By Jimmy Rouse- Bubba Raceway Park Media
October 25, 2011
With just 4 weeks left before the Bubba Is Thankful Week-End the points battles are getting tight and no one will let a point slip away now. The RaceCar Engineering Late Models return as do the Barrett’s Race Cars Hobby Stocks. The rescheduled Double Points event for the Amsoil V-8 Thunderstocks, Mini Stock action, and Gladiator battles will also occur. Of course, with Halloween on Monday the kids get to trick-or-treat on the frontstretch as they do annually!
A 57 point lead for Ivedent Lloyd, Jr. Lloyd, a 5-time winner this season, is coming off of his first Modified victory. In 2nd is driver #1W Dillon Wood. A consistent driver has been behind the wheel but hasn’t quite put the car in victory lane. A 4-time winner is 3rd in Mark Whitener. Whitener is battling to make up 129 points at Bubba Raceway Park while trying to hold a slim lead in the National Late Model Series Southern Tour. Christian Augspurger and Bo Allen round out the top 5. Augspurger and Allen have come close to victory a few times but neither has taken the checkers. Austin Kirkpatrick, JO Nobles, and Tyler Ivey are all knocking on the door of the top 5. Nobles is the only 1 yet to win but could get that win at any time. Johnny Collins is 9th but hasn’t taken to the clay in quite some time. Collins can never be counted out and could get to victory lane at any time. Jeff Mathews jumped into the top 10 last time out and hopes to stay there for the rest of the season. The Late Model drivers, without a scheduling conflict, will need to be within 130 points of Lloyd to have a chance to win the title.
Tim Powers leads by 79 over Kevin Durden. Powers has 4 wins in 2011 compared to Durden’s 1; however the difference is that Powers has never finished worse than 4th. In 3rd is Buck Woodhouse, 88 points down. Woodhouse hasn’t won yet but has come close. Joe Boyd has used consistency and smart driving to take over 4th in the standings. Boyd could get to victory lane, but driver #12 will do all he can to get there himself. Joe Belkey has 1 win so far but wants to make it 2. Tommy Ausburn, Howard Osteen, and Mark Maresca are all on the outside of the top 5 but could use the improvement they have made to climb back in. James Erickson and Donnie Reed have run up front but have missed a few events which has cost them points positions. A 260 point lead, without a scheduling conflict, and it’s all over with just 3 events left (including a Double Points night) in the season.
Unofficially, Brian Shea has a 13 point lead over Jason Gamble. Gamble, however, has the tie-breaker with 3 wins compared to none. Shea wants a win but wouldn’t mind being called ‘champion’ while Gamble wants the title ‘2-time.’ Gordon Cade is only 30 points out in 3rd but is still looking for that 1st career dirt win. Vaughn Woodall is 44 points down but certainly not out. Woodall won this race a year ago and hopes to repeat in 2011. Jonathan Gillette rounds out the top 5. Gillette, 74 down, still searches for win #1 but the Sophomore driver has done fantastic in his beat-up #64. John Thorpe is now 80 points out of 1st but is 6th place in the standings. Thorpe has been the most consistent of the points drivers but hasn’t had the lucky breaks to get to the top of the heap. In 7th is Chris Watson, 97 points down. Driver #18 has only 1 top 5 but has only 1 finish outside of 15th, an impressive figure compared to the rest. Chad Scranton is now 127 points down but could always come back if the 27 is on track. Jonathan Appleby is 174 points down in 9th. He can’t take the lead this week-end but could make an astounding comeback for the title. Tim Mathieu is 10th. Mathieu is a proven winner but hasn’t taken victory lane yet in 2011. Without a scheduling conflict, a 130 point lead would be enough to clinch the title after this week-end.
Brittany Yates, Ryan babcock, and Ray Folwell have battled the entire season but with just 2 races after this week-end the points need to flow for some of the battlers. Yates has a 62 point lead over Babcock and a 96 point lead over Folwell. Buddy Pope and Ray Ethridge round out the top 5. Pope has come close to victory a few times but hasn’t quite gotten there yet in the points season. Now is the time for Pope as his chances are dwindling with every passing race. Kody Kinsey is 6th. Kinsey has done a fantastic job as a true rookie and will do all he can to break into the top 5. Roberto Morfin, Jr., Stephen Hahlbaugh, Chris Zimmermann, and Shirlene Hammond are all in the top 10 but have points to make up to get into the top 5. Morfin and Hammond have won but the other 2 have not. They’ll do their best to take that win before 2011 ends. With only 2 events after this, without scheduling changes, 130 is the magic number.
Steve Cox has a points lead that he “doesn’t want” after last week’s misfortunes for Reid Christensen. Cox, of course, wants the lead but wanted to battle to the end with Christensen. With 105 points the lead it’s awfully tough to make them up but it can be done. Steve Johnson is now 3rd, 293 down. Johnson, much like 4th place Brandon Haseleu, is still looking for win #1 of the season. Matt Kramer has jumped up to 5th and hopes to hold on to it for 2011. Kramer continues to improve and a win could be around the corner for the young man. Richard Todd, Jerry Taylor, and Robert Graham are 6th-8th but could be higher if they hadn’t missed a few events. All 3 could take a victory but have yet to do so. Stephen Frankland and Kody Fisher round out the top 10. Both have improved every week-end but still haven’t entered the Bubba Raceway Park victory circle. Anyone could take a win in this tightly contested division. With just 3 points races left (1 a Double Points night) scheduled, 260 is the magic number.
Gates open at 4:30 with racing scheduled for 7. The best seats get taken early. Don’t forget the Trick-Or-Treating for the kids on the frontstretch! For more information you can check out www.bubbaracewaypark.com or call the Speedway hotline at 352-622-9400.