By: Melanie Beckner Punta Gorda, FL… It was a busy night of racing this past Saturday night at the Charlotte County Motorsports Park, with Sportsman, Fastrucks, Florida Suncoast Outlaw Street Stocks and Juniors Trim Shop Road Warriors all running fifty lap features.
The first feature race of the evening was the twenty five lap, Pro 4 race with Dylan Bigley leading the field to the start. Dylan Bigley immediately grabbed the top spot. Mark Davis brought out the first caution when a loose wheel on his car brought out the yellow flag on lap five.
On the restart Bigley, continued where he had left off to only have the caution wave again a lap later when Mark Davis, this time spun his car around in turn two. The field would only get one lap in again when the caution came out for the spinning car of Chelsea Lajoie in turn three. It appeared that something has broke on her car and whipped her around.
Dylan Bigley remained out front with the battle heating up for the second position between Ralph Gross and Stuart Vandevender. The two made contact in turn two on lap twelve that flattened both tires on both drivers cars which caused Vandevender to spin his car around in turn four. Dylan Bigley went on to take the win with Derrick Horton in second and Ryan Collver finishing in third.
2009 Sportsman points Champion, Timmy Lowe started on the pole for the fifty lap Sportsman feature. As the green flag waved Lowe and Aaron Williamson battled for the lead with Williamson clearing Lowe for the position by the completion of lap one. Williamson pulled away from the pack and had a good lead when the first caution came out for debris on lap thirteen.
On the restart Josh calvert, spun his car around on the front stretch. The restart was good with Williamson pulling away from everyone else. While Aaron Williamson walked away from the others, the battle for second through the fourth position was heating up with Timmy Lowe, David Williamson and Brian Richardson.
The three drivers battled hard lap after lap. The next caution came out on lap thirty two with Bill Vandevender spinning out in turn four. Two laps later the final caution came out for Josh Calvert spinning out on the backstretch.
Aaron Williamson cruised to the victory with Brian Richard coming in second and Timmy Lowe rounding out the top three positions.
Logan Leonard was the pole sitter for the Second Annual Dan Benoit Memorial, Juniors Trim Shop Road Warrior feature. Dan Benoit raced in the Road Warrior division for several years, before dieing from cancer two years ago. Two of Dan’s sons, Codey and Billy were in the field for the fifty lap feature.
When the green flag dropped it was Logan Leonard that wheeled his car to the front. The first caution waved on lap twelve when Bryan Boxell looped his car in turn one. Ten laps later James Dellea and Jarrett Cornell where battling for position when the two got together on the front stretch and spun out. Logan Leonard,still was leading when the race resumed with Randy Kile and Chris Scott battling for the second position.
With two laps remaining Logan Leonard, who was still leading lost control of his car coming out of turn four and spun out drawing the final caution. Since the spin was unassisted, Leonard was sent to the rear of the lead lap cars and handed the lead over to Chris Scott.
On the final lap the race for the third position was heating up between Rick Reed, Mike Crooks and Chris Loney. Going into turn two there was contact between Loney and Crooks cars and again going into turn four that sent Loney spinning to the top of turn four. At the line it was Chris Scott who got to celebrate the win with Randy Kile finishing in second and Rick Reed took the third position.
The Fastrucks made there first appearance for the 2010 season with Phil Morrison on the pole for the fifty lap feature. Morrison took the early lead before Steven Darvalics challenged Morrison for the position on lap five. The two raced door handle to door handle before Darvalics ultimately gained the lead from Morrison.
The race ran caution free until lap twenty two when something broke off of Phil Morrison’s truck and brought out the caution. On the restart Jimmy Gill spun out on the frontstretch. The rest of the race ran cautionless with Steven Darvalics taking the win with Jimmy GIll and Anthony Sergi completing the top three spots.
Jamie Castleberry sat on the pole for the fifty lap Florida Suncoast Outlaw Street Stock feature. Jim Meiser took the lead coming out of turn two and led until lap eight before Shane Leonard over took the position from Meiser.
The first caution came out on lap ten after Larry Braswell drove into the side of Shane Leonard going into turn two that sent both cars spinning.
On the restart Danny Daniels Jr took the lead away from Shane Leonard. Daniels led until lap eighteen when Shane Leonard re-took the lead.
At the half way point Danny Daniels Jr. spun out in turn two. Larry Braswell brought out the fianl caution after he almost hit the turn four wall head on, Thankfully Braswell had good brakes! Shane Leonard went on to claim the victory with Danny Daniels Jr in second and Jim Meiser was third.
The Fab 4’s were the final race of the evening with Linda Badali leading the field to the start of the twenty five lap race. Badali led the first lap with the caution coming out after the lap was completed for the spinning car of Nick Callin in turn four.
On the restart Jason McGonnell took over the lead from Badali. The next caution came out on lap four for the spinning car of Linda Badali, who had spun out in turn four. Corey Malinowski took over the top spot from Jason McGonnell on the restart.
Lap eighteen saw the final caution of the night, after Phillip Ellis had gotten into the back of Paul Richards Jr going into turn one and sent Richards Jr. spinning. Corey Malinowski took home the win with Paul Richards Jr in second and Jason McGonnell finishing in third.