By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Desoto Speedway
As the laps wound down on Saturday night’s 75-lap Turner Tree and Landscape Super Late Model feature at Desoto Speedway, Jeff Scofield knew he had a car capable of winning but had to be a little patient.
Scofield would eventually prove the saying that “good things happen to those who wait” can actually be true. Riding in third place for most of the race, Scofield capitalized on a late restart and powered to his first win of the season at Desoto.
A 12-car inversion put Daryl Shelnut and Scott Grossenbacher on the front row for the main event. Grossenbacher took the initial lead but was passed by Steve Dorer on a lap 5 restart.
Dorer paced the field for the next 16 laps with Grossenbacher and Shelnut right on his tail. Chris Fontaine, who started ninth in the 25-car field, was quickly working his way through the field by passing cars in the outside lane. He found himself fourth when the caution flew for a spin on lap 21.
Fontaine needed just two laps to get by Shelnut and Grossenbacher to get to second and would take the lead from Dorer at the end of lap 27. Joining Fontaine at the front was fast qualifier Joe Boyd, who started 13th but was right on Fontaine’s tail by lap 30.
Fontaine, Boyd and Jeff Scofield maintained their positions in the top three for a run of nearly 35 laps before an accident involving Kevin Dicks and Michael Atwell in turn three just in front of Fontaine brought out the yellow on lap 62. That allowed Dorer, Daniel Webster, Gossenbacher, Daniel Keene and Bradenton’s Jesse Dutilly – who started last after carburetor problems in qualifying – one final shot over the last 13 laps.
On the restart, Boyd got by Fontaine for the lead. As the pair ran side-by-side through turn three, Fontaine’s car broke loose and spun into the infield. Fontaine was forced to the rear of the field as a result.
Boyd and Scofield battled for the lead on the restart, with Scofield finally clearing Boyd with 10 laps to go. Scofield was never challenged the rest of the way.
“The long run really brought the car to me,” Scofield said. “We had a heckuva battle with Joe and you couldn’t get much closer than we did out there.”
Boyd said his car’s handling started going away with about 25 laps to go in the race. He finished second.
“I just didn’t have anything for him there at the end,” Boyd said.
Dorer finished third, with Webster and Stephen Nasse rounding out the top five.
In other action Saturday night, Richard Nelson took the win in the 25-lap Street Stock feature; Jessica Ostrovskis took the win in the Pro-4 feature; Jimmy Best took home the Rookie 4 feature and James Wright won the Cowboy Cadillac feature.
Next week Desoto Speedway will host a 50-lap, double-points Pro Truck race and a full card of racing. The track will also have an Easter Egg hunt for the kids.
4-12-2014
DESOTO SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS
Super Late Models
1. 6 Jeff Scofield Plant City
2. 5 Joe Boyd Riverview
3. 94 Steve Dorer Lakeland
4. 133 Daniel Webster Brooksville
5. 51x Stephen Nase Pineallas Park…
6. 280 T.J. Duke South West Ranches
7. 59 Jake Perkins Ocala
8. 4 Dennis Coletti Bradenton
9. 128 Dylan Bigley Naples
10. 09 Scott Grossenbocher St. Antonio
11. 28 Billy Bigley Jr. Naples
12. 30 Jesse Dutilly Bradenton
13. 47 Chris Fontaine Lakeland
14. 00 Anthony Cataldi Umatilla
15. 56 Brian Richardson Cape Coral
16. 12 David Green Fort Pierce
17. 5x Steve Gill Sarasota
18. 5K Daniel Keene Jr. Wichwachee
19. 51 Michael Atwell Naples
20. 38 Kevin Dicks Lake City
21. 06 Mike Finn Jupiter
22. 7 Daryl Shelnut Lake City
23. 33 Chris Loney Naples
24. 151 Nick Neri Palmetto
25. 77 Tuffy Hester Lakeland
26. 07 Tyler Scofield Plant City D.N.S.
Street Stock
1. 80 Richard Nelson Port Charlotte
2. 91 Ander Jackson Punta Gorda
3. 42 Dennis Wilson Bradenton
4. 50 David Blanchard Bradenton
5. 10 Tim Miller Bradenton
6. 10J Jason Miller Lehigh
7. 16. Johnny Allen Le High
8. 92 Ted Head
9. 8 Mike Bialaki Arcadia
Cowboy Cadillac’s
1. 63 James Wright Naples
2. 2 Lance Sober Punta Gorda
3. 80 Richard Nelson Port charlotte
4. 5 Ed Snyder North Port
Pro 4
1. 91 Jessica Ostrovskis St. Pete
2. 99 Johnny Marra Punta Gorda
3. 8 Josh Widner Myakka City
4. 41 Mark Petty Venice
5. 3 Sherry Best Sarasota
Rookie 4
1. 67 Jimmy Best Sarasota
2. 41 Marina Petty Venice
3. 8 Josh Widner Myakka City
