By SCOTT LOCKWOOD
Desoto Speedway
A pair of familiar faces found their way back to victory lane during Saturday night’s racing action at Desoto Speedway.
In Saturday’s 30-lap Winged Sprint Car feature, Shane Butler raced from fourth to first in the opening laps and was in a battle with Dave Steele for the lead when Butler made a dramatic move under two lapped cars and into the grass – coming out ahead of Steele and the rest of the pack.
Butler and Steele threaded their way through heavy traffic for the next 20 laps. Steele used a lapped car as a pick to get by Butler for the lead with just three laps to go.
Moments after Steele made his move for the lead, the caution flew for a hard crash by Larry J. Brazil. Brazil slammed the wall between turns one and two before coming to a rest against the wall. He was transported to a local hospital after complaining of a lower leg injury.
Butler dropped out of the race during the red flag. That set up a three-lap shootout between Steele and Troy Decaire, winner the last time the sprint cars were on the high banks at Desoto. Steele fought off the challenge and drove to his third win of the year at Desoto Speedway.
Decaire was second, followed by Johnny Gibertson, Mickey Kempgens and Dave Retzlaff. The top five were the only cars to finish on the lead lap.
Duane Best led the opening laps before his brother Jimmie Best grabbed the top spot on the fourth lap. Chastain passed both Duane Best and Sean Lemaster for second with a slide-job pass in turn one on lap seven, just prior to the caution coming out for David Patterson’s spin in turn four.
Jimmie Best, Chastain and Lemaster battled for the lead on the restart. Lemaster got past Chastain for second on lap 14 and was pressuring Best for the top spot when another caution flew on lap 18.
Lemaster got by Best – whose truck had a rear quarter panel flapping in the breeze – for the top spot on lap 22. Chastain followed suit three laps later and the front duo started pulling away when the quarter panel finally flew off of Best’s truck to bring out the yellow just past the halfway point.
Chastain fought off a challenge from Lemaster and Becca Monopoli on the restart and set sail from the rest of the pack. With eight laps to go the engine expired on Brian Hillyer’s truck, igniting a multi-truck crash that saw Patterson spin and collect Lemaster and Todd Morey, who slammed into Paterson’s stopped truck on the track. No major injuries were reported in the accident.
Morey was allowed to keep his spot in second, but brought out the caution when he spun trying to run Chastain down with two laps to go. Chastain held off Monopoli and Scott Hogan on the final restart and went on to the victory. Hogan got by Monopoli for second, while Jimmie Best and Duane Best rounded out the top five.
In other action Saturday night, Darrin Ellis won the Pep Boys Speed Shop Modified Mini feature; Troy Thiem led from green to checkers on his way to winning the LKQ Pick-Your-Part Pure Stock feature; and Mike Kerrivan won the 30-lap Take Aim Gun Range Street Stock feature.
Next Saturday night Desoto Speedway will host the Desoto Sportsman, Street Stocks, Pure Stocks, Outlaw Modifieds and Bombers.
10-17- 2015
DESOTO SPEEDWAY RACE RESULTS
Pro Trucks
1. 36 Chad Chastain Alva
2. 12 Scott Hogan Naples
3. 59x Becca Monopoli Lakeland
4. 67 Jimmie Best Sarasota
5. 3 Duane Best Myakka
6. 75 Robert St. John Arcadia
7. 33 Bubba Thompson Bradenton
8. 99 Todd Morey Wauchula
9. 8 Sean LeMaster Naples
10. 26 Brian Hillyer North Port
11. 17 Cody Martell Arcadia
12. 20 David Patterson North Port
13. 43 Marina Petty Venice
Sprints
1. 33 Dave Steele Tampa
2. 91 Troy Decaire Tampa
3. 22 Johnny Gilbertson Dover
4. 5 Mickey Kempgens Tampa
5. 92 Dave Retzlaff Brooksville
6. 99 Mathew Hall Apollo Beach
7. 81 Troy Thompson Brooksville
8. 85 Rex Hollinger Titusville
9. 4 Travis Bliemaster Venice
10. 39 John Rosbloch Venice
11. 16 Ernie Teed Sarasota
12. 84 Rick Hall Apollo Beach
13. 15 Shane Butler Bushnell
14. 2 Larry Brazil Tampa
15. 3 Jeff Firestine Venice
16.10x Sean Clark North Port
17. 8 Kurt Taylor Brandon
18. 66 TerryTaylor Dunedin
19. 67 Scotty Adema Ft. Myers
Street Stock
1. 45 Mike Karrivan Bradenton
2. 69 Keith Neff Bradenton
3. 11 Travis Barfield Myakka City
4. 88 Jimmy Castleberry Auburndale
5. 1 Ronnie Brock Jr. Sebring
6. 20 Claudio Reyes Sarasota
7. 93 Jeff Firestine Venice
Pure Stock
1. 18 Troy Thiem
2.62 James Wright Port Charlotte
3. 72 Roger Dufrense Bradenton
4. 9 Garrett Thompson Bradenton
5. 3 Kyle Best Parrish
6. 67 Sherry Best Myakka D.N.S.
Modified Mini
1. 72 Darrin Ellis Myakka
2. 86 Fred Paravicini Bradenton
3. 16 Steve Gill Sarasota
4. 55 Tom Zimmerman Largo
5. 4 Donnie Powers
6. 6 Jimmie Frazer
7. 77 Lee Davis Lakeland
8. 77r Rachelle Rudolph Tampa
9. 6 Dave Davis Bradenton D.N.S.
