcadia DNS