What looked to be like another rained out night of racing, turned out to be a night of some of the best racing action yet. Practice was just about over when a brief shower came through and put a damper on things and just when the track was dried it rained again. The speedway staff did a great job of pumping water, drying the track and speedway owner Kevin Williams gave the ok to open up and lets go racing.
If you stayed home you missed out on the door to door fast and furious racing action that makes PGS the place to be on Sat nights.
Qualifying, heat races and the parade lap was done when the first featured event took to the track, the Cowboy Cadillacs. The number eight of Jeff Deeble from Port Charlotte sat on the pole and took the lead and did his best to keep Stuart Vandevender behind him for the first half of the race. When the checkers came out it was Vandevender that finished first and Deeble had a hard fought second place, John Pummell Jr. was third.
Pro 4 class was lined up and ready to go when Dan Collver from N. Ft Myers was in the lead and holding off hard charger Paul Richards Jr.from Naples while brother Ryan Collver was chasing Richards. Dan ran in the first spot in this caution free twenty five lap feature while doing what he could to stay in front of Richards. Two laps to go and Richards did it again, got by to bring home the win and Dan Collver would have to settle for second while Ryan Collver was third.
T.Q. Midgets came out for twenty five laps and saw the 63 of Mike Belusar on the pole with young Chris Gimmler outside to start the race. Belusar jumped to the lead while Gimmler ran on his bumper for the first twenty laps and the “Cowboy” Rob Kohler third. Five to go sign and the front two coming on to lap traffic, young Gimmler went low and the lap car forced Belusar to go high and Gimmler took over the lead. Bellusar found him self chasing Gimmler to the checker and a not so happy Belusar was heard in the interview saying a lap car cost him the race, coming in second. Chris Gimmler had the pedal to the metal and brought the 51 machine home in first place while Rob Kohler held on for a strong third place.
Check out the schedule for the Street Stock class, they are becoming one of the classes that keeps you on the edge of your seat to watch. Jeff Dufresne sat on the pole after his first time out last race, he got caught and had to retire to the pits early, was determined to finish this weeks race up front. Dufresne jumped to the lead and another new driver to the class Richard Nelson was on his bumper but Shane Leonard in his new ride had other plans. Lap three they were mixing it up pretty good, when out from the rear jumper Ryan Pancoast to take over the lead on lap seven. Pancoast, off of his two feature wins last time out was on a roll out front while Dufresne gave it his all chasing him down and trying to stay out front of Jim Meiser. Side by side, bumper to bumper who was going to finish second and third while Pancoast sailed on to another trip to victory lane making it three wins in a row. Jeff Dufresne held on for a good run and finished second while Jim Meiser with a really loose car came in third.
The Road Warriors had a big 50 lap feature scheduled that was to pay 400.00 to the winner if they had fifteen or more cars and when fourteen cars took the green, speedway owner Kevin Williams said run them 50 and pay them the big money. All lined up and ready to race the green flag flew and the first casualty was Phil Ellis in his new ride that had mechanical problems and brought out the first of many cautions and he pulled the 29 to the infield on lap three. Richard Nelson of Port Charlotte had a fast car and was scored the leader as a lot of rubbin is racin was going on behind him and rubbin to hard was the 33 of Chris Loney that got sent to the rear twice. Rick Reed of Punta Gorda got by Chris Scott of Nakomis for second on lap seventeen while Reed’s team mate Jason Miller followed him and they were putting the pressure on Nelson. Door to door, fast and furious, lap thirty two, to much pressure the caution is out for the leader Nelson who had to pit for a flat tire which turns the lead over to Reed. Ten to go and the field tightened back up, it was Rick Reed that brought home the win and took the big money, while team mated Jason Miller was second and Chris Loney drove the wheels off the 33 machine to bring home a third place finish. Reed’s other team mate Jeremy Daring was fourth and Richard Nelson ran out of time and finished fifth.
The last race of the night was the Late Model Sportsman, that saw last race winner Brandon Morris out of Mulberry sit on the pole with fast qualifier Aaron Williamson outside. There were three cautions in the first three laps and on lap three it was Gary McFall driving the Matt Dunn machine that had to be taken off on the hook with mechanical problems and then the race ran caution free. Once they got back under way it was Morris and Williamson till Donnie Ollie Jr in a borrowed car after his broke in warm ups was putting the pressure on Williamson. Ollie Muscled his way by Williamson on lap six and put pressure on Morris, but it was Brandon Morris that made it two wins in a row. Donnie Ollie Jr brought home the borrowed 98 machine of Danny Brown home in the second spot while Aaron Williamson was third, David Williamson fourth and Bill Vandevender fifth.
Next week May 5th the speedway will be close
check the web site for all current info and updates
www.puntagordaspeedway.com
we will see you back at the races on May 12th.
PUNTA GORDA SPEEDWAY RESULTS
4/28/12
Late Model Sportsman
1. 56 Brandon Morris Mulberry
2. 98 Donnie Ollie LeHigh
3. 13 Aaron Williamson Mulberry Fast Time
4. 84 Bill Vandevender Cape Coral
5. 12 David Williamson Mulberry
6. 8 Dan Scott Naples
7. 7 Kyle Rice LaBelle
8. 67 James Dubose Arcadia
9. 1 Gary McFall Venice
10. 98 Danny Brown LeHigh DNS
Street Stock
1. 47 Ryan Pancoast N. Ft. Myers
2. 3 Jeff Dufresne Bradenton
3. 88 Jimmy Meiser Cape coral
4. 2 Bobby Fischer Naples
5. 18 Shane Leonard Cape Coral
6. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
7. 10 Tim Miller Jr. Bradenton
8. 98 A. J. Mott Ocala
9. 1 Matt Dunn North Port
Road Warrior
1. 10x Rick Reed Punta Gorda Fast Time
2. 10 Jason Miller LeHigh
3. 33 Chris Loney Naples
4. 5 Jeremy Daring LeHigh
5. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
6. 96v Rob Vigilo Bradenton
7. A1 Jesse Gargus N. Ft. Myers
8. 57 Mark Petty Venice
9. 27 Ann Marie Ricardi Naples
10. 97 Chris Scott Nokomis
11. 17 James Stokes LeHigh
12. 13 Kyle Rice Labelle
13. 96m Joey Morales Miami
14. 29 Phil Ellis Rotonda
15. 7 Johnny Allen LeHigh DNS
Pro 4
1. 61 Paul Richards Jr. Naples
2. 00 Dan Collver N. Ft. Myers
3. 04 Ryan Collver Ft. Myers
4. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete
5. 87 Skyler Null N. Ft. Myers
6. 30 Steven Babcock Punta Gorda
7. 13 Alex Teston LeHigh
8. 7 Blaine Baer Port Charlotte
9. 9x James Daring Lehigh
10. 21 George Bartimac St. Pete
11. 97 Mark Davis Bonita
Cowboy Cadillac’s
1. 36 Stuart Vandevender Cape Coral
2. 8 Jeff Deeble Port Charlotte
3. 86 John Pummell Arcadia
4. 99 Rick Mills Arcadia
5. 33 Les Couch Punta Gorda D.N.S.
T.Q. Midgets
1. 51 Chris Gimmler Palm Beach Gardens
2. 63 Mike Belusar Punta Gorda
3. 30 Rob Kohler Naples
4. 7 Jamie Barnum Brooksville
5.23 Steven Maier Port St. Luci
6. 14 John Ciolino Cape Coral